[ank.nsit]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Pinjore-Nalagarh-Swarghat is carefully preserved - all its pot holes, without missing even one of them
Stick to the route via Kiratpur-Bilaspur

I would try to reach Tirthan Valley on Day 4 itself since it is only a 3 hour drive from Manali.

Oh ok, will take the Kiratpur route only. Yea, I would reach tirthan valley on Day4 only.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Why stay over in kullu just 1.5 hours from MAnali. Go all the way to Manali. Nothing much to sight see in kullu

oh ok.
Is there any worthwhile halt for sight seeing enroute Ambala - Mandi?

Ideally I would have preferred to drive for 7-8 hours in the morning on Day 1, & take a break at around 1PM at a nice place & next day drive all the way to Manali. But did not find any nice place worth staying for a day.

Any suggestions for such a place?

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by ank.nsit

Oh ok, will take the Kiratpur route only. Yea, I would reach tirthan valley on Day4 only.



oh ok.
Is there any worthwhile halt for sight seeing enroute Ambala - Mandi?

Ideally I would have preferred to drive for 7-8 hours in the morning on Day 1, & take a break at around 1PM at a nice place & next day drive all the way to Manali. But did not find any nice place worth staying for a day.

Any suggestions for such a place?

Why not go to Tirthan first. Then go to Manali and come back.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by ank.nsit

Oh ok, will take the Kiratpur route only. Yea, I would reach tirthan valley on Day4 only.



oh ok.
Is there any worthwhile halt for sight seeing enroute Ambala - Mandi?

Ideally I would have preferred to drive for 7-8 hours in the morning on Day 1, & take a break at around 1PM at a nice place & next day drive all the way to Manali. But did not find any nice place worth staying for a day.

Any suggestions for such a place?

Nothing really;apart from Gurudwara's at Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib.
Let me confuse you a bit more
With so many days in hand,for tirthan/Manali i would have taken.
Delhi-Chandigarh-Shimla-Narkanda-Kingal-Ani-Khanag-Jalori-Tirthan-Manali route.Its a bit longer than Bilaspur route,but more scenic and roads are better.

[ank.nsit]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Why not go to Tirthan first. Then go to Manali and come back.

Because we have kept just one day for return journey & my folks get dead worried at home if we do not come back home by 10-11PM. Leaving from tirthan would allow us to be a little relaxed in the morning, but leaving from manali would mean leaving at 5-ish in the morning. Anyways, I guess I will drive straight to Manali on Day 1.

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Nothing really;apart from Gurudwara's at Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib.
Let me confuse you a bit more
With so many days in hand,for tirthan/Manali i would have taken.
Delhi-Chandigarh-Shimla-Narkanda-Kingal-Ani-Khanag-Jalori-Tirthan-Manali route.Its a bit longer than Bilaspur route,but more scenic and roads are better.

You just had to do that..!!

But now that you have committed this crime, I have the following doubts, please clarify :

1. I have heard that the shimla route involves more of the hilly drive, hence it takes about 3-4 hours longer than the Kiratpur route. Is it true?
2. Would it be worth it if on Day 1 I stay at some place near shimla like shogi? And then on Day 2 I travel all the way to Manali? From what I have learnt is that the Shogi to Manali drive is itself around 9 hours drive?

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by ank.nsit

Because we have kept just one day for return journey & my folks get dead worried at home if we do not come back home by 10-11PM. Leaving from tirthan would allow us to be a little relaxed in the morning, but leaving from manali would mean leaving at 5-ish in the morning. Anyways, I guess I will drive straight to Manali on Day 1.


You just had to do that..!!

But now that you have committed this crime, I have the following doubts, please clarify :

1. I have heard that the shimla route involves more of the hilly drive, hence it takes about 3-4 hours longer than the Kiratpur route. Is it true?
2. Would it be worth it if on Day 1 I stay at some place near shimla like shogi? And then on Day 2 I travel all the way to Manali? From what I have learnt is that the Shogi to Manali drive is itself around 9 hours drive?

The Narkanda route is much longer, not little longer to tirthan valley due to Jalori Pass. However, Jalori pass climb is "quite interesting". From Narkanda-Khanag side its doable in smaller vehicles too. But from Tirthan side, its hell.
So if you have so many days do this

Day 1 - Delhi Narkanda (10-11 hours)
Day 2 - Hatu day trip and relax narkanda
Day 3 - 6-7 hour ride to Tirthan valley via Jalori
Day 4 - Tirthan sight seeing(waterfall, meadows)
Day 5- Tirthan - Manali
Day 6 - Rohtang and stuff
Day 7 - More sight seeing - And drive to Mandi and stay at HPTDC
Day 8 - Relaxed <10 hour ride to Delhi

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

The Narkanda route is much longer, not little longer to tirthan valley due to Jalori Pass. However, Jalori pass climb is "quite interesting". From Narkanda-Khanag side its doable in smaller vehicles too. But from Tirthan side, its hell.
So if you have so many days do this

Day 1 - Delhi Narkanda (10-11 hours)
Day 2 - Hatu day trip and relax narkanda
Day 3 - 6-7 hour ride to Tirthan valley via Jalori
Day 4 - Tirthan sight seeing(waterfall, meadows)
Day 5- Tirthan - Manali
Day 6 - Rohtang and stuff
Day 7 - More sight seeing - And drive to Mandi and stay at HPTDC
Day 8 - Relaxed <10 hour ride to Delhi

I would suggest to push towards Jalori/Tirthan on Day 2.
As such There is nothing much to do in Narkanda,and It should be like 8 hours to reach tirthan including the trip to Hatu.An extra day at Tirthan can be utilized for a trek to serolskar lake.

[tsk1979]

Due to NHAI mess and traffic narkanda is now 10 hours minimum. Hatu climb is minimum 1 hour one way.
I suggested stopover at Narkanda so that he can relax

[ank.nsit]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

The Narkanda route is much longer, not little longer to tirthan valley due to Jalori Pass...

Originally Posted by akshay4587

...It should be like 8 hours to reach tirthan including the trip to Hatu.An extra day at Tirthan can be utilized for a trek to serolskar lake...

Originally Posted by tsk1979

...Due to NHAI mess and traffic narkanda is now 10 hours minimum. Hatu climb is minimum 1 hour one way...

Thanks a lot for the suggestion guys. I found a worthwhile place called Rewalsar for night halt on team-bhp itself.
We have max 6 days for the trip.

Day1: Delhi-Rewalsar (Leaving at 5AM,should reach by 5PM?)
Day2: Rewalsar-Solang (Sight seeing in manali, during the day)
Day3: Solang (Trip to rohtang pass & back)
Day4: Solang - Tirthan (trek to waterfall in afternoon)
Day5: Tirthan (trek to seolsar lake)
Day6: Tirthan - Delhi.

I wanted to stay away from Manali city, so decided to stay in Solang valley.
The solang valley resort is the obvious option, but they are charging 23K for 2 nights, which I feel to be on a higher side. The other options include solang ski resort & iceland solang. Any suggestions on which accommodation to go for? We want a resort with good clean room, awesome view & decent staff.

[ank.nsit]

Originally Posted by ank.nsit

Day1: Delhi-Rewalsar (Leaving at 5AM,should reach by 5PM?)
Day2: Rewalsar-Solang (Sight seeing in manali, during the day)
Day3: Solang (Trip to rohtang pass & back)
Day4: Solang - Tirthan (trek to waterfall in afternoon)
Day5: Tirthan (trek to seolsar lake)
Day6: Tirthan - Delhi.

To update the thread:

Day1: Left Delhi for Rewalsar at 6:00AM & reached by 4:00PM.
I did not take Kiratpur-Bilaspur stretch, instead took Kiratpur-Una-Rewalsar. Awesome roads with great average speed throughout.

Day2: Left Rewalsar by 8:30AM & reached solang by around 12:00 PM. Again good roads.

Day3: Left Solang for Gulaba & back by evening.

Day4: Left Solang for Tirthan.

Day5: Left Tirthan for Delhi. This time took the Bilaspur-Kiratpur stretch. Bad/slow moving stretch starts from Ner Chowk itself. Stressful driving & time taken was same as the detour via una.

So, I feel that the detour via una is about 60KM extra, but really worth it.