People who’ve never seen or touched snow in their lives can choose Manali as the first place to do so. Manali is part of the Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh, and was the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh. Manali is a popular Himalayan tourist destination and its cool atmosphere provides a contrast to hot Indian summers. Manali is famous for adventure sports like skiing, hiking, mountaineering, paragliding, rafting, trekking, kayaking, and mountain biking. Yak sports, in particular yak skiing is a sport unique to this area. Manali also offers hot springs, religious shrines and Tibetan Buddhist temples.
Naggar Fort, south of Manali is a remainder from the Pala Empire built by Raja Sidh Singh and is currently under the Himachal Tourism. Made from rocks, stones, and elaborate wood carvings, it is an ensemble of the rich and elegant art works of Himachal. The gracefully built castle has a temple in the courtyard and also houses a small museum.

The temple of the area, such as the grey sandstone Gauri Shankar Temple of Shiva that lies close to the Castle, the chatar Bhuj Temple, Tripura Sundri Devi Temple, the Jagti Patt Temple, with its triangular slab of stone, strewn with rose petals and rupee notes and the Murlidhar Temple, are worth a visit. The Urswati Himalyan Folk Museum near by is another place to visit.
Hadimba Devi Temple, erected in 1553, is dedicated to the local deity Hadimba, wife of the Pandava prince, Bhim. The temple is noted for its four-store pagoda and exquisite wooden carvings. This wooden temple is located in the middle of a forest called the Dhungiri Van Vihar.
Rahala waterfalls lie some 27 km from Manali at the start of the climb to the Rohtang Pass, and is an integral part of the Himalayan ecstasy. Gushing down from an altitude of 2,501 meters, the Rahala Waterfalls is a product of melting glaciers.
It is located 16 Kilometers from Manali and 4 kilometers away from Kothi. The area around the Rahala Waterfalls is absolutely marvelous and the location also allows a picture perfect view of the surrounding areas. The pleasant view twined with the sound of the gushing water makes Rahala Waterfalls an ideal picnic spot.
Solang valley, popularly known as Snow Point, is 13 km northwest of Manali and is the site of Manali’s ski school and, once the snow has gone, of all the local paragliding ’schools’. HPTDC organizes ski packages during winter. Manikaran, located about 45 km. from kullu on the way to Manali is known for its hot spring near the river Parvati.
Distance: 565 km from Delhi
Best time to Visit: Mid- April to End June and September to mid-November.
How to get there:
By Air: Nearest Airport is Bhuntar, 50 km from Manali
By Rail: Nearest Railway Stations are Chandigarh, 310 km and Ambala, 355 km from Manali
By Road: Driving time is 14 hrs from Delhi and 10 hrs from Chandigarh.