We at Rajputana Cabs Delhi send more than 100 cars every year to Manali. The details below on our Delhi to Manali route are well-informed and will also assist you in planning the days and timing for your trip.

Distance from Delhi to Manali:

It is 499 km, and a non-stop drive will take 9–10 hours.

Time taken to reach Manali from Delhi:

A non-stop drive to Manali is almost impossible, as we will stop for fuel and you will also have a meal break. So add an extra 1–2 hours, and you can reach Manali from Delhi in 11–12 hours if you choose a morning drive, and around 10 hours if you choose a night drive.

Best Delhi to Manali route:

The route from Delhi starts with NH 44 (GT Road). You will drive from Delhi > Bahalgarh > Murthal > Panipat > Karnal > Kurukshetra > Ambala. Here, NH 44 will be completed, and you will have covered 200 km in 3h 30m. You can also take a short break here. From Ambala, you will drive on:

Ambala > outside Chandigarh city > Rupnagar > Kiratpur Sahib. This stretch is 110 km (Ambala to Kiratpur Sahib) and will take around 1h 15m. Here, you can also stop and visit Kiratpur Sahib Gurudwara.

From Kiratpur Sahib, the new road begins — the Kiratpur–Manali Four-Lane Expressway (National Highway 21). So the route will be: Kiratpur Sahib > Bharari (just before Mandi in Himachal) > Sundar Nagar. This is a 67 km drive and takes about 1h 30m.

Before the Kiratpur–Manali Expressway, this route was much longer and passed through Mandi city. This new route easily saves 1 hour from the journey starting at Ambala.

From Sundar Nagar, you will drive for 3 hours (125 km) to reach Manali. The route from here is:
Sundar Nagar > Pandoh > Bhuntar (the closest airport to Manali, Bhuntar Airport) > Kullu > Manali.

And now you have reached Manali from Delhi in approximately 9h 15m if traveling non-stop. However, with one fuel stop and one meal stop, you can reach Manali in about 10 hours from Delhi, which earlier used to take around 14 hours before the Kiratpur–Manali Expressway.

The journey from Delhi to Manali has many tourist sites en route, but we suggest only those places that are in Himachal and within 100 km of Manali.

If you are taking a night drive to Manali, you will reach these places by around 6–8 am. You can then spend half a day here and reach Manali by evening. These places are:

• Manikaran and Kasol

So, 80 km before Manali and around 25 km east of the Delhi–Manali route lies the beautiful valley of Manikaran, famous for its hot springs, Manikaran Sahib, and the revered Raghunath Temple Manikaran.

Then, just 5 km from Manikaran is the beautiful hill station of Kasol, known for its Parvati Valley views, riverside cafés, trekking and camping sites, and a very vibrant backpacker culture.

You can even plan to stay one night in Kasol, and then leave for Manali the next morning, which is an 84 km and 2-hour drive.

• Kullu and Naggar

On the Delhi to Manali route, you will pass through two more popular hill stations of Himachal — Kullu and Naggar. Here, you can spend around 6 hours and visit the Great Himalayan National Park, Naggar Castle, and the Nicholas Roerich Art Gallery.

So, these four destinations, which are within 80 km of Manali, are worth visiting and require just one extra day. You can visit Kullu and Naggar on Day 2 before reaching Manali by evening, while Manikaran and Kasol require one additional day. Alternatively, you can explore these two places from morning to evening and then take a night drive back to Delhi.

And if you want to book a Delhi to Manali taxi for one side or 4-6 days trip, then contact me (CB Singh) at contact details shared below. and also view our Delhi to Manali taxi fare chart, below the contact form.