Old Manali

What it is

The village Manali grew out of, on the far side of the Manalsu stream from the town, climbing the hillside to the Manu temple at its top. Below the temple the old houses give way to a lane of cafés, bakeries and shops, and around it are guesthouses set among apple trees. It is where the slow part of a Manali trip happens: the breakfast that lasts till eleven, the walk out through the orchards, the evening on a café roof looking across at the town's lights.

Getting there

About 2 km from the bus stand: up through the town past the Hadimba turning, across the bridge over the Manalsu and up the lane. Five minutes by autorickshaw, twenty on foot, and on foot is usually quicker in the evening when the lane is full of cars going nowhere.

Where to stay and eat

Guesthouses run from budget rooms in family houses to boutique places in the orchards, most of them a few minutes' walk from the lane; the higher up the village you go, the quieter and the better the view. Cafés on the lane do long breakfasts, wood-fired pizza and the valley's own trout, with prices a step above the town's. Our stays and cafés pages have the ones we know, with what they cost this season.

When to go

March to June and September to November are the full months; July and August are quieter and wet. From December to February many cafés and guesthouses close, and the lane in snow is emptier and prettier than at any other time — check your guesthouse is open and heated before you arrive.

Around it

The Manu temple at the top of the village; the Manali Sanctuary gate for an hour in the deodars; the Hadimba temple across the stream; and Vashisht and Jogini Falls on the far side of the river for the morning walk. The map shows all of it within a few minutes of the lane.

Plans that include this

All 19 plans that stop here →

1 night · 2 days · Slow travelCafés & food

Old Manali — two days of cafés, lanes and one forest walk

Two days in Old Manali without a car: long breakfasts on the lane, the Manu temple, the riverside lawns, the forest walk, the Hadimba grove and the hot springs.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov

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1 night · 2 days · First visitClassic

Manali in two days — the first time

A two-day Manali plan for a first visit: the temples and Old Manali on foot, then Solang in the morning and Naggar Castle after lunch. No permit, no pass.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Nov

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1 night · 2 days · BikersRoad trip

Manali as a stopover — one night before the road to Leh or Spiti

One night in Manali before the road to Leh or Spiti: sleep low at 2,050 m, sort fuel and cash, a last hot bath, then out through the tunnel to Sissu.

Best Jun–Sep

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2 nights · 3 days · FriendsRoad trip

A Manali weekend from Delhi — two nights, one overnight bus each way

A Delhi–Manali weekend by overnight bus: the town on foot the first morning, Solang and Sissu through the tunnel on the full day, Naggar on the way to the bus.

Best Mar–Jun · Sep–Dec

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2 nights · 3 days · First visitClassic

Three 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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2 nights · 3 days · CouplesSnow

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.

Best Jan–Feb · Dec

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