How to Reach from Delhi to Manali?

Manali is a popular hill station in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh located in the Kullu district around 270 km from state capital, Shimla, 309 km from Chandigarh and 536 km from Delhi, the national capital. If you are looking to travel from Delhi to Manali, there are a lot of options available including bus, train, flight, cab/taxi or you can even opt to travel by your own car. Although, all the options are good enough but the one you choose depends upon your comfort, preference and convenience.

In this Article, we will be telling you how to reach from Delhi to Manali by road, train and air. Also, we will tell you which is the best and most convenient way to get to Manali from Delhi. At the end of the article you will also get answers to frequently asked questions which people want to know about reaching from Delhi to Manali.

How to Reach from Delhi to Manali by Road?

1. Delhi to Manali by Bus

The total Distance from Delhi to Manali is 536 Km which is usually covered in 13-13.5 Hours by bus. You can opt for ordinary as well as Volvo bus by HRTC, HPTDC and buses run by private operators. The buses from Delhi to Manali have several pickup points including Kashmiri Gate ISBT, R.K Ashram Marg Metro Station, Majnu ka Tila etc. The Cheapest bus fare from Delhi to Manali starts from Rs.631(which is for an ordinary government operated bus). Price of Volvo buses are usually priced between Rs.900 to Rs.1200.

2. Delhi to Manali by your own Car/Bike

ROAD ROUTE FROM DELHI TO MANALI : Delhi – Sonepat – Panipat – Karnal – Kurukshetra – Ambala – Chandigarh – Rupnagar – Bilaspur – Sundar Nagar – Mandi – Kullu – Manali

TOTAL DISTANCE : 536 km

If you are planning to visit Manali from Delhi by your own car or bike, the road route mentioned above is the one which everyone uses and is also the most convenient and shortest route available. It starts from Delhi and passes through Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra and Ambala and Chandigarh.

From Chandigarh to Manali, the cities and towns en route will be Rupnagar, Bilaspur, Sundar Nagar, Mandi and Kullu. The highway looks quite adventurous once you are on the hills and this is reason road route is undoubtedly the most preferred way of traveling from Delhi to Manali.

3. Delhi to Manali by Cab/Taxi

If you are not in a mood to go by a bus or your own car/bike you can opt to travel from Delhi to Manali by Cab/Taxi. It would cost you around Rs.3500-Rs.3700 by a hatchback(like Tata Indica), Rs.4200-Rs.4400 by a sedan(like Toyota Etios), Rs.5000-Rs.5200 by a SUV(like Toyota Innova).

Though a lot of tourists prefer to opt for a self-drive from Delhi to Manali, but we advice you to hire a taxi if you are not comfortable with driving in hilly regions.

4. Delhi to Manali by Self Drive Car

If you are not from Delhi and you want to drive through the hills of Manali, then opting for a self drive car is definitely a great option for you. There are plenty of online portals like Zoom Car from where you can take a self drive car from Delhi to Manali. Price of hiring a self drive car depends on the days on which you want to hire it. From Monday to Friday, prices are very reasonable but on the weekends i.e., on Saturday and Sunday prices are pretty high. So, you can plan accordingly.

How to Reach from Delhi to Manali by Train/Rail?

Jogindernagar railway station is known to be the nearest railhead, however it is a narrow gauge route. Chandigarh and Ambala are the best options where you can get down to reach Manali. So, the nearest Railway Stations for Manali are Chandigarh and Ambala. From these stations, you can get several mode of transportation including taxi and bus.

How to Reach from Delhi to Manali by Air/Flight?

The nearest airport to Manali is at Bhuntar, which is 50 km away from Manali. Air India flights connect Bhuntar with Delhi and Chandigarh. Once you are at the airport, you can take a pre-paid taxi to reach Manali. Other nearby airports from Manali are at Dharmshala(219 km), Chandigarh(306 km) and Shimla(254 km).

What is the best way to Reach Manali from Delhi?

Although you can opt for any of the ways that you feel is the most suitable for you, but reaching from Delhi to Manali by Volvo bus is the most convenient, comfortable and pocket friendly option available.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which is best Volvo Bus from Delhi to Manali?

• Himachal Pradesh Government run HPTDC and HRTC are the best operators on Delhi to Manali route.
• Swagatam and Harisons Travels are known to offer quite plush interiors. Few of their service even have personal LCD for every passenger. HPTDC buses do not offer individual LCD seats.
• If you are going to Manali in off-season, book through HPTDC only. HPTDC would hardly cancel their service, while private operators are hold bad reputation for cancelling the service if passenger count is poor.
• Traveling by Volvo bus is considered to be comfortable but still last 3-5 hours of the journey can be a bit hard on those who suffer from motion sickness.
• Complimentary water is provided in all the Volvo buses but not blanket, so do remember to carry a light blanket or shawl.

2. Is HRTC bus safe?

HRTC buses and their drivers are known to be one of the safest in India.

3. Why there is no Sleeper bus from Delhi to Manali?

Government of Himachal Pradesh has put a ban on sleeper buses on this route as the height of the sleeper buses are quite high and the road between Delhi to Manali is very dangerous with a number of sharp curves.

4. What is the Bus fare from Delhi to Manali?

The Cheapest bus fare from Delhi to Manali is Rs.631 which is for an ordinary government operated bus. Price of Volvo buses are usually priced between Rs.900 to Rs.1200.

5. Is Delhi to Manali Road Safe?

Delhi to Manali road is in a very good condition and if you travel on this route by your car or bike you will definitely have a lot of fun and adventure. However, we advice you to hire a taxi if you are not comfortable with driving in hilly regions.