Planning to go on a Delhi to Manali road trip? These three routes will make your journey memorable
Whatever we keep hidden always becomes very special for us. It adds a sense of belonging that we always want to keep close to us. Slowly it becomes like a store room of memories inside us. Some stories are related to the family and some moments are spent with friends. But there is one thing that remains exactly the same in all of them and that is the company of loved ones. Get-togethers between friends always start with a road trip. There would hardly be any group of friends who would not have thought of going to Goa and Manali. So today let’s talk about one such road trip.
Delhi-Manali Road Trip
If you are planning to go from Delhi to Manali by road then this decision will be one of the best decisions of your life. The journey from Delhi to Manali is very enticing. This road trip takes you out of the noisy and crowded areas of Delhi to villages and small towns. After this begins the second leg of your road trip. The second leg of the trip begins as you move beyond these villages and enter the lush green valleys and hills of Himachal. Coming out of the urban glare, the views of the blossoming valleys give relief to the eyes. On this road trip, the landscape changes every little distance, which makes this route very interesting.
How To Reach ?
There are 3 routes to go from Delhi to Manali and believe me, there is absolutely no dearth of beauty on all these three routes.
1. Ambala-Chandigarh Route
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The first option from Delhi is to reach Manali via Chandigarh. In this way, you will get to see many such places which will make you happy. Your journey will start from Delhi. First of all, you have to come to Panipat by walking from Delhi, for which you have to travel 100 km. The journey has to be decided. It takes about three hours to do this and you can easily reach Panipat via National Highway 44. You can see the old fort in Panipat. Proceed from Panipat and come to Kurukshetra via Karnal. See the tomb of Sheikh Chilli here.
Apart from this, there is also a place associated with Bhagavad Gita in Kurukshetra. This is the place where Lord Krishna delivered discourses related to Gita during the Kurukshetra war. From Kurukshetra you have to come to Chandigarh via Ambala. One can see places like Rock Garden and Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh. After this, we reached Bilaspur. The road from Chandigarh to Bilaspur is full of enchanting views. This is the way from where you will start seeing small hills.
On Pendra road one can visit Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary and while leaving Bilaspur one can also visit Rewalsar Lake. In a way, after Bilaspur, you would have reached Himachal in the right way. From Bilaspur via Mandi and Kullu finally reach Manali. You can see Prashar Lake. This lake is a little far from Mandi. Apart from this, you can also see Barot Valley.
Distance: 560 km.
Timing: 12 to 13 hours.
Route: National Highway 44 and National Highway 154.
2. Banur-Palampur Route
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It will take you more time to reach Manali by this route as compared to the earlier route. But like the first one, on this route also you will have to come to Ambala first, from where this route does not go towards Chandigarh and turns towards Banur and Palampur. To come from Ambala to Banur, you have to take National Highway 205A. Banur is a district of Punjab which is about 30 km from Ambala. Is at a distance of. It takes approximately 1 hour to reach Banur from Ambala. In Punjab you can find Bhakra Nangal Dam which is famous all over the world for its stunning structure and beautiful views.
Moving ahead from Punjab you will reach Kangra Valley. Here you can see Kangra Fort. Also check out the Norbulingka Monastery in Dharamsala. If you are interested in culture and art then you can visit Andretta Artist Village in Palampur. There are many places in Himachal where Buddhism has a special influence. Palampur is also one of those places. In Palampur you can see Tashi Jong Monastery. This monastery is so beautiful that it will fascinate you.
Distance: 670 Km.
Timing: 15 to 16 hours.
Access: National Highway 44 and National Highway 205.
3. Shimla Route
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This route also passes through Chandigarh like all other routes but the difference is that in this you do not have to cross Chandigarh city. To reach Manali via this route, you have to take the Zirakpur road from Ambala instead of Chandigarh. Since you will be leaving from outside Chandigarh, you can see Pinjore Garden. The special thing about Pinjore Garden is that here you will find many fountains to see.
There are mango trees throughout the garden which are filled with fruits during the summer season. After this come to Shimla via Zirakpur. Shimla is the most favorite tourist destination of Indians. This place is full of wanderers almost at all times of the year. In Shimla you can see Viceroy Lodge, Annandale Golf Course and Shadwick Waterfall. Leaving Shimla, you can also see Kasol and Manikaran. After Shimla, Manali can be reached via Bilaspur and Mandi.
Distance: 580 Km.
Timing: 15 hours.
Access: National Highway 44 and National Highway 5.
When to go?
Winter is the best season to visit. So you should visit Manali between October to March. It is bitterly cold during this time and you can also enjoy snowfall. If you want, you can come to Manali in summer also.
At this time, when it is hot in the plains, the weather here remains pleasant. Some people like to come to the mountains even in the rainy season. In the monsoon, all the waterfalls and lakes here come alive again, seeing the beauty of which this whole area starts to look magical.
Keep these things in mind:
– If you have experience of driving a car or bike on hilly roads, then you can go to Manali by your own car, but if not, then a driver should be taken along.
– In this road trip, you will also get hairpin turns, so the car should not be driven at speed.
You can stay at Chandigarh or Ambala for a night stay. The road from Delhi to Manali is very long and tiring, so it is necessary to take a rest in between.
Trolls will be found everywhere along the way. So carry ID proof with you at all times. You can easily reach Manali from these routes by taking a Delhi taxi service .