BY AIR-
The nearest airport to Manali is Bhuntar, in Kullu, which is approximately 50 kilometers away i.e. 2 hours. Air India regional flights fly to Kullu from Delhi. Himalayan Bulls has flights to Kullu from Chandigarh. From Kullu, one can travel to Manali by Pre-paid taxis available outside the airport or by bus from Kullu.
BY RAIL-
Ambala Cantonment is the nearest broad gauge railhead, which is 200 km away from the Indian capital city of Delhi. Chandigarh is another station near Delhi and is 250 km away. Ambala Cantonment falls on the Delhi Amritsar and Delhi Jammu main routes. One will have to travel to Ambala to catch a bus to Manali, which is 10 hours away.
Other railheads for Manali are Jogindernagar and Kalka.
Kiratpur Sahab, near Nangal in the Ropar district of Punjab, is the nearest broad gauge station. This lies on the Ambala Cantonment Ula route and you can easily get buses to Manali from here.
BY BUS-
One can travel to Delhi by road, rail or air and then take a bus to Manali from there. Manali is 570 km from Delhi, which takes around 14 hours. The bus tickets can be booked online or at the Inter State Bus Terminus or the Himachal Tourism office.
Travel time from other cities-
From Ambala 10 hours
From Chandigarh 8 hours
From Kullu 23 hours
There are buses which offer sightseeing packages, too.
BY TAXI-
The road to Manali via the Chandigarh-Ropar-Kiratpur-Mandi highway is in a hilly terrain and one should ensure that the driver has enough experience driving in this area. The time taken from Chandigarh to Manali by taxi is 8-9 hours.
Taxis also offer packages which include sightseeing in Delhi and Manali.
Also, check out:
Manali:
Lahaul & Spiti Valley:
Kullu:
Mandi:
Treks and Trek maps:
Hampta Pass:
Other links: