• May 28, 2025

Manali in 3 Days: Epic Budget Itinerary, Travel Guide You Can’t Miss in 2025!

Manali is one of the most famous hill stations in India. Almost every Indian who is even a little fond of travelling wants to visit Manali at least once, and I think that 3 days is enough to visit Manali and explore some famous sightseeing spots around it.

In this blog, I will share with you the complete itinerary for a two-night, three-day trip to Manali. I will give all the details of the Manali trip, like how you can reach Manali, how you can book hotels in budget hotels, where you can go for a trip in Manali, what adventure activities you can do, etc. What will be the best time to visit Manali, and most importantly, if you visit Manali, how much will your total expense be?

If you are also planning a trip to Manali, watch this blog until the end without skipping any details, so you don’t miss any important information. So let’s start.

How to Reach Manali: Best Travel Options in 2025

So first of all, let’s talk about how you can reach Manali.

Nearest Railway Station and Airport to Manali

Manali is a hill station because there is no railway station or airport near Manali. The nearest railway station is 95 km away from Manali, which is Joginder Nagar railway station, where the connectivity is very poor.

And if we talk about the airport, the nearest airport is about 52 km away from Manali; that is your Manali airport. Again, the connectivity at that airport is also not very good. So the best option to go to Manali is by road.

Best Way to Reach Manali from Delhi, Chandigarh, and Nearby Cities

If you are from Delhi or Chandigarh or from any city near Delhi, then you can also go by driving your own car, and the condition of the roads is mostly very good.

The second option is that if you want, you can take Himachal Roadways buses or private luxury Volvo buses.

Volvo Bus, Private Car, or Road Trip – What’s Better?

If you go by bus, then you can reach Manali from Delhi in 10 to 12 hours. The ticket depends on the type of bus you take. It will cost you from 800 to 1000 ₹. The cost of the ticket per person can range from Rs. 200 to Rs. 1000 or more. It depends on factors like distance, bus type, season, and operator.

Where to Stay in Manali: Best Budget Hotels & Location Tips

Now let’s talk about where you can book hotels in Manali. So you will get a lot of hotel options around the Mall Road of Manali, and if you book a hotel around the Mall Road, you will get hotels for around Rs. 2000 per night.

Hotels Near Mall Road for Budget-Friendly Stays

The best thing is that if you book your hotel near Mall Road, you will get a lot of options for food, shopping, etc.

Quiet Retreats and Scenic Views in Old Manali

If you want to book a hotel away from the noise of Mall Road in a quiet place with an amazing view, then you can explore some hotels in Old Manali.

Hotel Prices in Manali (With & Without Breakfast)

In Manali, you will get a decent three-star property with an amazing view at Rs. 3000 to Rs. 4000 per night, including breakfast. Again, depending on seasonality, the prices may go up or down a little.

Manali 3-Day Itinerary: Sightseeing Plan Day by Day

Now let’s talk about where and how you can roam day by day in Manali. Friends, if you want to roam Manali on a budget, then you can book hotels for two nights or three nights. You can plan a trip of 2 days.

Day 1: Local Sightseeing in Manali

You can first cover the local tourist spots of Manali on day one. To explore local Manali, you can rent a scooter or bike. The cost of a scooter is Rs. 600 to Rs. 700 per day, and if you take a bike, then the cost of the bike can be approximately 1000.

If you want, you can also hire an auto or taxi, which you can get from Mall Road itself. If you hire an auto for local sightseeing, then it can cost around 500 to 700, and if you hire a taxi, then you may have to pay a charge of most of the time Rs. 1000.

Must-Visit Attractions on Day 1

First of all, on day one, you can visit Hidimba Temple, which is about 2 km away from Mall Road. This temple is dedicated to Bhima’s wife, Hidimba Ji. In this temple, you can have darshan of Hidimba Devi ji. This temple is very ancient and very famous, and at the same time, the beauty around it is worth seeing.

The temple behind this is Dungri Van Vihar, where there are some rights for children. If you are visiting with children, then you can also visit Dungri Van Vihar, in which the entry charges are ₹10, and at a walking distance of about 300 meters from this temple, there is a small Ghatok Ji temple; if you want, you can visit it as well.

After visiting Hidimba Temple, friends, you can go to Vashishtha Temple, which is about 4 kilometres from Mall Road. It is said that Vashishtha Temple is thousands of years old, and there is also a hot water pond in this temple, where you can take a bath if you want, and after this, you can visit Manali’s famous clubhouse, which is about 5 km from this temple and is at a distance of one or one and a half kilometres from Mall Road.

Club House again; there are rides for children there too. So if you are visiting with children, then you can definitely visit the clubhouse. There are entry charges here. ₹25k planning, etc. If you do river crossing, then its charges are from ₹20k only. Van Vihar is within walking distance, and there is a small Buddhist monastery nearby; you can visit that as well if you want; otherwise, you can end your day exploring Mall Road.

You will get many options for food, drinks, shopping, etc. on Mall Road, and if you want, you can easily spend one to two hours on Mall Road.

Day 2: Solang Valley Adventure Day Trip

So your day one will end on Mall Road, and on day two, you can go to Solang Valley. Solang Valley is about 13 km from Mall Road, and you can hire a taxi to go there. If you hire a taxi, you will get a taxi for Rs 22500 to 25000.

If you negotiate, then it is possible that you can crack a better deal. Especially if you are going in the off-season, then you can do many adventure activities in Solang Valley like paragliding, zorbing, and ziplining, and if you visit Solang Valley in the winter and if there is snow, then at that time you can also experience skiing.

Anjani Mahadev, Atal Tunnel & Sissu

Close to Solang Valley, Anjani Mahadev Temple is 2 km away, and is built in a very beautiful place. If you want, you can visit this temple too. To reach the temple, you can either trek or you can also reach it by hiring a horse or an ATV.

If you hire a horse, then it will cost 1,500 INR per person. After this, you can go to the Atal Tunnel, which is 12 km away. After crossing the Atal Tunnel from Solang Valley, you can reach Shishu Village, where, even if you go in the summer, you get to see snow.

So it will take you a whole day to cover these three places, after which you can return to your hotel.

Day 3: Manikaran Sahib, Naggar Palace & Kullu

On Day Three, you can check out of your hotel and visit Mani Karan Sahib Gurudwara, which is famous for its hot water springs. Mani Karan Sahib Gurudwara is about 80 km from Manali, and if you hire a taxi to go there, then you may have to pay from 2000 to 4000. The cost of the taxi depends on which taxi you hire.

If you are not interested in going to Mani Karan Sahib, then on the third day you can visit Nagar Palace, where you know a lot of Bollywood movies have been shot, and the view from that palace of the whole valley is amazing; the pictures, etc., there are very good. You can spend some time here, enjoy the views, take some pictures, etc.

River Rafting in Kullu & Vaishno Devi Temple Visit

After that, you can go to Kullu, where you can do river rafting, and after that, at the end of the day, you can visit the Vaishno Devi Temple. If you hire a taxi, then the taxi fare is around ₹2k. The prices of things are low because it is off-season.

If we leave out December end, apart from this, if you come in summer, then summer is a very high season. If you visit especially from April to June, just before the rainy season, then the prices of things are very high at that time. The prices are quite high because it is the season, and mostly people visit during the summer only.

Trip Budget: How Much Does a Manali Trip Cost?

So now let’s talk about how much it will cost you if you visit Manali. So, it depends upon when you are visiting Manali, if two people are visiting, then it can cost you from 15k to 20k for two people.

Follow the informative table below. It is showing the approximate cost of a Manali trip for 2 people, depending on the season and type of travel:

Expense Category	Budget Trip (Off-Season)	Mid-Range Trip (Peak Season)
Travel (Delhi to Manali, round trip)	₹2,000 (Volvo Bus)	₹3,000 (AC Bus or Train + Taxi)
Hotel (2 nights)	₹3,000 (Budget stay)	₹6,000 (Decent hotel/guesthouse)
Food (2 days)	₹1,500 (Local food joints)	₹2,500 (Cafes & restaurants)
Sightseeing & Cabs	₹2,500 (Shared)	₹4,000 (Private cab or packages)
Activities (optional)	₹1,000 (Basic)	₹2,500 (Adventure sports, etc.)
Miscellaneous	₹1,000	₹2,000
Total Estimated Cost	₹11,000 – ₹12,000	₹18,000 – ₹20,000

Key Notes:

• Season matters: Off-season (March, July, September) will save you money.
• Transport tip: Volvo buses are cheapest and comfortable.
• Stay options: Budget hostels and homestays are widely available.
• Add-ons: Snow activities in Solang Valley or paragliding in Bir Billing can increase costs.

Conclusion

So I hope this blog will help you guys in planning your Manali trip. If you got value from this blog, then you can read our further blogs. Furthermore, you can comment below to learn more about this blog. To read such a blog, you can bookmark this website.

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