Hadimba Devi Temple
temple · 1 min from Manali
3 nights · 4 daysFirst visitAutumnbalanced
Manali in October — four days in the clearest month
Four days in Manali's clearest month: the cedar grove and hot springs, Rohtang Pass before it closes, Solang and the shrine walk, the orchards of Naggar.
October is the month we would send a first visit to Manali. The monsoon has gone and the skies are the clearest of the year; days are around 22 °C and nights are cool without being cold. The pass is still open until mid-November, the orchards are being picked, the poplars turn, and the June crowd is a memory. Everything is open and nothing is full.
Four days uses all of it: the town on the first, the pass on the second while it is still there, the meadow and the shrine walk on the third, and the colour of the lower valley on the fourth. It is the classic shape with the season's best days in each slot.
Photos: Achiwiki356 at English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Vyacheslav Argenberg (CC BY 4.0) · Timothy A. Gonsalves (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Vyacheslav Argenberg (CC BY 4.0) · Kondephy (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Who this is for
A first visit with the dates to choose; couples and families who want the pass without the June queue; photographers, who should read no further and book. Not for anyone who wants snow in the town — October has the peaks white and the valley green, which is better, but different.
Day by day
Day 1
The grove and the old village
Arrive, walk, eat. Days are around 22 °C and the light is the year's best.
- 09:00Hadimba Devi TempleThe cedar grove in autumn light; the queue is short in October.
- ↓ 6 min by road · 2 km11:00Old ManaliThe lane, the orchards being picked, a long lunch on a roof.
- ↓ 9 min by road · 5 km16:00Vashisht TempleThe hot baths as the evening cools; the village across the river in the last light.
Day 2
Up to the pass while it is still open
The pass closes by mid-November; October is its last clear month. Permit in hand, leave at six.
- 07:00GulabaThe meadow where the road leaves the forest; the checkpost; the first view back down the valley.
- ↓ 24 min by road · 13 km07:45MarhiTea at the dhabas while the air is still thick.
- ↓ 31 min by road · 17 km09:00Rohtang Pass3,978 m; the view down both sides of the divide, cold and clear, and a hint of new snow.
Day 3
The meadow and the shrine
Solang in autumn is green and empty; the flying season is at its best.
- 08:00SolangTandem flights from the ridge in calm morning air; typically ₹3,000–5,000 as of Sep 2026, quoted on the day.
- 10:30Anjani MahadevThe walk up to the shrine under the rock, about 46 min at an easy pace; the waterfall is still running.
Day 4
Down the valley for the colour
Naggar's orchards and poplars turn in October; the road down is the reason for the day.
- 10:00Naggar CastleThe balconies over the turning valley; tea on the terrace.
- ↓ a short walk12:00NaggarDown through the picked orchards to the temples and lunch.
- ↓ 24 min by road · 13 km14:30Jana water fallsUp the side valley to the dhabas for a late lunch — siddu and trout — with the falls behind.
Getting there
The overnight bus from Delhi, 513 km, is at its most reliable in October; the drive from Chandigarh is 264 km and about 289 min on dry roads; flights to Bhuntar, 49 km away, run in the clear weather. The pass day needs a taxi with a permit, arranged the evening before at the union stand; the other days need one for the half day.
Where to stay
Old Manali for the first three nights and, if you can, Naggar for the last — a guesthouse under the castle among the picked orchards. Our stays page lists both with what they cost this season, and the map shows the pass road from each.
Know before you go
- Book the Rohtang permit for day two the moment your dates are fixed; October weekends sell out.
- Leave for the pass at six. The queue at the Gulaba checkpost and the hairpins are what turn a clear morning into a long day.
- The pass is nearly two thousand metres above the town — 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.
- Naggar's colour peaks in the second half of the month; if your dates are early October, swap days three and four.
- Cash for the dhabas at Marhi and Jana; the machines drop with the power.
If plans change
If the pass has closed early: the tunnel to Sissu is an hour each way and needs no permit; the far side will already be white.
If you want a walk instead of the flight: Jogini Falls from Vashisht on day three, about 46 min up, is at its driest and best.
With a fifth day: the Beas Kund or Bhrigu Lake treks run into mid-October; the treks page has the outfits.
Places on this route
Naggar Castle
fort · 31 min from Manali
Old Manali
area · 5 min from Manali
Rohtang Pass
pass · 1 h 29 min from Manali
Solang
town · 21 min from Manali
Vashisht Temple and hot springs
temple · 6 min from Manali
Anjani Mahadev
temple · 23 min from Manali
Gulaba
pass · 35 min from Manali
Jana Falls
waterfall · 53 min from Manali
Marhi
town · 59 min from Manali
Other ways to do it
All Manali itineraries →
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A three-day Manali itinerary: the temples and Old Manali on foot, Solang and the Atal Tunnel to Sissu with no permit, then Naggar Castle on the way out.
Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Dec
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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.
Best May–Jun · Sep–Oct
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2 nights · 3 days · CouplesClassicManali for couples — three unhurried days
A slow three-day Manali plan for two: late starts, hot springs in town, the castle terrace and a waterfall lunch at Naggar, then Solang at dawn and the river.
Best Mar–May · Sep–Dec
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1 night · 2 days · Slow travelWaterfallsWaterfalls and short walks around Manali
A slow two-day Manali plan on foot: the Jogini falls above Vashisht, a rock shrine above Solang, Rehala Falls on the Rohtang road and Bhrigu Lake in season.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct
See the plan →Questions people ask
Is October a good time to visit Manali?
The best, for a first visit. The monsoon has gone, skies are the year's clearest, days are around 22 °C, the pass is open until mid-November, the orchards are being picked and the poplars turn, and the summer crowd has left. Everything is open and nothing is full. Nights cool towards freezing by the end of the month.
Is Rohtang Pass open in October?
Yes, usually until mid-November, when the first heavy snow closes it for the winter; the district administration announces the date. Early snow on the top in late October is common and is part of the appeal. The permit system runs as in summer — one per vehicle, online, capped — and October weekends sell out.
Is it cold in Manali in October?
Days around 22 °C early in the month and 17 °C by November; nights drop towards freezing by late October. The town needs a fleece in the evening; the pass at 3,978 m needs a jacket and a hat at any hour. Solang and Naggar are pleasant all day. Pack layers rather than a coat.
What is Manali like in November?
Quieter and colder — days around 17 °C, nights near freezing, the pass closing mid-month, the orchards bare, the first snow on the Solang road by the end. The first half of November is October's tail and works with this plan; the second half is the start of winter, and the snow plan is the better fit.