The route covered for places to visit in Himachal Pradesh
Here I present you the places to visit in Himachal Pradesh and following it the roadmap that we followed-
Haldwani-Delhi-Manali(755 km)-Chandratal(128km) – Mandi via Manali(236km) – Mcleodganj(131 km) – Amritsar via Pathankot-Delhi(680 km) – Haldwani(278 km)
Day 1 (Haldwani – Manali)
After two weeks of discussion finally, three of us headed to Spiti valley leaving Haldwani around 3:00 pm and reached Delhi at 7:30 pm. After picking up our one more member we left at 8:00 pm. Reaching murthal at 10:00 pm our stomachs starved for food so we made our first stop at very famous Sukhdev ka Dhaba at Murthal. Spending 2 hrs enjoying food and later Ice cream in the cool breeze we picked up two others and continued our journey.
Day 2 (Stopover in Manali)
Manali is a hill station that is on top when it comes to looking for places to visit in Himachal Pradesh. The reason being that it is easily accessible offers scenic vistas and a gateway to further high altitude destinations. After enjoying a cup of morning tea on the way we reached Manali at 11:00 am. While check-in at Snow Valley Resort we were served with soothing welcome drinks. Later two of our members went for taking the permission for our way forward to Rohtang and Spiti ahead ( Its is to be obtained from the SDM office and takes about an hour or more). The rest day at rest. In the eve we headed towards Solang valley but had to return from midway due to heavy traffic. Later we enjoyed a walk on the Mall road. We had a lot of expectations from the Momos but all went in vain when we tasted at two stalls and were too costly ( Rs. 60/8pcs for veg and Rs 100/8pcs for non-veg). Taking an auto rickshaw we reached back to our hotel and enjoyed the delicious complimentary dinner.
Day 3 (Manali – Chandratal)
Today was the day we were supposed to drive towards a place every adventurist has on their bucket list as places to visit in Himachal. Moving ahead we left from Manali for Kaza and the hotel staff was so good to provide packaged breakfast early in the morning when we checked out at 6:30 am filled up the tanks as no fuelling station was to be expected before Kaza. We were supposed to take a halt for an hour at Chandratal also called the moon lake and then drove further to Kaza. But thanks to the roads or should I say boulders over which we had to drive the average speed coming to be 10 km/hr. It was almost being dead as the other car from opposite side took a pass. Thanks to our big bro’s fantastic driving skill who solely made this trip possible. We witnessed the famous rally “Raid The Himalayas” sponsored by Maruti Suzuki. Watching the so experienced and completely equipped drivers getting stuck on the way left us stunned as we had no idea about the route and above all no safety gears making it more adventurous and risky. At Batal, 14 km before Chandratal, was the famous Chacha Chachi ka Dhaba probably because it was the only one in that area.
Finally, after driving over the boulders in the river, struggling on the sharp curves we reached Chandratal at four in the eve. We booked a camp (first detour due to the bad road) out of the three available owners. One can easily get it for Rs 800 – 1000 per head with meals. Drove ahead for 2 km from the camp towards the lake. After parking the car it’s about 20 mins walk. Spending an hour near the lake taking some shots we planned to leave as the fast freezing wind started blowing in the area. But for me and my sister so enthusiast, dared to go up ahead to have a better view of the lake were not yet back so others waited for some time near the lake and later headed to the cars for furthers till our arrival.
“The pristine enchanting environment is what makes this the best place to visit in Himachal pradesh.”
Reaching back the camp started the longest night we ever had in life. At 6:00 pm it was almost dark and all hungry suffering from a headache. Next, we started making pulao since we were carrying all stuff needed for doing so. We wanted to enjoy outside but the cold freezing wind in the – 6 degree Celsius made us move to our camps. Luckily we took a single camp for all six of us instead of individual one. By this time one of us had already vomited and all were suffering from mountain sickness due to very low oxygen. Not too late around 9:00 pm another one vomited twice. All night seemed to be never-ending every minute time passing with speed slower than the snail. Problems were yet not over.
Around 12:00 am our big brother who was to drive us all the way ahead already having breathing problem started suffering from very very severe headache and forehead nerves began to swell. We were all worried and since I and my sister were not much affected gave a head massage to the other two hoping to heal them soon. Before it’s too late I pushed up myself to go out to the car and find the medicine pouch under the phone’s flash. After two hours the effect of medicine was felt and we decided to soon leave the camp.
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Day 4 (Chandratal – Mandi)
At 7:30 am we came out the temperature was -8 degree Celsius and the car was covered with frozen mist, the water bottles kept in the car were frozen and also the water flowing was frozen. We started the engine and left for about an hour meanwhile settled the luggage. When we went to the owner’s camp to pay him he was enjoying the weed and said: ” Abhi to mein bhole ke pass hoon, paise rkh jao”. The minute we left the camp everything started to be back to normal. No headaches. No vomits. There must have been something spooky about the camp no. 3 on the Tenzing camp. Maybe the story the owner told us about a man killing the other in the camp was true and that’s why he refused to give us the knife. All is well that ends well. We decided to head back to Manali and terminating our journey toward Spiti because of the route. At 9:00 am we left the camp and reached Manali at 3:00 pm and without taking a stop we headed to Mandi and booked Visco Resort that we found on google. Checked in at 7:00 pm and had dominos pizza that we bought from the market before heading to the resort.
Day 5 (Mandi – Mcleodganj)
Enjoyed a cup of coffee sitting in the riverside garden listening to the pleasant chirping of birds and watching the mist rising from the river. Since we still had time in hand we had no mood of returning back home we checked out at 11:00 am and headed to Mcleodganj. On the way, after an hour we stopped and cooked our breakfast which included pulao and Maggi with egg. All this took us an hour.
We drove ahead and 40 km ahead of Mandi the condition of the road for 3 -4 km was pretty bad. At 2:30 pm we reached Baijnath Temple situated on the way to Dharamshala. After a short break, we continued. On the way from Dharamshala to Mcleodganj, we stopped at the church but it was closed so took some shots and left. Reached Mcleodganj at 7:00 pm. Searched for a stay option. After check-in at Hotel Sapphire close to the Mc’LLo square, we came back for filling up our stomachs. We gave a try to two restaurants Tibet Kitchen and Mc’LLo cafe. Since the New Zealand team was in the town for the ODI to be held in Dharamshala we were hoping to see them but our bad. The food at Tibet kitchen was good and Mc’LLo had a lovely north Indian taste but failed at Tibetan cuisine. Next headed to Woeser Bakery for the delicious tart. Back to the room.
Day 6 (Mcleodganj – Amritsar – Delhi)
Enjoyed morning tea at the square and then freshen up, checked out at 9:00 am. Went to the Bhagsu Temple, waterfall and then, at last, the Dal lake. Reached Pathankot at _ and on the diversion quickly took another detour to Amritsar instead of making it directly to Delhi. Reached Amritsar at 5:00 pm. First, we were amazed by the level of renovation they have done to the area surrounding the Golden Temple. After praying, we had a glass of Lassi and got some snacks packed from McDonald’s before leaving for Delhi. Took a 1.5 hrs dinner break at Haveli, Rajpura. The food tasted nice and the price was also justified. Reached Delhi at around 5 in the morning. Slept for few hours at sister’s flat.
Day 7 (Delhi – Haldwani)
Dropped one of the cousins in Ghaziabad and had breakfast. Left for Haldwani at 11:00 am from Ghaziabad. Reached Haldwani at 4:00 pm.
Trip successfully ended with lots of risks, adventure, and some detours. Thanks to our car Innova and my big bro whose driving skills made the trip successful without giving up even at the hardest point.
After reading all this lot of stuff you would be wondering about the hefty amount of money spent. Not to worry as it was merely Rs.8000 per head to cover all the above places to visit in Himachal Pradesh.
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Simply beautiful!
It so was and adventrous too
This looks like an interesting adventure! The landscape looks lovely, and so untouched. Would love to see the snow in the distance. Did it get cold?
it so sure was. We stayed in the camp at -10 degrees celsius
Wow such detail!! It is interesting that some people live in the camp rents and make their living from allowing others to sleep in their tents! Really surprised by that fact!
Ya its because of them that people go on exploring the less traveled places
This is an epic trip covering so many lovely places in India. the beauty is the places are so diverse and unique, from the mountainous regions of Himachal to the serene peace of the Golden temple.
Liked the details.
Nisha
http://learn2livefully.com/
How exciting to trek through the Himalaya’s! The people sound so kind and caring and Like that they packaged up your breakfast for the long journey! I myself intend to make it to Tibet some day. I often wonder as you spoke about breathing and headaches that I would suffer the same. Just being up in the mountains in Canada for skiing make me light headed 🙂
You sure should visit. And for breathing issues there is a tablet you can have but i don’t recall the name
What an amazing trek, and what beautiful photos. It looks like your trip was an incredible experience.
It was. Experiencing the vast change in climate from – 8 to 23 degrees celsius in a single day ….
Such a beautiful place. I’ve never been to the Himalayas before, nor anywhere near the area, but everything seems so beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
Your welcome Bethanny and tou must plan a visit to himalayas. They have lot to learn from…
I’ve never been but I’ve always wanted to go! RS 1000 is an amazing price for a 5 day trip. For that price, you barely get a hotel in the states!
@anne its Rs 8000 nd not 1000. Pls don’t be confused
8000 rupees is a great price for a whole week of adventure! Camping sounds freezing and it sounds like the varying temperature degrees would make packing for the journey quite difficult. The landscape is truly wild and untouched and I would love to see it for myself!
@erikastravels its so was freezing and ya packing was a tough task. We had a medium briefcase and a small hand bag each individual
That is a good list of places covered.And for 8k sounds really covered.
The combo is incredible – Himalayas and Punjabi! You got some great poster worthy captures.
Ya i do have some great pics looking for potential buyers..
I like the way you tag somebody with you along the way and enjoyed the rest of the trek and adventure… And it seems you have all the time to savor each moment with no rush at all,,
Ya i try to live the moment to the fullest….
Wonderful guide infomation! and you ‘re really such a nice gallery about Himalyan. 🙂
Thanks for the compliments…
Must have been quite a ride covering all the towns in a week. Have heard so much about Chandertal and your pics make me want to go now. However I would prefer to trek rather than drive and do my bit by reducing pollution.
Sure you must trek it if you have time and that much of strength. Since we were short on time and also not left with that much thrill after 10 hrs long journey we opted to drive…
Wow, this sounds like such a neat way to see the countryside of India. I myself have always wanted to visit India, so I suppose I will have to live vicariously through your blog!
Nina
aworldofdresses.com
Thanks for appreciation… pls do stay connected for more stories
Thank you for sharing a very detailed itinerary. I’ve always wanted to see more of India besides just Delhi and Mumbai. Maybe I’ll do this when I go back there.
You sure should give it a try at least once. I have met people who turnout to be visiting this place every year.
Your adventure reminded me of the first time that I went camping, it was very uncomfortable because the wind was so hard and it beat our tent the entire night. It was also freezing cold so none of us had a good night sleep. But yours was definitely a lot serious because some people went ill. Glad all of you turned out fine though. The story about the Tenzing camp was creepy though.
Ya that was too frightening night for us…the owner told that a person was murdered in his camp a few months back and we were like its his ghost..
Oh, love this. It’s also on my travel bucket list. I hope to do some pretty trekking for a few days within Europe (I live in London) this year and then hopefully make it to the Himalaya within the next few years 🙂
X | Nadine Cathleen | Karateandcaviar.com
Oh that’s great..you must visit this if you are a nature love specially thick green forest….for instance London’s on my list too but in the first quarter
next to next year
Trekking in the Himalayas would be incredible – and at such a low price for a full 7 days – who could resist?!
Yess no one could but we managed that because of our car else public transport would have been a bit more costly
You pulled up a wonderful trip. We went to Manali recently. We very much wanted to go to Rohtang and cross further to Leh and Laddakh but alas, the routes got closed due to a fresh dose of snowfall. Nevetheless..we will follow your treks the next time
Thanks for the follow and ya the route to leh was closed after 15th oct. We made our return from this trip two days before closing
Trekking in the Himalayas is one of those iconic activities that most people only ever dream about. It looks like a real challenge.
Very true….mainly people resist because of lack of oxygen…
This is also in my travel bucket list. I love that it truly feels like an escape out there!
Yess. The place is totally out of the world..
Looks like you had a great trip! I have wanted to head here for so long and this post has made me want to go even more!
thanks….
Sounds like you had a great time! Although the drive doesn’t sound all that fun. 🙂 What an amazing adventure though. I would love to experience the Himalayas someday.
Drive caused a bit of discomfort but It would be wrong to say that it was not fun…..it was fun but in a different way unlike that driving on the highway
It must have been an amazing road trip!
ya it was too good
The Himalayas do sound wonderful but also challenging! I can’t imagine how difficult that drive would be to get through. The scenery looks beautiful though and worth it!
Every single effort you put in there is worth the destination…and its not that difficult but yes seems to be for the first timers who’ve been driving only on the smooth roads
wow what a great post and trip! Loving the images so much, wish I was there!
shelley xoxo
http://www.shelleymorecroft.co.uk
Great experiences, i love travelling too.
Yess… after-all travelling is the best experience in life
What a interesting place and good adventure!
Thanks
Its good to know that you had a really wonderful time, and I really think its a place for everyone to visit
It looks like good and adventure spend time.
You had a great trip in a very nominal cost. Kudos 🙂 I am also planning to visit chandratal lake this year.
Oh…that’s great..i hope my itinerary helps you..
The mountains are really beautiful. It sounds like a long car trip without food at the beginning of your journey. I can’t believe that there were still restaurants open until midnight!
Hahha….Ya it was quite a long trip specially when only one person has to drive all the way..and yes the restaurants are open al through night because of the traffic passing by
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Wow! That was some adventure! Seeing your lovely picture makes me assume its all worth it. Thanks for sharing!
Glad..you liked it
I like your blog very informative !
Glad to hear that…
lovely write up.i also have such fond memories of Himachal and Punjab.This is reminder of my trip that I took in 2014
That what we call the Himalayan Effect…it leaves a deep impression on our mind and soul
this seems like one perfect itinerary and being a punjabi myself I have loved the punjabi twists and covers in your itinerary, right from stopping at Murthal to then Amritsar and Haveli, it could be a delight for foodies who love to travel.
There was a lot more to this trip than just the food..the whole essence of the trip was around the panoramic vistas of Himachal and the journey to the lake…Do give it a try once for sure
Loved the detailed post about how to reach Himalayan mountains through Punjab. Perfect itinerary and also the in between stops are equally beautiful. Loved the surreal Chandratal – The moon lake as it is so photogenic and peaceful place. Visco resort in Mandi also looks a nice place with view for staying. As I have not seen Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, this itinerary is perfect for me. Thanks for sharing wonderful tips!
Gad yo have that appreciation from your side…You definitely go for this one and if you need a daywise itinerary then there’s a whole new post on it to help you..