How to Reach Manali 2026: From Delhi, Chandigarh & Dharamshala by Bus, Car, Flight

Short answer: Manali has no railway station, so almost everyone arrives by road. From Delhi (about 550 km) take an overnight HRTC or private bus, or drive via Chandigarh, Kiratpur, Bilaspur, Mandi and Kullu. From Dharamshala it is about 230 to 250 km (7 to 9 hours) via Palampur and Mandi. The nearest airport is Kullu-Manali Airport at Bhuntar, about 50 km away, with a small number of Alliance Air flights, mostly from Delhi.

Checked on 27 October 2026 against official pages, Wikipedia and dated news reports. Bus timings and fares change often and we could not open HRTC’s own site on the day, so we say where to check rather than quote numbers we cannot stand behind.

How to Reach Manali: Quick Facts

How do you reach Manali from Delhi by bus?

Most people take an overnight bus. HRTC (Himachal Road Transport Corporation) and many private operators run Volvo and other buses from Delhi to Manali, mostly overnight. The distance is about 550 km.

• Booking: HRTC sells tickets on its official booking site, online.hrtchp.com, and at its counters. Private buses are sold on the big booking apps.
• Timings and fares: we could not verify current HRTC timings or fares (the HRTC website was not reachable for us on 27 October 2026). Fares on booking apps vary by bus type and date. Check the operator name and drop point before you pay.
• Drop point: confirm whether your bus ends at the Manali bus stand near Mall Road or stops short of town; after the 2025 flood, hoteliers and travel agents said the Kullu-Manali road needed strengthening for heavy luxury buses (The Tribune, 17 September 2025).
• Peak weeks: book early for May-June weekends and the Christmas-New Year week.

How do you drive to Manali from Delhi or Chandigarh?

The route: Delhi, Ambala, Chandigarh (or Zirakpur), Kiratpur, Bilaspur, Ner Chowk, Mandi, Pandoh, Aut, Kullu, then up the Beas to Manali. Wikipedia describes it as NH 1 to Ambala, NH 22 to Chandigarh, then the national highway through Bilaspur, Sundernagar, Mandi and Kullu.

What changed on this road (dated):

Not confirmed: we found no 2026 report that full two-way traffic is restored on every damaged Kullu-Manali stretch. Ask your hotel or driver about the current routing.

Green tax at the Manali barrier: every vehicle not registered in Himachal Pradesh pays a green tax to enter Manali: ₹200 for a car (LMV), ₹100 for a bike, ₹300 for a passenger vehicle, ₹500 for a goods vehicle. It is valid for seven days, can be applied for up to 9 days ahead on the official portal (rohtangpermits.hp.gov.in), and a printout is compulsory (official portal, checked 27 October 2026). The Tribune (6 June 2026) shows the barrier at Aloo Ground.

Self-drive tips:

• Drive the hill section (from Kiratpur onwards) in daylight.
• Fuel up and keep cash and water; jams near Mandi and Kullu can last hours in peak weeks and after rain.
• Respect speed limits in the tunnels and on the four-lane; cameras issue automatic fines on the Kiratpur-Ner Chowk stretch.

Can you fly to Manali?

Yes, to Kullu-Manali Airport at Bhuntar, about 52 km from Manali and about 10 to 11 km south of Kullu (Wikipedia; HPTDC gives 49 km). It has a short runway of 1,125 m in a deep valley, and Alliance Air has been its only airline (Wikipedia).

What flights looked like in 2026 (from a dated report, not a timetable):

Our advice: treat the Bhuntar flight as a bonus, not a plan. Seats are few, fares are high and flights in a narrow valley are weather-sensitive. Check the airline’s current schedule and keep a road backup. From Bhuntar, HPTDC puts the drive to Manali at about an hour; allow more in peak traffic.

Alternative: fly to Kangra (Gaggal) airport for Dharamshala, spend a few days in McLeod Ganj, then drive on to Manali. See our Kangra airport guide.

Can you reach Manali by train?

Not directly. There is no railway in Manali. The nearest stations (Wikipedia):

The usual plan: train from Delhi to Chandigarh, then an HRTC bus or taxi to Manali. If you are going to Dharamshala first, train to Pathankot; see our Pathankot to Dharamshala guide.

How do you reach Manali from Dharamshala or McLeod Ganj?

By road, about 230 to 250 km and 7 to 9 hours, via Palampur, Baijnath, Joginder Nagar and Mandi, then up the Kullu valley. There is no direct flight or train between the two.

• Taxi: the most flexible option; stop at Palampur’s tea gardens, Baijnath temple or Bir. Book a Dharamshala to Manali taxi.
• HRTC bus: direct buses run from Dharamshala; take the earliest one so you reach Manali in daylight.
• Break the journey: a night in Bir for paragliding splits the drive well; see our Bir travel guide.

All route options, bus times and taxi costs are in our Dharamshala to Manali guide. For a full circuit, see the Delhi, Dharamshala and Manali itinerary.

When are the roads to Manali risky?

Monsoon (July to September): July and August average about 200 mm of rain each in Manali (IMD normals). Landslides near Mandi (4 Mile, Pandoh) and floods on the Beas regularly block the highway; in 2025 the Kullu-Manali road was cut for 21 days after the 26 August flood.

• Keep one or two spare days.
• Do not drive at night.
• Check road news (The Tribune’s Himachal pages, district administrations) on the morning you travel.

Winter (December to February): snow and black ice mostly affect the roads beyond Manali towards Solang and the Atal Tunnel, but heavy snow and holiday crowds also cause long jams in and around town, especially at Christmas and New Year. In January 2026, Business Today reported jams of up to 8 km and nearly full hotels in Manali during the first big snowfall. Read our Manali in December and January guide, and our Rohtang Pass and Atal Tunnel status page for the high roads.

Once you arrive, plan your days with our Manali travel guide and places to visit in Manali. For the Dharamshala leg, browse our checked hotels in Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj and treks.

What is confirmed and what is not (27 October 2026)