Manali to Kullu Town by Bus or Car

Kullu town is about 40 km by road from central Manali. You can make the journey by bus or car, and it can work as a return outing if you leave enough room in the day. First, make sure Kullu town is the place you mean. The Kullu-Manali airport is at Bhuntar, farther down the valley, not in Kullu town.

That distinction matters when you book a bus seat or agree on a taxi drop. A ticket or quote marked “Kullu” does not, by itself, promise to take you to the airport.

Where the road takes you

From Manali, travel down the Beas Valley towards Kullu. The 40 km figure is for central Manali to Kullu town. Your hotel may be outside either centre, so check the address before using that number to plan a pickup or a connecting journey.

Bhuntar comes after Kullu when travelling from Manali. If you are flying, put the airport's actual location into your plan and confirm your driver or bus can take you there. If Kullu town is your stop, there is no reason to continue to Bhuntar.

If you are taking a bus

Start with the Manali bus stand. Ask for a service that stops in Kullu town, and confirm where it boards and where it lets you off. This is worth doing even if a booking site lists a Manali-to-Kullu bus: some private services use their own boarding points, which may be inconvenient if you are carrying luggage.

You can check services listed on the HRTC booking portal, then ask at the stand about local options for your travel day. Check the return before setting off if you are not staying in Kullu. Departure times and fares can change; the last useful return bus matters more than a generic list of departures.

If you need to continue to Bhuntar airport, tell the conductor or booking agent that Bhuntar is your destination. Do not assume a bus ending at Kullu will take you the extra distance.

If you are going by car or taxi

A car gives you a direct drop at your accommodation or meeting point. For a taxi, agree on the exact destination before you leave Manali. “Kullu town”, “Bhuntar airport” and an address elsewhere in Kullu district are different journeys.

For a return outing, the town-centre journey is roughly 80 km both ways before local driving. Leave space for traffic, a meal and whatever brings you to Kullu; a short distance on the map does not mean you should put another fixed appointment immediately after the drive. If your purpose is Kullu Dussehra, give the visit more time and expect the town to be busier during the festival.

If Kullu is only a stop on the way to Kasol, our Manali to Kasol journey explains the onward turn at Bhuntar. For a day that begins and ends in Manali, the Manali destination page has closer ways to spend your time.

Photograph: Beas River at Kullu, credited on the source page to Jupitus Smart, photographed 17 June 2016. Resized and converted to WebP by 2050 XP. The photograph and this adapted version are available under CC BY-SA 4.0.