Manali, at the northern end of the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh, is a hill station situated at a height of 2050 m (6398 ft) in the Himalayas. Situated on the Beas river (and near its source), it is a popular tourist spot for Indians in summer and a magical, snow-covered place in winter. A staging point for a number of treks (Beas Kund, Chandrakhani Pass) and sports such as white-water rafting, Manali is also on the road to Ladakh via the valley of Lahaul and Spiti.

Rohtang Pass, at an altitude of 3979 m (13,050 ft) above sea level, is another adventure tourist site where it can be cold even on a summer day. It is the highest point on the Manali-Keylong road and provides a wide panoramic view of mountains rising far above clouds, which is truly breath taking. Close by is a small lake called Dassaur Lake. Beas Kund, the source of river Beas, is also nearby. In winter, the road of Rothang Pass is closed.

Important to note that the road to Rohtang Pass is closed off at Manali bridge,on all tuesdays between 0900-1800 hrs for carrying out road widening work & repairs. If you are able to leave early, before 0900, you can avoid the traffic rush (found on all other days) and have Rohtang Pass to your self (well almost!!). Flip side is to be prepared for stoppages (extending upto a few hours) on the return trip as the road is blocked off where repair works are progressed. If you are driving up, be prepared for the rough broken roads at many places, sheer blind turns and tight hairpin bends, which can be exhilarating depending on the state of your nerves. Beas Kund, an igloo shaped temple, on top has a spring which is the origin of River Beas.

Hidimba Temple: It is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, who was a character in the Indian epic, Mahābhārata. The temple is surrounded by a cedar forest at the foot of the Himālayas. The sanctuary is built over a huge rock jutting out of the ground, which was worshiped as an image of the deity. The structure was built in the year 1553.

Vashist Hot Water Springs and Temple: Around 3 km from Manali, across the Beas river is Vashist, a small village with natural sulphur springs. Modern bathhouses, with Turkish-style showers, have the hot water piped into them for the convenience of the visitors who come here to benefit from the medicinal properties. Vaishisht, also boasts a pair of old stone temples, opposite each other above the main square. Dedicated to the local patron saint Vashista, the smaller of the two opens on to a partially covered courtyard, and is adorned with elaborate woodcarvings. Those lining the interior of the shrine, blackened by years of oil-lamp and incense smoke, are particularly fine. The temple tanks are underground hot-water/sulfur springs.

Solang Valley popularly known as Snow Point, is 13 km northwest of Manali and famous for its 300-meter ski lift. It is a picturesque spot and offers splendid views of glaciers and the snow-capped mountains. Jagatsukh, the former capital of Manali, is also an important spot.

Rahala waterfalls: About 16 km from Manali at the start of the climb to the Rohtang Pass, are the beautiful Rahalla Falls at an altitude of 2,501 m.

Monasteries: Manali is known for its shiny gompas or Buddhist monasteries. It is maintained by donations from the local community and by sale of hand-woven carpets in the temple workshop.

Old Manali: At a distance of 3 km northwest of Manali is Old Manali, famous for its orchards and old guesthouses. There is ruined fort here by the name of Manaligarh. There is also the Manu Maharishi Temple, dedicated to sage Manu.

Gauri Shankar Temple at DASHAL village(700 mtrs. from Sarsai )on the main left bank Kullu Manali Highway.It is a 12th century protected monument.Also see lush green apple orchards,play with water stream out there

Min temp could be below -10 C from Oct till March. Dec Jan and Feb are coldest months. Rest of the year the minimum temprature would be between 10 to 15 C.

How to Reach Kullu Manali

By Bus: Manali is about 550 km from Delhi, the capital of India, and there are buses connecting the town with Delhi, Shimla, Dharamsala and Leh. For service from Delhi to Manali, tickets and reservations can be made at the Inter State Bus Terminus as well as at the Himachal Tourism office on Safdar Hashmi Marg near Mandi House in New Delhi. The approximate travel time from Delhi to Manali is 18 hours; from Ambala to Manali is 10 hours; and from Kulu to Manali is 1.5 to 3 hours. Volvo buses are available from Delhi but you need to book these two to five days in advance. Considering the long and difficult drive, many prefer to take a day or two off at Simla before heading on.

By Private Taxi: If hiring a private taxi, ensure that the driver has experience driving in hilly regions and doesn't have the habit of drinking alcohol.Also make sure the driver has done the trip atleast once before and knows all roads .

By Train: The nearest Broad Gauge Rail Head is Ambala Cantt(200 km) or Chandigarh (250 km)from Indian Capital New Delhi. Ambala Cantt is on the Delhi - Amritsar and Delhi - Jammu main lines and is well served by rail, but you will need to travel to Ambala to get a bus for the 10 hour ride to Manali. Jogindernagar and Kalka are other, less preferable, rail heads for Manali. The nearest Broad gauge station is Kiratpur Sahib in punjab near the city of Nangal . It lies in Ropar district of Punjab. The station lies on the Ambala Cantt - Una route of Indian Railways. From here you can easily get buses for Manali.

By Air: The nearest airport is Bhuntar Airport ( Tel: 01902-65037, 65603) , 50 km from Manali, 10 km from Kullu, about two hours away. Indian Airlines, Kingfisher airlines,MDLR Airlines and Jagson Airlines operate flights to Kullu from Delhi and Chandigarh.