10 Mind-blowing Road Trips to plan with your friends in Himachal Pradesh

 Himachal Pradesh is dream destination for nature lovers, adventure junkies, road trip enthusiasts and people who want to see the nature at its best and purest form. There is no better way to explore the ethereal beauty of Himalayas than through road trips .Planning road trips with friends is not only fun but also very exciting and unforgettable experience. Riding through snow capped mountains, green meadows, evergreen forests and breathtaking sceneries makes awesome experience. When you ride through your own vehicle, you feel more freedom and can stop anywhere you want and click pictures at any destination you fancy .

Let’s explore some of the best thrilling road trips in Himachal which you can plan with your close friends and have great time , exploring and discovering the striking beauty and diverse life of scenic Himalayas.

“Mountains are the beginning and end of natural scenery “.

Delhi to Shimla

Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh is located in the north west of Himalayas at an average altitude of 2,205 meters. City of Shimla ,full of Pine and oak forest is the most beautiful and picturesque place to visit. It is also famous for its buildings and Churches with beautiful architecture. It’s an awesome experience to drive from Delhi to Shimla. The windy roads and fresh air is refreshing. Roads are simple and it’s a smooth drive. The total distance between Delhi to Shimla is 352 km and it takes approximately 7 hours by road to reach Shimla. There are many dhabas on the way to stop and relish the tasty paranthas with achaar and lots of butter. Overall it makes excellent experience.

“Every person deserves a Leh Ladakh trip with their friends “.

Manali to Leh

Manali to Leh road trip is very popular among travel lovers not only because of picturesque destination but also the route which is equally beautiful and enchanting with rugged landscapes under the clear blue sky, deep enthralling valleys and breath taking sceneries which you would love to capture in your cameras .Distance between Manali to Leh is approximately 472 km and it takes two days to reach Leh from Manali with adequate stops. The highest motor able passes which you will cross in Manali to Leh route is interesting and fascinating sight. Driving through Rohtang Pass and Khardungla is a mesmerizing experience with scenic beauty of Himalayas where you can find water flowing nearby, Himalayan wild animals passing on way, wild beautiful flowers all around makes it more charming .Leh ,Ladakh is true paradise on earth which one should visit and experience the nature in its most beautiful form. Ladakh is also popular for its unique culture and traditions. It has many Buddhist Monasteries and Gompas , which you can visit and feel the spiritual peace and also enjoy the local colorful traditions. This route is among the most explored road route in Himachal Pradesh and if you are planning to explore something unexplored than this is among the best route to plan a road trip with your friends or family.

Chandigarh to Dalhousie

Chandigarh to Dalhousie makes excellent journey with stunning and extraordinary beautiful views. Road is smooth and safe to drive. It takes approximately 9 hours to reach Dalhousie from Chandigarh. Chandigarh to Dalhousie distance is 310 km by car or cab. Visiting Dalhousie is lifetime experience. Dalhousie is hill station with colonial touch. Rich  in colonial architecture   and beautiful Churches. There   are many scenic places in Dalhousie like

Panchpula, Satdharafalls, Dainkund peak,Kaltop wildlife sanctuary, Khajjar Lake and many other amazing places which have stunning views and where you can spend some time as picnic with friends . Fill your mobiles with good memory cards to take selfies and pictures in these quaint and unusual locations.

“Memories made in the mountains, stay in our hearts forever “.

Shimla to Manali

We travel not only for fun and pleasure, traveling also mean to increase our awareness and appreciate the beauty of God made nature. To go Manali from Shimla, one has to take road via Mandi. Shimla to Manali route is quite scenic and picturesque with river Beas flowing along the way. It makes perfect background for your memorable pictures. Enchanting mountains, deep valleys, and tall trees offers stunning views throughout the journey making it more enjoyable. Play some soulful music to double the fun with friends. You can also spot local dhabas on the way and relish the unique and authentic Himalayan food like paranthas, maggie, momos , they taste different in hilly areas and quite delicious and mouthwatering. Kullu town comes 50 km before Manali where you can do little shopping like buying famous Kullu shawls, handmade handicraft items etc. After that you can continue your journey towards Manali where you can enjoy the scenic beauty of lush green forests, beautiful waterfalls and also have a good time enjoying adventure activities with friends like paragliding, river rafting, skiing, Zorbing and trekking.

Shimla to Manali distance – 265 km.

Time takes to reach – 9 hours approximately.

Read: Most beautiful Villages in Himachal Pradesh

Kullu to Rohtang Pass

Rohtang Pass is one of the beautiful places of Himachal Pradesh. Outstanding views of snows in mountains, calm, chilly air, peaceful   place away from hustle bustle of town life. Rohtang Pass is about a 100 km drive from Kullu. Time takes to reach Rohtang Pass from Kullu is 4 hours. The main attraction of this route is snow which you find in plenty in any time of year, beautiful landscapes and vistas makes this an attractive and unforgettable drive. If you are lover of photography it’s an ideal place for some stunning captures. Rohtang Pass will amuse you with its raw and natural beauty and also with the activities you can experience here like having fun with snow, ride on snow scooters, paragliding and skiing. It’s a heaven for young adventure lovers. If you are a person who loves snow and especially during the months of May and June than this road route should always be on your wish list because the road trip from Manali to Rohtang is going to be the best road trip for snow lovers.

Shimla to Spiti valley

You will absolutely fall in love with this magical land called “Spiti Valley”. Spiti valley is amazingly beautiful Cold desert mountain nestled in magnificent Himalayas. Devoid of any greenery its barren but surreal beauty is absolutely stunning and unique. Rugged mountains,glacial streams, panoramic vistas ,exquisite hills ,clear and pristine rivers makes it scenic and exotic place worth visiting. It is also called “Middle land “The land between Tibet and India. You can see the resemblance of Tibetan culture, Religion and ethnicity in Spiti valley. It also houses many ancient and beautiful Gompas and Monasteries. It takes approximately 11 hours to reach Spiti valley from Shimla . Distance is 445 km. Route is very scenic with apple orchids and Baspa river flowing all around. If you are a person who loves rawness then road trip to Spiti valley with your friends is the best thing to do in life in Himachal Pradesh.

Read : why you should rent bikes from Bhuntar instead of Manali

Chandigarh to Chail

Chail is a beautiful and peaceful village in Himachal Pradesh covered with dense Pine and Deodar trees. This scenic and sleepy village was a former summer  retreat of Maharaja of Patiala. It’s a lovely place to spend some quiet and peaceful time in the lapse of Mother Nature with your friends. There are many interesting places you can visit here like Sadhupul lake, Kali ka Tibba, Chail wildlife sanctuary etc. Chandigarh to Chail distance is 107 km and it takes approximately 4 hours by road. Roads are smooth and easy to drive; still you should be alert while driving in hilly areas. There are many rest stops, hotels and dhabas on the way where you can stop for refreshments.

Delhi to Kasol

Kasol is heaven for backpackers, trekking lovers, nature enthusiasts and adventure seekers. Kasol is a beautiful Himalayan village in the district Kullu, Himachal Pradesh stretched along river Parvati. It is located31.2 km from Bhuntar and 5 km from Manikaran.The best way to explore Kasol is to check out its beautiful villages and various trekking routes .You can trek to kheerganga from Kasol, views are stunning and trekking experience will definitely give you adventurous thrill. Distance between Delhi and Kasol is 535 km. A road trip from Delhi to Kasol will be approximately 12 hours. So if you ask me then for me its among one of the best road routes to go for a road trip with your family in Himachal pradesh.

Read: How to attend Rave party in kasol

Shimla to Bir Billing

If you want to experience best paragliding in world, Bir is a place you should head towards. It is also known as “Paragliding capital of India “.Bir is a village located in the west of Joginder Nagar Valley in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Billing is the take off site for Paragliding and Bir for landing. It is also famous for Tea gardens and Tibetan Monasteries.

Distance – Distance between Shimla and Bir is 216km.

Driving  Time – 4 Hours 19minutes.

Delhi to Dharmashala

Dharmashala is a picturesque city of Himachal Pradesh situated in the Upper reaches of Kangra valley .It is surrounded all over by dense forests of Pines and Deodar .Here you can find both Indian and Tibetan culture. Dharmashala is also popular because of residence of great Tibetan leader Dalai Lama. You can visit ancient Temples ,beautiful and peaceful Monasteries ,museums here and can have wonderful time.You can also enjoy shopping in Kotwali Bazar and buy things like handicrafts, paintings, sculptures ,murals and Tibetan rugs or Thangkas.

Distance –Distance between Delhi and Dharmashala is 471 km.

Time taken – It takes 10 hours 53 minutes to reach Dharmashala from Delhi.

Road condition – Highways are great and you can enjoy the scenery. It’s an awesome experience.

So this was the list of most beautiful road routes to plan a car or bike trip with your friends or family. This list was compiled by myself after traveling from every single route. So if you have any doubt regarding how to plan a trip on bikes or taxis you can contact a tour guide who organised these tours for me on Bikes. Thakur Bhai: 8988265439

So If you guys still have any doubt regarding how to plan or anything else you can ask me on Instagram.