Hello,
@Senti, welcome to the forum!
Overview
The distance between Kullu and Manali is about 40 kilometres. Driving this distance can take around 1 hour and 30 minutes, more or less. This stretch has a mixture of good and bad roads. It can be terribly affected by monsoon season and of course, winter season. It is prone to potholes and bad patches because of poor weather conditions that sometimes plagues the hill station of Manali and areas around it. However, on clear and sunny days, like summer season, roads are on better condition and the route can be easily traversed. Make sure you listen to local news reports prior to venturing into the Kullu to Manali route.
Route to Take from Kullu to Manali
The usual route that travellers take to reach Manali from Kullu is through the National Highway 3. The route is about 40 kilometres long and can take more than an hour to cover, considering any delays you might encounter and also considering the road conditions.
- Route via NH3 - Kullu > Raison > Dobhi > Patlikuhal > Manali
Roads until Kullu are good, with freshly laid tarmac and views of the mountains from a distance. There may be patches of broken roads but they are still easy to drive in. The issue begins with the roads from Kullu until Manali. Though the roads are okay in dry seasons, they mainly become filled with potholes and bad patches during the monsoon season. With heavy rains, the roads become heavily damaged and so traffic also piles up. On normal sunny days, the roads are good, with some bad patches, a few dirt patches in between. It can easily be passed through though as compared to the monsoon season. Your other battle would be the traffic in Kullu which mostly occurs during rush hours so it's best to avoid travelling later in the day.
An Alternative
You can also utilise the Naggar route to bypass the traffic on Kullu town itself. The route is longer by a few kilometres only so still very feasible especially for those who doesn't like driving through chaotic lanes.
- Alternative Route - Kullu > Naggar > Haripur > Sajla > Manali
So from Shimla, head straight to Kullu and spend a few hours there to explore its attractions. After that, you can take the old highway route, adjacent to the former route, to reach Naggar. From Naggar, Manali is just a few minutes away. Road conditions are okay but the real benefit of this route is that it isn't plagued by traffic as much. Plus, you can enjoy the scenic views on the other side of the Beas river this way. With this route, you can reach Manali in an hour, more or less, without worrying about the traffic or delays along the way.
Conclusion
These are the two routes that you can take to reach Manali from Kullu. Ideally, the distance can be covered in an hour and a few minutes more. However, you have to take into account the weather conditions for the day. The first route via the National Highway 3 is the main route. It passes through the town of Kullu and is prone to traffic because of this. It is also prone to bad weather conditions and as a result can suffer from potholes and rough patches. You can use the alternative route to avoid the traffic around Kullu town and when the roads here are not yet repaired.
