Himachal - Punjab - Chandigarh

9-day itinerary was planned to cover the key tourist places in Chandigarh and Himachal. We planned 2 nights (first and last) in Chandigarh, 2 nights in Shimla, 2 nights in Manali, 1 night in Kullu. We had one more night, which we planned for Kufri; but, as we were into the trip, we changed it to Amritsar. We pre-booked our cab for the whole trip and rooms through usual methods.

Tour dates - 28 April 2018 to 6 May 2018
Trip members - Karthik and family, Vijay and family

Day-1

We started from Chennai and my friend with family from Bangalore by flight to New Delhi. We reached by New Delhi by mid-afternoon in the sizzling heat and we had booked our train to Chandigarh by Kalka Shatabdi express by 17:00 hours. We had an average lunch in the lunch house near NDLS railway station. We took the Delhi metro from Airport terminal 2 for Rs.60 per person and reached NDLS station in 25 minutes. A very useful utility to get from and to airport and railway station – luggages can be take comfortably in this transportation and save road hours and money. We reached Chandigarh by 9 PM and checked-in to Hotel Grand View Jain in Sector 22. The rooms were quite comfortable and all basic amenities were made available and clean rooms, mattress and rest rooms. We had dinner at Hotel Sanjha Chulha, the food was excellent – nice and perfectly made butter rotis, wheat parathas, Jeera rice and paneer gravies. They were made on order and took quite time but were all very good.

Day-2

The plan was to do some local sighting in Chandigarh and then to climb up to Shimla. After having breakfast in a local dhaba – Gurbax Dhaba in sector 22 – excellent aloo parathas and dahi; the first stop was Zakir Rose Garden. Zakir Rose Garden is said to be Asia’s largest rose garden and hosts huge varieties of roses. However, as we went in summer, we were greeted with almost no roses. The stroll around the park is very good in early mornings. There is no entrance ticket for this garden and is open from 5 AM. Many do morning jogs and walking in this garden.

We then visited one of the unique gardens of the world – Rock garden of Chandigarh. The Rock garden of Chandigarh has been built using the rubbish and materials that were not used during construction, came out of building the well-planned city of Chandigarh. The entrance ticket for adults is Rs.30 and for children it is Rs.10. The Rock garden hosts a large bunch of statues – very creative and innovative ones all around. It is modeled and built so well that it keeps all ages interesting and curious to walk around. It also hosts a man-made beautiful waterfall – where none can miss taking photographs. They also host an aquarium inside hosting a fair collection of aquatic spices. As well, there is a doll museum – hosting various setups of home, war, festivals, marriages, activities like weaving, cooking and much more depicting the local culture. Overall, one has to plan couple of hours to go around and enjoy the rock garden and it is worth it.

We then left Chandigarh and drove towards Shimla. Enroute, we crossed into Haryana and stopped by one of the interesting Mughal architecture – Pinjore gardens. This is a 5-level garden and fountain with the first level being on the ground level where we get into the space. Each level is around 15-20 steps down and well navigable by all ages with steps and slopes. The entrance tickets for adult is Rs.25 and same as well for children. There are few eateries as well inside; we completed our lunch there with Chole Bhaturas, Kulchas and chat items. The food items were costly here. We spent almost an hour here.

Enroute Shimla, the roads were work-in-progress in making a 6-way lane. The route had some beautiful views as well as colourfull trees with all being purple or yellow – creating a pleasant view. We had booked hotel Le Talbot on Mall road in Shimla. In Shimla, if you have booked your rooms in Mall road, vehicles cannot navigate to the hotel. They would drop you in a place – Mall lift area. The Mall road is in an elevated area – accessible by steps and slopes in several places across the stretch. One can take the luggage themselves through the steep steps (quite steep indeed) or by the lift (or) by engaging coolies. Hotel Le Talbot – was a good budget hotel and the facilities were fair. There was in-room geyser which we can switch on or off when we want. The rooms were quite insulated with weather as well. Few rooms (super deluxe and family rooms) have valley facing balconies. After check-in, which was almost 7 PM, we started walking in the Mall road. The climate was pretty good to feel the chillness and enjoyable. We walked little more than 1 km and admired the night views of Shimla valley, Jaku hill and most importantly – the wide range of food available across the Mall road – momos, samosas, local eateries, budget hotels and fine dining – what so ever one would need. A lively time with family.

We had dinner at hotel Tripti – we were almost the only one having dinner so late – around 10 PM and the order took time to get to us. However, the quality of food was perfect in all aspects. This is one of the recommended restaurants on the mall road at Shimla and is so.

Day-3

Morning walk at 6 AM on Mall road and enjoying the sunrise on the cold morning at the Ridge was amazing. The Ridge hosts a valley, a beautiful viewpoint and is the happening place for the town. There is a church – Church of Christ on the top and adds more value to the view all around. After having breakfast with room service – parathas, we started the local sight-seeing of Shimla. First, we went to Naldehra. Naldehra is around 19 kms from Shimla and it hosts beautiful valley views from steep slopes. The trick is none can enjoy this without taking the horse ride – Rs.500 per horse. One does not have a choice to do by walk as the slopes are definitely very steep and difficult to scale for normal people. We took the horse and the ride covered – 5-7 spots or views; which you can see from the horse. Though they say you can spend as much time as you want while getting on the horse, apart from one or two spots, one cannot get down as they are on steep slopes or the view is quite distant. It was ok and an experience of different kind. We spent around 45 minutes on the ride.

We then visited Kufri. We opted not to do any adventure sports as the rates were quite high for the distance or time they offer the ride for. As well, it was quite hot on the day. We opted to visit the Himalayan Nature park – a zoo to get a feel of animals on the Himalayas. The entrance ticket per adult is Rs.35, Rs.20 for children and Rs.50 per camera. The zoo timings are 10 AM to 5 PM. The zoo looks to be not so maintained well and no real satisfaction. We could see few deers and Himalayan Tahr, a brown bear and couple of leopards. There was no feel good factor after the visit to the zoo. Not worth spending time in the zoo if you have limited time. This only took the energy out of us and skipped the Kufri view.

Lunch at Sher-e-Punjab in Kufri was very good – the Biryanis, Jeera rice, rotis, sabjis – all were very good and they also gave a great valley view from the restaurant.

The Kufri valley view - full of closely knit pine trees is a dream to watch. This view point is a nice place to get photos.

Jakhu temple – not all size vehicles could go here. This is a steep climb on very narrow roads and quite tricky to drive. Jakhu temple hosts a tall statue of Lord Hanuman – which we can see from most of the places in Shimla valley. The status is 33 metres tall and this requires few steps – around 50 to climb. It is quite steep and can be climbed in patience. There are so many hundreds of rhesus macaques all around; they just grab anything that one might have – advised by our driver to leave everything back in the car. I squeezed in my mobile to take some photos and managed to take a couple of them before monkeys came around. Having had bad experiences few months back with monkeys in Nasik, I decided to leave taking photos and enjoy the nature.

Late evening, again – Mall road and food. We visited the Ridge – valley view, spent time enjoying the sunset and family time. We had dinner at Hotel Nalini - Ok ok restaurant on the mall road. We had north and south Indian food. The so called south Indian restaurant was below average dosas and vadai. Not ok if you are looking for authentic S.I food. Just ok ok restaurant.

Day-4

Started the day by 6 AM in Shimla and the plan was drive to Manali and reach by 5 PM. We stopped for breakfast by the picturesque valley view hotel at Jundla – about an hour drive from Shimla. The Sharma Bhojnalaya served us aloo parathas, poori shabji and poha. All food were ok. En-route we stopped a couple of times as Innova was not behaving as expected and the Etios tyre puncture had to be taken care. At a place called Kotla around 18 kms from Bilaspur, the Innova engine ceased because of pump problem and failed to start. After some deliberations with the car owners, the drivers took the Etios and went to Bilaspur to pick up a mechanic. It took around 3 hours for them come back and by then we all were very tired and had some snacks that was in stock and bought from couple of tiny petty shops. By the time the mechanic came back and started the car, it just started and no issues were noticed. This was alarming for all and we started the trip. The car managed to run non-stop for around 15 kms and mechanic left. We almost had 165 kms to cover to reach Manali and it was already 3 PM.

We stopped for lunch at a hotel on the highway well before Mandi. The food was good, almost as like anywhere else we were having, at this Highway Treat restaurant. The picturesque route was one nice thing to see on the day after disappointing time loss in Bilaspur. We crossed Mandi by 17:15. Manali is 108 kms from this diversion in Mandi – one leading to Manali and one to Pathankot – 208 kms. River Beas was flowing by the side and was a very relaxing view all around. The next town to cross was Bhuntar – This is very famous for 2 things – a historical Gurdwara and the airport to Kullu and Manali. Enroute we also crossed Pandoh dam – visible from the road across river Beas – this creates a big reservoir in the deep valley of Mandi and very nice to see. We did not stop-by as it was getting dark soon.

From here the Himalayan road journey is interesting with carved out roads from the hills and very scenic with Beas on one side and interesting curves by. We stopped by before the Aut Tunnel as we sighted a beautiful hanging bridge and took some photos. Aut Tunnel is one of the most dangerous tunnels in the world. Aut Tunnel is built on Chandigarh-Manali national highway at Aut and is 2.8km long. It is the only gateway to Kullu-Manali and not deemed safe for passengers as there is no road dividers. However, the regular cab and bus drivers just cruise through it like any other highway. 

We crossed Kullu by dark and the whole valley was lit with lights with the all the cottages and houses – a beautiful sight. We reached Manali by 21:30. We had booked rooms for 2 nights at The Tourist hotel – off the mall road by a km. It was little difficult to locate, however, a great steal of budget hotel. We paid close to Rs.1500 per night through makemytrip and the place was great. This super budget hotel had very spacious rooms, good ventilation from chill winds and amazing view from the terrace. We had called the hotel enroute and asked them to wait to prepare dinner for us and they had obliged.

The food was amazing all through our stay – breakfast and dinner. All were freshly prepared on order and were very homely. We build so comfortable with their service and cherished the food.

Day-5

Early morning – read that views would be great from this hotel, where we stayed. Woke up by 5 AM and ran out. There was absolutely stunning views around the hotel. The terrace view gave us access to the glowing sun rays on snow view. Perfect way to start the morning.

Objective was to see snow. There were 2 places for us to see snow – Marhi and other one – Hampta pass. We heard that this day was Day-1 for Marhi – which was enroute for Rohtang pass – stopping around 30 kms before Rohtang and snow is available to see. We contacted the hotel travel desk and he asked for 1 hour to get vehicle for us. We called and confirmed that 2 Alto cars are available at Rs.8000. We were ready for it and took the offer. We were not sure how the next day weather would be. 

We started and rented out snow suits – full ones for Rs.250 per person for all sizes. They also sell gloves and snow socks (very thick fur) for Rs.100 and we bought for couple of us. All dressed up we started our search for snow. There are 3 places to see in this route – Nehru Kund, Kothi – view and Gulaba view. We decided to go first to Marhi to enjoy snow and then stop-by on return path for the rest. After crossing the check post of Gulaba, where the permit is validated and number of people inside the car are counted, we enter into the steep terrain of climbing the Himalayan curves. The view is astounding by all means and no wonder Himalayas does not disappoint anyone. There was heavy traffic in the narrow roads of Rohtang pass. This being the first day of the tourists visit to Marhi, the vehicles stood still because of no proper regulation.

Close to 2 hours in the traffic, the driver suggested to walk a km and see some snow – going to Marhi which was 3 kms from thereon was going to be difficult. Marhi is the well know snow point during summer before Rohtang pass is opened for tourists. We climbed the steep soils of the slopes and reached a place with some snow. That was enough for the children to play with. We spent close to 1 hour there to play in snow until the children felt cold and enough.

We then boarded the car, which by then had reached where we were. Again, the traffic snarl was inevitable. We spent close to 1 hour in the car and by them, clouds gathered and there was rain. The rain became ice rain as they were small pellets of ice and that was first of its kind for many of us. As we got down to Kothi for lunch (at 4 PM) we also saw fresh snowfalls on the peaks all around. The valley view was amazing. Our late lunch at Apple tree café in Kothi was also very nice as like the food any other day. The food was so refreshing as we were quite tired and late for lunch. 

On the way back. We enjoyed the beautiful valleys and snow-clad peaks all around. The stopped by Nehru Kund. Nehru Kund is around 5 kms from Manali mall road and is known for pure water. The Nehru Kund is a natural spring named after the first prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. It is said that the PM visited the place and drank the crystal clear water from the spring.

We then returned our rented suit and went back to our rooms. We spent the evening on mall road – enjoying local eateries like Bal Gopal as dinner. 

Day-6

After super breakfast at the Tourist hotel, we checked out on the rainy day. The forecast for the day in Manali was rain. Our plan was to go to Naggar and Manikaran and stay overnight in Kullu. The drivers said we cannot goto Naggar if it rains as the roads are steep and the vehicle would not be able to climb. 

Enroute, we stopped white water rafting – around 10 kms before Kullu. We were not so good in negotiating and ended up with 6k for 7 members – 4 adults and 3 kids for a 5 km ride. We also paid 1.5k for the HD video and photos. We did not properly research for this and ended up with this amount. The rafting experience was first for all of us and we were so thrilled for it. It was definitely wonderful and unforgettable experience with smooth movement in places and harsh dips – which we all thoroughly enjoyed. The ride is 100% guaranteed to wet you – so, be prepared for it! 

It took around 90 minutes for the whole thing to get started and we back on our car re-dressed. By then, it started raining. We stopped by near Kullu for some hot pakodas and tea and started towards Manikaran. 

Manikaran is around 43 kms from Kullu. We reached Manikaran by 3 PM – river Parvati runs all along the route till Kullu and merges into Beas river. Manikaran hosts a Gurdwara and hotwater springs rich in sulphur. There are Sikh and Hindhu beliefs on the origination of the hotsprings. The water from the hot springs is so boiling that we just can’t touch directly. Bathing is allowed in swimming pool like structures where the hot water is routed to. It is difficult in the first attempt to get into it, but, once you do, you would not feel like getting out of it. So, serene and enjoyable.

We visited the Gurudwara and spent some time there. It was very good feel being seated there. One has to climb 15 steps to reach Gurudwara. There is a hot cave beneath the Gurudwara and Langar served on the right side of Gurudwara entrance. The langar food served in the Gurudwara is cooked from this water directly by immersing rice and it cooks without fire. The same is served 24 hours here and anyone can have food here any number of times; but should not waste the served food. There is a hot cave under the Gurudwara where a Linga can be found. One cannot sit there more than few minutes for the fact that the hot steaming water runs beneath it, making it impossible to stay in the cave for more than 5 minutes.

We spent close to 90 minutes here including the bath, dharshan and the langar time. This is one of its kind place across the world and glad to have made it.

We then visited a temple at Kullu – the Mahadevi Theerth. This was a 3 tier temple hosting the 3 devathas at 3 levels and Sivalinga cave at he top most level. The temple was so serene and gave a lot peace and energy to one who visits. Apart, is also has stunning views of the Kullu valley with river Beas gathering speed and sounding pristine.

We reached back Kullu around 8 PM and checked in to Hotel the Nest – close to Kullu bus stand. The rooms were very spacious, clean and comfortable in all means. One drawback is that it does not have lift; however, the service boys are active in getting the luggage to rooms as quick as possible. No frills and no complaints at hotel Nest. Perfect budget stay for a night with no compromise on comfort and cleanliness.

Day-7

The plan was to start by 5 AM ! And drive through Mandi – Joginder Nagar – Palampur - Pathankot – Amritsar. The sunrise shades in the deep valley across river Beas were stunning and beautiful in the morning hue. We crossed Mandi by 7 AM as per the driver’s plan and stopped for tea. The road to Pathankot – 208 kms from Mandi is very scenic even in summer. Come winter, imagine the driver on this route to Dharmshala, which is 13 kms from Palampur.

We stopped by a Punjabi Rasoi ahead of Joginder Nagar around 8 AM for breakfast. The poori sabji, parathas did not disappoint us here as well. All across the way, we saw wheat being cultivated in terrace lands. This was new to know and interesting too. We also got to learn that there are metre gauge trains operated from Pathankot till Joginder Nagar via Pathankot. Very valuable information if we need to plan for a winter trip to Dharamshala – McLeodGanj – Chamba – Dalhousie. There are couple of airports as well – Khangra and Gaggal airports.

Around 3 PM, we entered another state – Punjab and stopped for lunch at Chennai Express 😊 near Pathankot. They serve north and south Indian dishes like sambhar and rice, dosas apart from regular thalli, roti and sabjis. The food was ok in all means and we had a relaxed lunch as it had been a long drive all through – almost 10 hours by now. The driver then drove us directly to Wagah as we would not be able to see next day. We had to be Chandigarh in the evening.

Wagah – Attari border is the road border of India and Pakistan. The gate marching ceremony is very popular here and was happening around 5 PM every day. For this, the crowd shall start gathering from 2 PM to line up in a stadium to visit this national pride. By the time we reached Wagah – 29 kms from Amritsar – the Attari border, it was 18:30, and the whole thing was over. We managed to sneak in till the customs gate and could zoom and see the Pakistan gate. We spent around 30 minutes here and left to Amritsar.

We reached our hotel in Amritsar by 8 PM – Hotel National residency. Hotel National Residency in Amritsar - Outstanding service and location. This hotel is quite new and amazingly clean. The hotel is a good budget hotel and is around 400m from the Golden temple. The manager and others in hotel are very courteous and very helpful. Highly recommended for tourists.

We order food from them and they got yummy gravies which were so good. We got to know that the Golden temple is open all 24 hours for tourists to visit and the Gurdwara inside shall be open until 10:30 PM. We decided the witness the night view and if possible complete the dharshan of the Gurudwara. The temple has place to deposit the footwear and also it is mandate one covers the head with a piece of cloth. 

The golden temple was in full glow having been lit all around with nice lights. We spent almost 1 hour in the temple premises and we were able to complete the dharshan as well. Inside the golden temple, there are 3 levels, very beautiful with ornamental carvings and well maintained. One can see that the temple is cleaned with minute detail with many volunteers around the clock. The serene feel in the temple is so divine and pleasing. We spent time until 11:45 in the night and came back to the room.

Day-8

Quite tired, we got up round 8 AM and made another visit to the Golden temple. The temple was bright and shining in the broad daylight. We went around the temple and enjoyed the Langar as well. This langar – rotis, aloo sabji, dhoodh kheer, jeera pulav and dhall makani – is easily one of the best food one can have. The Pulav and Dhall were outstanding and wondering how can it be so rich in taste in mass cooking. One gets served any number of times and no wastage is allowed. 

We came out in an hour and walked to Jallianwala Bagh – which is 500 m from the temple. Enroute, we tasted local delicacies – lassi, peni and kulfi. Jallianwala Bagh holds a very important place is Indian struggle for freedom from the British; as this was the place where General Dyer held a massacre. One can witness the bullet shots and the well, where several dived and lost their life. They also have a nice museum explaining all the events around the Jallianwala Bagh incident till the murder of General Dyer in London. Quite educative for new generations to keep track of history. It take around 1 hour comfortably to absorb in history and learn it here.

We then checked out of the hotel at noon and started towards Chandigarh. We reached Sukhna lake in Chandigarh by 5 PM. This lake hosts boating, play area for kids, walk along the lake, street foods. We spend couple of hours relaxing the evening and walking around.

Later, we checked in to hotel Diamond Inn near the Chandigarh railway station for a good rest. The rooms were very new, tidy and clean. We ordered dinner and they were also ok. The rooms are 500 m from the railway station.

Day-9

We checked out by 6:30 AM to catch the Jan Shatabdi train to New Delhi. Onward, we flew back to Chennai by evening flight after an unforgettable Himachal - Haryana - Punjab - Chandigarh sojourn.

Some distances

Ø  Chandigarh – Shimla- 120 kms (3 hours)

Ø  Chandigarh – Manali – 308 kms (9 hours)

Ø  Shimla – Kullu – 208 kms (7 hours)

Ø  Shimla - Manali – 250 kms (9 hours)

Ø  Manali – Manikaran -  80 kms (3 hours)

Ø  Manali – Rohtang Pass – 52 kms (3-5 hours)

Ø  Manali – Solang – 15 kms (45 mins)

Ø  Chandigarh – Dharamshala – 247 kms

Ø  Chandigarh – Pathankot – 235 kms

Ø  Manali – Dharamshala – 214 kms (8 hours)

Ø  Pathankot – Dharamshala – 88 kms (3 hours)

Ø  Dharamshala – Amritsar – 199 kms (4 hours)

Ø  Amritsar – Wagah – 29 kms (45 mins)

Ø  Amritsar – Chandigarh – 240 kms (5 hours)