Watsupptoday Desk


The Leh�Manali Highway is a 480 km long highway in northernmost India connecting Leh, the capital of the union territory of Ladakh, and Manali in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is open for only about four and a half months in a year, from May or June, when the snow is cleared, and mid-October, when snowfall again blocks the high passes. It connects the Manali valley to the Lahaul and Spiti valleys in Himachal Pradesh and the Zanskar valley in Ladakh.

The Leh�Manali Highway was designed and built and is maintained by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) of the Indian army. It supports the heaviest army vehicles.

The journey from Manali to Leh normally takes two days, but can take longer depending on the road and vehicle. Travel time is unpredictable since the weather and road conditions can change suddenly. The Leh-Manali highway has bad stretches of roads and occasional landslides. It traverses mountains at over 5,000 metres.

The peak travel season is during May and June, when tourists visit Rohtang Pass. Most domestic tourists return to Manali and do not cross north of the pass. The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) and the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) both operate buses that travel the entire highway in two days.Buses start from Manali north at 4 am and after every two hours or so until 12 noon. The time to Keylong is 4 to 10 hours depending upon the condition of the road. Traffic jams may occur at Beas Nallah near Marhi and again at Rohtang Pass. It is advisable to cross Rohtang Pass before 8 am.

Private four-wheel drive taxis are available. Shared taxis are cheap as they charge per person, but they may be full of local residents who will prevent good views of the scenery outside. The tourist cannot stop either a bus or a shared taxi for sightseeing. Some tourists travel from Manali to Leh and elsewhere in Ladakh on motorcycles, generally in a group.