Attraction · Manali
Old Manali
The village Manali grew out of and then away from — orchards, slate roofs and stone-and-timber houses on the slope above the Mall, and a temple to the man who is said to have survived the flood.
Time needed2 – 3 hours
Best timeMorning, or evening
Where2 – 3 km above the Mall
Getting thereA walk, or ten minutes by car
At the topThe Manu Temple
SeasonMuch quieter Nov – Mar
About
Old Manali
Manali is two places on one slope. The lower one is the town — the Mall, the hotels, the traffic and the taxi stands. The upper one, a couple of kilometres up past the Hadimba temple, is the village the town grew out of: stone-and-timber houses with slate roofs and open lower storeys for livestock, apple orchards running between them, irrigation channels down the lanes, and the Manalsu stream at the bottom. Since the 1970s the lower end of it has also become a traveller quarter, with cafés and guesthouses along one lane, and the two things coexist without much overlap. At the top of the village is the Manu Temple, dedicated to the lawgiver of the Manusmriti who in local belief landed here after the flood and gave the valley its name. It is the part of Manali worth walking rather than driving.
🗺 Interactive Map · Coming Soon
Explore Old Manali on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What to See
What to see
A village to walk through rather than a site to arrive at. Two or three hours, most of it on foot.
The village
- The old houses — dressed stone and deodar in alternating courses, slate roofs, and open ground floors that were built for animals and fodder.
- The apple orchards between and above the houses, which are the working economy of the place and are in blossom in April.
- The irrigation channels running along the lanes, which are older than anything built beside them.
- The Manalsu stream at the bottom of the village and the bridge across it, which is where the walk up begins.
The Manu Temple
- At the top of the village, a climb of about fifteen minutes from the café lane through the orchards.
- Dedicated to Manu, the lawgiver, who in local belief came to rest here after the flood — the name Manali is read as Manu-alaya, the home of Manu.
- Modest, working and quiet, and the walk up to it is most of the reward.
The traveller lane
- One lane at the lower end of the village carries the cafés, bakeries and guesthouses that have accumulated since the 1970s.
- It is a genuine part of Old Manali’s recent history rather than an intrusion on it, and it is easy to walk past if it is not for you.
- It is at its busiest from May to June and effectively closed through the deep winter.
Getting There
Getting there
Uphill from the Mall, and the walk is the recommended version.
On foot
- About two to three kilometres from the Mall, and thirty to forty minutes uphill at a steady pace.
- The route goes past the Hadimba Devi temple, which makes the obvious combination: temple first, village second, walk down last.
- Downhill takes about twenty minutes and is the better direction to do on foot if you only walk one way.
By vehicle
- Ten minutes by taxi from the Mall, dropping at the bridge or at the lower end of the café lane.
- Vehicles cannot get up the village lanes; everything above the drop-off is walked.
- Agree the fare before setting off, and agree whether the driver is waiting.
Around the village
- The lanes are narrow, stone and steep, and they are the whole experience rather than an obstacle to it.
- The climb to the Manu Temple is about fifteen minutes from the café lane through orchards.
- Paths continue above the village into the forest for anyone who wants a longer walk.
Best Time
When to visit
Morning for the village at work, evening for the light. Avoid the middle of a peak-season day.
Time of day
- Early morning, when the village is going about its own business and the lanes belong to it rather than to visitors.
- Late afternoon and early evening, when the light comes across the valley and the cafés open.
- The middle of the day in May and June is the busiest and the least characteristic.
Time of year
- April for the apple blossom, which is the single best week to be in the Kullu valley and moves with the season.
- September to November for clear air, the harvest and far fewer people.
- December to March is cold and very quiet, much of the café lane is shut, and the village is at its most itself.
How long
- Two hours to walk the village and climb to the Manu Temple.
- Three if you stop, which most people do.
- Half a day if you walk up from the Mall and back down rather than taking a taxi.
Visitor Intelligence
Visitor intelligence
People live here. That is the single thing to keep in mind and it changes how the visit goes.
Courtesy
- These are homes and working orchards, not a heritage site. Stay on the lanes and do not enter courtyards or orchards uninvited.
- Ask before photographing people or the inside of a doorway. Most will say yes; the asking is the point.
- Fruit on the trees belongs to someone.
What to look at
- The wall construction — alternating stone and timber, no mortar — which is the same kath-kuni technique as Naggar Castle at a domestic scale.
- The open lower storeys, built for livestock and fodder, which explain the whole house form.
- The slate roofs, which are quarried locally and are being replaced by tin in places, visibly.
Practicalities
- The lanes are stone, uneven, steep and often wet. Proper shoes matter more than they sound like they should.
- There is no vehicle access above the bridge, so whatever you carry up you carry.
- Cafés in the traveller lane are seasonal; in winter assume most are shut.
Access
- This is not an accessible visit. Every route through the village is a steep uneven lane with steps.
- A vehicle can reach the lower end only, and the village proper begins above that.
- Anyone unsteady is better served by Hadimba Devi, which is on the same road and needs far less walking.
Nearby
Nearby
All on the same slope, and all within twenty minutes.
Hadimba Devi Temple
On the road up, and the natural first half of this walk.
Vashisht
Across the Beas — an older village again, with sulphur springs and a carved temple.
Manali
The town below, and the Mall the walk starts from.
Naggar Castle
The same building tradition at the scale of a raja’s seat, twenty-two kilometres down the valley.
Good to Know
Frequently asked
They are two places on the same slope, two or three kilometres apart. Manali proper is the town — the Mall, the hotels, the taxi stands and the traffic. Old Manali, up past the Hadimba temple, is the village the town grew out of: stone-and-timber houses with slate roofs and open lower storeys built for livestock, apple orchards running between them, and irrigation channels down the lanes. Since the 1970s the lower end has also carried a traveller lane of cafés and guesthouses.
Yes, and walking is the recommended version. It is two to three kilometres and thirty to forty minutes uphill at a steady pace, and the route passes the Hadimba Devi temple, which makes the natural combination — temple first, village second. Downhill takes about twenty minutes. Many people take a taxi up, which is ten minutes, and walk back down, which is the sensible compromise. Vehicles cannot get up the village lanes in any case.
A small working temple at the top of the village, about fifteen minutes’ climb through the orchards from the café lane, dedicated to Manu — the lawgiver of the Manusmriti, who in local belief came to rest here after the flood. The name Manali is read as Manu-alaya, the home of Manu. The building itself is modest; the walk up through the orchards and the quiet at the top are most of what makes it worth doing.
April, if you can time it, for the apple blossom — it is the single best week in the Kullu valley and it moves with the season. September to November gives clear air, the apple harvest and far fewer people. December to March is cold and very quiet, much of the traveller lane is shut and the village is at its most itself. May and June are the peak and the least characteristic, particularly in the middle of the day.
It is a village, and that is the proposition — this is a walk rather than a site with an entrance. What rewards attention is the building itself: alternating courses of stone and deodar laid without mortar, the same kath-kuni technique as Naggar Castle at a domestic scale, with open ground floors built for animals and slate roofs quarried locally. Plus the orchards, the irrigation channels, and the Manu Temple at the top.
Honestly, no. Every route through the village is a steep, uneven stone lane with steps, frequently wet, and there is no vehicle access above the bridge at the bottom. A taxi can reach the lower end of the café lane and no further. Anyone unsteady on their feet will get far more out of Hadimba Devi, which is on the same road, needs very little walking and is the other thing most people come up this slope for.
Make it yours
Plan your journey
Our travel designers turn knowledge and inspiration into a journey crafted entirely around you.
Plan My Journey →