Marhi

What it is

The last stop before the pass: a line of dhabas and stalls on a bend of the Rohtang road above Gulaba, where the treeline is well below and the snow well above, and where every bus and taxi stops for tea before the hairpins. It is not a village; it is a service station for a season, and outside that season it is under snow and unreachable.

Getting there

About 32 km and roughly an hour from the bus stand, on the pass road above Kothi and Gulaba. The permit checkpost at Gulaba is below it, so Marhi is reached only with a Rohtang permit and only from May to November when the road is open.

When to go

May and June are Marhi's own season: the pass has just opened, the slopes above the dhabas still hold snow, and many people stop here rather than queue for the top. By late summer it is green meadow with the pass traffic passing through. October is clear and cold. From December to April the road is closed.

What it is for

Tea and parathas on the way up while the air is still thick; the height at the pass; lunch on the way down when the dhabas are warm and busy. Snowsuits and boots are hired at the stalls by the day, as at Gulaba below. Cash, and ask the price before you sit.

Around it

Gulaba and the checkpost are below; the pass is above. The Rohtang or tunnel article explains which day to do; the four-day itinerary builds the pass day round it.

Plans that include this

All 5 plans that stop here →

2 nights · 3 days · First visitPeak season

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.

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2 nights · 3 days · FriendsAdventure

Manali 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 visitAutumn

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.

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3 nights · 4 days · First visitClassic

Four 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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4 nights · 5 days · First visitClassic

Five days in Manali — the whole valley, first time, pass included

A five-day first-visit Manali plan in season: the town on foot, the tunnel to Sissu, Rohtang at six, Naggar and Jana Falls, then Solang and the springs.

Best May–Jun · Sep–Oct

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