Manali, Shimla, 5 days possible?

Hi,

My husband and I are going to be in India for 3 weeks, and would like to spend some time in Manali. We are in our 30s, and we have a flexible budget. We'd prefer not to fly to Manali, as we've heard about how rough the ride can be, and how the flight is often delayed. This is going to be our first trip to India.

We would like to be in Manali coming from Delhi on Sept. 17th through Sept. 22nd. The following is our planned itinerary. Any comments & suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
1. Sept. 17th - leave Delhi on overnight bus to Manali. How early do we need to book this?
2. Sept. 18th - Manali
3. Sept. 19th - sightseeing tour to Rohtang Pass. Will this take all day if we do the tour with HPTDC?
4. Sept. 20th make our way down toward Shimla. Is it possible to stop at places along the way if we take a bus? If so, is it easy to get back/ catch another the bus? Any suggestions on places worth stopping?
5. Sept. 21st - spend time in Shimla; catch the Shivalik deluxe express at 17:40 to Kalka. Can you please advise on when it gets dark or when the sun sets there? We'd like to be able to see the famous scenery aboard this train that we've heard so much about.
6. Sept. 22nd - catch the Shabtadi Express to Delhi from Kalka at 6:00 AM. Catch a fllight to Mumbai in the afternoon.

Please let us know if this plan is feasible.

Thanks!

Its certainly feasible, but are you are spending far little time at either place.

Amarin,

If you asked me, i would spend 5 days in Manali itself. The place is really beautiful..

September 21st is the Fall Equinox. Days and nights will be equal everywhere in the world that day. I don't know the exact time of sunrise and sunset for Simla on September 21st. They would be approximately 0630 and 1830.

I'd say the same about the bus!

If time is tight, I'd recommend flying. There is the risk of the flight being cancelled, yes, but my experience of the overnight bus was that I needed a really long lie-in to get over it. Not helpful if you've only got a few days to spare. Flying would be easier. A quick hop up to Bhuntur, get a cab from the stand outside the airport and you're in Manali and, importantly, you're not suffering from sleep-deprivation.

I got a shared jeep up to Rohtang and it took a day, so I expect that would be the same on a (slower) bus. You want a few hours up there to take in the scenery and to try and get away from the crowds. Personally, I could sit and look at stuff like this for days, not just hours ...



The whole thing seems just a bit rushed, in my opinion. I think if I only had 5 days, I'd just opt for either Shimla or Manali. Those bus journey's really take it out of you.

Thanks everyone for your suggestion. I think we'll spend time in Shimla this time.