Manali (alt. 1,950 m or 6,398 ft), in the Beas River valley, is an important hill station in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, India, near the northern end of the Kullu Valley. It is located about 250 kilometres (155 mi) north of state capital, Shimla. Manali is administratively a part of the Kullu district, with population of approx. 30,000. The small town was the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and, from there, over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin. There are marvellous walks too, through dappled orchards and fairy-tale forests of deodar. The Manali market is crowded with myriads of interesting shops selling Tibetan carpets and crafts and the appetizing aroma of steaming noodles hangs about the little restaurants. Manali, with its Mountaineering Institute, is a popular base for trekking and mountaineering in summer and skiing in winter. Interesting routes into the surrounding valleys, over the high passes, are provided with tourist huts and rest houses for trekking enthusiasts.

Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa : Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa Little Tibetan monasteries, called Gompas, are a major tourist attraction in Manali. The Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa is full of life and colour.You can buy some carpets and durries from here.

Manu Temple : A picturesque half-hour walk up the hills in Old Manali takes you to the Manu Temple. Legend has it that Manu, the first Man, came to earth and landed on this spot after a great flood.

Solang Valley : Solang Nullah is in a side valley heliskiing-manali at the top of the Kullu valley. It is the site of Manali�s ski school and, once the snow has gone, all the local paragliding 'schools'. Phatru is a steep, rocky face above Solang Nullah, facing roughly east. Take-off is about one hour�s climb above the ski school. There is no top landing, but good bottom landing near the school or in the fields above Solang village on the opposite side of the river. From 10am until 1pm or so there are many excellent thermal sources. In the afternoon the sun is often hidden by cloud forming on the higher mountains behind and it can get rough as soon as it is out of direct sun. In a picturesque setting this has good ski sloped and picnic spots. HPTDC organises ski packages during winter. Around 14 kms from Manali, is the Solang valley, that boasts of the glacier nearest to the resort. Replete with terrific picnic - spots, the amazing ski slopes here are full of hectic activity, come January - February.

Vashisth : Well known for its hot springs. There are old temples dedicated to the sage Vashisth and to Lord Rama. Three kms from Manali is the village of Vashisht, which is renowned for its hot sulphur springs. The village is also the site of some old temples, dedicated to the great sage Vashisht, and to Lord Rama. The Himachal Tourism sulphur baths are just beyond these shrines. Three kms from Manali is the village of Vashisht, which is renowned for its hot sulphur springs. The village is also the site of some old temples, dedicated to the great sage Vashisht, and to Lord Rama. The Himachal Tourism sulphur baths are just beyond these shrines.

Leh-Manali Highway : The Leh-Manali Highway is a highway in India connecting Leh and Manali. It is open only between June and mid-September when snow is cleared from the road by the Border Roads Organisation. It connects the Manali valley to Kullu valley, Lahaul and Spiti and Ladakh. It is made part of NH 21, with completion date of 2012. The highway crosses some of the highest mountain passes in the world, including Rohtang La 3,978 m (13,051 ft), Baralacha La 4,892 m (16,050 ft), Lachulung La 5,059 m (16,598 ft) and Taglang La 5,325 m (17,470 ft). The latter two passes are less problematic over former due to less snowfall in Ladakh. Between Lachlung La and Taglang La this road crosses the More plains. A tunnel is being constructed to bypass Rohtang pass to make the highway an all-weather road.

Leh-Manali Journey : As the journey along the road normally takes two days (or more depending on road conditions), many tourists and travellers make overnight stops at Jispa and tented camps such as Sarchu. Alternately, overnight stops can be made at Keylong. Distance between Manali and Sarchu is 222 km (138 mi) in Himachal Pradesh state, and distance from Sarchu to Leh is 257 km (160 mi), with total highway length of 479 km (298 mi). Owing to the high altitudes and the low-oxygen air, many travelers experience mountain sickness or in some cases even acute mountain sickness. Leh-Manali Highway was designed, built, constructed and maintained in its entirety by the Indian Army and is capable of supporting the heaviest of their vehicles.