Vacation at Kullu, Manali, and Chandigarh!

Kullu, Kasol, & Manali - 4N5D

Chandigarh - 2N2D

Travel Vehicle - Brezza

From: Hyderabad - Manali - Hyderabad.

Things included:

• Temples & Monastery: Hidimba Devi, Manu, Vashisht, Anjani Mahadev and Tibetan.

• Activities: Photoshoot, Skiing, ATV Bike ride, Zipline, Paragliding, and River rafting.

• Places: Kullu, Kasol, Manali, Manikaran, Chandigarh, Solang Valley, Van Vihar, Mall Road, and Pandoh Dam.

Mandatory Checklist for 2 ppl for 5 - 7 Days: 4 Puffer Jackets, 2 Thermal wears, 4 Full sleeve shirts, Jeans per your wish, 4 pairs of gloves, 2 - 4 sweaters, medicines for cold, allergy, headache, fever, stomach problems etc., opt of room heaters if it’s not centralized, carry less cosmetics as it’s of no much use in the snow, any body lotion, min. 5k cash in hand always, thick shoes, 3 - 5 pairs of socks & some hand towels. Decide your dresses & inner wears per your itinerary.

Day1: We started from Hyd, 5 hours layover at Delhi Airport. Then, Delhi to Chandigarh by flight. Explored Chandigarh the same day and spent a night. Enjoyed the local cuisines, Karaoke & fountain show. #EndofDay1

Day2: We started from Chandigarh at 7 am IST. It took us almost 10 hours to reach Manali since we had stopped a couple of times for breakfast and lunch. We tried authentic Punjabi parathas with chai at Haveli and lunch at a random Punjabi Dhaba on the way to Manali. It was okay as we don’t prefer eating while travelling. Reached Holiday Resorts, cottages, & spa. Finished our dinner and slept.#EndofDay2

Day3: We had a booked mountain view room with a balcony just to view the snowy mountains and enjoy our morning tea. And, when we woke up at around 8 in the morning, it was worth it. The tip of the mountains were covered with snow. Then a few thick green trees surrounding a few tall nearby hotels.

After our breakfast, we visited all famous temples such as Hidimba Devi, Vashisht, Manu, & Tibetan Monastery. Nothing thrilling but a few “good to visit” places. Did Yak riding. We’ve been to Johnson’s café (Beautiful ambient not so tasty Pizza. Loved their coriander soup). #EndofDay3

Day4: We had planned activities and we couldn’t wait more to reach Solang Valley. We did Skiing, ATV Bike riding, Zip lining, We weren’t satisfied as we weren’t deep inside the snow. We asked nearby localities and understood that on the way to Anjani Mahadev Temple (Around 3 Kms. away from Solang Valley) we will find what we were looking for. We spent another INR 1500 and booked an ATV for an off-road trip. We couldn’t believe what we saw. Here, look at the view! Snow, everywhere! On the way back to Hotel, we decided to try a few dishes at Café 1947. Everything we ordered was delicious but pricey. We were exhausted so we came back to the hotel and decided to rest. #EndofDay4.

Day5: I know you’re looking for “Paragliding” or “River rafting” but hold on. We were tired, almost sick, and no longer thrilled. Why? Because the temperature was already below 2(deg) and we had no experience staying in such weather conditions before. You should know that when you’re in extreme low temperature regions, you often feel sick, stomach ache, bloating, or sometimes, stomach upset. Thankfully, we were just tired. While we were on the way to Manikaran (Kasol region - as per itinerary), the weather turned out to be too good for paragliding. Then, we changed our mind and stopped at a known counter in Kullu. One thing led to another and we did river rafting too as soon as we were done with Paragliding. For 9 long kms!!! No pictures since we didn’t risk losing our phones. After that, our driver took us to a camp for some snacks and we are thankful to him. It was a beautiful place. Tents on the banks of the river surrounded by thick greenly mountains. (Sorry, no picture). Then, we came back to our room. #EndofDay5.

Day6: It was our first anniversary. We woke up early, enjoyed the mountain view for a few minutes, and started towards Manikaran. If you’re planning to drive by yourself, you better be careful because the roads are very narrow and curvy. But, a beautiful view. On the way, we stopped at Vaishnodevi temple. Strangely, no one mentioned it. Although it’s not built between mountains, it’s a really nice place to visit. We spent some time there and started towards Manikaran again. We spent some time there as well. The Langar food was delicious. We cleaned a few plates including ours and decided to head back to our hotel. #EndofDay6.

Day7: We finished our breakfast at the hotel and checked out around 8 in the morning. On the way, we enjoyed the scenic beauty of Pandoh Dam & the mountains. It took us 11 Hrs to reach our hotel at Chandigarh (Too much traffic). We tried the local cuisines again. Missi di roti & Sarson ka saag. #Fingerlicking! It was already late and we had an early flight the next day for Hyderabad. #EndofDay7. #EndofVacation.

Disclaimer: I haven’t mentioned the budget or expenses as it depends on how you plan it. It can range anywhere from 50k to 1L for 2 people. In addition, I have written only a few lines about places that were exciting to us and skipped the unwanted narration. This itinerary is purely based on experience and should be considered as a starters guide. Rohtang Pass & Atul Tunnel were closed due to heavy snowfall.