Hadimba Devi Temple
temple · 1 min from Manali
3 nights · 4 daysFriendsAdventurepacked
Manali adventure sampler — four days of flying, rafting, riding and one night under canvas
A four-day Manali plan that tries everything: paragliding at Solang, rafting at Pirdi, a camp night above the meadow and a motorcycle day, with typical prices.
Four days that try each of the things Manali is sold on: the ridge flight at Solang, the raft on the Beas, a night in a tent above the meadow, a motorcycle on the valley road. The order is the one the weather and the light want. Every activity here is a note, not a booking: the counters are where we say they are, the prices are the bands we last checked, and you pay on the day.
It is a packed plan and it needs the season. March to June and September to November are the months when all four run; in the monsoon the river is too high and the ridge does not fly, and in deep winter the camp night becomes a snow trip.
Photos: Dimukho (CC BY-SA 4.0) · B Balaji from Chennai, India (CC BY 2.0) · Biswarup Ganguly (CC BY 3.0) · Consequoia (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Mann Mishra (CC BY 3.0) · Nrr1729 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Who this is for
Groups of friends and anyone who wants to do rather than see. Not for small children (the raft and the camp night are the sticking points) and not for anyone with only two days — take the friends plan instead.
Day by day
Day 1
Fly at Solang, then the meadow on foot
The ridge flies in calm morning air, so Solang is first. The counters open early; the meadow, the ropeway and the walk to the rock shrine fill the rest of the day.
- 07:30SolangThe meadow 12 km up the valley. Tandem paragliding launches from the ridge above it in season, typically ₹3,000–5,000 as of Sep 2026 and quoted on the day at the counters above the car park. The ropeway runs on clear days, typically ₹500–800 return. Ponies and zorbing on the grass in season.
- 11:30Anjani MahadevA shrine under a rock overhang above the meadow: a gentle walk in along the stream, lunch on the grass at the top.
- ↓ 28 min by road · 14 km16:30Old ManaliThe lane above the bridge for the evening. Ask at the trekking counters here about tomorrow's raft and the night's camp; they book on the day.
Day 2
Down the valley for the river
The Beas is rafted below Kullu, not at Manali. A morning run from Pirdi, the town for lunch, and the left-bank road back up through Naggar.
- 08:30PirdiThe rafting counters on the highway below Kullu, 44 km and about 57 min down the valley. Runs are sold by stretch, typically ₹500–1,500 per person as of Sep 2026: the short one is enough for a first time, the long one is the real river. Wet clothes go in the raft; a change stays in the car.
- ↓ 30 min by road · 14 km12:30KulluLunch in the bazaar and the shawl co-operatives; the town is the valley's working side.
- ↓ 59 min by road · 33 km15:00Naggar CastleThe slow way back, up the left bank: the timber castle, tea on its balcony, and the valley from above.
Day 3
A walk up and a night under canvas
The third day goes up on foot. A day walk from Solang towards Beas Kund, with the camp night at the meadow; the outfit carries the tents.
- 08:00Nehru KundTen minutes at the spring where the valley opens; the last stop before the car park.
- ↓ 14 min by road · 6 km08:30SolangThe start of the walk, up the river towards Beas Kund from Dhundi. The full lake is a long day, so most groups turn at the first meadow, camp there and come down in the morning. Tented camps are typically ₹1,000–2,500 per person per night with meals as of Sep 2026, a guided day walk typically ₹800–2,000 per person; book at the counters the evening before. Cold at night whatever the month.
- 16:00Anjani MahadevIf the group turns early, the shrine walk fills the afternoon before the camp; the meadow's edge is the place to sit.
Day 4
Two wheels and the road up the valley
The last day on a hired scooter or motorcycle — the Naggar road for a gentle ride, or the Solang road for the climb — and the evening back on the Mall.
- 09:00Mall RoadThe hire shops are on the roads off the Mall. A scooter is typically ₹600–1,200 a day and a motorcycle ₹1,200–2,500 as of Sep 2026; helmet, licence and a deposit; fuel is yours. Check the brakes before you pay.
- ↓ 6 min by road · 3 km10:30Vashisht TempleThe first stop out of town: the hot-spring tanks in the temple courtyard, and the road above it for the views.
- ↓ 8 min by road · 4 km12:00Upper Jogini FallsLeave the bike at Vashisht and walk the orchard path to the fall; the pool below it is the swim on a warm day.
- ↓ 12 min by road · 6 km16:00Hadimba Devi TempleBack in town for the temple in its deodar grove before the bike goes back; the grove is quiet after four.
Getting there
Arrive the evening before day one. The overnight bus from Delhi reaches the Manali bus stand in the morning, which loses the first flight; arriving a day early fixes it. From Bhuntar airport it is about an hour up the valley — and the rafting at Pirdi is on that same road, so a flight in can start with the river.
Where to stay
Old Manali for the nights in town: the trekking and rafting counters are in the lane, so tomorrow is arranged over dinner. The third night is the camp. Anyone who would rather not sleep in a tent stays in Old Manali and does the walk as a day.
Know before you go
- Solang flies in the morning; by eleven the wind is up and the counters stop. Be at the meadow by half past seven.
- Prices are bands, checked in September 2026, and the operators quote on the day; ask what the stretch or the flight includes before you pay.
- The raft needs a change of clothes and shoes that can get wet; leave phones in the car.
- The camp night is cold in every month; a warm layer and a hat, even in June.
- A motorcycle needs a licence you can show; the police check on the Solang road.
- The ropeway only runs on clear days — if the cloud is down, skip it rather than wait.
If plans change
In winter: swap the raft for skiing at Solang — hire is typically ₹300–600 an hour and ₹800–1,500 with an instructor as of Sep 2026 — and see the snow plan.
With less time: the friends plan keeps the flight and the walk and drops the river and the camp.
For the walking alone: the Beas Kund trek or the day hikes plan.
Places on this route
Naggar Castle
fort · 31 min from Manali
Old Manali
area · 5 min from Manali
Solang
town · 21 min from Manali
Jogini Falls
waterfall · 8 min from Manali
Vashisht Temple and hot springs
temple · 6 min from Manali
Anjani Mahadev
temple · 23 min from Manali
Mall Road, Manali
area · 3 min from Manali
Nehru Kund
hotspring · 8 min from Manali
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See the plan →Questions people ask
What does a Manali adventure trip cost per person?
Using the bands we checked in September 2026: a tandem flight ₹3,000–5,000, a raft run ₹500–1,500, a camp night with meals ₹1,000–2,500, a scooter ₹600–1,200 a day or a motorcycle ₹1,200–2,500. Add stays, food and fuel; operators quote on the day and the season moves the rates.
Do I need to book the activities in advance?
No. Every activity in this plan is arranged at the counters — above the car park at Solang, on the highway at Pirdi, in the Old Manali lane for the camp — and paid on the day. Booking the evening before is enough outside the peak weeks of May, June and the Christmas week.
Which months work for all four days?
March to June and September to November. In the monsoon the Beas runs too high to raft and the Solang ridge does not fly; from December to February the river and the flying stop and the camp night becomes a snow trip, though skiing at Solang takes their place.
Is rafting on the Beas near Manali?
No — the rafting is below Kullu, at Pirdi on the highway, 44 km and about 57 minutes down the valley from Manali. Day two goes there in the morning and comes back the slow way through Naggar, so the drive is part of the day rather than a detour.