Rohtang Pass
pass · 1 h 29 min from Manali
2 nights · 3 daysFirst visitPeak seasonpacked
Manali in May and June — three days when everything is open
Three days in Manali's fullest weeks, each started before the crowd: Solang at dawn and the Jogini walk, Rohtang Pass newly open, the shaded town after.
May and June are Manali's fullest weeks — the pass has just opened, the schools are out, and the valley fills with everyone from the plains who wants to be somewhere that is 26 °C rather than the plains' heat. Everything is open: the flying at Solang, the pass with its roadside snow, the rafting below Kullu, the treks from late May. The price is the crowd, and the way to pay it is to start every day before it.
This plan does that: Solang at half past seven, the pass at half past eight, and the hot afternoons kept to trees, water and a roof. Three days, the classic peak-season set, each in the hour when it is still good.
Photos: Vinayaraj (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Biswarup Ganguly (CC BY 3.0) · Madhumita Das (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Timothy Gonsalves (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Jagseer S Sidhu (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Who this is for
Families and first visits whose dates are fixed by the school holidays; anyone who wants the pass with its snow and accepts the queue as the cost. Not for anyone who can choose October instead — they should.
Day by day
Day 1
The meadow at eight, the falls after lunch
In peak season every day starts early. The Solang road is a queue by ten.
- 07:30SolangFlying, the ropeway, ponies — all of it running, and the car park empty at this hour.
- ↓ 23 min by road · 11 km13:00Vashisht TempleBack to the village across the river; the hot baths, then the path up.
- ↓ 8 min by road · 4 km14:30Upper Jogini FallsAbout 46 min up through orchards; the stream is full with snowmelt. Down in about 19 min.
Day 2
The pass, newly open
Rohtang opens in May and the roadside snow is the draw. Permit booked ahead; leave at six.
- 06:45Rehala FallsThe roadside waterfall in the deodars above Kothi, loud with melt; fifteen minutes on the way up.
- ↓ 12 min by road · 7 km07:30MarhiTea at the dhabas; the slopes above still hold snow and are emptier than the top.
- ↓ 31 min by road · 17 km08:30Rohtang PassSnow at the roadside in June; the view down both sides; the queue builds from ten.
Day 3
Shade, the museum, the Mall
A hot afternoon in the town — days reach about 26 °C in June — kept to the trees and a roof.
- 09:00Van ViharThe deodar park by the river, cool under the trees; the pond for children.
- ↓ 6 min by road · 2 km11:00Museum of Himachal Culture and Folk ArtAn hour under a roof at Dhungri before the heat of the afternoon.
- ↓ 6 min by road · 2 km18:00Mall RoadThe evening walk, shoulder to shoulder in June; dinner off the Mall rather than on it.
Getting there
The overnight bus from Delhi, 513 km, is full on weekends; book ahead. The drive from Chandigarh, 264 km and about 289 min in the dry, doubles on a long weekend — leave before five. Flights to Bhuntar, 49 km away, run reliably in the clear weather but sell out. The pass day needs a taxi with a permit, arranged the evening before.
Where to stay
Book weeks ahead; May and June are when Manali is full. Old Manali is the calmer end; the resorts south at Prini and Aleo suit families with a car; the Solang road at Palchan puts the meadow twenty minutes away for the early start. Our stays page shows what is available and what it costs in season.
Know before you go
- Every day starts at seven. By ten the Solang road and the Gulaba checkpost are queues, and the afternoon is hot.
- Book the Rohtang permit as soon as the dates are fixed; June weekends sell out days ahead.
- The pass in June has snow at the roadside and a cold wind — a fleece and a shell in the car, whatever the town's morning feels like.
- Paragliding is typically ₹3,000–5,000 for a tandem flight (as of Sep 2026); operators quote on the day at the counters above the Solang car park. Fly early, ask for the receipt, check the harness.
- The Jogini stream is full with melt in June; the crossings need shoes with grip.
- Weekdays are half the crowd of weekends. If the dates can move, make them Tuesday to Thursday.
If plans change
If the pass permit is sold out: the tunnel to Sissu, no permit, an hour each way, and snow on the far side in May.
If you want the river: rafting on the Beas below Kullu is at its wildest in May and June; a half day down the valley.
With a fourth day: Naggar Castle and lunch at Jana Falls, which are cooler and emptier than anything on the Solang road.
Places on this route
Solang
town · 21 min from Manali
Jogini Falls
waterfall · 8 min from Manali
Vashisht Temple and hot springs
temple · 6 min from Manali
Mall Road, Manali
area · 3 min from Manali
Rehala Falls
waterfall · 47 min from Manali
Marhi
town · 59 min from Manali
Museum of Himachal Culture and Folk Art
museum · 5 min from Manali
Van Vihar
park · 3 min from Manali
Other ways to do it
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3 nights · 4 days · FamilyClassicManali with kids — four easy days
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2 nights · 3 days · FriendsAdventureManali with friends — three days of paragliding, waterfalls and the snow line
A three-day Manali plan for a group: paragliding off the Solang ridge at dawn, the Jogini falls and hot springs on foot, then the Rohtang road to the snow line.
Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov
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3 nights · 4 days · First visitClassicFour days in Manali — the valley, the pass and the meadow
A four-day Manali itinerary: the temples on foot, a full day up to Rohtang Pass with the permit sorted, a slow day at Naggar Castle, then waterfall walks.
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See the plan →Questions people ask
Is May or June a good time to visit Manali?
It is the time when everything is open — the pass, the flying, the rafting, the treks — and the time when the valley is fullest and most expensive. Days reach about 26 °C in June; the plains are far hotter, which is why everyone comes. If your dates are fixed, start every day early; if they are not, October is calmer.
Is there snow in Manali in May and June?
Not in the town, which is green and warm; on the pass and above Marhi, yes, at the roadside in May and often into June as the road is cut through the winter's fall. Solang has none. Sissu through the tunnel keeps snow into May. The snow you see from the town is on the peaks.
How crowded is Manali in June?
Very, on weekends and in the school-holiday weeks: the Solang road is a queue by ten, the Rohtang permit sells out days ahead, and the Mall is shoulder to shoulder at dusk. Weekdays are noticeably calmer. The plan here starts every day before the crowd and keeps the hot afternoons to trees and a roof.
Do I need to book Manali hotels in advance for June?
Yes, weeks ahead for weekends and the school-holiday fortnight; it is the one time of year the valley fills. Old Manali is the calmer end and the first to go; the resorts south of the town and the Solang road have more rooms. Our stays page shows what is open and what it costs in season.