Manali, (alt. 1,950 m or 6,398 ft) on the Beas River valley, is an important hill station in the Himalayan mountains of Himachal Pradesh, India, near the northern end of the Kullu Valley. The small town was the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and, from there, over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin. The ancient cave temple, Hidimba Devi Temple, is not far from town. In ancient times, the valley was sparsely populated by nomadic hunters known as "rakshas". The next arrivals were the shepherds who arrived from the Kangra valley and settled to take up agriculture. Manali is named after the Hindu lawgiver Manu. The word Manali literally means “the abode of Manu”. Legend has it that sage Manu stepped off his ark in Manali to recreate human life after a great flood had deluged the world. Manali is known as the "Valley of the Gods". The Old Manali village has an ancient temple dedicated to sage Manu. Naggar Fort south of Manali is a reminder of the 1500 year old Pal Dynasty. Manali is known for its shiny gompas or Buddhist monasteries. With the highest concentration of Tibetan refugees in the entire Kullu valley, it is famous for its Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa, built in 1969. The often visited site in Manali is the Dhungri or Hadimba Temple. Erected in 1533, this temple is dedicated to the local deity Hadimba, wife of the Pandava prince, Bhim. The 3000 hectares big Manali sanctuary is located here with Musk deer, Brown bear, Leopard, Snow leopard and Herds of Ibex are found.

Visit:
The famous Hemis, Shey & Thiksey monasteries.
The Shey Palace.
Tso Moriri & Thasang Tso lakes.
Medicated hot water springs in Chuma Thang.
Famous passes - The Baralacha La, Lachung La & others.
Sumdo to Tsomoriri - one of the most interesting drives in the world.