Shimla to Manali: Distance, Route, Bus, Taxi Fare and Road Status (2026)

Updated: November 2026

Short answer: Shimla to Manali is about 250 km by road and takes 7–8 hours by car. The main road drops west from Shimla via Ghanahatti and Darlaghat to the Bilaspur area, then follows the Kiratpur–Manali highway through Sundernagar, Mandi, the Pandoh dam, the Aut tunnel and Kullu. HRTC buses from Shimla’s ISBT Tutikandi take 9–10 hours, with fares listed from ₹635 to about ₹1,176 for 7 November 2026. There is no train and no scheduled flight between the two. A one-way sedan with Suzu starts from ₹4,899. The scenic alternative over the Jalori Pass (3,120 m) is a two-day drive and is open only outside the snow months.

How far is Manali from Shimla, and which road do you take?

By the main road, Manali is about 250 km from Shimla. That is the distance on our Shimla to Manali taxi page and on our drivers’ trip sheets. Booking apps sometimes print 127 km; that figure is close to a straight line across the mountains, not the road you drive.

The road starts at about 2,205 m in Shimla, drops towards the Sutlej near Bilaspur and climbs the Beas valley to Manali at about 2,050 m.

NH-205 runs from Kharar in Punjab via Kiratpur, Swarghat, Namhol and Darlaghat to Shimla; NH-3 is the highway through Mandi, Kullu and Manali. Between them, the Kiratpur–Manali four-lane with its long tunnels bypasses Bilaspur and Sundernagar towns.

What are all the ways to get from Shimla to Manali?

Car fares are our published one-way starting fares (off-season weekdays, November 2026); bus fares are listed fares for 7 November 2026. There is no train: the Kalka–Shimla toy train ends in Shimla and no railway reaches Kullu or Manali. There is also no scheduled Shimla–Kullu flight, and Kullu–Manali airport at Bhuntar has no Delhi flights this winter either; our Delhi to Manali route guide has the details.

How does the Shimla to Manali bus work?

Only the state transport company, HRTC (Himachal Road Transport Corporation), runs this route directly. For Saturday 7 November 2026, ixigo listed 6 HRTC buses with the first at 08:00 and the last at 21:40, fares from ₹635 to about ₹1,176 depending on the bus type, and a journey of about 9–10 hours. EaseMyTrip showed these departures for the same day:

• Boarding point: the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) at Tutikandi on the Shimla bypass, not the Mall Road. Take a taxi from your hotel.
• Booking: on HRTC’s own site (online.hrtchp.com) or a booking app. Book a day or two ahead for weekends, Diwali week, Christmas–New Year and May–June.
• Day or night? Morning buses arrive in daylight; night buses reach Manali around 5 am, before hotel check-in.
• Bus types: listings for the route mention ordinary, deluxe, AC and Volvo types; the ₹1,176 top fare is for the costliest type running that day. Check the bus type on your ticket before you pay.

For three or four people with bags, a sedan at ₹4,899 for the car comes close to the cost of bus tickets per head and turns the transfer into a sightseeing day.

What does a taxi from Shimla to Manali cost?

These are the one-way starting fares on our Shimla to Manali taxi page (Standard fleet, off-season weekdays, November 2026). The same fare applies from Manali to Shimla.

Fuel, driver and driver allowance are included; tolls and parking are extra at actuals. Shimla and Manali are both in Himachal, so a Shimla-based car crosses no state barrier on this trip. Peak dates (May–June, Diwali, Christmas–New Year, long weekends) cost more. For every car type, round-trip rates and the fare calculator, use the taxi page; this guide does not repeat it.

Which stops are worth making between Shimla and Manali?

The day is long, so pick two or three of these rather than all of them:

• Bilaspur and the Gobind Sagar: about a third of the way, beside the reservoir of the Bhakra dam. The usual breakfast halt.
• Sundernagar: a flat valley town whose lake is the balancing reservoir for Beas water diverted from Pandoh.
• Mandi: an old temple town on the Beas, bypassed by the four-lane. Ask the driver to cut in if you want 30 minutes at the riverside temples, or lunch in Mandi or Ner Chowk.
• Pandoh dam: about 19 km upstream of Mandi, commissioned in 1977; it sends Beas water to the Sutlej through the Pandoh–Baggi tunnel. Take photos from the roadside.
• The Beas gorge tunnels and Aut: after Pandoh the road runs through a string of tunnels and comes out of the Aut tunnel into the Kullu valley. Larji, just before Aut, is the turn for Banjar, Jibhi and Tirthan.
• Kullu: shawl shops along the highway; Kasol and Manikaran are a 30 km detour from Bhuntar.

A typical day with a private car: pick-up 6:30 am, breakfast at Bilaspur around 9:00, lunch near Mandi around 12:30, Pandoh and the tunnels by 14:00, a Kullu stop around 15:30, Manali by about 17:00. That timing is our drivers’ normal plan on a clear day.

Is the Jalori Pass route a good alternative?

Yes, if you have an extra day and travel between April and early December. This back road goes east from Shimla to Narkanda (about 65 km on NH-5), down to Luhri on the Sutlej, then on the Aut–Luhri highway (NH-305) through Ani and Khanag, over the Jalori Pass at 3,120 m, and down through Shoja, Jibhi and Banjar to rejoin the Manali highway near Aut.

What to know before you choose it:

• Snow closure: Jalori usually closes after snowfall from mid to late December and reopens around March–April. In early February 2025, NHAI reopened the road over the pass for 4×4 vehicles only after a 36-day closure.
• Vehicle: an SUV such as an Innova is the better choice; avoid a low sedan after rain.
• Time and price: do not try it in one day; the value is the night in the forest and the walk to Serolsar lake. We quote it as two driving days, not a one-way drop.

What is the Shimla to Manali road like in each season?

Kullu–Manali stretch: flash floods on 26 August 2025 badly damaged the 38 km stretch of NH-3 along the Beas. It reopened to one-way traffic on 16 September 2025, and Kullu district ran a timed traffic plan that used the Left Bank road via Raison during repair hours. Repairs were still under way in 2026, with single-lane sections, so the last 40 km can be slow. Our drivers check the day’s traffic plan before leaving. In October 2026 holiday traffic also left visitors stuck for hours near Manali; see our report on the Manali and Shimla traffic jams.

Night driving: avoid it. The hill stretches out of Shimla and through the Beas gorge carry heavy trucks at night and landslide debris is hard to see. Our drivers do not run the hill stretches late at night; if you start late, break the trip at Mandi.

Snow months: from mid-December to February fresh snow can close the roads on Shimla’s upper ridge and above Manali, where Solang and the Atal Tunnel are often limited to 4×4 vehicles. The valley road between them usually stays open.

Shimla Manali packages with this drive included

If you want hotels, the Shimla–Manali drive and sightseeing in one price, these are Suzu Travels’ own Shimla–Manali trips. Every one uses a private car for the whole tour, with the Shimla to Manali day built in.

Sample “from” rates shown for each package on suzutravels.com on 6 November 2026: per person, twin sharing, Deluxe/3-star hotels, off-season (1 July–30 September, 1 November–19 December, 6 January–14 March). The Delhi rate of ₹14,499 assumes four travellers sharing the car; couples pay more per person. Peak dates are priced 25% above the off-season rate. You get a written quote before you pay anything.

The Chandigarh trip has the least time in the car. For how long each driving day really is and which car suits your group, compare all our car-based trips on the Shimla Manali tour package by car page; for a day-by-day plan, see our Shimla Manali itinerary. Visiting from abroad? Our Shimla to Manali guide for international travellers covers cards, cash and booking from overseas.

What this means for your trip

Shimla to Manali is one full day: about 250 km and 7–8 hours by car, or 9–10 hours by HRTC bus. Take the morning bus if you travel light; a private car if you are three or more, travel with elders or want to stop at Mandi and Pandoh. Leave by 7 am, skip night driving, and keep a buffer day in the monsoon. Take the Jalori road only between April and early December, as a two-day trip. If you want the whole circuit handled, start with the Shimla Manali package from Chandigarh or see all our Himachal tour packages.

Shimla to Manali: frequently asked questions

What is the distance from Shimla to Manali by road?

About 250 km by the main road via Darlaghat, Bilaspur, Sundernagar, Mandi and Kullu. It takes 7–8 hours by car and 9–10 hours by HRTC bus. Figures of about 127 km on some booking sites are not the road distance.

How many hours does Shimla to Manali take by car?

About 7–8 hours with breakfast and lunch stops on a clear day. Weekend traffic and single-lane repair sections between Kullu and Manali can add an hour or more, so leave Shimla by 6–7 am.

Is there a bus from Shimla to Manali?

Yes. HRTC runs about six buses a day from ISBT Tutikandi, between 08:00 and 21:40, taking 9–10 hours. Fares listed for 7 November 2026 ran from ₹635 to about ₹1,176. Book on online.hrtchp.com or a booking app.

How much is a taxi from Shimla to Manali?

With Suzu Travels, one-way fares start at ₹4,299 for a hatchback, ₹4,899 for a sedan, ₹6,199 for an Ertiga and ₹8,499 for an Innova Crysta on off-season weekdays. Tolls and parking are extra; peak dates cost more.

Which is the best route from Shimla to Manali?

For most people the main road: Shimla, Darlaghat, Bilaspur, Sundernagar, Mandi, Pandoh, the Aut tunnel, Kullu and Manali, done in one day. The Jalori Pass road via Narkanda, Ani and Jibhi is more scenic but needs two days and closes after snow, usually from late December to about March–April.

Is there a train or flight from Shimla to Manali?

No. The Kalka–Shimla toy train ends in Shimla and no railway reaches Kullu or Manali. There is no scheduled Shimla–Kullu flight as of November 2026, so the road is the only way.

Is the Shimla to Manali road open in winter?

Usually yes. The valley road via Mandi and Kullu crosses no high pass and stays open, though the Shimla end can be icy after snowfall and daylight is short, so start early. The Jalori Pass route is closed after snow.