Manali (Himachal) weather by month
The best time to visit Manali (Himachal) is December to February — 75/100 in January, 30°C and 5 rainy days. The best season is the dry season, January to June (51/100 on average).
The worst month is May at 31/100 — sweltering, a little rain. See May →
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit India →
Best season: January to June (51/100 on average) · worst May (31/100)
- Days
- 30°C
- Nights
- 22°C
- Wet days
- 5
- Sun
- 10 h
- Humidity
- 76%
- Daylight
- 11 h
Manali, month by month
Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip Manali is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.
What's on in Manali through the year
Festivals, natural spectacles, holidays and the seasons to watch out for — curated and sourced. The month pages carry the detail.
- May
- Rohtang Pass season1 May – 15 Nov (usually)Season
- Summer crush1 May – 30 JunSeason
- July
- Landslides on the valley road1 Jul – 15 Sep (usually)Season
- August
- Kullu apple harvest15 Aug – 15 Oct (usually)Nature
- October
- Kullu Dussehra1–25 Oct (usually)Festival
- December
- Christmas to New Year rush22 Dec – 2 Jan (usually)Holiday
- Snow season at Solang20 Dec – 28 FebSeason
Crowds in Manali in January
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsSnow season at Solang, Christmas to New Year rush, Winter break in India(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Good to know before you go to Manali
Real experiences from travellers' own write-ups, quoted with a link to the original.
adventure
We chose Old Manali over the busier Mall Road area for our stay, and the quieter, more scenic setting made the whole trip feel calmer despite how crowded the town gets overall. We applied for our Rohtang Pass permit online weeks ahead after learning it's required due to environmental regulations, and having it sorted before arrival saved us a scramble. Visiting in late September put us in the shoulder season, fewer crowds and cheaper accommodation than the summer rush, though still with enough good weather for the Bhrigu Lake trek we'd planned. The drive itself demanded real attention on the hairpin turns, and we were glad our driver had genuine experience with hill roads rather than just city driving.