A few things you must know before you plan your Manali Holiday. This knowledge will help you to save Money, Time and will give you a sense of what to expect in Manali.
Manali is one of the famous travel destinations in Himachal Pradesh, India. Manali is liked for its scenic views and heritages. Apart from this there is a tourist attraction near Manali called Rohtang Pass, you can experience the snow here throughout the year. Rohtang remain closed during winter due to heavy snow and opens for public from May till December. So if you are interested in playing with snow in peak summers then you should definitely plan a trip for Manali. Please watch the video of Rohtang Pass taken by me in the first week of July.
If you are planning for a day out sightseeing of Rohtang Pass then you must know a few things. It requires a permit to travel to Rohtang Pass and total 1200 vehicles are permitted to go to Rohtang pass for tourism purpose out of which 800 permits for petrol and 400 for diesel vehicles. It is very difficult to obtain the permit since all the permits are sold within 2 minutes during peak season. The permit window opens two days advance of the planned travel date to Rohtang. I will guide on how you can apply for Rohtang Pass Permit. Check all the mandatory fields in the form and note then in a excel sheet preferably. Enter all the details within maximum 2 minutes from opening the window and you would surely be getting the permit but I don't give any guarantee. There is a captcha and if after submission it said wrong captcha even when you have entered the correct details simply means you have exceeded the time allowed and you wouldn't get the permit. This is a trick, I have obtained the permit twice out of my 10 tries with this trick. Rohtang Pass Permit >>> Link
If you dont't get the permit then no need to worry too much. Alternatively you can check of HRTC website and can book a ticket of special electric bus service plying to Rohtang Pass. HRTC Website >>>Link
Note: Please carry your woolen clothes along with you if you are planning to go to Rohtang Pass. It will be very cold even in peak summer. Additionally, if you carry your clothes and shoes then you can save at least ₹250 per person because anyhow you will have to take them on rent from the market.
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| Image Credit: Ravinder Thakur |
During summer season Manali remains mostly packed. Most people from across India travel to Manali beat couples, families and school students. Due to overbooking there is very less scope for bargaining with hotels on price. Refrain form going to Manali without advance booking of a hotel room during peak season and there are chances that you don't get any room and will have to sleep in your car or if going through bus then you can imagine how would you spend your night. But if you have already reached there in peak season without having advance hotel booking then check the hotels in local market near the Mall, Manali and if you would be lucky then you will get a room but no guarantee.
The cost of local transportation is very high during peak season but if you are travelling by your own vehicle, then no need to worry except traffic jam. If you want to avoid the horrible traffic then just plan your sightseeing early morning.The early the better.
Never take lunch in your meal plan with hotel. It will be a wastage of money as you would more likely be outside on the sightseeing during lunch time so it is better to enjoy the lunch outside. This way you can save your money from being wasted by not booking the lunch with hotel.
Second most peak season is during X-mass and New Year. Manali is expected to get the snowfall in last week of December. Once Manali get the snowfall then everything from Hotels to transport become expensive. You wouldn't be able to walk as the snow might go above 3 feet in height. Normal vehicles can't ply on snow so local taxi operators arrange special vehicles with chains wrapped around the tires of taxis' and are expensive from fares standpoint. Other than that everything is OK.
So all above is for people who have made their mind up to book the holiday for summer season. Now check below questions and even if one is relevant to you then read further.
1. I want to spend my holiday in peaceful environment.
2. I want to breath a pollution free air.
3. I don't want to bear unnecessary cost
4. I don't want to stuck in traffic.
Even if one matches to your preference then you should avoid your Manali Holiday during peak seasons. Since Manali is a seasonable tourist destination, parking arrangements and traffic control systems are not adequate to handle such a huge volume of tourist and vehicles coming in to the city. During season time everyone will be in haste, beat hoteliers, taxi operators and other services provider i.e. camping, trekking, river rafting and paragliding. The traffic will start accumulating everywhere from morning to late night and the pollution can be seen with ware eyes. You would inhale more polluted air than in metro cities like Delhi moreover you would stuck in traffic for hours even if you are travelling to 1km. You will see people running around everywhere. Costs are way too high for everything.
If you want to spend your holiday in peace and comfort then peak season in not the ideal time.
The cost of local transportation is very high during peak season but if you are travelling by your own vehicle, then no need to worry except traffic jam. If you want to avoid the horrible traffic then just plan your sightseeing early morning.The early the better.
Never take lunch in your meal plan with hotel. It will be a wastage of money as you would more likely be outside on the sightseeing during lunch time so it is better to enjoy the lunch outside. This way you can save your money from being wasted by not booking the lunch with hotel.
Second most peak season is during X-mass and New Year. Manali is expected to get the snowfall in last week of December. Once Manali get the snowfall then everything from Hotels to transport become expensive. You wouldn't be able to walk as the snow might go above 3 feet in height. Normal vehicles can't ply on snow so local taxi operators arrange special vehicles with chains wrapped around the tires of taxis' and are expensive from fares standpoint. Other than that everything is OK.
So all above is for people who have made their mind up to book the holiday for summer season. Now check below questions and even if one is relevant to you then read further.
1. I want to spend my holiday in peaceful environment.
2. I want to breath a pollution free air.
3. I don't want to bear unnecessary cost
4. I don't want to stuck in traffic.
Even if one matches to your preference then you should avoid your Manali Holiday during peak seasons. Since Manali is a seasonable tourist destination, parking arrangements and traffic control systems are not adequate to handle such a huge volume of tourist and vehicles coming in to the city. During season time everyone will be in haste, beat hoteliers, taxi operators and other services provider i.e. camping, trekking, river rafting and paragliding. The traffic will start accumulating everywhere from morning to late night and the pollution can be seen with ware eyes. You would inhale more polluted air than in metro cities like Delhi moreover you would stuck in traffic for hours even if you are travelling to 1km. You will see people running around everywhere. Costs are way too high for everything.
If you want to spend your holiday in peace and comfort then peak season in not the ideal time.
