Shimla, Manali & a Night in Chandigarh — Six Nights in Himachal

Your driver meets you at Chandigarh airport or the railway station, whichever you arrive at, and the road climbs out of the plains into the Shimla hills. Nothing is planned for today beyond the drive and checking in. Dinner is at the hotel, and the evening is yours to settle into the altitude and the cooler air.

The one full day in Shimla goes uphill. Kufri sits above the town on the old Hindustan–Tibet road and is where Shimla comes for open ridge views and, in winter, snow. The outing is paired with the Himalayan Bird Park, a small aviary of hill pheasants and other mountain species. Pony rides and any activity at Kufri are paid for on the spot if you want them.

A road day from one hill town to the other. The route drops from the Shimla hills to the Beas and follows the river up through the Kullu valley to Manali. No sightseeing is scheduled; treat it as a day for the window seat, with stops for tea and lunch as you please, and dinner waiting at the hotel.

A gentler day down the valley at Naggar, which was the capital of the Kullu rajas before the court moved south. The castle is built in the local manner, with courses of stone laid between timber beams, and stands on a terrace looking across the Beas. It is a half-day outing at an unhurried pace, which leaves the afternoon free in Manali.

North of Manali the valley opens into the meadows of Solang, the centre of the area’s adventure activity. The cable car and paragliding both operate here; neither is part of the package, so you decide on the day and pay there. On the way back the car stops at Vashisht, a village above the Beas known for its old stone temple and natural hot springs.

The whole day is the journey out of the mountains, back down the Beas and on to Chandigarh. It is a full day on the road, which is exactly why the route ends with a night here rather than a rush to a flight. No sightseeing is planned on the way or in the city; dinner is at the hotel.

After breakfast the car takes you to Chandigarh airport or the railway station for your onward journey. Because you are already in the city, there is no mountain road between you and your departure, and a morning or midday flight or train is comfortable. The trip ends at the drop.