6 days, 5 nights ยท Shimla, Manali, Solang, Naggar
Six-day Himachal tour package: the same hills with the return leg fixed
The five-day circuit has one weakness, and it is the end of it: the run from Manali back to Delhi is about 540 kilometres of mountain and motorway, which is twelve to fourteen hours and not a day anybody enjoys. Six days breaks that leg at Chandigarh, and spends the day it frees on the Beas valley above Manali rather than on the road. Same hill stations, considerably better week.
RUTZ.IN reservation · fixed fare · card or UPI
The fix
What the sixth day is actually spent on
Two things. The first is the return: instead of one fourteen-hour grind from Manali to Delhi, the circuit stops at Chandigarh for the night and finishes with a comfortable four-and-a-half-hour motorway run the next morning. Anyone who has done the single-day version will tell you this is worth the charter day on its own.
The second is an extra day in the Kullu-Manali valley, which is where this circuit's best scenery actually is. Naggar castle and the Roerich gallery, the old villages above the right bank, the Beas itself, and — in season — a proper day at Solang or over Rohtang rather than a rushed afternoon squeezed between arriving and leaving.
Nothing is added in Shimla, deliberately. Shimla is a two-night town: the Ridge, Jakhu, the Viceregal Lodge and an afternoon at Kufri or Mashobra covers it, and a third night there is time better spent further north. If you want more of the Shimla side, the seven-day version adds Dharamshala instead.
Solang and Rohtang
The two names everyone asks about, and how they differ
They are often spoken of together and they are not remotely the same thing.
Solang — about 13 km from Manali
A valley with a ski slope in winter and paragliding, zorbing and a ropeway the rest of the year. Open year-round, no permit needed, busy, and genuinely good for a half day. This is where most "snow point" trips actually go.
Rohtang — about 51 km from Manali
A 3,978-metre pass on the road to Lahaul. It is closed by snow for roughly half the year, opens somewhere between late May and early June, and requires a permit with a daily vehicle quota. When it is open and clear it is spectacular.
The Atal Tunnel
Since 2020 the 9-kilometre tunnel under the pass has kept Lahaul open year-round. It is an easier and more reliable day out than Rohtang and does not need the Rohtang permit; the desk will suggest it when the pass is shut or the quota is gone.
The driving
Four legs, with the hard one still on day three
About 1,150 kilometres Delhi to Delhi, with the worst of it removed from the last day.
- Delhi to Shimla — about 350 km, 7 to 8 hours Motorway to Chandigarh, then the Solan climb. From Chandigarh, 115 km and 3.5 hours.
- Shimla to Manali — about 250 km, 7 to 8 hours Still the long day: Sutlej, Mandi, Beas valley, with lunch on the way.
- Manali to Chandigarh — about 305 km, 7.5 to 8 hours Down the valley through Mandi and Bilaspur to the plains. Long, but it ends at a hotel rather than at midnight in Delhi.
- Chandigarh to Delhi — about 250 km, 4.5 hours Motorway all the way, with time for the Rock Garden or the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh before leaving.
Chandigarh
The stop that turns a transfer into a half day
Chandigarh is usually treated as a place you drive through, which is a waste of an unusual city. It is Le Corbusier's, laid out on a grid of numbered sectors, and the Capitol Complex — the High Court, the Assembly and the Open Hand — is a UNESCO World Heritage site that requires a free permit and a guided slot arranged in advance.
The Rock Garden is the other reason to stop: forty acres of sculpture built illegally over eighteen years by a roads inspector out of industrial waste and broken crockery, then legalised when the city discovered it. It is one of the strangest and best things in north India, and it takes about ninety minutes.
Because the six-day circuit sleeps in Chandigarh anyway, both fit into the last morning at no cost in driving. The city guides cover local chauffeur service, and the desk arranges the Capitol Complex permit if you want it — it needs a day or two of notice.
Booking
How to book the six-day circuit
Book the transport direct on the booking page with the fare fixed before payment. If Rohtang matters to you, say so at booking — the permit has a daily quota and has to be applied for, and the desk will tell you honestly whether your dates make it likely. For hotels and permits included, ask through the contact page. Cancellation follows the published schedule.
Day by day
The six-day itinerary, leg by leg
The same two hill stations as the five-day circuit, with the Manali-to-Delhi return broken at Chandigarh so no day runs past about eight hours.
| Day | Where | What the day covers | On the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Delhi to Shimla | North on the motorway to Chandigarh and up through Solan. An evening on the Mall and the Ridge. | Delhi-Shimla ~350 km, 7-8 hrs |
| Day 2 | Shimla | Jakhu temple, the Viceregal Lodge and Christ Church in the morning, Kufri or Mashobra in the afternoon. | Kufri ~16 km, Mashobra ~13 km |
| Day 3 | Shimla to Manali | Early down to the Sutlej, across to Mandi and up the Beas valley with lunch at Sundernagar. | Shimla-Manali ~250 km, 7-8 hrs; depart 07:00 |
| Day 4 | Manali | Hadimba temple, Old Manali and Vashisht in the morning; Solang valley in the afternoon, or Rohtang or the Atal Tunnel if conditions and permits allow. | Solang ~13 km; Rohtang ~51 km; Atal Tunnel ~25 km |
| Day 5 | Manali to Chandigarh | Naggar castle and the Roerich gallery on the way down the valley, then Mandi and Bilaspur to the plains. Overnight in Chandigarh. | Manali-Chandigarh ~305 km, 7.5-8 hrs |
| Day 6 | Chandigarh to Delhi | The Rock Garden and, with a permit arranged, the Capitol Complex, then the motorway south to Delhi or the airport. | Chandigarh-Delhi ~250 km, 4.5 hrs |
What it costs
The 6-day Himachal circuit: two ways to buy it
Six charter days at the published rate, for the car rather than per person. Rohtang permits, where applicable, are a government charge billed at cost like any other entry fee.
Transport package — firm, published
Every kilometre of the 6-day circuit in a private chauffeured car: the chauffeur, the vehicle, fuel, and the driver's meals and accommodation on the road. Priced at the published charter-day rate × 6 days, the same figure as the rates page.
From $13,500 - $16,200 per car for the whole circuit
On the international card · Luxury SUV · GST extra · tolls, parking and state entry taxes at cost
All-inclusive — stays, meals and entries
The same itinerary with hotels, breakfasts, monument entries and a licensed guide arranged for you. Because we contract stays per departure date and per hotel category, this tier is quoted on request rather than published — we will not print a per-person figure we cannot hold.
Send the dates and the hotel category you want (3-star, 4-star, heritage or palace) through the contact page and the desk returns a written quote, itemised, within one working day.
| Vehicle class | Cars | Per charter day 10 hours / 300 km | 6-day circuit International card, USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury SUV 5 passengers, 4 bags |
Toyota Fortuner, Land Cruiser & Mercedes-Benz GLS | $2,250 - $2,700 | $13,500 - $16,200 |
| Premium MPV 6 passengers, 5 bags |
Toyota Innova Hycross & Kia Carnival | $1,950 - $2,340 | $11,700 - $14,040 |
| Executive sedan 3 passengers, 2 bags |
Mercedes-Benz E-Class & BMW 5 Series | $1,700 - $2,040 | $10,200 - $12,240 |
| Group van 12 passengers, 12 bags |
Force Urbania & Tempo Traveller (executive) | $3,200 - $3,840 | $19,200 - $23,040 |
What the transport package includes
- A private, air-conditioned vehicle of the class you book, held for the whole circuit — the same car from the first pickup to the last drop, never shared and never re-assigned.
- One professional chauffeur for the whole circuit, holding a commercial licence and a state transport badge, police-verified and background-checked, in uniform and speaking English and Hindi.
- Fuel, the chauffeur's own meals and accommodation on every outstation night, and the vehicle's permits, fitness certificate and insurance.
- All airport, railway-station and hotel transfers inside the itinerary, with the flight tracked on the arrival leg and 60 minutes of waiting included after landing.
- A named coordinator at the desk for the whole trip, reachable on one number, who holds the run sheet and moves a leg when a day runs long.
- A written confirmation before departure carrying the chauffeur's name and licence number and the vehicle registration, so a security office or a hotel can check it against the operator record.
What it does not include
- Hotels, meals and anything consumed off the road — those are the all-inclusive tier, quoted on request rather than published.
- Monument and museum entry fees, which differ for Indian, SAARC and foreign visitors and change by notification; the desk quotes the current figures with the itinerary.
- Licensed local guides, which we arrange city by city on request and bill at cost.
- Tolls, parking and state entry taxes, charged at cost against receipts rather than estimated into the fare.
- Air and rail tickets into and out of the circuit, which the travel desk books separately.
- GST, added to every figure at the applicable rate, and any night allowance where a leg runs between 10 pm and 6 am.
- Airport transfers include 60 minutes of waiting after landing and meet-and-greet at the arrivals exit.
- The charter day (10 hours, 300 km) includes fuel and the chauffeur's meals and accommodation on outstation nights.
- Night driving between 10 pm and 6 am carries the night allowance per night; a second chauffeur is added on days over 12 hours.
- Tolls, parking, state entry taxes and permits are charged at cost against receipts; monument and guide fees through the travel desk are itemised.
- No gratuity is expected. GST is shown separately on every invoice. Cancellation terms are on the cancellation policy page.
- Vintage cars and stretch limousines are quoted per event.
- GST at 5% on chauffeured hire (18% where input credit is claimed) is added to every figure. The full international card is on the rates page; the charter builder prices a circuit of any length live, and the booking page takes the payment direct.
- Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before the first pickup, then 10% inside 72 hours, 50% inside 48 hours and the full first day inside 24 hours or for a no-show — the schedule on the cancellation policy page.
Questions
The 6-day Himachal circuit: frequently asked
What does the sixth day fix?
The return. Instead of a twelve-to-fourteen hour Manali-to-Delhi day, the circuit sleeps at Chandigarh and finishes with a four-and-a-half hour motorway run, and the day freed is spent in the Beas valley.
What is the difference between Solang and Rohtang?
Solang is a valley 13 km from Manali, open year-round, no permit, good for a half day. Rohtang is a 3,978-metre pass 51 km away, closed roughly half the year and permit-controlled with a daily quota.
What is the Atal Tunnel?
A 9-kilometre tunnel under the Rohtang pass, open since 2020, which keeps Lahaul reachable year-round without the Rohtang permit. The desk suggests it when the pass is shut or the quota has gone.
Is Chandigarh worth stopping in?
More than most people expect. The Capitol Complex is a UNESCO site needing a free permit and an advance slot, and the Rock Garden — forty acres built from industrial waste by one man — takes ninety minutes and is unforgettable.
Can we do this circuit in winter?
Yes, and many do it for the snow. Rohtang will be closed and Solang becomes the snow point. The desk will not send a sedan up in snowfall; it upgrades the class and says why.
How far ahead should we book for May and June?
Well ahead. The school holidays fill both hill stations and the Rohtang quota goes early. September to November is quieter, clearer and, for many travellers, better.
Same circuit, other lengths
The Himachal: Shimla and Manali in a different number of days
On the route
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Book
Book the six-day Himachal circuit direct
Six charter days price live by vehicle class, fare fixed before payment. Say at booking if Rohtang matters, so the permit can be applied for.
Weddings, film units, multi-day chauffeur hire, outstation journeys and anything with more than one vehicle are quoted by a person: call (877) 860-3388 or send the outline and a coordinator replies with a written quote.
Offers through BookingWorldwide.net
Hotels and flights for this itinerary, through BookingWorldwide.net
The stays along this route are on BookingWorldwide.net; reserve them there or ask our desk for the all-inclusive quote, and the chauffeured legs are lined up against whichever you choose.
Flight + hotel packages
Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Goa and Kerala bundles for festival weeks, school holidays and long weekends, with the airport transfer added to the same itinerary.
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Delhi, Agra and Jaipur hotels on one booking, and the RUTZ.IN chauffeur for the whole circuit quoted beside it.
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Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Hyderabad palace hotels, chosen with the transfer distance from the airport in mind.
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Beach and backwater resorts for the weeks a chauffeur is only needed at each end of the stay, with Dabolim, Mopa or Cochin airport pickups timed to the flight.
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Shimla, Manali, Mussoorie, Darjeeling, Ooty, Munnar and Coorg hotels, with the SUV from the gateway airport quoted on the same plan.
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Ranthambore, Jim Corbett, Kaziranga, Periyar and Bandhavgarh lodges and safari permits reserved before the car is dispatched.
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Taj Mahal entry, Kerala houseboats, Jaipur hot-air balloons, city walks and festival tickets reserved ahead so the chauffeured day runs to the plan.
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Fares into every airport on the airports page, so the car is timed to a confirmed arrival rather than an estimate.
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For the middle days of a trip, returned to the airport where the RUTZ.IN chauffeur collects you again.
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See also, and where the facts come from
On RUTZ.IN: India tour packages · 5-day Shimla Manali tour · 7-day Himachal tour · Chauffeur service in Delhi · City to City · Charter · Rates.
Official references used on this page:
- Ministry of Tourism, Incredible India Official destination guides and tourist statistics.
- India Meteorological Department Forecasts and monsoon warnings we check before hill and coastal journeys.
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Motor Vehicles Act rules for commercial permits, licences and passenger carriage.
- National Highways Authority of India Expressway and toll information for the intercity routes we drive.