Manali to Leh Bus Service 2024 – 2025 – Latest Schedule

by Vargis.Khan

The tourist season in Ladakh has officially begun and people are eagerly waiting for the Manali Leh Highway to open. Some of them have their own vehicles all serviced and geared up for the adventurous journey ahead while a lot many others would be opting for the Manali to Leh Bus service. If you too are planning a trip to Ladakh and fall in the second category of travelers, below is the Manali to Leh Bus 2022 schedule that can be of help.

Also Read: How to Plan a Trip to Leh Ladakh – A Complete Travel Guide

There are three types of Bus services available from Manali to Leh. Two of these are provided by HRTC and the third one is by HPTDC. The ones by HRTC are ordinary Buses and more suitable for someone who is traveling on a  bit of a budget. The HPTDC Bus is a luxury one and is more of a package deal with accommodation and meals included. More information on these buses is provided further in the article.

Image: HRTCmanali to leh bus 2019

Manali to Leh HRTC Bus

Let us talk about the Manali to Leh Bus service provided by HRTC first. This is a good cost-effective option if you want to travel to Ladakh within budget. Buses provided by HRTC are ordinary ones which also means that for some people, it can be highly uncomfortable considering the long-distance and hours that this bus covers. These are two types of services that are available under this category.

  • Manali to Leh by Bus in 2 Days
  • Manali to Leh by Bus in 1 Day

Both of these services usually starts about 15 to 20 days after BRO has declared the Manali Leh highway open and safe for a Bus to ply, and continue till early October. Neither of the two will stop for sightseeing. They will complete the journey pretty much in a non-stop manner and breaks will be limited to at a few Dhabas for meals and bio breaks.

Manali to Leh By Bus in 2 Days

Contrary to common belief, this is actually not a single bus that takes you all the way. Rather, it is you who will break the journey into 2 parts and will have to board different buses to complete your trip. From Manali, you will first reach Keylong and then take a connecting Bus from Keylong for Leh.

Assuming that you plan to travel this way, your first task will be to reach the Manali Bus stand and board a Bus for Keylong from there. For this part, you will have the luxury of choosing the Bus timing as per your own convenience.

There are a few HRTC buses from Manali for Keylong with the first one starting at 5 AM and the last one at 1 PM. My advice would be that you board the 1st Bus available because it will mean that you reached Keylong in time to look for a good hotel. But in case you missed the first Bus, you will have the option of boarding another one later in the day.

Keylong to Leh Bus

Once you arrive at Keylong, please find a hotel as close to the Bus stand as you can because you will have to catch a bus again in the morning at 5 AM for Leh. Please note that from Keylong, it will not be the same bus that you boarded from Manali but a different one.

There is just one Bus available from Keylong in the morning so ensure that you catch it in time because if you missed it, you will have no other choice but to stay in Keylong for that day and catch the bus the next morning.

Also read: Manali to Leh – Available Modes of Transport

For your journey from Manali to Keylong, you will just get a ticket and can sit anywhere on the bus. But for Keylong to Leh, your seat # will be mentioned on your ticket.

Another important thing to note is that in case the bus faces any sort of technical difficulty or had a breakdown on the way; or the Bus was not running per the schedule for any reason, it will stop for the night at either Sarchu or Pang. What this means is that the journey from Keylong to Leh will be completed in two days and the total duration of Manali to Leh will increase to 3 days.

Manali to Leh Bus Ticket Price

Your total fare for this journey too is broken into two parts. Manali to Keylong Bus ticket will be for about Rs. 175 and then Keylong to Leh will be for about Rs. 550. Hence the complete journey will cost you slightly over Rs. 700.

Manali to Leh HRTC Bus Booking

There is no booking system available for this Bus. You will have to buy the ticket on the spot from both Manali and Keylong. But as I mentioned, seat # will be assigned on the ticket that you buy at Keylong.

Manali to Leh HRTC Bus Timing

There are several buses from Manali to Keylong between 5 AM and 1 PM. From Keylong, it is just one bus for Leh at 5 AM.

Manali to Leh By Bus in 1 Day

Now let us take a look at the second Bus service provided by HRTC. I have actually covered this topic in great details in a different post that I would request you to please read, Manali to Leh One Day Bus Service by HRTC

This bus will start from Manali at 4 AM and will reach Leh by 8.30 PM. The fare per person is about Rs. 900. It is a great choice for people who are short on time and must complete the journey in a single day.

Another added benefit of this service is that you can actually book the ticket online which was not a choice with the 2-day Bus. For further details and schedule, I would request you to please take a look at the article that I provided the link to above.

delhi to leh bus

Manali to Leh HPTDC Bus

This one is an all luxury and direct bus from Manali to Leh. If you are looking for Volvo buses from Manali to Leh then this is the one that you need to choose.

This one too is a 2 days journey with a night halt at Keylong. It starts from the Manali Bus stand early in the morning and reaches Leh by evening the next day. Another benefit of this bus is that it stops at all major stops on the route for sightseeing.

Accommodation at Keylong is at Hotel Chandrabhaga. There is a lawn in front of the hotel Chandrabhaga and HPTDC sets up tents on that lawn. Yes, you will not be staying at a hotel but in the tents.

If you do not like it, you always have the option to check in to the hotel but then you will have to pay for your room charges on your own. HPTDC will not refund any money from your fare if you do not use the tents.

Also read: Accommodation on Manali Leh Highway

Manali to Leh Bus Schedule 2021

Please also note that this is not a daily service. The bus runs from Manali to Leh on alternate days. This bus entirely operates on the booking system. It will only travel if there are a minimum of 10 passengers and will get canceled for the day if tickets booked are less than 10.

If this happens, HPTDC will make alternative arrangements in the form of private taxis; and you will have to pay the difference between bus and taxi fare. You will have to report to the HPTDC office 30 minutes before the departure of the coach.

You can either book a ticket for this bus in advance from HPTDC office Manali or you can do so online. Payment will be made at once as you book your seat. The fare per person is Rs. 2900 which includes your accommodation at Keylong and meals (dinner, breakfast, and tea).

For booking, you will need to visit the  HPTDC Booking Page. On this page, you can select the dates as per your travel plan and can book tickets for both Manali to Leh and Leh to Manali.

Manali to Leh

Below are the details for the Manali to Leh trip.

Pickup Dropoff Fare Dep. Time Arrival Time Stay Bus type Duration
HRTC, Bus Stand, Manali JKSRTC Bus Stand, Leh 2900/- 10:00 AM 07:00 PM at Leh(next day) (arrival at Keylong 04:00 PM) night stay at HPTDC Hotel Chanderbhaga, Keylong which includes (Dormitory accommodation + Dinner + Breakfast )Departure from Keylong at 04:00 AM) 2X2 Deluxe Non AC 21 hours

Leh to Manali

And below are the details for the journey from Manali to Leh.

Pickup Dropoff Fare Dep. Time Arrival Time Stay Bus type Duration
J&K Bank/ Tourist Information Centre, Fort Road, Leh HRTC Bus Stand, Manali 2900/- 5:00 AM 01:30 PM at Manali(next day) (arrival at Keylong 07:00 PM) night stay at HPTDC Hotel Chanderbhaga, Keylong which includes (Dormitory accommodation + Dinner + breakfast departure from Keylong at 07:00 AM)” 2X2 Deluxe Non AC 21 hou

Manali to Leh Volvo Bus

I am adding this information here because a lot of people ask me this. There is no specific Manali to Leh Volvo Bus Service available. The only luxury buses are the ones provided by HPTDC that I mentioned above.

Manali to Leh Volvo Bus Fare

For a Manali to Leh Volvo Bus, you will pay Rs. 2,900 for one side journey, same as HPTDC.

AC Bus from Manali to Leh

There is no AC Bus available from Manali to Leh. Even the luxury one provided by HPTDC is a non-ac Bus. That is because you do not need an AC bus for this journey. The temperature will be freezing and you will be sitting with windows shut and wearing heavy woolen clothes anyway.

hrtc leh manali bus

Clothes to Pack for Ladakh Trip

Irrespective of the fact that you will be traveling by a Bus, it is very important that you pack the right type of clothes for your trip. The weather of Ladakh is cold and unpredictable and varies highly depending on the month and time of the day.

The trick is to bring clothes that can be worn on top of one another, according to the temperature of the day. For more details, please read What Kind of Clothes to Pack for Ladakh Trip.

Best time to Visit Leh Ladakh

If you were traveling by bus, the best time to visit Ladakh would be in late June, July, August, or September. Weather in these months remain to be pleasant and the bus service on all routes will remain available. For more details, please read When is the Best time to visit Ladakh.

Acute Mountain Sickness

Yes, altitude sickness will be one of your biggest concerns while visiting Ladakh. Take a look at How to Handle Acute Mountain Sickness in Ladakh to know what AMS is, what its symptoms are, and what can you do to avoid it.

Conclusion

I hope the information above on the schedule of Manali to Leh Bus service was of help. If you have any questions; or need any other details; please feel free to ask in the comments section below, or at our Community Forum, and I will be glad to answer.

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75 comments

[email protected] November 20, 2023 - 4:36 am

This bus will start from Manali at 4 PM and will reach Leh by 8.30 PM.

4 hrs 30 minutes for >400 km journey by bus. I don’t think so.

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Vargis.Khan November 20, 2023 - 10:17 pm

Sorry, I meant 4 am. Corrected now. Thanks for catching that.

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Thoufeeq Rahman June 8, 2023 - 4:41 am

Let me know is HPTDC BUS. available now

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Vargis.Khan June 8, 2023 - 7:28 am

toward the end of June only

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Dushyant H Gehani May 19, 2023 - 7:02 am

Thank You for sharing valuable detailed information for traveling to Leh by Bus. It will be very helpful to many to plan their travel to Leh.

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Vargis.Khan May 19, 2023 - 8:00 am

Thank you Dushyant Bhai for taking the time to drop a note

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Thoufeeq Rahman June 8, 2023 - 4:38 am

Is it started ? I mean HPTDC BUS service

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Vargis.Khan June 8, 2023 - 7:28 am

Not yet

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Me My May 22, 2023 - 1:26 pm

Bonjour,
Pouvez vous me dire si le service de bus Manali Leh sera ouvert à partir du 27 mai 2023 ?
Merci.

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Vargis.Khan May 23, 2023 - 7:17 am

Bonjour – Il ne commencera probablement pas avant le 15 juin

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Rahil May 29, 2023 - 7:14 am

Sir leh Ladakh jana hai bus kab h or kis time WhatsApp plzz 8791856068

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Sharvari Deshmukh May 5, 2023 - 8:33 am

Hi…. Are these buses available from 10th May onwards ? I need to reach Leh by 13th May… My flights got cancelled.

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Vargis.Khan May 6, 2023 - 8:56 am

It will be available only June onward

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Akshay sharma May 15, 2023 - 11:51 am

Hello Sir
Is there any contact no. of keylong depot to enquire the bus schedule to leh?

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Prabhakaran Chandrabhanu June 5, 2023 - 11:16 am

Tx for u r information, its very helpful

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Vargis.Khan June 6, 2023 - 7:00 am

Thank you !!!

Karthick Vignesh November 23, 2023 - 3:46 pm

Hi Vargis,
I am planning to visit Sissu on December Christmas holidays. Will HRTC run buses at that time of the year, if not how to get to Sissu.. Please let me know the cost too if you have an idea

Rahul jain February 22, 2023 - 8:20 am

Hello
Thank you for the informative post.
I will be boarding my bus from Delhi to Manali at around 6pm . I suppose it will reach manali by 6-7am next day. Can I still reach keylong by bus the same day?

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Vargis.Khan February 24, 2023 - 7:38 am

Hello – Yes you can

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Gabriel Kreuzer October 9, 2022 - 7:36 am

Hello, does anybody know if the route Leh-Manali is still open at the moment?
Best regards Gabriel

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Vargis.Khan October 9, 2022 - 3:02 pm

It is open but will get declared any day now. It has already started to snow on the route.

Bus service has already stopped

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Rahul September 7, 2022 - 6:37 am

Is it now the route for manali to leh is open or not in this month of September 2022?

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Vargis.Khan September 13, 2022 - 11:03 am

Yes it is open

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Rajesh October 16, 2022 - 11:21 am

Time of HPTDC bus from Manali to Leh is 5 A. M or
10 A. M?
Will this Bus available in last week of May?
Thanks.

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Vargis.Khan October 18, 2022 - 5:06 am

It starts early in the morning. Whether or not it is available in May will depend on the weather and how soon the road opens. Hard to predict right now

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Aman February 28, 2023 - 7:08 pm

When the bus service will open in 2023 ? April or may? Can you help me out in dates?

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Vargis.Khan March 2, 2023 - 7:25 am

It will start in May

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Vicky August 7, 2022 - 1:13 pm

How can I find sharing taxi .? . as I m planning to travel leh alone . What will cost for single

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Pushpendra Kumar October 11, 2022 - 6:22 am

Hi Vicky, Are you still want to go leh.
Because I also want to go there just call me 9910467456

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VIshal Bandiwadekar May 2, 2022 - 9:13 am

Hello Vargis, any idea when the Manali to Leh bus will start this year.

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Vargis.Khan May 5, 2022 - 7:57 am

Hi Vishal Bhai – Estimate is of late May or early June

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Yahya April 25, 2022 - 7:13 am

I have to go leh in 28 april 2022. Is there any way to go from Manali to leh?

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Vargis.Khan April 25, 2022 - 8:46 am

Not before May 15th at least

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Anil Malhotra May 3, 2022 - 2:08 pm

Sir plz tell me Manali to leh bus services. I m going 28 may

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Vargis.Khan May 5, 2022 - 7:41 am

It has not yet started Bhai. It is expected to start in late May or early June for now.

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Prasanth P April 13, 2022 - 2:41 am

Thanks for the detailed info. Couple of questions
I need to travel to Jispa once I reach Manali.
1. Is the bus frequency enough for me to get to Keylong from Manali.
2. Will Barlacha pass be accessible in end of April.

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Vargis.Khan April 13, 2022 - 4:46 am

1. If you just want to Jispa then a better option would be shared cabs. Those travel throughout the day.
2. No

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Surendra April 8, 2022 - 1:49 pm

I am a retired army man. Age 77. Intend to visit Manali Leh by shared taxi. Intend to cover Nubra Valley and Pengong shu lake. Plan to have two/threr nights enroute.
Lookimg for a male company.
Intend to return vua Sri Nagar Route

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Rohit Sharma May 3, 2022 - 3:00 am

Hi we can company to one another

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Songkarn March 21, 2022 - 2:20 am

I have to go leh in 02 May 2022. Is there any way to go from Manali?
When will the 2022 manali to leh hptdc bus service start? Plz reply
Thanks.

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Vargis.Khan March 27, 2022 - 2:43 am

It depends on the weather Songkarn but the HPTDC service usually starts by end of May or early June.

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Ajinkya Kasare March 6, 2022 - 9:05 pm

Hello dear ,
I am planning to visit leh after 5th June but first I will visit manali so there is any bus service to reach Leh from manali please help me In this

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Santosh gautam February 24, 2022 - 2:34 pm

Hello vargis I have to go leh in 04 april 2022. Is there any way to go from Manali? Plz reply

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Vargis.Khan February 25, 2022 - 4:43 am

Hi Santosh – No there isn’t. Manali-Leh route never opens that early

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Santosh Dubey February 28, 2022 - 3:22 am

Hi Vargis bhai, I am Santosh Dubey from jharkhand want to go in leh for defence rally. So kindly you can tell me which route is best for going leh. By jammu- Srinagar or Manali to leh. My reporting date is 10 April. And also tell me what is the medium to go there by bus or cab.

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Vargis.Khan March 6, 2022 - 1:36 am

Roads will not be open that early Santosh Bhai. Do not take a chance and book a flight instead

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DIPAKKUMAR PATEL June 27, 2021 - 9:04 am

Is it possible to sherring cab Taxi from manali to leh?
What’s a cost of sharing cab..
Is it normally available or not.

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DIPAKKUMAR PATEL June 27, 2021 - 8:59 am

Sir, I am a senior citizen, we want to come in May 31st 2022.
Is it possible by Bus from manali to Leh?…

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Paritosh Pandit August 17, 2021 - 11:40 am

Yes … I am 58 year old
I tour manali to lah than lah to srinagar by bus

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abhilash M June 17, 2021 - 6:39 pm

When will the 2021 manali to leh hptdc bus service start?

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Rupali March 29, 2021 - 10:22 am

Hi Vargis, I have plans to visit Leh in May 2021 and then head to Manali, I read somewhere the HPTDC bus service only begin by June, will the HRTC bus service be available during the first half of May ? kindly revert. Thanks 🙂

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Mahadeb Seal February 21, 2022 - 2:49 pm

I am willing to visit Madam on July-2022.Let me know when HPDC Volvo bus booking will be opened.

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Vargis.Khan February 22, 2022 - 10:24 am

Its open by late May to Mid June.

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BHUSHAN K. RATHI February 16, 2020 - 2:02 pm

Hello dear Vargis i want to travel manali to leh by bike with my girl friend . so how much it safe for both of us by every angle. or any issue because we both only. i plan for may 2020.

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Vargis.Khan February 17, 2020 - 2:22 am

It depends on how experience you are on Bike Bhushan. If you know how to handle it in the hills, it is safe enough.

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Laurence Mills February 8, 2020 - 4:53 am

G’day Vargis,

I will probably arrive at Manali about May 10 2020. I am an Australian tourist. Will the road to Leh be open then? What will the weather be like? My journey will start in Sikkim, then to Nepal, south to Lucknow and then west through Uttarakhand and into Himachal Pradesh. How long does it take to acclimatise to height. Do you have advice for me? I plan to head to Amritsar via Ladakh, Srinagar, Jammu and Dharmsala. Any advice is welcome.

Cheers,

Laurie Mills

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Galia Shy September 4, 2019 - 4:34 pm

Do I need pass permits if I go by bus from Manali to Leh? Or it is only required from independent travellers?

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Vargis.Khan September 4, 2019 - 5:48 pm

It is required for vehicles so you don’t need it if going by Bus

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Rajendra Prasad Rai August 26, 2019 - 4:12 am

Your narrative is worthy of reading again and again. So informative and done brilliantly .

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Vargis.Khan August 26, 2019 - 4:48 am

Thank you Rajendra

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Anju Loh August 5, 2019 - 8:00 am

Are bus facilities from Manali to Leh available in October ???

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Vargis.Khan August 5, 2019 - 2:24 pm

No

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Darius July 31, 2019 - 9:27 pm

Hi Vargis

Have HRTC buses the same schedule as HPTDC buses?
And HRTS buses do they always depart even not many passangers?
I need to depart 7 Sept from Leh I would like to be sure when I pop up to bus stand the bus will depart 🙂

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Abhinav Rana July 28, 2019 - 9:10 pm

Is manali leh one day bus service him mani running ? Please letme know the timings.

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Rahul July 1, 2019 - 2:15 pm

Hi,
This year I don’t see the option to book ticket for HRTC bus online, is the bus still running?

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Vargis.Khan July 1, 2019 - 3:35 pm

There was never an option to book HRTC online. It was the HPTDC Bus.

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Rahul July 17, 2019 - 6:20 pm

My friend booked the Manali to Leh HRTC bus online last year through Abhibus, I even have a copy of the ticket..However, it is not available this year…

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Mahadeb Seal March 14, 2022 - 8:29 am

Let me know whether HPDTC Volvo bus will go to Leh on Sunday .

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Daman Sinha January 30, 2023 - 11:31 am

Mai April me manali ja rha hu wha se leh jana chahta hu koi bus ya texi ki sewa mil payega

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Vargis.Khan February 1, 2023 - 7:18 am

April mein nahi. Rasta May end mein khulta hai toh June mein plan kar lo, mil jaayegi

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Bidhan Puista June 29, 2019 - 7:43 pm

We want to go leh in 15th oct..how can we go from manali?

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Vargis.Khan June 30, 2019 - 12:33 am

By your own vehicle only

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Mahadeb Seal March 14, 2022 - 8:33 am

Let me know whether HPDTC Volvo bus will go to Leh on Sunday .

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Rajesh June 29, 2019 - 1:10 pm

Mr.Vargis your blog has given good information about Bus journey from Manali to Leh.
Is there any Bus journey from Leh Ladakh to Srinagar. Please give details of that’s also.

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Vargis.Khan June 29, 2019 - 5:48 pm

Hello Mr. Rajesh, Please see the following post.

https://vargiskhan.com/log/leh-to-srinagar-bus-service/

Reply

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