A Journey We Offer · India
Manali,
Apple country, by the slow river.
There is a particular quiet to Manali that the hill stations of our childhoods used to have. Deodar forests that smell of resin and rain. Orchards heavy with fruit in season. The Beas, never far from the road, doing the talking. We have designed this journey for the way our travellers travel now, short drives, warm rooms, long afternoons. No high passes, no breathless altitude, no pre-dawn departures. A comfortable resort sits at the centre of it all, and the days move outward gently from there. Apples, hot springs, an old castle on a hillside, a temple in a cedar grove. Six days that ask very little of the body and quite a lot of the senses.
Highlights
What this journey holds for you
- ✦ Hadimba temple set within an old cedar grove
- ✦ A gentle walk through Old Manali's apple lanes
- ✦ Solang Valley by gondola, no exertion required
- ✦ The hot springs and gurudwara at Manikaran
- ✦ Naggar Castle, with the Kullu valley spread below
- ✦ Van Vihar, a level garden walk beside the Beas
- ✦ A 4-star resort base, unpacked once for five nights
- ✦ Indian meals at vetted restaurants in every stop
- ✦ Tour manager flying with the group from Delhi and back
The Itinerary
6 days, day by day.
- Day One
Delhi to the mountains, unhurriedly
Delhi to Manali · Dinner
We gather in Delhi in the morning and fly together to Bhuntar, the small valley airstrip that serves the region. A waiting AC coach carries us up the river road to Manali in a little under two hours, with a tea stop along the way. By late afternoon we are at our 4-star resort, settled, unpacked, and watching the light fall on the deodars. Dinner is at an Indian restaurant close to the hotel. Early to bed.
- Day Two
Hadimba in her cedar grove
Manali · Breakfast, lunch & dinner
A slow morning is the right way to acclimatise. After breakfast we drive the short distance to the Hadimba temple, set inside an old cedar wood where the trees do most of the work. The walk is gentle, the air thin and clean. We continue to the Vashisht hot springs for a brief look. Lunch is at an Indian restaurant in town. The afternoon is yours to keep, with the resort grounds to wander.
- Day Three
Old Manali, and the river beside it
Manali · Breakfast, lunch & dinner
We walk a quiet stretch of Old Manali this morning, where stone houses lean into apple orchards and the Manu temple sits high above the lanes. Distances are short and the pace is ours. Lunch follows at an Indian restaurant. In the afternoon we drive to the Van Vihar by the Beas, a level garden walk under tall trees, with benches where one can simply sit. Dinner at the hotel.
- Day Four
Solang by gondola, no skis required
Manali · Breakfast, lunch & dinner
A scenic drive takes us up to Solang Valley, the wide green bowl that Manali is best known for. We ride the gondola together, a calm, seated ascent, to take in the snow line and the peaks beyond, without any climbing on our part. Photographs, chai, an unhurried return. Lunch at an Indian restaurant en route. The evening returns us to the resort, where dinner waits.
- Day Five
Manikaran, and Naggar's old stones
Manali via Kullu Valley · Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Today we travel south through the Kullu valley to Manikaran, where hot springs rise beside a gurudwara and the Parvati river runs cold past it. We pause, eat, and look. The drive back brings us to Naggar Castle, a 15th-century timber-and-stone fort with the valley laid out below. The walk inside is short and level. Lunch is taken at an Indian restaurant in Kullu. Dinner at the resort, with the evening to rest.
- Day Six
Down the valley, and home
Manali to Delhi · Breakfast
A last breakfast on the lawn, with the deodars where we left them. We drive down to Bhuntar at a considered pace, with one tea stop along the river. The flight to Delhi lands by early afternoon. From there, onward connections home, many of our travellers leave with new friendships and the quiet pleasure of a journey that asked nothing more of them than to look, eat well, and rest.
What is included
Everything below, in the tour fee.
- ✓Economy return flights Delhi to Bhuntar with the group
- ✓Five nights at a vetted 4-star resort in Manali on twin-sharing basis
- ✓Daily breakfast at the hotel
- ✓Four lunches and four dinners at Indian restaurants through the journey
- ✓All transfers and sightseeing in an AC coach suited to small groups
- ✓Solang Valley gondola tickets
- ✓All monument and temple entry fees as per the itinerary
- ✓An English-speaking local guide for sightseeing days
- ✓Good Radius tour manager travelling Delhi to Delhi with the group
- ✓Travel insurance for travellers up to the age of 69, excluding pre-existing conditions
- ✓Applicable hotel taxes
- ✓GST as per government norms
What is not
An honest list of what is excluded.
- ·Any meals not specifically listed in the inclusions
- ·Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone calls and tips
- ·Cost of any pony rides, adventure activities or paragliding at Solang
- ·Any expense arising from delays or cancellations beyond our control
- ·Anything not expressly mentioned under inclusions
- ·Medical costs related to pre-existing conditions
- ·Any optional excursions taken at the traveller's request
When to travel
The best months for this journey.
Best travelled from April through June for orchard blossom and clear days, and again from mid-September to early November when the valley turns gold.
Send an enquiry
Drop us an email at hellogoodradius@gmail.com or message us on WhatsApp. Tell us how many travellers, your preferred month, and anything we should know.
We respond, in person
A real human writes back, usually within a day. Indicative pricing and full clarity on inclusions before any commitment.
Reserve your seat
A small confirmation amount secures your place. Visa and insurance are handled by us. Balance is due on a clear schedule before departure.
Travel, gently
Your tour manager meets the group at Delhi airport. From there to your return, you are accompanied, Delhi to Delhi.
A good journey
to take with us.
We design this journey as a private departure for groups of friends, families, or alumni circles. Send an enquiry and we'll respond with indicative dates and pricing.