How to reach Manali

From the airport

The nearest airport is Bhuntar (KUU), the Kullu–Manali airport, about 50 km south of Manali. Alliance Air is the only airline and flights are few: in 2026 its Delhi service has run anywhere from three days a week to daily, with some flights to Amritsar, Jaipur and Dehradun, and in the 2025 monsoon it fell to once a week. The runway sits in a deep, narrow valley and bad weather can ground flights, so check the schedule before you book. The terminal is next to Bhuntar bus stand, and taxis and buses to Manali are easy to find. A taxi usually takes 1.5 to 2 hours; allow three hours for this drive.

Chandigarh (IXC), about 280 km away, has far more flights and is the usual fallback. From the terminal the CTU airport shuttle runs to the ISBT in Sector 43, where the Manali buses leave, or take a taxi straight through.

From the railway station

There is no railway in the Kullu valley. The practical railhead is Chandigarh (CDG), with several fast trains a day from Delhi, including the two Kalka Shatabdis. From the station take a local CTU bus, an auto-rickshaw or a taxi across the city to the ISBT in Sector 43, where HRTC and CTU buses leave for Manali, some of them overnight; or hire a taxi straight through, about 280 km and 7 to 9 hours.

Una Himachal (UHL), with a Vande Bharat and a Jan Shatabdi from Delhi, is another option, roughly 250 km from Manali by road. The narrow-gauge Kangra Valley line from Pathankot reopened in June 2026 with two trains a day each way as far as Baijnath, but monsoon damage stopped it again and it was still out of service at the end of September 2026, so do not plan a trek start around it.

By road

Manali lies at the head of the Kullu valley, about 530 to 550 km from Delhi by road: north to Chandigarh, then the Kiratpur–Manali highway through Bilaspur district, Mandi and Kullu. By car allow 10 to 12 hours with an early start.

• Delhi to Chandigarh, about 250 km via Panipat, Karnal and Ambala.
• Chandigarh to Mandi, about 170 km (3 to 4.5 hours) via Ropar and Kiratpur Sahib, then the four-lane road, which bypasses Bilaspur and Sundernagar through five tunnels.
• Mandi to Kullu, about 70 km (1.5 to 2 hours) up the Beas gorge past Pandoh, then through Bhuntar, where the airport is.
• Kullu to Manali, about 40 km (1 to 2 hours) beside the river.

The gorge between Pandoh and Aut is the slowest and most rockfall-prone section. Two new tunnels near Hanogi, opened in September 2026, now bypass one of its worst landslide stretches, but monsoon rain still stops traffic at times: rockfall closed the highway between Dwada and Thalot in August 2026. Beas floods in 2025 washed away parts of the right-bank road between Kullu and Manali and shut it for nearly two weeks. The left-bank road through Naggar is the alternative for that stretch, but it is badly potholed in 2026. From Shimla, Manali is about 260 to 270 km, some 9 hours by bus.

By bus

Kullu and Manali are connected directly to Delhi by Himachal Tourism (HPTDC) and HRTC buses, including Volvos, and by private coaches. The journey takes about 13 to 14 hours. HPTDC coaches leave from Himachal Bhawan near Mandi House and HRTC buses from ISBT Kashmere Gate. Book the Volvos in advance, especially in the peak holiday seasons.

Local transfers

HRTC and Himachal Tourism buses arrive at the HRTC bus stand in the town centre, a short walk from the Mall; private coaches set their own drop points, so check where yours stops. Taxis wait at the local taxi stand, and taxis and auto-rickshaws cover Old Manali (about 3 km) and Vashisht (about 2 km). Local buses run frequently to Kullu and roughly hourly to Solang (about 13 km). In summer, shared vehicles for Leh leave from the taxi stand. If your trek begins with a drive from Manali, such as to Kaza for the Parang La trek, arrive the day before.

Good to know

Kullu comes first on the way up from Delhi. Manali is about 40 km further up the valley, usually 1 to 2 hours by road and longer in peak-season traffic.

Himachal Tourism (HPTDC) coaches and hotels can be booked on HPTDC's official website.

Safety

Keep at least one spare day before a trek start: delays in the Mandi–Kullu gorge, cancelled flights and holiday traffic are common. From late June to September heavy rain can close the highway for hours or days, and the local administration asks travellers to avoid it during downpours. In winter, snow in and around Manali can stop traffic; in January 2026 hundreds of tourists were stranded for hours on the Patlikuhl–Manali stretch. Manali sits at about 2,050 m, a sensible first night before going higher. Check road status locally on the day you travel.

Travel tips

• Plan buffer time for road delays, especially in monsoon and winter.
• Start early for long drives to avoid night stretches on mountain roads.
• Keep offline maps and cash as backup in low-network zones.
• If you are continuing to high altitude areas, acclimatize and hydrate well.