Shimla Kullu Manali Tour by Volvo Bus from Delhi 6 Days & 5 Nights

At a glance

What it costs

Prices are per person on a twin-sharing basis and cover the Volvo transfers, hotels and sightseeing listed below. Adventure activities, permits and lunches are extra. Ask your planner for a single figure for your dates.

Why do this trip by Volvo from Delhi

The overnight Volvo is what makes a full Shimla, Kullu and Manali loop work in six days from Delhi. Instead of burning a daytime on the road, you travel the two long legs at night in a reclining AC coach and keep all your daylight for the hills. It is cheaper than flying, simpler than driving yourself on unfamiliar mountain roads, and it drops you straight into Shimla and back out of Manali without a hire car to worry about.

This package covers all three towns rather than just two, so you get Shimla's colonial core, the Kullu valley and Manikaran on the crossover day, and Manali's temples and snow points, all on one Volvo circuit. If you would rather compare it against the wider Shimla Kullu Manali tour from Delhi range first, start there and then come back to lock the Volvo version.

How to reach Shimla and Manali by Volvo from Delhi

The whole trip is built around the coach, so the long distances go by overnight and your days stay open. You board an air-conditioned Volvo in Delhi in the evening and reach Shimla the next morning, roughly 343 km to 365 km and about 8 to 10 hours through the night. The road leaves the plains via Ambala and Kalka, then climbs through the Shivalik hills and Solan into Shimla. On the crossover day you move from Shimla to Manali by road through the Kullu valley, close to 250 km and about 7 to 8 hours with stops. On the final day you board the return Volvo from Manali to Delhi, roughly 530 km to 570 km and around 12 to 14 hours.

The table below sets out each leg so you know exactly how you are travelling before you book. All distances, times and the Delhi boarding point are confirmed on your trip voucher.

Volvo coaches out of Delhi usually board in the evening from the Majnu ka Tila, Kashmiri Gate or Connaught Place area, with the exact point and time on your voucher. If you would rather fly one leg into Chandigarh and pick up the road from there, tell us and we will re-quote before you confirm. For the weather-by-month picture before you pick dates, see the Manali travel guide.

Day-wise itinerary

Day 1: Delhi to Shimla by overnight Volvo

Your trip starts in Delhi, where you board the evening Volvo coach for the overnight run up to the hills. You travel through the night via Ambala and Kalka, following the same corridor as the Kalka to Shimla toy train, a narrow-gauge line that has been a UNESCO World Heritage route since 2008. You reach Shimla the next morning and are transferred to your hotel to freshen up. The rest of the day is at leisure to walk down to The Ridge, Christ Church and the Mall Road for your first taste of the old summer capital. Dinner and overnight stay in Shimla.

Day 2: Shimla local sightseeing

After breakfast you spend the day around Shimla. You visit the neo-Gothic Christ Church on The Ridge, one of the oldest churches in north India, walk the pedestrian Mall, and take in Jakhoo Temple on the town's highest point with its tall Hanuman statue. Many trips add the short drive out to Kufri for valley views and, in season, snow. The evening is free for the markets and Lakkar Bazaar. Dinner and overnight stay in Shimla.

Day 3: Shimla to Manali via Kullu and Manikaran

Check out after breakfast for the scenic drive to Manali through the Kullu valley, alongside the Beas river. On the way you can stop at Manikaran, a Kullu-valley town known for its natural sulphur hot springs and its shared Hindu and Sikh pilgrimage site, and at the Kullu shawl and handloom workshops. Other stops enroute include Pandoh Dam and the river-rafting point near Kullu. You reach Manali by evening and check in. Dinner and overnight stay in Manali.

Day 4: Manali local sightseeing

A full day in and around Manali. You visit the cedar-wood Hadimba Devi Temple set in a deodar forest, the nearby Manu Temple dedicated to the sage Manu, and Vashisht village with its natural hot-water springs and old stone temple. The day also takes in the Tibetan Monastery and the Club House by the Manalsu stream, with time on the Mall Road and at Manu Market in the evening. Dinner and overnight stay in Manali.

Day 5: Solang Valley and the Atal Tunnel snow day

The mountain day. You drive up to Solang Valley, the activity hub above Manali, where zorbing, paragliding, snow scooter rides and, in the snow months, skiing are available at your own expense. Weather and road conditions permitting, you continue towards the Atal Tunnel, the 9.02 km tunnel under the Rohtang ridge opened in October 2020, which brings you out at Sissu on the far side. Because the tunnel stays open through most of the year, it is the reliable way to reach snow country when Rohtang Pass itself is shut or needs a permit. Back to Manali by evening. Dinner and overnight stay in Manali.

Day 6: Manali to Delhi by overnight Volvo

After a last mountain breakfast you check out and are transferred to the Manali Volvo stand for the return overnight coach to Delhi. The drive follows the Beas down through Kullu, Mandi and Bilaspur before the Kiratpur stretch and back into the plains, with your trip ending on arrival in Delhi.

Prefer a different mix, more nights, or a Volvo package that skips Kullu and adds Naldehra instead? Every day here is customisable, and you can also compare the two-city Shimla Manali tour by Volvo from Delhi if that route suits you better.

Best time to do this Volvo tour

You can run this trip through the year, and the season decides the feel more than anything else. March to June gives clear skies and open roads for sightseeing and Solang activities. July to September is green and quiet after fewer crowds but can slow the drives. December to February brings snow around Manali and the Atal Tunnel side, with colder Volvo nights and the odd weather delay, and Rohtang Pass usually shut, which is exactly why the Atal Tunnel to Sissu run matters in winter.

What's included and what's not

Booking, payment and cancellation

You confirm your dates and hotels with a part-payment and clear the balance before travel. Because the Volvo seats, the hotels and the sightseeing cab are all blocked in advance for your dates, cancellations are handled on a slab basis by how many days before departure you cancel. The earlier you tell us, the smaller the charge. The exact day-wise slabs and refund percentages that apply to your booking are shared in writing on your quote and voucher before you pay, so there are no surprises later. Date changes are also possible on request, subject to Volvo and hotel availability for the new dates.

Why book this Volvo tour with us

Every Shimla Kullu Manali Volvo package is planned by verified local partners we work with all season, not a call centre reading a script, so the hotels, the coach timings and the cab are arranged by people who run this route regularly. The itinerary stays fully customisable right up to booking, you can add nights, change hotels or swap a leg to flight, and you deal with real support on the trip, not just before it.

"Book the overnight Volvo out of Delhi rather than a morning start, you reach Shimla fresh and save a hotel night." Boarding points and hill-road conditions on this route are checked by our Himachal desk before every departure.

Fares and inclusions on this page are checked by our Himachal desk against live partner rates before we quote you. This route is one of the trips travellers booked with us for a Himachal Volvo tour in the last 90 days.

Want to see the full destination, all seasons and every itinerary in one place? Browse the Shimla Kullu Manali tour packages hub for the complete range.

Ready to book your Shimla Kullu Manali Volvo tour from Delhi?

Tell us your dates and you get a 6-day Shimla, Kullu and Manali Volvo tour built around your budget and the stops you actually want. Start by comparing the wider Shimla Kullu Manali tour from Delhi range, then customise this Volvo version with your trip planner.

Edited by TravelTriangle