Start the day with a hearty, budget-friendly breakfast at a local dhaba near Umaid Bhawan or Clock Tower — try kachori, aloo sabzi and chai — and use the morning to pack, double-check tickets, and pick up any last-minute travel essentials at Nai Sarak Market. If you have time, squeeze in a quick photo stop at Mehrangarh Fort courtyard to soak up the blue city views one last time before boarding your daytime bus or catching a cheap shared taxi to the Jodhpur bus station.
Arrive at the bus station early, secure your luggage and grab a light lunch from a station stall (dal-baati or a stuffed paratha) before boarding the overnight sleeper or Volvo to Delhi; use the afternoon to rest, read or download maps and Manali guides for the next leg of the journey. If your connection allows, change into comfortable layers and take short walks during stops to stretch your legs while enjoying roadside chai and samosas — small breaks help manage the long trip on a budget.
As dusk falls, settle into your reserved seat or sleeper berth on the overnight coach and prepare for the long ride: have a simple dinner packed or buy a hygienic tiffin at the station, charge devices and set alarms for transfers; chat with fellow travellers to trade tips about cheap stays in Manali. Keep valuables close, sleep when you can, and enjoy glimpses of small towns en route — you'll arrive in Delhi/at the next rendezvous point refreshed and ready for the overnight Delhi→Manali bus the following night.
Wake on the coach as pale Himalayan peaks begin to appear — use the final stretch through Punjab and lower Himachal to freshen up, enjoy tea from the roadside stalls during a stop, and keep an eye out for the Beas River winding closer as you approach Manali. If your Volvo arrives early at the Bhuntar/Manali bus stand, grab a quick breakfast at a nearby dhaba (try steamed aloo paratha or maggi with ginger chai) before heading to your budget guesthouse in Old Manali to drop luggage and change into warmer layers.
Spend the afternoon exploring Old Manali’s quaint lanes: wander past the Manu Temple, browse the Tibetan shops and cafés on Mall Road, and relax with a budget-friendly lunch at Johnson’s Café alternate spots like Café 1947 or Chopsticks for momo and thukpa. Take a gentle riverside walk along the Beas, soak up the valley views, and if time permits visit the nearby Hadimba Temple’s cedar grove for photos and a peaceful short trek up to the sanctuary.
As evening falls, settle into a cheap but cozy café in Old Manali for local Himachali dishes or a simple dal-tadka and rice, then stroll down to the Mall Road to sample street snacks and window-shop for woolens and souvenirs. Return to your guesthouse early to rest or join fellow travelers around a dorm common room or bonfire (many budget stays host these) — get a good night’s sleep, because tomorrow you’ll choose between Solang Valley or a Rohtang budget excursion.
Wake up in Old Manali and get your day started with a budget-friendly breakfast at Café 1947 or a chai-and-paratha stall near the river, then drop by the ancient Manu Temple to soak in local mythology and quiet morning light. From there, take a relaxed riverside walk along the Beas toward the Jogini Falls turnoff — the short, easy trail offers great photo spots and a peaceful introduction to the valley without paying for a guide.
Head to the cedar-shaded Hadimba Temple complex to admire the pagoda-style architecture and wander the surrounding Himalayan Nature Park, then grab a wallet-friendly lunch on Mall Road (try momos or thukpa at Chopsticks or a set meal at a dhaba). After lunch, browse Old Manali’s thrift stores and Tibetan handicraft shops, hunt for a warm pashmina or woolen cap on a budget, and stop at a cozy café for ginger tea while watching local life drift by.
As dusk settles, enjoy street snacks and window shopping along Mall Road — pick up homemade chocolates or roasted corn — then settle into a budget guesthouse common room or join an informal bonfire at your hostel to swap travel stories with fellow backpackers. Finish the night with a simple Himachali dinner (dal-chawal or rajma) at a local eatery before turning in early to rest up for tomorrow’s Solang Valley or Rohtang day trip.
Rise early in Old Manali, grab a quick tea and aloo-paratha from a riverside stall, and catch a shared taxi or local bus to Solang Valley (or Bhuntar turnoff if you’ve booked a budget Rohtang permit/ride). Spend the crisp morning taking in panoramic snow-dusted slopes—try a short ropeway ride in Solang if within budget, or hire a local guide for an affordable snow-walk at Rohtang’s edge for epic valley views and photo stops.
Have a simple packed lunch or eat at a dhaba near Solang offering thukpa and momos, then sample wallet-friendly activities like sledging, short zipline experiences, or pony rides; alternatively, head to nearby picturesque spots such as Gulaba or Marhi for quieter walks and beas-river viewpoints. If time allows, visit the Solang marketplace to shop for inexpensive woolens or pappadams and enjoy a warming cup of ginger tea before returning to Manali in the late afternoon to collect luggage.
Back in Manali, grab an early dinner on Mall Road—order dal-chawal or rajma-chawal at a local eatery to keep costs low—then head to the bus stand to board your overnight Volvo/coach to Delhi, exchanging last-minute travel tips with fellow passengers. Settle into your seat with snacks and a charged device, watch the valley lights fade behind you, and rest on the overnight journey so you arrive in Delhi refreshed for the return leg to Jodhpur.
Wake in Delhi after the overnight coach and head to a nearby dhaba or station stall for a hot breakfast—try aloo-paratha with curd and chai or a light idli-sambar if you’re near the ISBT/Anand Vihar area—while you reconfirm your Jodhpur bus/train timings and collect any hold luggage. Use the morning to stroll briefly around the station precinct if time allows, pick up bottled water and snacks for the long journey, and mentally replay favourite Manali moments as the coach pulls out of the city.
As the landscape shifts back toward Rajasthan, break your journey at a roadside dhaba for a simple thali or dal-baati-churma if available, stretching your legs and chatting with fellow travellers about affordable buys from Old Manali like pashminas or woolen caps. Keep your receipts and small souvenirs handy, catch short naps between stops, and enjoy occasional views of the plains rolling in—this low-cost travel rhythm ties together the trip’s mountain highlights with the comforts of homebound routine.
Arrive in Jodhpur in the early evening and celebrate the end of the budget trip with a casual walk around the Clock Tower market to sample kachori, mirchi vada or a sweet from a local shop, then head home or to your final resting place to unpack and launder layered woolens. Reflect on shared hostel bonfires, Solang valley vistas and Hadimba’s cedar grove while planning a relaxed photo review or a small get-together with travel companions to swap photos and tips from the journey.
| Place / Activity | Cost |
|---|---|
| Local dhaba near Umaid Bhawan / Clock Tower (breakfast) | INR 40-120 |
| Nai Sarak Market (last-minute purchases) | INR 0-500 (depends on purchases) |
| Mehrangarh Fort courtyard (quick photo stop) | INR 50-200 (entry not required for courtyard; full fort tour extra) |
| Bus station food / light lunch (dal-baati / paratha) | INR 50-150 |
| Overnight coach Jodhpur → Delhi (sleeper/Volvo) | INR 500-1,200 |
| Overnight coach Delhi → Manali (Volvo / sleeper) | INR 700-1,400 |
| Dhaba breakfast near Bhuntar / Manali bus stand (aloo-paratha / maggi) | INR 40-120 |
| Budget guesthouse in Old Manali (drop luggage) | INR 400-1,200 per night (dorm ₹300-500; private ₹800-1,200) |
| Old Manali walking / Manu Temple visit | Free-INR 20 donation |
| Riverside walk toward Jogini Falls (short trail) | Free (transport to trailhead may be INR 20-100 if shared taxi) |
| Hadimba Temple & Himalayan Nature Park | INR 10-30 (temple donation/park entry small) |
| Mall Road lunch (momos / thukpa / dal) | INR 80-250 |
| Thrift & Tibetan handicraft shopping (pashmina/woolens) | INR 200-2,000 (cheaper woolen caps ₹100-300; pashmina/scarves ₹500+) |
| Cafe stop (ginger tea / snacks) | INR 30-200 |
| Solang Valley shared taxi / bus (one way) | INR 50-200 per person each way (shared taxi/bus) |
| Solang ropeway ride (if available) | INR 150-400 (approx., seasonal) |
| Sledging / short activities in Solang | INR 100-600 per activity (sledging, pony, small zipline) |
| Dhaba lunch near Solang (thukpa / momos) | INR 80-200 |
| Visit Gulaba / Marhi (short stop/walk) | INR 0-100 (transport share) |
| Evening dinner on Mall Road before bus | INR 80-250 |
| Overnight coach Manali → Delhi (Volvo / sleeper) | INR 700-1,400 |
| Dhaba breakfast in Delhi / station (aloo-paratha / idli) | INR 40-120 |
| Long-distance coach / train Delhi → Jodhpur (return) | INR 400-1,200 (coach) ; train ₹300-900 (sleeper/second class to AC 3-tier higher) |
| Roadside dhaba lunch en route (dal-baati / thali) | INR 80-200 |
| Clock Tower market snacks & shopping (Jodhpur arrival) | INR 50-500 (food ₹20-150; small souvenirs ₹100-400) |
| Estimated Total (per person) | INR 5,500-14,000 (per person, approximate) |