Are you looking for a super handy list of things to pack for Manali especially as a first-time traveler ? Don’t worry I’ve got you covered.
Based on my frequent travels to Manali and Himalayas in general, I am curating this super useful list of things to carry for a hassle-free Manali trip.
31 Super Essential Things to Pack for Manali
Find the List Below.
Clothes To Pack For Manali |
Trousers, trek pants, Woolen Pants (Winters), Shorts (Monsoon)
Shirts, Tshirts, Dresses, Tops, Indian Wear ( For Women) |
Warm Clothes to Pack for Manali |
Good winter Jacket
Thermals, Fleece layer, Hoodies, Light Sweater Woolen Socks, Woolen Cap, Woolen Gloves, |
Shoes to pack for Manali |
Flip-Flops, Sandals (For moving at the property)
Normal Shoes, Sportshoes, Sneakers (For normal sightseeing) Good Waterproof hiking shoes (For hiking and trekking) |
Toiletries to pack for Manali |
Sanitizer, Soap, Bodywash, Shampoo, Tooth Brush, Tooth Paste, Sunscreen, Moisturizer, Menstrual hygiene products |
Essentials to pack for Manali |
Government issued ID card, Cash, Water bottle, Day Pack, Power Bank, Camera, Poncho, Umbrella |
Medicines to pack for Manali |
Over the counter medicines for common ailments like Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Cetirizine etc,
Medications specific to you. Basic First Aid Kit, AMS Medications if venturing to high-altitude areas. |
Clothes to pack for Manali Trip
Trousers/ Trek pants/ Shorts
Trousers or trek pants are great options for Manali across all the seasons.
They are very breathable and easy to move in. Unlike denims or jeans.
2-3 trousers or trek pants should be enough for a week-long trip to Manali.
Woolen pants will be apt during bone-chilling winters while Shorts can be worn during the summer and monsoon months.
Shirts/ Tshirts/ tops/ Dresses/ Indian wear
Men can wear Shirts or Tshirts depending on their liking and comfort.
While women can choose from Shirts, tshirts, tops. dresses, Indian wear depending on their liking, comfort & season.
Warm Clothes to Pack For Manali
Barring June to August, Manali is quite cold. Late Autumn, Early spring, Winters have sub-zero or close to sub-zero temperatures.
Therefore packing appropriate warm clothes is very essential.
Before moving further, if you had questions on renting winter clothes in Manali, check out this blog
Thermal Inners
Thermals trap body heat and act as a first layer of defense against cold.
Ensure that you carry them in the winters, late autumn, early spring. For the rest of the year, they can be optional.
But I carry them anyway no matter what the season as they do not weigh much.
Light Woolen/Sweater/Hoodie/Sweatshirt
No matter what the season, You at least need one of these to deal with the cold in Manali.
Therefore, depending on the season you are traveling in, pack an appropriate number of layers.
Remember weather in the mountains is fickle. Therefore, it’s always better to pack extra layers.
I personally have been using this basic fleece layer from Quechua and it’s quite effective.
Along with this fleece layer, I also tend to always carry a light sweater no matter the season.
A decent Winter Jacket
Peak winters, late autumn, early spring calls for an effective winter jacket that sustains negative temperatures.
Therefore it is essential to pack one if you are visiting in the aforementioned period (October to April)
Again reiterating it’s always better to carry a decent winter jacket even in Summers & Monsoon.
As high-altitude areas near Manali like Lahaul, Hamta are cold even in Summer.
This Quechua Jacket is perfect for a place like Manali and works well in negative temperatures with other warm layers.
Woolen Socks, Gloves, Caps
Pack 2 pairs of Woolen socks, a pair Gloves and a Cap in case you are visiting in peak winters.
Otherwise It’s optional in my opinion. But again there is no harm in packing irrespective of the season as they do not weigh much.
Footwear To Carry For Manali Trip
Below is a brief section on what footwear you should carry on the trip to Manali.
To get more details and insights pertaining to the footwear check this out “what shoes to carry for Manali”.
Flip-Flops/Sandals
Pack flip-flops or sandals to move around the property you’re staying at.
They also tend to come in handy for short walks around the property.
Normal Shoes/Casual Shoes
For sightseeing, normal shoes like sport shoes, sneakers etc should suffice. So ensure you pack them.
Hiking/Trekking Shoes
Pack appropriate hiking shoes in case you are looking for day hikes or multi-day treks in and around Manali.
Basic hiking shoes suffice for day-hikes and non-snowy trails. This is what I’ve been using.
For multi-day treks in the higher altitudes, carrying decent hiking shoes is really recommended.
Essential to Carry For Manali trip
Cash
In the age of UPI and digital payments, this might sound stupid, but carrying a little bit of cash is always advisable.
Not everyone always accepts UPI or digital payment.
ID Card
Government approved ID is a must on a trip to Manali. Ensure that you carry it.
Reason being the hotels, hostels, homestays ask for them at the time of check-in.
Water bottle
Carry a water bottle and refill it instead of buying packaged water.
There are umpteen pure water resources around Manali. Also, you can refill at the place of your stay.
Day Pack
Whenever outdoors like hiking or exploring in and around Manali, a daypack comes in handy.
I personally use a 10 litre quechua daypack to carry fruits, water bottle, or packed food.
Sunglasses
If you are visiting snowbound areas in and around Manali, carrying sunglasses is always advisable.
Poncho
Make sure you carry a Poncho if you are traveling to Manali no matter what the season.
If you plan to venture outdoors during rainy days, they will surely come in really handy.
Toiletries to Pack for Manali Trip
Soap/Shampoo/Sanitizer
Unless you’ve booked semi-luxury or luxury properties, you won’t be given any toiletries.
So ensure that you pack necessary items like soaps, shampoo’s, sanitizer, bodywash of your choice.
Moisturizer/Sunscreen/Conditioners
Tanning and dry skin can be common effects of altitude and cold-dry weather of Manali
Therefore, ensure to pack sunscreen and moisturizer, to avoid or mitigate its effect.
Menstrual hygiene products
Fellow female travelers, I’m sure you know better but please ensure you carry your menstrual hygiene products.
You never know when it may come handy, especially if you are visiting away from Manali town.
Medicines to carry on a trip to Manali
First aid
Basic first aid like antiseptic liquid, medical bandage come in handy for minor wounds. So, ensure you carry them.
Medicines for Common Ailments
Make sure you carry basic over the counter medicines for cold, fever, headache, bodyache, allergy etc.
Dolo 650 is one such over the counter medicine for fever, body ache etc.
Over the counter medicines for cold and sore throat include Wikoryl and other brands.
You can also carry basic over the counter medicines like Avomine for motion sickness.
Medicines like Cetirizine or Atarax can be helpful in case of itching, allergies and other ailments.
But make sure you consult your doctor first before taking any of these medicines.
Medicines Specific to you
If you are suffering from any chronic or long-term illness, Ensure you carry your specific medicines.
Sometimes you might not find specific medicines or brands even in Manali or Kullu for that matter.
Medicines for AMS
Although Manali itself is not high-altitude, there are places of interest around Manali that are.
Acclimatization is the key to avoid AMS, but medicines could help you acclimatize faster in case you have less time.
Acetazolamide is the medicine to help you acclimatize faster. While dexamethasone is to treat AMS.
For more details, please check out this blog “how tackle AMS in the high altitude valleys”
To conclude, I am sure now you have a clear idea on what to pack for Manali.
In case you have any queries regarding things to pack for Manali, reach out to me in the comments below.
