Full day in Shimla. Viceregal Lodge (1888, guided tour of the state rooms). Jakhu Hill (2,455m, ancient Hanuman temple, monkey colony, Himalayan panorama). Kufri (2,622m, snow point and Himalayan Wildlife Sanctuary). Afternoon: the Lower Bazaar and the Mall's bookshops, heritage cafés, and craft shops.

Drive from Shimla to Manali (250 km, ~7–8 hrs via NH3, or the more scenic Jalori Pass route adding 2 hrs). The NH3 follows the Beas River valley through Mandi and the lower Kullu Valley — apple orchards line both sides of the river in summer. En route stop at Kullu town: the Raghunath Temple (dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the presiding deity of the Kullu Dussehra festival) and a shawl weaving cooperative where Kullu shawls are made on traditional wooden looms.

Arrive Manali (2,050m) by evening. The Beas River rushes through the valley below and the snow peaks of the Rohtang range are visible above. Check in to your riverside resort or heritage hotel.

Full day exploring Manali and its immediate surroundings. Hadimba Devi Temple (1553 CE) — the most important temple in Manali, a four-storey pagoda of beautifully carved deodar cedar built around a natural cave sacred to the goddess Hadimba (wife of Bhima from the Mahabharata). The surrounding cedar forest is protected and the atmosphere is serene and ancient.

Old Manali village (2 km from the main town) — the original settlement, now a collection of stone houses, apple orchards, and guesthouses popular with long-term travellers. The Manu Temple (dedicated to the sage Manu, believed to be the place where he meditated after the great flood of Vedic mythology) sits above the village. Vashisht village — famous for its natural sulphur hot springs (the public baths have been running for centuries) and the Vashisht Rishi Temple. Tibetan Monastery in town for thangka and butter lamp offerings.

The most dramatic day of the tour. Drive north to Rohtang Pass (51 km, ~2.5 hrs, 3,978m) — the high mountain pass that separates the green Kullu Valley from the barren Lahoul Spiti plateau. At the pass, permanent snowfields allow snow activities year-round — sledging, snow biking, and walking on the glacier. The views northward into the Lahoul valley (and on clear days toward Spiti) are extraordinary.

On the return, stop at Solang Valley (14 km from Manali, 2,480m) — a wide alpine meadow used for paragliding, zorbing, and rope activities in summer; and skiing and snowboarding in winter. The backdrop of the Beas Kund glacier above and the Solang nala below makes this one of the finest adventure landscapes in north India. Note: Rohtang Pass closes on Tuesdays; if Day 5 falls on Tuesday, we schedule Solang first and Rohtang on Day 4/6.

A day exploring the wider Kullu Valley. Naggar (21 km south of Manali) — a village of great historical character, the former capital of the Kullu kingdom, with Naggar Castle (15th century, now a heritage hotel) and the Roerich Art Gallery (the family home of the Russian artist and philosopher Nicholas Roerich, who lived here from 1929–1947; the gallery contains his extraordinary Himalayan paintings). Chandrakhani Pass viewpoint above Naggar.

Optional excursion to the Parvati Valley (60 km south of Manali): Kasol — a riverside village on the Parvati River popular with Israeli backpackers and trekkers, and the gateway to the Kheerganga trek and the Manikaran hot springs (a sacred Sikh and Hindu shrine where the natural hot springs cook rice and daal). Return to Manali for the evening.

Final morning in Manali — a walk along the Beas River bank as the valley fills with morning light, and the snow peaks above reflect in the clear water. Drive back to Delhi (570 km, ~10 hrs via NH3 and Chandigarh). Tour concludes at Delhi.