I will be Shima on May 23rd, and my stay in Shimla will be for four days with my family. I would like to see more of Himachal Pradesh and am keen on going Manali. I don't want to be too tired of driving and would like to know what the Shimla to Manali travel time by car is before I set off for the journey. If the travel time is a lot then when heading back home it will take a lot of time and become very tiring which I don't want.
The distance between Shimla and Manali is quite a bit, and there are two routes which you can follow from Shimla to Manali. Via NH88 and NH21 - the distance is 249.6km (according to Google) and the travel time is around 7 hours Via NH22, Nh305 and NH21 - the distance 272.2km (according to Google and the travel time is around 9-10 hours.
Yes, the trip is quite long. Shiv mentioned the time being between 7 and 10 hours. I would think it is closer to 9-12. You need to add stops, traffic, and problems with the roads. It is a hard trip. Are you locked into driving? A train or bus might make things easier. If you do drive, see if you can have a friend drive for half the time. That will make it easier.
Hello and welcome to the forum! The distance between Shimla and Manali is about 249.6 kms. If you drive that, it can take anywhere between 7 to 8 hours before you reach Manali. It can be a long drive especially for non-experienced drivers. Your best option would be to hire a driver or a taxi so you won't be as tired. Here's the route you have to take for Shimla to Manali: Shimla > Shalaghat > Daldamode > Bage > Barmana > Bilaspur > Haribag > Sundarnagar > Mandi > Aut > Kullu > Manali For stopovers: Shalaghat. If you leave early in the morning, you can have your breakfast here as there are many eateries to choose from. Haribag. This is a great place for a lunch stopover. The Sundernagar Lake will be an amazing view while you're eating. Mandi. From here, there are many scenic places you can stop to. Make sure you leave early so you can reach Mandi before the sun sets and see the scenic spots in here. Aut. A great place for a snack as there are some cafes and restaurants here with beautiful garden views. I hope this helps! P.S. If you do decide to hire a taxi, fare is at Rs. 4,000 onwards. The rate varies depending on the vehicle but it's usually at Rs. 11/km for a smaller vehicle.
