Kullu-Manali-Hill Station of HP

The lush Kullu Valley is the most picturesque of Himalayan valleys that is spread on both sides of the Beas River. The valley runs north to south of this river and is 80km long and about 2km at its broadest. Manali is 40Kms from Kullu at an altitude of 2050metres, famous for its canopy of Deodar trees that surrounds it.



Manali has been a popular destination for honeymooners, trekkers, mountaineers, rafters, skiers and adventure freaks and anyone who wishes to escape the heat & dust of the plains to breathe the crystal clear air of the Himalayas and enjoy the spectacle of unlimited greenery.

A tour to Himachal Pradesh is incomplete without a tour to Kullu-Manali.

Manali literally means the 'Home of Manu'. Manu, the mythological character who survived when the world was drowned in floods. He then came to Manali and recreated human life. Thus, the area of Manali is sacred and Hindus treat the temples over here as pilgrimage.

Surrounded by towering peaks at an arm length, Manali's major asset is its proximity to the snowline. It is a flourishing orchard industry, a popular honeymoon destination and trailhead for numerous treks as well as a great countryside ideal for adventure sport lovers.

Manali, with its mountaineering institute, is a popular base for trekking and mountaineering in summer and skiing in winter. Interesting routes into the surrounding valleys, over the high passes, are provided with tourist huts and rest houses for trekking enthusiasts

Now, the question is how to reach Kullu-Manali?

By Air :- The nearest airport is at Bhuntar, 10km from Kullu. Indian Airlines, Trans Bharat Aviation and Jagson flights operate flights between Kullu Delhi & Shimla.

By Rail :- Nearest convenient railheads are Kalka, Chandigarh and Pathankot from where Kullu can be reached by road.

By Road :- Kulu is well connected by road with Delhi, Ambala, Chandigarh, Shimla, Dehradun, Pathankot, Dharamsala & Dalhousie and other cities in Himachal and outside. Regular direct buses ply between these stations. Deluxe, semi-deluxe and air conditioned buses during are available during tourist season.

Local Transport :- Local buses operate between Kullu-Manali and Manikaran regularly. Taxis are also available. On a tour to Kullu-Manali you can avail local transport for sightseeing purposes.

Tourist Attractions in Kullu-Manali
The tourist attractions in Kullu-Manali are numerous. The Hirimba Temple, Vashisht Ashram, Rotang Pass, Manikaran are some of them. On a tour to Kullu-Manali you also have the option for undertaking weekend excursions. On weekend getaways from Kullu-Manali you can travel to Shimla, Kalpa, Kaza, Kannaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Dharamshala, Dalhousie and so on.


The mountain state of Himachal Pradesh is particularly famous for springing beautiful intoxicating visual surprises on a traveler at every turn of the road. The Kullu district is not an exception either. The colorful Himachal Pradesh offers plenty of options for weekend getaways from Kullu-Manali.

Lahaul-Spiti - the twin districts of Lahaul-Spiti is a major weekend getaways from Kullu-Manali. Lahaul plateau is very dry and cold surrounded by high mountains on all sides. It has a vast number of glaciers, the ‘Bara Shingri’ being the biggest of them. The district of Spiti, with its headquarters at Kaza is also called ‘Little Tibet’. Kalpa - a small town located in the Sutlej River Valley, above Recong Peo in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, Kalpa is inhabited by the Kinnauri people and famous for its apple orchards. Apples are a major cash-crop for the region. The local inhabitants mostly follow a combo of Hinduism and Buddhism, and many temples in Kalpa are dedicated to both Hindu and Buddhist gods & godesses.

More Weekend Getaways from Kullu-Manali include Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Kinnaur and Almora.

The equally colorful people, an old traditional culture portrayed in its rock cut cobwebbed temples and of course, a spicy, indigenous cuisine makes the eating out in Kulu-Manali real fun.

Eating Out in Kullu Manali-
The colorful people that reside these heights are equally colorful and of a creative sort, which accounts for the wide array of handicrafts and artefacts that find their place in the shop windows in this region that are notorious for baffling tourists with their beauty and variety.There are quite a few places to shop for handicrafts and local curios in Manali. The colorful Tibetan Bazaar at the extreme south end of Manali sells Kullu shawls, caps, woolens, and Tibetan souvenirs that include thangkas (Buddhist paintings on cloth), silver and turquoise jewellery, and music cassettes.

Government owned Charitable Trust Tibetan Handicrafts, or any of the cooperatives run by local women, such as Kullu/Kashmir Shawl Emporium are authentic shopping outlets. Bhutico is good for shawls, and so is the Himachal Handicrafts on Circuit House Road.



Adventure Sports
Skiing in Manali: Near Manali, there are some slopes, which have been rated the best for skiing in the world. The Solang Nullah, Patalsu, Kothi, Marhi and Rohtang slopes are very good for skiing in the winters as well as in summers. In fact Patalsu and Rohtang slopes are the only places where one can do summer skiing. The slopes are being further developed to accommodate more trainees and tourists.

The national level skiing competition is held on the slopes of Solang Nullah and the winter carnival is organised at Manali. The place has immense potential to offer some world-class ski slopes and they are being developed on the same lines. There are private organisations that provide training as well as equipment for skiing. The Mountaineering Institute has put up a small ski lift at Solang Nullah.

Rafting in Manali:


White Water Rafting The Beas river flowing through Kullu valley is suitable for not only white water rafting but is ideal for canoeing and kayaking too. The Beas River from the Manaki to Jhiri near Bajaura in Kullu district has become very popular among the lovers of river rafting and many competitions have been organised in the same. The trip starts from Mohal and covers a total distance 10-kms. The season normally starts from May to mid-June and rest depends on the arrival of monsoon. The various clubs provide the basic equipment required for the water sports.

Paragliding in Manali:
Paragliding is a combination of hang gliding and parachuting. In parachuting one has to jump from an aircraft whereas in paragliding one has to run down hill. The slopes of Solang Nullah provide just the right kind of slopes for paragliding during summers. There are organisations, which offer packages for paragliding. One can hire equipment from the private organisations in Manali and around.


Around Manali, tourist attractions include the following

Hadimba Temple

Beas Kund


Further ahead is the Beas Kund. The tiny roundish igloo like stone hut shelters the Beas Kund, the very source of the holy river Beas. Water flows at the source of the river likfe a spring, so clear and icy cold that it almost numbs the fingers. All around is the rocky terrain with very little vegetation. A few mules graze around while all and sundry try to brave the wind on a clear sunny day.

Rohtang Pass (13-kms):
Situated about 50-km from Manali town, at an altitude of 4,111m on the highway to Keylong, is the Rohtang Pass. There is a beautiful Dasohar Lake left of the Pass. The Pass, which provides the only access to the Lahaul Valley, is open from June to November each year. Snowfall is, however, unpredictable and blizzards can close the Pass even during this period. Here one sees the majesty of the mountains at its height and splendour. A few km away from the pass is the Sonapani glacier and, slightly to the left are the twin peaks of Gaypan-jagged pyramid of rock, snow streaked and snow crowned.

The Best Time To Visit the place - April To June & September To October.