Manali in May 2027: Weather, Rohtang Opening, Crowds and Prices

Short answer: May is Manali’s busiest month. Days average about 25 °C and nights about 9 °C (IMD normals), rain is the lightest of the year, and every activity is open. Rohtang Pass usually reopens to tourists in the middle of the month (15 May in 2026, 17 May in 2025, 24 May in 2024) with a daily permit cap. The price of all that is crowds: hotel rates and our package rates are at the peak band, and the Mall, Solang and the Rohtang road jam on weekends. Book early, go midweek, and start every day by 07:00.

What is the weather like in Manali in May?

May is warm, dry and bright. The India Meteorological Department normals for 1991–2020 (extremes 1968–2020, as tabulated on Wikipedia and checked on 30 October 2026) show May with the least rain of any month in Manali and the widest gap between day and night temperatures.

In practice that means T-shirts by 10:00, a hat and sunscreen at Rohtang, and a jacket on the Mall after dark. At Rohtang and Sissu the air is 10–15 °C cooler than in town and the wind on the pass can make it feel like winter, so keep the fleece in the car even on a hot day.

Does Rohtang Pass open in May?

Usually in the middle of the month. The Border Roads Organisation starts clearing from Manali in March and reaches Marhi (17 km short of the pass) first; in 2026 the road was open only to Marhi on 8 May and to the pass itself from 15 May. The pass opened on 17 May in 2025 and 24 May in 2024 (Discover Kullu Manali road-status log, checked 30 October 2026). A late or snowy spring pushes it towards the end of May, so a visit in the first ten days of the month should not be planned around Rohtang.

Once it opens, the rules matter more than the weather:

• Permits are issued only online at rohtangpermits.hp.gov.in, per vehicle, for a fixed date. In 2025 the cap was 1,200 vehicles a day (800 petrol, 400 diesel) at ₹550 including the congestion charge; the 2026 and 2027 caps and fee should be checked on the portal before you book.
• Tuesday is the maintenance day, with no tourist traffic beyond Gulaba. Plan Rohtang for any other day.
• Permits for weekend dates are gone within minutes of release, so a Rohtang day on a Saturday in late May needs a driver who has done this before. Our Rohtang permit and road status guide covers the timing.
• Without a permit, the Atal Tunnel gets you to Sissu and the Lahaul snow with no cap and no fee; our Atal Tunnel and Sissu snow trip page explains the day.

How crowded is Manali in May, and how do you manage it?

Very. May and June are when schools across Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan break for summer, and Manali is the default hill station for all of them. In our experience the heaviest days are the second half of May, every Saturday, and the days around any long weekend. The Mall, the Hadimba lane, the Solang road and the Rohtang road all jam between about 10:00 and 17:00; our note on the October 2026 Manali and Shimla jams describes what a peak day looks like, and May is worse.

What works:

• Start early. Leave for Solang or Rohtang by 06:30 and you are back for lunch while the queue is still forming.
• Stay out of the centre. Hotels in Prini, Aleo, Jagatsukh, Naggar or Old Manali avoid the Mall traffic; walk in for the evening.
• Go midweek. A Tuesday-to-Saturday trip sees half the crowds of a Friday-to-Tuesday one.
• Book rooms and permits weeks ahead. May is the one month when turning up without a booking leaves you in a bad room at a high price.
• Consider the quieter valleys. The Parvati valley (Kasol, Tosh), Tirthan, and Jibhi take the overflow and are covered in our offbeat Himachal post.

What is open and what can you do in Manali in May?

• Rohtang Pass: from mid-May, with a permit, snow walls on both sides of the road and snow play at the top. Read our snow activities in Manali page before you pay for sledging and snow-suit hire at the roadside.
• Solang Valley: ropeway, zorbing, ATV rides and paragliding all running; our Solang Valley activities page lists prices to expect. No snow at Solang in May.
• Rafting on the Beas: peak flow from snowmelt; the 14 km Pirdi–Jhiri stretch is at its liveliest. See rafting in Kullu–Manali.
• Atal Tunnel to Sissu and Keylong: open; Lahaul is green by late May with snow above the villages.
• Hadimba, Vashisht, Old Manali, Naggar: open; go before 09:00 for Hadimba.
• Trekking: Hampta Pass and Bhrigu Lake usually open from mid-June, so May is for lower walks (Lamadugh, Jogini Falls) rather than high passes.
• Ziplining and camping: both running; see zipline in Manali and camping in Manali.

How much does Manali cost in May?

May sits in the peak band on all our Himachal packages (from 15 March onward), which runs roughly 25% above the off-season starting prices below (per person, Deluxe category, twin sharing, live on 30 October 2026):

• Shimla–Manali from Chandigarh, 5N/6D: from ₹12,499 off-season.
• Shimla–Manali from Delhi, 5N/6D: from ₹14,999 off-season.
• Manali from Delhi, 4N/5D: from ₹14,999 off-season.
• Kullu–Manali honeymoon, 4N/5D: from ₹12,999 off-season.

Rohtang permits, Solang activities and rafting are paid locally and are not in the package price. Hotels in May charge their highest rates of the year outside Christmas week, and good rooms in the centre sell out two to three weeks ahead. If budget matters more than dates, our Delhi to Manali budget trip post shows where the money goes. A 20% token confirms a package, refundable in full within 48 hours of paying.

A 5-day Manali plan for May

With children, the family 5-day Manali itinerary swaps the Rohtang day for Sissu, which avoids the permit and the altitude.

What should you pack for Manali in May?

• Light cotton layers for town, plus a fleece and windproof for Rohtang and Sissu.
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and a cap: UV at 3,000–4,000 m is strong and the snow doubles it.
• Closed shoes with grip; snow boots and jackets are on hire at Gulaba and Marhi for the pass.
• Printed or saved Rohtang permit, ID for everyone in the vehicle.
• Motion-sickness tablets for the hairpins above Gulaba.

Frequently asked questions

Is May a good time to visit Manali?

For weather, yes: it is the driest month, with days around 25 °C and nights around 9 °C, and every activity is running. For peace and value, no: it is the most crowded month, with peak hotel and package rates. Go midweek, book ahead and start early, and May works well, especially for families and first-time visitors.

Is Rohtang Pass open in May?

Usually from the middle of the month. It reopened to tourists on 15 May 2026, 17 May 2025 and 24 May 2024, after BRO snow clearing. It needs an online permit from rohtangpermits.hp.gov.in, is closed every Tuesday, and has a daily vehicle cap. Before it opens, the Atal Tunnel gives you snow at Sissu without a permit.

Is there snow in Manali in May?

Not in town or at Solang. Snow is at Rohtang Pass once it opens in mid-May, where the road is cut through snow walls, and at Sissu and the north side of the Atal Tunnel for most of the month. Fresh snowfall in May is rare but does happen at the pass during late storms.

How crowded is Manali in May?

It is the busiest month of the year. School holidays across north India fall in May and June, and weekends and the last two weeks of May are the heaviest. Expect queues on the Rohtang road, at Solang and on the Mall between 10:00 and 17:00. Early starts and a hotel outside the centre make the biggest difference.

How much does a Manali trip cost in May?

May is in our peak band, about 25% above the off-season starting prices: Shimla–Manali from Chandigarh from ₹12,499, Shimla–Manali or Manali from Delhi from ₹14,999, and the Kullu–Manali honeymoon package from ₹12,999, all per person on twin sharing. Rohtang permits and activities are extra and paid locally.

Do I need a permit for Rohtang in May?

Yes, one per vehicle, booked online for a fixed date at rohtangpermits.hp.gov.in. There is a daily cap (1,200 vehicles a day in 2025, split between petrol and diesel) and a fee of about ₹550 in 2025. No permits are issued on Tuesdays. Check the portal for the current cap and fee for your dates.