Manali in 3 days: a day-by-day plan from Delhi

Before Day 1: the overnight journey

Plus an overnight journey from Delhi before Day 1 and back to Delhi after Day 3. Overnight buses from Delhi usually reach Manali in the morning, so Day 1 starts with check-in and a short rest rather than sightseeing.

Day 1: Arrive in Manali

Route: Manali bus stand / drop point → hotel → Hadimba Temple → Van Vihar → Mall Road

• Morning — Arrive in Manali at about 11:00 AM after the overnight journey from Delhi (overnight Volvo/AC buses usually reach between 7:00 and 11:00 AM). Transfer to the hotel and check in — standard check-in is around 12:00 PM; earlier rooms depend on availability. Freshen up and rest.
• Afternoon — Hadimba Devi Temple, the 16th-century wooden pagoda-style temple in the Dhungri cedar forest about 2 km above Mall Road (allow 30–60 minutes). Walk through the forest, then continue to Van Vihar, the deodar park opposite the Tibetan market on Mall Road.
• Evening — Free time on Mall Road and in the Tibetan market for cafés and shopping.
• Night — Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Manali.

Travel: Local only — all points are within about 2–3 km of each other.

Day 2: Solang Valley, Atal Tunnel & Sissu

Route: Manali → Solang Valley → Atal Tunnel (south portal) → Sissu (Lahaul) → Manali

• Morning — Breakfast at the hotel. Early start, as traffic towards the tunnel builds through the day. Drive to Solang Valley (about 14 km) for snow or meadows, depending on the season.
• Afternoon — Cross the 9.02 km Atal Tunnel into the Lahaul valley to Sissu for the riverside, the waterfall viewpoint and mountain views. Return through the tunnel towards Manali.
• Evening — Back in Manali by evening — local advisories ask tourists to leave the Lahaul side before 5:00 PM, and the driver plans the return around current instructions. Evening at leisure.
• Night — Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Manali.

Travel: About 30–40 km each way to Sissu. Time varies widely with traffic, snow and police checkpoints — allow most of the day.

If the tunnel road is closed: police may stop vehicles at Solang, Palchan or Nehru Kund after snowfall. The day then covers Solang Valley and the highest permitted snow point, or the Day 3 Old Manali circuit is brought forward.

Day 3: Old Manali & Departure

Route: Hotel → Old Manali (Manu Temple) → Vashisht → Manali departure point

• Morning — Breakfast and check-out (luggage held at the hotel or in the vehicle). Manu Temple in Old Manali, about 3 km from the bus stand, and a walk through the Old Manali lanes.
• Afternoon — Vashisht village and temple with its hot-spring baths, across the Beas. Lunch on own account, then time at leisure on Mall Road.
• Evening — Transfer to the departure point for the overnight bus to Delhi. Departures commonly leave between about 4:00 and 6:00 PM; the exact pick-up time follows the confirmed ticket.
• Night — Overnight journey to Delhi.

Travel: About 500–550 km to Delhi; roughly 13–16 hours overnight.

Practical tips for this plan

• Atal Tunnel and Sissu need no tourism permit, but the road can close at short notice after snowfall, mostly between December and March.
• Rohtang Pass is closed in winter (roughly November to mid-May) and is never part of the base package in those months.
• Rohtang has a weekly closure day in some periods, so the permit portal is checked for your travel date.
• Overnight bus timings to and from Delhi are set by the bus operator. Day 3 sightseeing stays within Manali town so the bus is not missed.

Start Day 2 early. Traffic towards the Atal Tunnel builds through the day, and the return is planned around the advisory to leave the Lahaul side by about 5:00 PM.

Wondering which high-altitude day trip is possible in your month? See Atal Tunnel, Sissu or Rohtang Pass.