Christmas and New Year in Manali 2026–27: Snow Trip Packages
Christmas falls on Friday 25 December 2026 and New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January 2027, so both give you a three-day weekend. That makes this the busiest fortnight of the year in Manali and Shimla. Here is what the snow is honestly like at the end of December, how the two long weekends work, which of our Himachal trips fit, and how to book so the holiday is spent in the mountains rather than in a queue.
Current conditions — updated 12 October 2026
- Weather this week: as per the IMD Meteorological Centre Shimla bulletin of 11 October 2026 (no. 284), a western disturbance is bringing light to moderate rain and snow at most places on 11 October, more rain and snow at a few places on 12–13 October and at many places on 14–15 October, with snow on the high hills. Thunderstorm and lightning warnings are out for isolated places in Kullu, Mandi, Kangra and Shimla districts on several of these days. The high hills are forecast dry by 17 October.
- Snow so far: Rohtang Pass and Shinku La received fresh snow this weekend (The News Himachal, 11 October 2026). This is early-season high-pass snow and says nothing yet about how much snow Manali will have at Christmas.
- Roads: the Darcha–Shinku La road is closed to two-wheelers (same report). We have found no closure order for Rohtang, the Atal Tunnel or Kunzum La as of 12 October. Check before travel; our Rohtang permit and road status page is updated every week.
- Not announced yet: Christmas–New Year traffic plans for Manali and Shimla, the 2026 Shimla Winter Carnival dates and any New Year’s Eve orders. We will add them here as soon as the district administrations issue them.
The dates
Christmas and New Year 2026–27: The Two Long Weekends
Both holidays land on a Friday this time, which is good news for anyone with limited leave. The question is which of the two weekends you want, and whether you can stretch one of them into a proper week.
| Date | Day | Occasion | What it means for a trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 December | Thursday | Christmas Eve | Most people leave Delhi and Chandigarh this evening; expect heavy traffic up both highways |
| 25 December | Friday | Christmas | Gazetted holiday. Long weekend 25–27 December |
| 31 December | Thursday | New Year’s Eve | The single busiest night of the year in Manali and Shimla |
| 1 January 2027 | Friday | New Year’s Day | Not on the central government’s gazetted list, but many employers give it. Long weekend 1–3 January |
| 13 January 2027 | Wednesday | Lohri | Quieter mid-week date; snow odds usually better than at Christmas |
Christmas is on the central government’s 2026 holiday list. State governments, schools and private employers set their own winter breaks, so check yours.
The honest picture
Will There Be Snow at Christmas and New Year?
Snow in Manali town at Christmas is a matter of luck, not a season you can book. The IMD long-term average for Manali in December is a 13.5°C day and a 0.3°C night, and December is one of the driest months of the year. Heavy snowfall in town is far more likely in January and February. What you can usually count on in the last week of December is snow higher up:
Who it suits
Who a Christmas–New Year Himachal Trip Is For
Families on the school winter break who want the children’s first snow: plan the snow day at Sissu, not Rohtang, and keep a buffer day for weather. Couples and honeymooners: the end of December is romantic and cold, and worth a better hotel; book early, because the good rooms in Manali go first. Groups of friends for New Year’s Eve: Manali and Kasol are where most of them head, and our group trip to Manali guide explains how we handle 10 to 40 people.
It is not the right fortnight if you dislike crowds, or if snow is the only reason you are going and your dates are fixed. In that case, 6 January to mid-February brings better snow odds, quieter roads and off-season rates again.
Trips that fit
Christmas and New Year Packages in Himachal
Five of our Himachal trips that work over Christmas and New Year. Each is a private trip with your own car and driver, dated to your leave. The prices are the “from” rates published on each package page: per person, twin sharing, entry-level hotel tier, off-season. The rate card on every one of these pages puts 20 December to 5 January in its peak band, priced 25% above the off-season rate; departures from 1 to 19 December and from 6 January onwards stay on the off-season rate.
From ₹12,499 per person (off-season)The classic winter circuit with the shortest drives: Shimla, Kufri, Manali and a Sissu snow day.
Shimla Manali Tour Package from Delhi6 days / 5 nights · starts Delhi
From ₹14,499 per person (off-season)Same circuit from Delhi. The published rate assumes four travellers sharing the car.
Kullu Manali Honeymoon Tour5 days / 4 nights · starts Chandigarh
From ₹12,999 per person (off-season)For couples: Manali, Solang, Kullu and Manikaran, with room to add a better hotel for New Year’s Eve.
Dharamshala Dalhousie Tour Package from Delhi5 days / 4 nights · starts Delhi
From ₹16,499 per person (off-season)McLeodganj, Dharamshala and Dalhousie: far less New Year traffic than Manali, with the snowy Dhauladhar in view.
Winter Spiti Tour from Shimla7 days / 6 nights · starts Shimla
From ₹28,500 per person (off-season)For the adventurous only: frozen Spiti through Kinnaur, the one road that stays open in winter. Read our winter Spiti guide first.
Sample rates, not live availability. Before booking winter Spiti, read our winter Spiti guide. Many Manali and Shimla hotels also add a compulsory gala dinner to the room rate on 31 December; if yours does, it is shown in your quote. Send your dates early and we will confirm what is genuinely open and quote it exactly. Nothing is held until you approve the quote.
Sample plan
A 6-Day Christmas Itinerary: Shimla, Manali and Sissu
Our suggested shape for the Christmas weekend from Chandigarh, with one leave day on each side. For New Year, the same plan works from Tuesday 29 December to Sunday 3 January: be in Manali by the 30th and avoid driving on the evening of the 31st.
Chandigarh → Shimla
About 115 km, three to four hours. Leave a day ahead of the Christmas Eve traffic. Evening on the Ridge and Mall Road.
Kufri and Christmas Eve in Shimla
Kufri in the morning, Jakhu Temple after lunch, then Christmas Eve at Christ Church on the Ridge, lit up for the season.
Shimla → Manali
A full travel day through Mandi and the Kullu valley, around 245 km. An early start keeps you ahead of the holiday traffic at the Manali end.
Atal Tunnel and Sissu snow day
Leave Manali at first light, through the tunnel to Sissu, and head back before the afternoon queue builds. Weather and police permitting; if the road beyond Solang is closed to ordinary cars, we switch to a 4×4 or to Solang. For snow suits and boots, see our snow gear on rent page.
Manali sightseeing
Hadimba Devi Temple early, before the crowds, then Vashisht hot springs, Old Manali and Naggar Castle. This is also the spare day if the snow day was lost to weather.
Manali → Chandigarh
About 300 km. Leave early; Monday traffic out of Manali after a long weekend is heavy by mid-morning.
Booking
How to Book Christmas–New Year Without Regret
- Book by early November. The better hotels in Manali for 30 December to 1 January usually go first, well before Christmas.
- Pick one weekend, not both. Christmas weekend is a little calmer than New Year; the days between them (28–30 December) are the easiest to drive.
- Keep one buffer day on any trip that includes a snow day. Snow that closes the road beyond Solang can also make it the best day of the trip a day later.
- Travel 1–19 December or after 6 January if your dates are flexible: off-season rates, quieter roads, and often more snow from January.
Packing
What to Pack for Himachal at Christmas and New Year
FAQs
Christmas and New Year in Himachal: Frequently Asked Questions
When are Christmas and New Year in 2026–27?
Christmas is on Friday 25 December 2026, giving a long weekend from 25 to 27 December. New Year’s Day is Friday 1 January 2027, giving a long weekend from 1 to 3 January. New Year’s Day is not on the central government’s gazetted list, but many employers give it off.
Will there be snow in Manali at Christmas 2026?
Snow in Manali town at Christmas cannot be promised; December is cold and mostly dry, with a long-term average of 13.5°C by day and 0.3°C at night. Snow is far likelier higher up, at Sissu beyond the Atal Tunnel and often at Solang. For heavy snow in town, January and February are the better bet.
Is Rohtang Pass open at Christmas and New Year?
No. Rohtang normally closes for the winter between November and December and reopens around May. At Christmas the snow trip from Manali goes through the Atal Tunnel to Sissu instead, which needs no Rohtang permit.
How much does a Christmas–New Year package to Manali cost?
Our Himachal packages start from ₹12,499 per person for six days from Chandigarh and ₹14,499 per person for six days from Delhi, twin sharing, at the published off-season rate. Departures from 20 December to 5 January are in the peak band, priced 25% above that rate, as shown on each package page. Send your dates and group size and we will quote exactly.
Shimla or Manali for New Year?
Shimla for a short two- or three-night break from Delhi or Chandigarh, with Christmas on the Ridge and Kufri nearby. Manali if you have five nights or more and want the best chance of snow, through the Atal Tunnel to Sissu. With a week, do both.
How early should I book for New Year in Manali?
By early November if you can. The better hotels for 30 December to 1 January usually fill well before Christmas, and many add a compulsory New Year’s Eve gala dinner to the room rate.
Is it safe to drive to Manali in late December?
Yes, with a local driver who knows winter roads. The risks are black ice in the early morning and late evening, and road closures beyond Solang after fresh snow, when only 4×4 vehicles are allowed. We drive in daylight, start snow days early and re-check road status the evening before.
Can you plan the trip for us?
Yes. Suzu Travels is a Himachal-based travel company with our own team in the state since 2019. We arrange the hotels, a private car and driver, and the day plan, and we change it if the weather does. Send your dates on WhatsApp to +91 70874 88961 and you get a day-by-day plan and a quote.
Planning Himachal this Christmas or New Year?
Send your dates, starting city and the number of travellers. You get a day-by-day plan, hotel options and a clear price, with nothing held until you approve.
Explore more
Himachal Snowfall 2026–27Month-by-month snow odds
Rohtang and Road StatusUpdated every week
Sources: Government of India, Department of Personnel & Training, holidays to be observed in central government offices during 2026; IMD Meteorological Centre Shimla, bulletin no. 284 of 11 October 2026, and IMD 1991–2020 climatological normals for Manali; The News Himachal, 11 October 2026 (Rohtang and Shinku La snow); The Tribune, 21 November 2024 (Shimla Winter Carnival 24 December – 2 January); package rates and the peak-season band as published on each linked package page, last reviewed 27 September 2026.
