Atal Tunnel
road · 43 min from Manali
2 nights · 3 daysCouplesSnowrelaxed
Manali in the snow — December and January in three days
Three winter days in Manali: a slow cold town, the hot springs at Vashisht, and the snow day through the Atal Tunnel to Sissu while Rohtang is shut.
Winter Manali is a different town: short days, cold nights at or below freezing, half the cafés shuttered, and the Rohtang road closed by snow from November until May. It is also the quietest and cheapest the valley gets, and the only season when "snow" is a reasonable thing to expect rather than a rumour.
The trick is knowing where the snow is. The town at 2,050 m may or may not hold it; the Solang road usually does from December; the Lahaul side of the Atal Tunnel almost always does. So this plan spends its middle day going through the tunnel to Sissu — about an hour from Manali, no permit, open in every month — and keeps the other two days short, warm and low.
December's normal days are around 13 °C with nights near freezing; January is colder, around 10 °C by day and just below freezing at night. Dress for the nights, not the days.
Photos: Bleezebub (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Pbhuker007 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Catherine Lunaa (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Pbhuker007 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Itsarti (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Who this is for
Couples and small groups who want snow without a trek, families with older children, and anyone who prefers the valley empty. Not for anyone who needs Rohtang Pass — it is closed — and not for the impatient: roads open late, and the day is over by six.
Day by day
Day 1
A cold town, slowly
Winter days are short. Start after nine when the sun is on the valley floor, and be indoors by six.
- 09:30Hadimba Devi TempleThe cedar grove holds snow longer than the town; go before the day trippers.
- ↓ a short walk10:30Museum of Himachal Culture and Folk ArtWarm, and half an hour on how the valley lived through winters before roads.
- ↓ 6 min by road · 3 km12:00Old ManaliLunch by a stove; many cafés close for the season, so the open ones are easy to find.
- ↓ 9 min by road · 5 km15:00Vashisht TempleThe hot springs are the winter reason for Vashisht. Carry a towel and a dry set of clothes.
- ↓ 6 min by road · 3 km17:30Mall RoadWoollens, dry fruit, and the last light on the ridge.
Day 2
Sissu through the tunnel
The snow day. The pass is closed; the Atal Tunnel is open; the Lahaul side is white from December to March.
- 09:30SolangThe meadow under snow, and the point where the road may be closed to cars without chains. Ask the driver the night before. The beginner slope runs here when the snow holds: ski hire is typically ₹300–600 an hour and ₹800–1,500 with an instructor as of Sep 2026, quoted on the slope; the ropeway on clear days, typically ₹500–800 return.
- ↓ 22 min by road · 16 km11:00Atal Tunnel8.8 km, no permit, open all year. The temperature drops at the far portal.
- ↓ 11 min by road · 10 km11:30SissuFrozen waterfall across the valley, the lake iced over, tea in a village kitchen. Two hours, then back before the light goes.
Day 3
A slow morning and the road down
The last day is about warmth: a late breakfast, the forest, and the drive out while the sun is up.
- 10:00Manali SanctuaryThe deodar forest above the temple, quiet and often white; an hour on the path from the gate.
- ↓ 30 min by road · 19 km13:00Naggar CastleOn the way down the valley, lower and warmer; tea on the terrace in the afternoon sun.
Getting there
Overnight buses from Delhi's ISBT Kashmere Gate run through the winter and arrive at the Manali bus stand in the cold early morning — go straight to your stay and start after nine. Driving up from Chandigarh, 264 km, leave early enough to reach Manali in daylight; the last hour is where ice sits. Flights to Bhuntar are least reliable in winter cloud.
Where to stay
Ask two questions before you book: is there heating, and is there hot water in the morning. Old Manali has the cafés that stay open; the Mall side has the hotels with generators. Our stays page shows each one on the map against the Solang road, and the cafés page shows which kitchens stay open through the winter. A stay up at Palchan or Kothi is beautiful in snow and a problem if the road closes.
Know before you go
- Book a taxi with chains for the Sissu day, the evening before. The Solang road is checked in snow and cars without chains are turned back.
- Leave for the tunnel by ten, not eight: the road is cleared through the morning, and there is no point sitting behind the plough.
- Sunglasses matter more than gloves on the Sissu side; the glare off snow at midday is real.
- The Vashisht hot springs are the best hour of a winter day. Go in the afternoon, carry dry clothes, and walk back before dark.
- Many Old Manali cafés close from December to February; the ones open are the ones locals eat in, which is the point.
- Power cuts come with snowfall. Keep a charged bank and cash for the days the machines are down.
If plans change
If the tunnel road is closed by fresh snow: go as far as the road allows on the Solang side in the morning — the snow starts before the meadow — and give the afternoon to the hot springs.
If you want a fourth day: stay another night and do nothing: a stove, a book, the forest path in the sanctuary, an early dinner. Winter Manali is at its best when you stop moving.
If you came for skiing: Solang runs beginner slopes when the snow holds, usually January and February; ask at the meadow, not in town, and treat every quoted price as the day's price.
Places on this route
Hadimba Devi Temple
temple · 1 min from Manali
Naggar Castle
fort · 31 min from Manali
Old Manali
area · 5 min from Manali
Solang
town · 21 min from Manali
Vashisht Temple and hot springs
temple · 6 min from Manali
Mall Road, Manali
area · 3 min from Manali
Manali Sanctuary
park · 1 min from Manali
Sissu
town · 54 min from Manali
Museum of Himachal Culture and Folk Art
museum · 5 min from Manali
Other ways to do it
All Manali itineraries →
2 nights · 3 days · First visitClassicThree days in Manali — the classic first visit
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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The Manali–Sissu day trip through the Atal Tunnel: about an hour each way, no permit, open all year. Timings, what to see in Sissu, and lunch at Solang.
Best Jan–Jun · Sep–Dec
See the plan →Day plan · First visitClassicOne day in Manali — the first visit
A one-day Manali plan for a first visit: Hadimba's cedar-grove temple, the Manu shrine, the Vashisht hot springs and the walk to Jogini Falls — no car till two.
Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Dec
See the plan →Questions people ask
Does it snow in Manali town in December?
Sometimes, and it rarely stays: the town sits at 2,050 m and December nights are around freezing, so snowfall in town melts within days. Reliable snow is higher — on the Solang road from December and on the Lahaul side of the Atal Tunnel through the winter — which is why this plan goes to Sissu.
Is Rohtang Pass open in winter?
No. The pass road closes with the first heavy snow, usually by mid-November, and reopens around May when the Border Roads crews have cleared it. The Atal Tunnel under the ridge stays open all year and needs no permit, so the winter snow drive is through the tunnel to Sissu.
How cold does Manali get in January?
The normals are about 10 °C by day and just below freezing at night; clear nights after snowfall are colder. Indoors matters more than the number: ask your stay about heating and morning hot water, and expect power cuts with heavy snow. A warm layer, a windproof shell and proper shoes are the whole kit.
Can we ski at Solang in winter?
When the snow holds, usually January and February, Solang runs short beginner slopes with hired gear and instructors on the meadow. Conditions change week to week, so ask at Solang rather than in town, and treat any price you are quoted as that day's price — operators set them on the spot.