The Best Places To Visit In Manali (The Indian Himalayas)
Last Updated: March 1 2021
Manali (also known as Kullu Manali), is located in Himachal Pradesh and is one of the top places to visit in North India. The town sits at 6,700 ft above sea level, so you can imagine the outstanding views and it sits within the Kullu valley. In this post, we will go through the best places to visit in Manali including the popular treks through the Indian Himalayas.
In this post, you can find all the hidden places to visit in Manali so you can plan your Kullu Manali trip! As well as the best places to visit in Manali, we have included some destinations slightly further out from Manali. There are plenty of Himachal Pradesh destinations to visit so give yourself plenty of time to explore.
When we think back on our journey around Asia, Manali is one of the places that comes to our minds first. It is probably the place we miss most from travelling! Imagine snow-capped mountains, amazing hikes and plenty of incredible food. It is one of the most beautiful places we have ever visited, and you will not regret it!
The Top Places To Visit In Manali:
The town of Manali & Old Manali
The town of Manali is split into Manali and Old Manali. Honestly, we didn’t find there to be too much of a difference. We visited Manali in April, and found it to be the perfect time of year! The mountains were snow-capped, and the views were incredible.
We would recommend you head to Manali whilst there is still snow on the ground. It was the coldest place we visited during our travels and was definitely a shock to the system! We travelled to Manali from New Delhi, which had 40C temperatures at the time. To go from that to 5C was a shock!
If you are visiting the towns of Manali and Old Manali there are plenty of things to do. There are lots of quirky little shops to get souvenirs and also plenty of amazing places to eat. Places to visit in Old Manali include Manu temple, Hidimba Devi temple and the Van Vihar woods.
Nehru Kund
Nehru Kund is one of the places to visit in Manali that you must see! It is a natural spring that was named after the first prime minister of India. This water spring is said to be sourced from Bhrigu lake and has the Beas river flowing through it. We took a walk here from Manali one day and had a lovely time exploring the place.
The views from the river were beautiful, with incredible views of snowy mountains. There is also a bridge here, that made us think of Nepal! Shanag bridge is typical of one found in the Himalayas, with it being decorated in flags of all different colours.
If you are planning on doing some real Manali sightseeing then you need to visit Nehru Kund! It is one of the most popular Manali tourist places.
Jogini Falls
Jogini Falls is a beautiful waterfall set off the main road, not too far from Nehru Kund. It is a sacred site for the locals and one you don’t want to miss! You can see the waterfall in the distance from most parts of Manali. The falls take about 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach from Manali, and then it heads off from the main road. There is a fork in the path at one point, leading to two different path routes.
We took the wrong path in the end so didn’t make it to the waterfall haha! However, we did come across a nice viewpoint, looking out to the mountains so it wasn’t all bad. There is a small cafe on the route on google maps, after this, you will come to the fork in the path. Head left if you want to go to the waterfall, and head right to find this viewpoint! We would recommend you checking this view out!
View this post on Instagram
Shanag Waterfall
Shanag Waterfall is another beautiful waterfall found in the area. It is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Manali and you should make time for it!
We visited Shanag waterfall, after going to Nehru Kund so they can be visited on the same day. To get there, cross the bridge and follow the path back to Manali. It can be found on google maps too if you are struggling.
Lion King Rock
One of our favourite spots in Manali was Lion King rock. This rock formation is located in the Manali animal sanctuary. The sanctuary covers a large area, so you will want to take a guide with you. From where we stayed, Lion King rock was only about a 25-minute walk away.
We found the walk to be quite tough, as it is a hilly bank from the start pretty much all the way to the top. However, it does start to level out when you reach the rock. This spot is truly incredible, and the views are crazy! The weather was fresh but sunny and clear so we could see for miles.
Manali Wildlife Sanctuary
The Manali wildlife sanctuary is a huge nature reserve, and you can walk through it for miles. You can even do a trek to Dharamshala from here up over the mountain. We had wanted to go into the sanctuary before we even arrived in Manali, as we had seen the insane wildlife that could be found here.
We presumed it was a jeep safari, so looked into booking one. However, we were very much mistaken and apparently to visit the Manali wildlife sanctuary you just have to walk through it! This is despite the fact there are hyenas, bears, and leopards found in the area. Everyone seemed so relaxed about it, and that seemed both crazy and hilarious to us haha!
After arriving at our hotel, we asked the owner how we go about visiting the park. He simply said casually as ever, follow the path and have fun! We actually couldn’t believe it. He also gave us advice on what to do if we came across a bear or leopard.
Although chances of us seeing these animals were slim, you can imagine we weren’t confident to trek on our own! As a result, we hired the owner of our accommodation to take us for a trek around Manali wildlife sanctuary and it cost us roughly £25 if we can remember correctly.
Trekking through Manali Wildlife sanctuary:
We trekked for about 6 hours in total and had an incredible time. We found the walk quite tough, but worth it for the incredible views of the Himalayas! Our Guide bought us plenty of drinks and snacks, and we can’t recommend him enough.
We stayed at Manali Top Inn & Cafe, which was only a 5-minute walk to the start of the trek. If you are heading to Manali, you need to do this walk. If you are a slow walker, the guide will happily suit the route to you and make it shorter.
Places near Manali you could visit
As well as the places to visit located in Manali, there are many more beautiful locations found just further out. Some more destinations to include in your Manali trip are:
- Himalayan national park
- Solang valley
- Rohtang pass
Adventure activities in Manali:
There are so many activities available in Manali including Skiing and paragliding. We didn’t go skiing or paragliding in Manali ourselves, but it is super popular! There are so many companies offering packages for adventure activities, and they can be found alongside the road of Manali.
The most popular places to go skiing are Solang Valley and the Rohtang Pass. In terms of paragliding, again there are plenty of packages available. We saw quite a few paragliders around the Beas river.
There are also plenty of treks to do around Manali. Some of the most popular include the Hampta pass trek and the Beas Kund trek. The Great Himalayan National Park is also located not far from Manali!
Food options in Manali
Manali has so many different food choices, including plenty of western food. We ate in both old and new Manali, and there are plenty of options in both. We found lovely bakeries, Italian restaurants, pubs and lots of little food stalls.
How to reach Manali?
You can reach Manali from plenty of destinations including New Delhi, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Leh, Shimla, and Dharamshala. Most of these can be reached by bus or jeep with one of the most popular routes being Delhi to Manali by road.
If travelling by plane the closest airport is Bhuntur Airport, where you can get flights into Manali from New Delhi and Chandigarh.
If travelling by rail the closest train stations to Manali include Jogindernagar station, Chandigarh station and Ambala station. From here you can either can get buses or taxi’s.
Another way to reach Manali is to book through a tour company. There are plenty of companies in India who will organise your India itinerary for you including the destinations you want to visit and the transport. If you are travelling through India this way you will want to include Manali in your North India tour!
Places to go from Manali (Onward travel)
You can travel to plenty of places from Manali; either by bus or by jeep. These places include New Delhi, Dharamshala, Mcleod Ganj, and Ladakh! We wanted to head to Ladakh however the Rohtang pass was shut due to the snowfall so we couldn’t get there.
Shimla and Manali are both extremely popular destinations for tourists so Shimla may be the way to go after visiting Manali. If you have the chance it should be included on your Himachal Pradesh trip!
From Manali, we headed to Mcleod Ganj, which is home to many Tibetan monks including the Dalai Lama. We enjoyed exploring Mcleod Ganj, and would recommend visiting it! Of course, if you haven’t come from the capital, you can also travel from Manali to Delhi.
If you are looking for more places to visit in India, why not read our blog post on ‘The Ultimate Travel Itinerary For Your North India Trip’ here.
Accommodation options in Manali
There are plenty of hotel and accommodation options in Manali. We stayed in a beautiful spot called Manali Top Inn & Cafe. This accommodation was unbelievable!
If you are staying in Manali then we would recommend 100% that you need to stay here. The views from the window and balcony are insane, and we didn’t want to leave! The food was amazing, and the owner is lovely. We are still in contact with him now! This is a budget stay, often costing around £10 a night so it is perfect in every aspect.
Booking.com
We hope this post has given you all the information you need to know about the places to visit in Kullu Manali! If you do end up visiting this beautiful place, make sure you tell us in the comments below!
Have you ever visited India or the Himalayas? If you have we would love to hear your experiences!
P.S If you want more travel tips, why not follow our Pinterest here.
Thanks for reading,
Jack & Abbie
MORE INDIA BLOG POSTS!
Delhi Itinerary (The 10 Best Things To Do In Delhi, India)
Ranthambore Safari – Seeing Wild Tigers In India (Bucket List Experience)
Taj Mahal Visit (All You Need To Know & The Best View Points)
North India Trip Itinerary (The Best Places To Visit In North India)
The Best Places To Visit In Jaisalmer (The Golden City Of India)
2 Day Jaipur Itinerary (The Best Places To Visit In Jaipur, India)
PIN IT LATER!
WANT TO BE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY?
Sign up to our mailing list and have the latest tips and newsletters regarding the world of travel sent directly to your inbox.
I’m one half of Acouplescalling. I'm passionate about all things travel and photography and I love sharing my experiences with others. I've seen a lot of the world already and I want to help as many people as I can do the same thing!
