First, one night in Shimla
The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla
An 1880s heritage Oberoi hotel at the quiet end of Shimla's Mall — a glass-roofed atrium, a heated pool, and a short walk to the Ridge and Christ Church.
Shimla · Hotel · Premium★★★★★
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About This Journey
Manali Adventure & Snow — Premium
The same six-night Manali-Dharamshala route, framed around its most physically active stretch — Solang Valley and the Atal Tunnel in Manali, then the Triund Trek above McLeod Ganj in Dharamshala, the two genuinely adventurous days this itinerary offers.
Shimla opens the trip with the drive on toward Manali, where Hadimba Temple and the old town lead into the hot springs before the Solang Valley and Atal Tunnel day — the route's high-altitude centrepiece. From there it's on to Dharamshala across the Kangra Valley, closing with the Dalai Lama's Temple, Little Lhasa, and a full day on the Triund Trek.
- 01
Solang Valley and the Atal Tunnel
Manali's high-altitude day, pairing Solang Valley's slopes with the engineering scale of the Atal Tunnel — the itinerary's clearest adventure stop before Dharamshala.
- 02
The Triund Trek above McLeod Ganj
Dharamshala's full trekking day climbs out of the Tibetan quarter toward the ridgeline above the Kangra Valley — the route's second genuinely active day.
- 03
A recovery soak at Manali's hot springs
Manali's hot springs, visited alongside Hadimba Temple and the old town, give the itinerary a real rest point between its two active days.
Chapter Two — Where You'll Stay
3 Real Stays, In Order
Handpicked along your own route — not a hotel chain repeated city to city.
Next, 3 nights in Manali
Span Resort & Spa, Manali
A long-established riverside resort on the Beas between Manali and Naggar — orchard cottages, a spa, an indoor pool, and a fishing beat, away from the town.
Manali · Resort · Premium★★★★
Finally, 2 nights in Dharamshala
Fortune Park Moksha, McLeodganj
A Fortune-group hotel in McLeodganj with Dhauladhar-view rooms and a pool — a short walk from the Dalai Lama's temple, the monasteries and the Tibetan market.
Dharamshala · Hotel · Premium★★★★
Chapter Three — Day by Day
Real Himachal Pradesh Attractions in This Itinerary
5 of your 7days — the full itinerary follows below. Scroll to travel the route.
Day 2 · Shimla → Manali
Shimla to Manali — Down the Sutlej, Up the Beas
A long driving day, about eight hours over two hundred and fifty kilometres, and one of the more scenic in the state. The road drops to the Sutlej at Bilaspur, past the Gobind Sagar reservoir, then climbs the Beas gorge through Mandi and into the Kullu valley, which turns to apple orchards as you go. There are stops for lunch at Mandi and for the Kullu shawl workshops. You reach Manali by evening. An early start makes the difference on this leg.
Day 3 · Manali
Manali — Hadimba, the Old Town and the Hot Springs
A gentle day in and around the town. The Hadimba temple first, a carved wooden tower of 1553 in a grove of huge deodar cedars, cool and quiet above the town. Then Old Manali across the river, with its slate-roofed houses, the Manu temple, and the cafes along the lane. Vashisht, up the hill, has hot sulphur springs and an old stone temple. The afternoon is loose: the Mall, the Tibetan monasteries, or the club-house gardens by the river.
Day 4 · Manali
Manali — Solang Valley and the Atal Tunnel
A day toward the high country. Solang Valley, about thirteen kilometres up, is the adventure ground: a tandem paraglide off the slopes, the ropeway to a viewpoint, and, in winter, snow. Beyond it the Atal Tunnel, opened in 2020, runs nine kilometres through the mountain to Sissu in the Lahaul valley, a bare, dramatic landscape that used to be cut off for months. In summer, before the tunnel, the Rohtang Pass itself can be added with a permit. It is a day of snow and big views.
Day 5 · Manali → Dharamshala
Manali to Dharamshala — Across the Kangra Valley
A drive of about seven hours, back down the Beas to Mandi, then west along the Kangra valley. The country opens up: terraced rice, the tea gardens around Palampur, and the Dhauladhar range running along the north the whole way, growing as you approach Dharamshala. There are stops at Mandi's old temples and at a Palampur tea estate. You reach McLeodganj, the upper town, by evening, with the snow wall close above.
Day 6 · Dharamshala
Dharamshala — the Dalai Lama's Temple and Little Lhasa
A day in the Tibetan town. The Tsuglagkhang complex first, the main temple across from the Dalai Lama's residence, with the Namgyal Monastery and the Tibet Museum, and the kora path around the hill hung with prayer flags. Then McLeodganj itself: the market, the cafes, and the Norbulingka Institute down the hill, where Tibetan thangka painting and metalwork are taught. The Bhagsu waterfall, a short walk from the village, is an easy afternoon. It is a day about a culture rebuilt in exile.
Chapter Four — The Full Itinerary
7 Days, In Full
Every day, start to finish — including the transfers the day-by-day chapter above skipped.
Shimla
Arrive in Shimla
The usual way in is a drive from Chandigarh airport, about four hours, climbing through pine forest past Kasauli and Solan. The last stretch can be swapped for the narrow-gauge toy train from Kalka, which takes longer but is the better story. You reach Shimla in the afternoon. The evening is for the Ridge and the Mall, the traffic-free promenade where the town comes out to walk, with Christ Church lit at one end.
Shimla → Manali
Shimla to Manali — Down the Sutlej, Up the Beas
A long driving day, about eight hours over two hundred and fifty kilometres, and one of the more scenic in the state. The road drops to the Sutlej at Bilaspur, past the Gobind Sagar reservoir, then climbs the Beas gorge through Mandi and into the Kullu valley, which turns to apple orchards as you go. There are stops for lunch at Mandi and for the Kullu shawl workshops. You reach Manali by evening. An early start makes the difference on this leg.
Manali
Manali — Hadimba, the Old Town and the Hot Springs
A gentle day in and around the town. The Hadimba temple first, a carved wooden tower of 1553 in a grove of huge deodar cedars, cool and quiet above the town. Then Old Manali across the river, with its slate-roofed houses, the Manu temple, and the cafes along the lane. Vashisht, up the hill, has hot sulphur springs and an old stone temple. The afternoon is loose: the Mall, the Tibetan monasteries, or the club-house gardens by the river.
Manali
Manali — Solang Valley and the Atal Tunnel
A day toward the high country. Solang Valley, about thirteen kilometres up, is the adventure ground: a tandem paraglide off the slopes, the ropeway to a viewpoint, and, in winter, snow. Beyond it the Atal Tunnel, opened in 2020, runs nine kilometres through the mountain to Sissu in the Lahaul valley, a bare, dramatic landscape that used to be cut off for months. In summer, before the tunnel, the Rohtang Pass itself can be added with a permit. It is a day of snow and big views.
Manali → Dharamshala
Manali to Dharamshala — Across the Kangra Valley
A drive of about seven hours, back down the Beas to Mandi, then west along the Kangra valley. The country opens up: terraced rice, the tea gardens around Palampur, and the Dhauladhar range running along the north the whole way, growing as you approach Dharamshala. There are stops at Mandi's old temples and at a Palampur tea estate. You reach McLeodganj, the upper town, by evening, with the snow wall close above.
Dharamshala
Dharamshala — the Dalai Lama's Temple and Little Lhasa
A day in the Tibetan town. The Tsuglagkhang complex first, the main temple across from the Dalai Lama's residence, with the Namgyal Monastery and the Tibet Museum, and the kora path around the hill hung with prayer flags. Then McLeodganj itself: the market, the cafes, and the Norbulingka Institute down the hill, where Tibetan thangka painting and metalwork are taught. The Bhagsu waterfall, a short walk from the village, is an easy afternoon. It is a day about a culture rebuilt in exile.
Dharamshala
Dharamshala — the Triund Trek
The classic day walk of the Kangra hills. From the Galu Devi trailhead above McLeodganj, the path climbs about a thousand metres over nine kilometres, through oak and rhododendron forest, to the open grassy ridge of Triund at two thousand eight hundred metres. The Dhauladhar range stands straight above it, a wall of rock and snow, and the Kangra valley falls away behind. Four to five hours up, three down, with a guide and a packed lunch. It needs fitness but no skill, and it is the highlight of the region for walkers.
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Chapter Five — Terms & Conditions
Straightforward, In Writing
Cancellation windows, refund timing, and rescheduling terms for this journey follow our one sitewide policy — nothing package-specific to dig through.
Read the Return & Refund PolicyFrequently Asked
Before You Book
How physically demanding is this route?
It has two genuinely active days — Solang Valley and the Atal Tunnel in Manali, and the Triund Trek in Dharamshala — with the rest of the itinerary at an easier, sightseeing pace.
Are specific adventure activities at Solang Valley included?
Season-dependent activities at Solang Valley — skiing, snow sports or zip-lining depending on time of year — can be arranged locally rather than fixed in advance.
Chapter Six — Similar Journeys
More of Himachal Pradesh, Privately
Before you go
Planning Himachal Pradesh
Travel Tips
Private Tour or Group Tour in India? An Honest Comparison
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Travel Tips
Getting Around India: Trains, Flights or a Private Car?
First-Time IndiaPlanning GuideTravel Tips
Travel Tips
Eating Well in India Without Getting Ill: A Practical Guide
First-Time IndiaFood & CulturePlanning Guide
Why Choose Us
The Same Trust, Sized to This Trip
01
Planning, Built Around You
This route was shaped around Himachal Pradesh's real places, not lifted from a fixed template.
13 years — Brijesh Sharma, Bespoke Itinerary Specialist
02
Handpicked Hotels
Every stay on this trip was chosen in person, not off a ratings page.
3 real stays, 4–5★
03
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One driver, air-conditioned, for the whole route — no shared shuttle.
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