Visiting Manali in December is one of the most exciting things to do while you are young. Playing with snow, enjoying various ice games, having hand beaten coffee at a place surrounded by white mountains is something worth experiencing. However this thrilling Manali trip comes with a bunch of challenges and hurdles that you need to take care of. Extremely cold weather is one of them which needs to be taken care of. In this post I am going to share with you the right clothes to wear in Manali in December. Although, there might be multiple articles out there on the same yet, this article stands out because it is being written only after experiencing a long stay in the winters and after observing the weather change to certain extinct.

Manali: The Most Thrilling Hill Station in India

Located on the mountain ranges of great Himalayas on the banks of river Beas, Manali is one of the most beautiful and thrilling cities in India. Snow covered mountains, scenic views, underground tunnels, modern amenities, breathtaking landscapes are the core of attraction. Being termed as a hill station, it is mostly preferred to be visited in summer and many people avoid visiting in the winter season. Evidently, visiting Manali in winter is challenging yet it comes with a lot of fun as well. Playing with snow balls, snow skiing, sliding, tube sliding, yak riding, snow bike riding, zorbing ball ride, etc are the main adventures to enjoy in the winter season.

What to wear in Manali in December?

Coming back to our topic, to find out what to wear in Manali, we must know the weather of Manali first. Below is the chart reflecting the temperature and weather condition in of Manali.

The weather of Manali in December:

Date	23th Dec	24th Dec	25th Dec	26th Dec	27th Dec	28th Dec	29th Dec	30th Dec	31th Dec	1st Jan
Temp℃	14/4	17/6	18/7	18/6	15/4	14/4	14/4	14/4	13/3	12/2
Sunny	partially	partially	partially	partially	partially	✖	✖	✖	partially	✖
Cloudy	partially	partially	partially	partially	partially	✔	✔	✔	partially	✔

December is the coldest month in Manali where temperate can fall as low as -13℃. Therefore one must be prepared with all the clothing to enjoy the trip flawlessly and without falling sick. Below is a chart showcasing all the basic items that you need to wear in Manali in december.

Head	Upper Body	Lower body	Feet	Extras
Winter cap	3-4 Inner thermals	3-4 Inner thermals	Ankle-length warm socks – At least 3 pair	Gloves
Warm Muffler	1-2 warm sweaters/Hoody	2 Cotton Joggers OR Jeans	1 Casual shoe	Knee caps
	1 Waterproof Jacket		1 ankle-length boot	Pullover
	1 Windcheater or fleece Jacket

These are must to have clothes when you are even planning to visit Manali in winters. Now we of course are not going to just sit in our hotel rooms in Manali but instead do a lot of stuff that we have planned already like trekking, camping and so on. Let’s take a look at all of them one by one.

What to wear in Manali for Trekking?

You must ask yourself whether you want to go trekking in Manali or not in December because that will also decide what should you wear on your trip. Trekking needs some additional attention and you must add a few more things in your packing list for your trip.

What to wear in Manali for Camping?

Many of us love camping which needs a lot of preparation and we all know that. If you wish to camp in Manali then you must be prepared with a few more things that we will discuss further.

What to wear in Manali in December?

Let us talk about what to wear in Manali in December. Well, undoubtedly warm clothes without any question. But what kind of clothes? Here, I have prepared a list of clothes that you need to carry for a 6-7 day Manali trip in December. You can easily customize it based on your trip duration.

Here are some addons if you wish to go trekking or camping in your Manali trip in December.

Trekking	Camping
Snow Jackets	Sleeping Bag according to the temperature
Snow Boots – ankle length	Ground pad
Snow socks – ankle length	Tent with snow tunnel
Thick warm gloves	Neck pillow
Thick warm cap	Extra pair of warm socks
Mask or something to cover your face	Mask or something to cover your face

How to wear your clothes in Manali to keep you warm?

Now you must be thinking why to carry 2 or 3 clothes when I can carry one as warm as those 2 clothes. But, never do that. Always try to wear in layers. It not only keeps you warm but gives you the flexibility to remove some if you are too active to avoid sweating.

Never wear a damp cloth. Change it immediately if possible. Instead, you can wear a lesser warm one but never wear a wet cloth in cold.

What to do if your clothes get damp?

1. Use a hair dryer if you have one.
2. You can also use an Iron but don’t rub the cloth with it instead keep a little distance and give it some heat.
3. Sit near a bonfire and try to give the wet clothes some heat.
4. If you don’t have any of these options then buy some newspapers and wrap that cloth with them.

Should you buy clothes to wear in Manali?

We, as a tourist love shopping at the destinations we visit and Manali can’t be an exception to that. But often we see that the price of clothes seems to be much higher than it should be. So, should you buy clothing in Manali on your December trip?

Well, the final decision must be yours but here is something that I would like to share that I learnt during my trip.

1. Handmade clothes: Firstly, understand that there are many shops in Manali that sell handmade clothing and we all know that those are generally costly.
2. Find street shops: Now, if you really want to buy cheap clothes then try to find street-side shopping locations.
3. Spend time shopping: Do not be in a rush to buy and be gone while looking for cheap but good items. Give it some time, try bargaining with the shopkeeper in a nice way and I am sure you will make it.

Where to buy authentic Himachali clothes in Manali?

1. Khadi shop at Mall Road, Manali:  There is a very old Khadi shop at Mall Road in Manali which sells really good quality clothes and Himachali dresses.
2. Kullu: If you really want to buy some nice and authentic Himachali clothes specially Shawls then do not buy it in Manali. Instead, go to Kullu and there you can easily find an authentic store but never forget to bargain.

Conclusion:

Manali is an all-time destination in India for any tourist. Except for the risk of landslides, even the rainy seasons are the best to see rain in the Himalayas. But, as always, one must be prepared for whatever they want to do and hence the importance of clothes can’t be bypassed here.

What to wear in Manali in a December trip is one of those repeated questions that people ask on the internet. That is why I have prepared this article with my experience and after a lot of research.

I hope this article will suffice for you and help you to decide what should you wear in Manali in December. The comment section is open to sharing your feedback about this article as well as any further queries.