The 530 km Delhi to Manali Drive Goes Better With a Night in Mandi

By Manjot Kaur · 26 October 2026

Delhi to Manali by car is about 530 km via Ambala, Kharar, Kiratpur Sahib, Bilaspur, Mandi and Kullu, and it takes 12 to 14 hours once you add meals, fuel and the slow Beas gorge after Mandi. Drive it over two days: about 410 km to Mandi on day one, then the last 115 km to Manali the next morning in daylight. Budget for the Rs 100 Himachal entry tax, NHAI tolls on FASTag and fuel, and book a car for five days, because Hire N Ride's Delhi listings include 250 km a day and the round trip alone is about 1,055 km.

Below: the route, one-day and two-day plans, rental kilometre maths, current highway works, weather and daylight. Current as of 26 October 2026.

Starting from Delhi? See the self-drive cars available in Delhi on Hire N Ride and check the included kilometres before you pick your dates.

The Delhi to Manali route, stretch by stretch

The standard route leaves Delhi on NH44, the old Grand Trunk Road, through Sonipat, Panipat and Karnal to Ambala. At Ambala it turns north towards Zirakpur, skirts Chandigarh at Kharar, and runs through Kurali and Rupnagar to Kiratpur Sahib. There it climbs into Himachal on the Kiratpur to Ner Chowk four-lane road past Bilaspur, then follows the Beas from Mandi through Pandoh, the Aut tunnel, Bhuntar and Kullu to Manali.

Distances are from OpenStreetMap routing from Kashmere Gate ISBT, rounded to the nearest 5 km.

From Kharar onwards, this is the same road as the Chandigarh to Manali drive. Our Chandigarh to Manali by car guide covers the Himachal half in more detail, including the narrow Mandi to Aut section and the alternative line over Kataula that we suggest you avoid unless police divert traffic that way.

One long day or two? Why Mandi is the best place to stop

Map apps often show 9 to 11 hours, with no stops or slow traffic. A more realistic split:

• Delhi to Kiratpur Sahib, about 330 km: 6 to 6.5 hours, including getting out of the city, traffic around Zirakpur and Kharar, and a breakfast stop.
• Kiratpur Sahib to Mandi, about 80 km: around 2.5 hours. The road is good, but the Sundernagar police reminded drivers on 4 October 2026, as Dainik Jagran reported, that the speed limit on the Kiratpur to Manali highway is still 60 km/h and that challans are being issued.
• Mandi to Manali, about 115 km: 3.5 to 4 hours. Most of the uncertainty is between Mandi and Aut.
• Meals, fuel and breaks: 1.5 to 2 hours across the day.

That adds up to 13 to 14 hours. Here are the realistic ways to split it:

Mandi wins because of where the hard driving is. On a one-day run, the Mandi to Aut gorge comes in the late afternoon, when you are tired, the light is going and trucks are bunched up. With a night in Mandi, it is the first thing you drive the next morning. Mandi also has plenty of hotels, food and fuel.

On the one-day plan, leave by 4 to 5 am and aim to pass Mandi by about 1 pm. If you are running late, stop in Mandi for the night.

A five-day Delhi to Manali plan

1. Day 1, Delhi to Mandi (about 410 km): leave by 6 am to clear the city before the morning traffic, break at Murthal or Karnal, cross the Himachal border after Kiratpur Sahib around early afternoon and check in at Mandi before dark.
2. Day 2, Mandi to Manali (about 115 km): leave after breakfast, drive the gorge through Pandoh and Aut, and reach Manali by lunch. Take the afternoon easy in Old Manali or Vashisht.
3. Day 3, around Manali: Solang Valley, Naggar Castle or the Atal Tunnel side if the road is open to all cars. Our guide to which Manali roads stay open in November explains the snow rules, the Rohtang permit and when only 4x4s are allowed.
4. Day 4, Manali to Mandi or Chandigarh: drive the gorge in the morning again, then either stop in Mandi or push on to Chandigarh.
5. Day 5, back to Delhi: an easy plains day, aiming to reach the city before the evening traffic.

With six or seven days you can add Kasol in the Parvati valley or a slower loop through Kangra. Our Himachal car and bike rental guide lists the routes from Manali, Kasol and Bhuntar.

How many days to rent, and the kilometre maths

On 26 October 2026, three self-drive cars were listed on Hire N Ride in Delhi. Each listing includes 250 km a day and shows a refundable security deposit of Rs 5,000. The extra-kilometre charge depends on the car:

Prices can change with dates, so check the final amount when you book. Now the kilometres:

• Delhi to Manali and back is about 1,055 km.
• Add local driving in Manali: Solang and back is roughly 30 km, the Atal Tunnel and Sissu about 80 km, so allow 100 km or so.
• That makes about 1,150 km for the trip.

A five-day rental includes 1,250 km, which covers the trip with some margin. A four-day rental includes 1,000 km, so you would probably pay for around 150 km extra: about Rs 1,500 on the i10 Nios, Rs 1,800 on the Amaze or Rs 2,250 on the Carens. At the listed daily prices, five days come to Rs 10,585 for the i10 Nios, Rs 13,995 for the Amaze and Rs 22,495 for the Carens, before fuel, tolls and the entry tax.

All three Delhi cars are manual. If you are not used to hill starts with a clutch, practise on a slope before you leave,. The listings require a driving licence that is at least one year old.

The listings show roadside assistance within 18 km of the listed area, so on the highway in Himachal you will rely on the national highway helpline 1033 and the emergency number 112 if you break down. Save the contact number from your booking before you leave Delhi. For more drives from the capital, see our Delhi NCR and Haryana self-drive car rental guide.

Entry tax, tolls and fuel

Himachal entry tax

Himachal Pradesh charges an entry tax on vehicles registered in other states at its border barriers. After protests over a proposed increase, the state reduced the entry tax for light passenger vehicles from other states from Rs 130 to Rs 100, as the Hindustan Times reported in April 2026. On this route you pay it at the barrier after Kiratpur Sahib.

Tolls

Tolls are collected by FASTag at several plazas along NH44 and on the Kiratpur to Manali four-lane road. Rates were revised more than once this year. In July 2026, a report on the new rates put the Bastara plaza near Karnal at Rs 200 one way and Rs 295 return for a car, and the Garamoura plaza near Bilaspur at Rs 180 one way, and said the Baloh plaza in Mandi district had also been revised. Check the current rate for each plaza in your FASTag app or on NHAI's toll information site before you go, and keep enough balance for both directions.

Fuel

Fuel is not included. Fill up in Mandi before the gorge, and again in Manali before heading towards Solang or the Atal Tunnel.

What is happening on the road right now

The Kiratpur to Manali highway is open but still has work sites. What matters for late October and November 2026:

• Speed limit 60 km/h: despite social media posts about a higher limit, police at Sundernagar said on 4 October that no new limit has been notified and challans continue.
• Hanogi tunnels: Amar Ujala reported on 11 October that the right-hand Hanogi tunnel near Pandoh has been repaired and opened for two-way traffic, and that NHAI is preparing a proposal to secure the left-hand tunnel, which is expected to take two to two and a half months after approval.
• New tunnels between Mandi and Kullu: The Hill Wire reported on 13 October that the Dayod tunnel (about 2 km) and a Hanogi tunnel (about 400 m) are expected to open within about three months. Until then, expect single-lane sections and flagmen.
• Kullu Dussehra traffic order: the district's festival traffic order runs until 8 November, with diversions and no-parking zones in Kullu town. Follow the police signs and keep going if you are not stopping.

Weather and daylight this week

The IMD Shimla bulletin issued on 26 October 2026 reports dry weather across Himachal in the previous 24 hours. It forecasts dry weather on 26, 27 and 28 October, rain at isolated places on 29 and 30 October with thunderstorms and lightning likely at isolated places, and dry weather again on 31 October and 1 November. A fresh western disturbance is expected from the night of 27 October.

Morning minimum temperatures on 26 October were 5.9°C in Manali, 7.7°C at Bhuntar, 11.2°C at Mandi and 15.0°C at Bilaspur.

Daylight is the bigger limit. By our calculation:

In the Beas valley the sun drops behind the ridges earlier than these times, so treat 5 pm as the end of good light. Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November this year; expect heavy traffic leaving Delhi on the Friday and Saturday before it, and plan to set off very early.

Driving tips for this route

• Top up your FASTag and keep some cash for the entry barrier in case of a network problem.
• Headlights on in every tunnel, sunglasses off, and no overtaking inside.
• In the gorge, horn on blind bends, give way to climbing vehicles and use a lower gear on descents.
• Carry your documents: licence, ID, rental agreement and car papers.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Delhi to Manali by car?

About 530 km from Kashmere Gate in north Delhi, via NH44 to Ambala, then Zirakpur, Kharar, Kiratpur Sahib, Bilaspur, Mandi, Aut and Kullu. OpenStreetMap routing gives 527 km. Starting from Gurugram or south Delhi adds the distance across the city.

How long does the Delhi to Manali drive take?

Plan on 12 to 14 hours including meals and fuel stops. The first 330 km to Kiratpur Sahib is fast plains highway; the last 115 km from Mandi through the Beas gorge is the slowest part of the trip, and the Kiratpur to Manali highway has a 60 km/h speed limit.

Where is the best place to stop overnight between Delhi and Manali?

Mandi suits most people. It is about 410 km from Delhi, so day one is long but mostly on fast roads, and day two leaves only about 115 km, which you can drive in morning daylight. Chandigarh or Kharar works if you can only leave Delhi in the afternoon, but then day two is a full 285 km mountain day.

How much is the toll and entry tax from Delhi to Manali?

Himachal Pradesh charges an entry tax of Rs 100 for passenger cars registered in other states, per the April 2026 notification. Tolls are paid by FASTag at several plazas; for example, Bastara near Karnal was reported at Rs 200 one way for a car and Garamoura near Bilaspur at Rs 180 in July 2026. Check your FASTag app or NHAI for the current rate at each plaza.

How many days should I rent a car in Delhi for a Manali trip?

Five days for a relaxed trip. The round trip is about 1,055 km before any local driving, and Hire N Ride's Delhi listings include 250 km a day, so five days give you 1,250 km. With four days you would likely pay for around 150 km extra, at Rs 10 to Rs 15 a km depending on the car.

Can I drive a Delhi rental car to Solang and the Atal Tunnel?

On normal days, yes, any car can drive the main roads around Manali. After heavy snow, the administration can allow only four-wheel-drive vehicles beyond Solang Nala, and the Delhi listings are two-wheel-drive cars, so keep the Atal Tunnel side for a clear day and check the road order the evening before.

Conclusion

Delhi to Manali by car is a 530 km drive that most people should split in two. Make Mandi your overnight stop, so the long day is on fast roads and the slow Beas gorge is a fresh morning drive. Book five days to cover the round trip within 250 km a day, budget for the Rs 100 entry tax, tolls and fuel, and check the IMD bulletin and road orders before each day on the road.

Ready to drive? Book a self-drive car in Delhi with Hire N Ride and choose the one that fits your group and your plan.