Shimla + Manali
Shimla is colonial hill station — the Ridge, Christ Church, a Mall Road with no cars on it. Manali is high mountain — snow, passes and the road that carries on to Ladakh. They are seven hours apart and completely different places, and most people only ever see one of them.
Two ways to do both: by Volvo from Delhi, or by private cab if you are flying into Chandigarh.
Volvo or private cab — which one?
Take the Volvo package if you are starting from Delhi. The overnight bus at each end saves you two hotel nights, and it is the cheaper of the two by a clear margin.
Take the Chandigarh package if you are flying in from Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad or Kolkata. You land at Chandigarh, we meet the flight, and the same vehicle stays with you for all five days instead of running to a bus timetable. It also gives you an extra night in Manali.
Manali + Shimla Combo
Delhi to Delhi · 1 night Shimla, 2 nights Manali · Green Season from ₹7,399 per person, Peak Season from ₹8,299.
Out of Delhi
Board in the evening at Majnu ka Tila or Kashmere Gate. Push-back semi-sleeper, and you wake up on the Shimla road with the plains behind you.
- Evening boarding in Delhi
- Overnight journey
- Morning arrival into Shimla
The summer capital
Arrive in the morning and check in. Shimla was the summer capital of British India and it still looks the part — Christ Church on the Ridge, the Gaiety Theatre, and a Mall Road where no cars are allowed. Kufri first for the higher ground and the views, then down into the town for the evening.
- Kufri and the Himalayan Nature Park
- The Ridge and Christ Church
- Mall Road and Scandal Point
- Jakhoo temple — steep walk or taxi
Shimla to Manali
A long valley drive and one of the better ones in Himachal — down out of the Shimla hills, along the Sutlej, past Sundernagar lake and the Pandoh dam, then up the Beas through Kullu as the valley narrows and the peaks close in. Into Manali by evening, checking in at The Sunset Haven, our own property in Prini.
- Sundernagar lake and Pandoh dam
- The Beas valley through Kullu
- Check in at The Sunset Haven, Prini
- Evening at leisure
Solang and local Manali
Solang for the morning — paragliding, the ropeway and ATV rides are all available on the spot and paid directly. Back down for the cedar-shaded Hadimba temple, the cafés and lanes of Old Manali, and Mall Road in the evening.
- Solang Valley and adventure activities
- Hadimba Devi temple
- Old Manali and the Manu temple
- Vashisht hot springs
Beyond the tunnel, then home
Through the Atal Tunnel into Lahaul — nine kilometres of tunnel and you come out somewhere that looks nothing like Kullu. Sissu’s waterfall and lake, the Chandra river running grey with glacier melt. If the Rohtang permit comes through we take the pass instead. Back for an early dinner at the property, then the evening Volvo down.
- Atal Tunnel — 9.02 km at 3,100 m
- Sissu waterfall and lake
- Rohtang Pass, permit and weather allowing
- Dinner, then the evening Volvo
Delhi
Into Delhi in the morning.
- Morning arrival
Chandigarh · Shimla · Manali
Chandigarh airport to airport · 1 night Shimla, 3 nights Manali · Green Season from ₹7,299 per person, Peak Season from ₹8,399.
Landing in the hills
We meet your flight at Chandigarh and drive straight up. The road climbs through Solan and the pine belt, and you are on the Ridge in time for the evening — which is when Shimla is at its best, with the lights coming on down the valley.
- Airport pickup at Chandigarh
- The climb through Solan
- Evening on the Ridge and Mall Road
- Check in, Shimla
Kufri, then across to Manali
Kufri in the morning while the light is good, then the long drive across to Manali. It is a full day in the car, but the road follows two river valleys the whole way and there is very little of it that is dull. Check in at The Sunset Haven in Prini.
- Kufri and the Himalayan Nature Park
- Sundernagar and the Pandoh dam
- The Beas valley through Kullu
- Check in at Prini
Solang and local Manali
A full day around Manali with your own vehicle waiting whenever you want it. Solang in the morning, Hadimba and Old Manali in the afternoon, Mall Road in the evening.
- Solang Valley and adventure activities
- Hadimba Devi temple
- Old Manali and the Manu temple
- Vashisht hot springs
Beyond the tunnel
Through the Atal Tunnel into Lahaul for Sissu’s waterfall and lake, and the Chandra river. If the Rohtang permit comes through and the pass is open, we take that instead for the snow. Last night in the valley.
- Atal Tunnel at 3,100 m
- Sissu waterfall and lake
- Rohtang Pass, permit and weather allowing
- Snow point in season
Down to the plains
An early start for the drive down. We build in enough margin for the Mandi stretch, which is the one that gets held up, and drop you at Chandigarh airport with time in hand. Tell us your flight number at booking and we will plan the departure around it.
- Morning departure from Prini
- The descent through Mandi and Bilaspur
- Chandigarh airport drop
What is included
Both packages include your Shimla hotel as well as your nights at The Sunset Haven in Manali, with breakfast and dinner throughout.
Included
- Round-trip Delhi Volvo, push-back semi-sleeper — Volvo package only
- Private vehicle with hill driver for the full route — Chandigarh package
- Hotel in Shimla and The Sunset Haven in Manali, on twin-sharing
- Daily breakfast and dinner throughout
- Private cab for all listed sightseeing, kept with you
- All inter-city transfers, bus stand or airport pickup and drop
- Driver allowance, fuel, tolls and parking
Not included
- GST, at the applicable rate
- Rohtang Pass permit charges where a permit is required
- Lunches and anything ordered off the buffet menu
- Adventure activities — paragliding, ropeway, ATV, rafting
- Flights to and from Chandigarh — Chandigarh package
- Anything personal: laundry, tips, shopping
Booking and cancellation
Pay 25% to hold your dates. The balance is paid on arrival, in cash or by UPI.
| Cancelled | Refund |
|---|---|
| 30 or more days before departure | Full refund |
| 15 – 29 days before departure | 50% refund |
| 14 days or less | No refund |
| Early departure or no-show | No refund |
Refunds are processed within 14 working days. Date changes are subject to availability and may carry a difference in fare.
Two things worth knowing
Day 3 on the Volvo package is a long drive. Shimla to Manali is seven to eight hours on mountain roads, and there is no shorter way to do it. If anyone in your group gets carsick, tell us at booking and we will break it with an overnight at Mandi.
Rohtang is never guaranteed. It runs on permits, weather and administrative closures, and shuts at short notice. If it is closed on your day we move you beyond the Atal Tunnel to Sissu instead, so the day is not lost. We say this before you pay rather than after.
Not sure which of the two?
Tell us which city you are travelling from and we will tell you honestly which package makes sense — including when the answer is the cheaper one.
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