Here are the top places in Manali to visit when you are planning for a Manali tour, be it with your family, friends, partner or even solo. These places in Manali will remain in your memory forever and even if you come again and again, you won’t get bored and that’s a guarantee. These places are not merely some sites to visit and pass over. In fact, the places in Manali are very different and the most amazing aspect of it is that you will have to force yourself to leave it and move forward. Even if you will depart from there, it will get stuck into your head and heart. This is the most fascinating part of a Manali trip. The reason is that most of these sites in Manali are not man-made, they are entirely natural. Humans just have accessed this treasure and helped others to explore it.

It is also one of the favourite destinations for Solo Travelers. And why it not would be? Himachal is a very safe state where the rules are followed very strictly. Policemen are very respectful of others while talking. I have seen solo travellers roaming late at night without any worries.

Although some areas are not that safe because of the wild animals. Street dogs are very cute and you don’t have to worry about them even if you are alone on the street. If you have never been to Himachal then you should first read the Himachal Trip guide. In this guide, we have provided detailed information on the best way to visit Himachal, the best time to start your Himachal trip and more.

More information about Himachal can be found on its official Himachal.nic.

Manali

Manali is a very beautiful city in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. The name Manali comes from the story that this is the homeland of Maharishi “Manu”. Hence it was called Manu Alaya. Later on, Manu Alaya became Manali which we know at present. The city is famous for old Temples, Hot Water Springs, Valleys, adventurous activities and much more.

Dividing the best places between Manali for our convenience

This city can be subdivided into two parts namely; Old Manali and New Manali. Although you won’t hear the term New Manali from anyone it just has different names, like Mall Road, Manali Bus Stand and nearby places that are part of Newly built Manali. In this part of the city, you will feel like a developed town. There are a number of restaurants, cafes, shops, hotels and whatnot.

Old Manali: A Treasure for Tourists

The Old Manali has something that you will miss when you will end your Manali trip. The temples in Old Manali have a very different architecture that you won’t see anywhere else. These temples and most old houses as well have a pattern in their structure. You will see one layer of rock and then one layer of wood on the walls. Old Manali is heaven for trekkers. There are many sightseeing points in Old Manali which no one will be able to tell you but you can just explore them. Here we will share our experiences and the best treks that you can explore in Old Manali.

Top Places to Visit in Manali

Although each and every place in Manali holds its own relevance. It’s very hard to narrow it down to the top places in Manali. Still, here we will try to filter it out based on tourists’ feedback and our own experiences. Also numerically we have written these sites in Manali in a way which will be aligned. You can just start your day from 1st place and end your trip anywhere you wish. Next day you can start with the site next in this list.

1. Himachal Art Museum

Location: 3kms from Mall Road, Manali

Timings: 9 am to 5 pm

Himachal Art Museum is the best place to start your Manali Trip. There are many artefacts and traditional dresses, pots and other stuff in this Museum. This is an ideal place to start your day as once you will become aware of the culture of this city, it will make your trip more memorable.

2. Ghatotakach Temple

Location: Opposite the Himachal Art Museum

Timings: Always Open

This is not a huge temple. In fact, you won’t even find a temple-like structure at this site. But as this temple is just the opposite side of the Himachal Art Museum There is only a tree from which many horns are hanging. People believe it to be the birthplace of Ghatotakach. He was the son of Bheema(one of the Pandav brothers from Mahabharata) and Hidimba.

There are some street shops available which sell traditional clothes and accessories. Near the temple, you can also find a Bike for rent. But if you want bikes or scootys on rent, leave early otherwise you may not get it.

3. Hidimba Temple

Location: 100m from Ghatotakach Temple

Timings: 8 am to 6 pm

Hidimba temple is only a few meters away from the Ghatotakach Temple. Hidimba was in fact the sister of a demon(ASURA). Now you might be wondering why we worship her then. Well, that’s the twist. Even though she was born in the Asura clan but she was different. She was a kind woman and a devotee of God. After killing the demon Hidimb, Bheema married Hidimba and then they had a son that we know as Ghatotakach. Hence, because of her kind nature and her devotedness, we worship Hidimba as a devi.

Inside the campus of the temple, just after the entrance, Yalk riding, photoshoot in cultural dresses, with lamb, rabbit etc.

4. Manu Temple: One of the best places in Manali as per Visitors

Manu Temple is a very famous attraction point in Old Manali. It is one of the most visited sites in Manali. The architecture of this temple is traditional Himachali architecture. This temple is on the roadside only and there is parking space available for Bikes. You can also go there by Cab but the roads are a little less wide so turning your car might be difficult. The best way to visit Manu Temple is by bike.

Bike or Scooty for sightseeing in Manali

While renting a bike, try to rent a Royal Enfield or the Himalayan as the roads in Manali are not like plains. The bike must be in good condition and especially the brakes should be working well. You just need a license and some deposit money of around 1000 to 1500 to get the bike. Renting a bike in Manali can cost you around 800-1500rs/day. Also, the vehicles don’t give a very low mileage in hilly areas so you will need more fuel compared to plain areas.

5. Old Manali Viewpoint

Old Manali Viewpoint is not very far from Manu Temple. This is best for sightseeing and also trekking. One can also spend some alone time with nature. For a solo traveller looking for inner peace, or a couple in search of their personal time, this is a must-visit place. Even if you are with family or friends you can enjoy the peaceful fragrance in the air.

One of the best places for trekkers in Manali

Also if you love trekking then for other tourists this is the end of their trip. But for you, it’s the starting point. Right of it is the valley and on the left-hand side, there are small rocks which you will have to jump over to start trekking. The trail is a bit difficult but it’s very adventurous.

Where to spend your evenings in Manali?

I guess till you cover all these attractions in Manali, it will be evening. Now you will see the actual beauty of Old Manali which you might have heard or seen before. Live music, Cozy Cafes, street shopping, coffee houses, sunset view, and Beas River view, all will create a very vibrant atmosphere. There are many Cafes in Old Manali where you can spend your evenings and they have live music in most of them. So you can choose any one of them based on their reviews.

Some of the best Cafes in Old Manali are

The Lazy Dog

This is one of the best Cafes in Manali. The location of this café is outstanding. It is built on the banks of the river Manaslu and the sunset looks heavenly from here. This might be a little unfriendly to your pocket but the food here is definitely delicious. You can also enjoy live performances here in the evenings.

• Location: On the way to Manu temple road, Old Manali, Himachal Pradesh
• Cuisines: Primarily Indian food
• Timings: 11am to 1 am
• Cost for 2 persons: ›500₹
• Rating: 4/5 on most of the platforms

House of Meraki Café

• Location: Bridge, Clubhuse Rd, Old Manali, Manali. Himachal Pradesh
• Cuisines: Indian, Italian, Chinese, and Local Himachali food
• Timings: 9:30 am to 9 pm
• Cost for 2 persons: ›N/A
• Rating: 4 as per customer reviews

Café live

• Location: Clubhouse Rd, Old Manali, Manali, Himachal Pradesh
• Cuisines: Indian, Italian, Himachali
• Timings: Closes 11 pm
• Cost for 2 persons: 500₹
• Rating: 4.3 as per customer reviews

There are many more of them and you can easily browse them. However, what I have experienced is that most of them offer delicious dishes. So you won’t have to worry about your taste buds at all.

Coming back to the top Places in Manali

This time we will start the day from Mall Road Manali and will be back at the same place in the evening and spend our evening at Mall Road. You can rent a bike at Mall Road Square as well. You can also book a cab if you are more than 2 people. There is a parking area available just before the Vashishtha Temple.

6. Vashishtha Temple

• Location: 3.7km from Mall Road, Near Manali, Vashisht, Himachal Pradesh
• Timings: 7 am to 9 pm

This is a very old Temple mostly built of wood which is magnificently carved. The temple is dedicated to Vashishtha Muni. There are two separate hot water springs for men and women. These baths are clean and one can enjoy bathing in this hot water even in chilly winters. The water here is considered to be of medicinal properties.

Vashishtha Hot Water Springs

Timings: 7 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 9 pm

If you wish to take a bath here which you should then carry an extra pair of clothes along with you. Elderly people should definitely take a bath here as it is said to be very rejuvenating. I personally have felt that effect upon myself. It is also very helpful in curing skin-related problems. Using soaps must be avoided here.

7. Jogini Waterfalls

• Location: Towards waterfall way Vashisht, 5kms from Manali, approx 2kms from Vashishtha Temple
• Timings: 6 am to 6 pm

Jogini Falls is one of the best falls in Manali. The location nearby is full of attraction points and is great for trekking as well. One can even trek to Jogini Falls from Vashishtha Temple which will take around 1 hour. This scenic waterfall is best for trekking and sightseeing. This picturesque fall is in a remote area and is considered sacred among locals.

8. Jogini Falls Trek

• Location: Near Vashisht, Bahang, Manali, Himachal Pradesh
• Timings: 7 am to 7:30 pm

This is an alluring trek for trekkers which passes through dense forests. This is going to be one of the most fascinating treks for trekking lovers. Elderly people might find it difficult. There is not much in terms of waterfall here but the scenic beauty is just arresting.

9. Zipline in Jogini

There is also a Zipline centre in Jogini which is rated 4+starts by visitors. If you wish you might try it. However, there are many more Ziplining points so it’s up to you completely.

10. Manali Snow Point

• Location: Near Leh-Manali Hwy, Bahang, Himachal Pradesh
• Timings: 8 am to 8 pm

This snow point is a lovely place to experience snow but only in winter or at least after the Monsoon. Before that, you won’t find snow here and for that, you will have to go to Rohtang Pass. Winters are very elegant at this snow point and you can explore adventure activities like skiing, and mountain biking here only. If you are planning to visit Manali in winter then it can be one of the best places to visit in Manali. The food here is also rated good by visitors on most of the platforms.

11. Nehru Kund

• Location: 5kms from Mall Road on Leh-Manali Hwy, Bashisht, Himachal Pradesh
• Timings: 24hrs

It is said that Pt. Nehru used to drink water from this Kund so it was named after him. It is a pleasing place to spend some time. The main speciality of this Kund is that the water here is so pure and tasty. Visitors have rated it high in terms of tourist satisfaction.

Want to satisfy your appetite?

If you think that while travelling you won’t get food as per your preference and you might have to compromise with just anything. But Manali is just the opposite of it. Manali is not just at the top in terms of places to visit in Manali but also in the best cuisines across the globe. Here are some best places to eat near Leh-Manali Hwy.

Places in Manali to satisfy your apatite, on Leh-Manali Hwy

Vaishno Dhaba

• Location: Bashisht, Himachal Pradesh, near Nehru Kund
• Ratings: 4/5 as per visitors

Cafe Patatas

• Location: approx. 200 meters from café 1947, Himachal Pradesh
• Timings: 10 am to 11 pm
• Ratings: 4.5/5 as per visitors

Café 1947

• Location: On the Leh-Manali Hwy, Bahang, Himachal Pradesh
• Timings: 1 pm to 11 pm
• Ratings: 4.9/5 from my experience

This is one of the best Cafes in Manali which is located at the dazzling riverside offering delicious cuisines. Although the prices might influence you a bit while deciding to go for it or not as it is not that pocket friendly. But you may try it once if you wish and just order anything that you love if that is on their menu and you won’t be disappointed.

Let’s see what places in Manali are we left with

Once you have covered these sites, return back to Mall Road from we started the day. By the time the sun must be set in the sky and this is the best time to experience the vibe at Mall Road.

12. Mall Road

Mall Road is in the centre of the city and is the main market of the town as well. As the name itself clarifies Mall Road is the home to Big Shops, Malls, Restaurants, Cafes, street shops, Hawkers and more. It has a picturesque view and the atmosphere is very charming and colourful.

Mall Road is huge and might be confusing for newcomers. So here is a quick guide.

• To go to Old Manali, take a left from the Mall Road North end.
• For Vashishtha Temple, Leh-Manali Hwy, take a right from the Mall Road North end.
• For HRTC Bus stand go straight from the Mall Road South end, you will find auto/cabs there as well.
• From Mall Road North end you can book cabs, autos or rent a Bike or Scooty.

Places in Manali on the way to Rohtang Pass

These places are on the way to Rohtang Pass from Manali and you can stop by them and enjoy the charm of nature. Although many waterfalls are not very big especially in summer after the Monsoon season they become very alluring. Some of them are tourist spots and are good for staying as well.

13. Gulaba View Point

14. Van Waterfall

15. Kothi Waterfall

16. Snow Mountain View Point

17. Stone Valley Point

18. Gulaba Tourist Spot

19. Gulaba Snow Point

20. Gulaba Water Falls

21. Rahala Water Falls

22. Filmcity Hill View Point

23. Food Point

After the Filmcity Hill Viewpoint, there are some restaurants at the point. This is the last point where you will find good quality food at a reasonable price. Nearby is the paragliding centre as well. You can try that if you wish to. After this, you will only find food at Rohtang Pass. You can also go washrooms here as after this it will be difficult to find any toilets along the way.

24. Para Gliding Poing Rohtang

25. Marhi View Point

After the Marhi viewpoint, there is a public toilet near the Rohtang Pass taxi stand but you have to check if that is in working condition or not.

26. Maharshi Vedvyas Temple

27. Rohtang top trekking point

28. Rohtang Pass

29. Gramphu Snow Point

30. Soransh Heaven Point

31. Snow Rafting area, Koksar

Police assistance centre, Koksar

Stay in Koksar

Chenab View Point near Koksar

32. Atal Tunnel

Attraction sites in Manali towards Solang Valley

33. Beas Kund

34. Solang Valley

35. Solang Valley Ropeway point

36. Longest Ziplining in Solang Valley

37. Bhrigu Lake, Solang Valley

So, readers! It was the list of places in Manali that I have tried to arrange in a way which will help throughout your trip. If you liked it, please let us know in the comments. You can also ask questions about it if you have any.