Per-person Manali trip costs from Delhi NCR for 3 nights: about Rs 7,000 on a budget, Rs 9,500 mid-range and Rs 24,000 premium, with line items that add up.
Quick summary
A Manali trip from Delhi NCR costs about ₹7,000 per person on a tight budget, ₹9,500 mid-range and ₹24,000 for a premium self-drive trip, for three nights in Manali. The tables below break each band into line items that add up to the total, so you can swap in your own numbers. For routes, seasons and what to see, see the Manali destination guide.
Assumptions
- Per person, two people travelling together and sharing a double room.
- Three nights in Manali (four days on the ground), plus the journey each way: overnight buses in the budget and mid-range plans, a self-drive car in the premium plan.
- Normal-season weekday prices. Room rates typically rise sharply in May, June, Diwali week, Christmas to New Year and on long weekends.
- Bus fares, room rates, food, fuel and activity prices are estimates rounded for planning. Check current fares on the HRTC booking site and current rates with operators before you go.
- Fixed fees that are verified: the Rohtang Pass vehicle permit (₹550 per car including the ₹50 congestion charge) and the Roerich art gallery ticket at Naggar (₹100 for Indian visitors).
Budget plan: about ₹7,000 per person
HRTC non-AC or ordinary bus both ways, a simple guesthouse in Old Manali or Vashisht, local buses, and dhaba or thali meals.
| Item | Assumption | Cost per person (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Bus Delhi–Manali–Delhi | HRTC ordinary or semi-deluxe, about ₹1,000 each way (estimate) | 2,000 |
| Stay | Guesthouse at ₹1,200 a night for a double, 3 nights, shared by two | 1,800 |
| Food | ₹450 a day for 4 days at dhabas and thali places | 1,800 |
| Sissu day trip | HRTC bus towards Keylong through the Atal Tunnel and back (estimate) | 300 |
| Local transport | Local buses and shared autos to Vashisht and Naggar | 400 |
| Entry tickets | Roerich gallery ₹100 plus Naggar Castle museum (estimate ₹50) | 150 |
| Miscellaneous | Tea, water, snacks, tips | 550 |
| Total | 7,000 |
Mid-range plan: about ₹9,500 per person
HRTC Volvo both ways, a comfortable guesthouse or small hotel, a hired scooter for one day for the tunnel and Solang, and a mix of cafes and local food. This is the typical Manali trip for a Delhi NCR couple.
| Item | Assumption | Cost per person (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Bus Delhi–Manali–Delhi | HRTC Volvo, about ₹1,700 each way (estimate; check current fare) | 3,400 |
| Stay | Guesthouse or small hotel at ₹2,000 a night for a double, 3 nights, shared by two | 3,000 |
| Food | ₹550 a day for 4 days, one cafe meal a day | 2,200 |
| Scooter for one day | About ₹1,000 hire plus ₹200 fuel, shared by two (estimate) | 600 |
| Local transport | Autos between the bus stand, Old Manali and Vashisht | 150 |
| Entry tickets | Roerich gallery ₹100 plus Naggar Castle museum (estimate ₹50) | 150 |
| Total | 9,500 |
Add about ₹3,000 per person if you want a tandem paragliding flight at Solang (estimate, outside the monsoon ban from 15 July to 15 September).
Rohtang Pass permit costs
- Permit fee: ₹500 per car, jeep or MUV, plus a ₹50 congestion charge, so ₹550 per vehicle (₹600 for buses and heavy vehicles).
- Quota: 1,200 vehicles a day (800 petrol, 400 diesel), released in two batches at 10 am and 4 pm on rohtangpermits.hp.gov.in.
- Booking window: only for the next two days, valid for one round trip on one day.
- Taxi: if you do not drive, a local taxi with a permit costs far more than the permit itself; confirm the fare, and whether the permit is included, before booking.
No permit or fee is needed for the Atal Tunnel, Sissu or Lahaul.
Costs people forget
- Peak-season room rates in May, June and holiday weeks, often far above the normal rates used here.
- Room heating in winter, which some guesthouses charge extra for.
- Snow gear hire (boots, suits) at Solang in winter.
- A night on the road at Chandigarh or Mandi if you drive or ride and split the 13-hour journey.
- Union taxi rates for local sightseeing, which are fixed and higher than in the plains.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Travel in March, April, October or November on weekdays, when rooms are cheapest and roads are open. The best time to visit Manali page explains the trade-offs by month.
- Take the overnight HRTC bus; it saves a night's room as well as the fare difference.
- Stay in Old Manali or Vashisht guesthouses and walk to Hadimba Temple, the Manu Temple, the Vashisht springs and Jogini Falls instead of hiring taxis for short hops.
- Do Sissu through the Atal Tunnel instead of paying for a Rohtang permit taxi.
- Eat siddu, thalis and rajma-chawal at local places and save cafes for coffee.
To plug in your own numbers, use the trip budget calculator, and to see how the money is spent day by day, follow the 2-day Manali itinerary.