9 months on, Manali-Leh AC bus service resumes on July 1

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Kullu, June 29

The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) will resume its air-conditioned bus service between Manali and Leh from July 1. The bus service was suspended in September last year due to the onset of winter and snowfall in higher reaches.

One-side fAre rs 1,800

• The bus will leave Manali at 5 am and reach Leh at 7 pm.
• It will return to Manali at 5 pm the next day.
• This time, the HPTDC has decided to start a bus service from Leh at 5 pm.
• The AC bus fare has been fixed at Rs 1,800 per seat for a one-way journey.
• Tourists can book seats online or at HPTDC office in Manali

The AC bus fare has been fixed at Rs 1,800 per seat for a one-way journey. Tourists can book seats online or at the HPTDC office in Manali.

The bus will leave Manali at 5 am and reach Leh at 7 pm. It will return to Manali at 5 pm the next day. However, this time, the HPTDC has decided to start a bus service from Leh at 5 pm. Before the construction of the Atal Tunnel, this bus service was for two days and the fare was Rs 2,500 per seat. The bus used to have a night stop at Keylong where arrangements of complimentary dinner and breakfast were made for tourists at the HPTDC hotel. The bus reached Leh the next day. However, after the construction of the tunnel, the journey can now be completed in a day and the fare has been reduced accordingly.

On this about 427-km route, tourists will enjoy a view of snow-clad mountains, spectacular valleys, glaciers and high passes such as Baralacha La (4,883 m), Lachung La (5,065 m), the Tanglang La (5,328 m) and Khardung La (5,359).

The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) is also running an ordinary bus service between Leh and Delhi since June 8 after the Manali-Leh national highway was thrown open to two-way traffic on June 1. The one-way fare for one person for Leh to Delhi journey is Rs 1,740. An online booking facility is available on the HRTC website.

Travel agents in Manali also ply mini buses having 12 to 16 seats between Manali and Leh at nominal rates. A large number of domestic and international tourists visit Leh to enjoy the serene beauty of the cold desert.

Balbir Singh Aukta, DGM, HPTDC, Manali, said that for the convenience of tourists, a 2 X 2 AC bus service would be started from July 1.