EP1 - Documenting the seasonal shift to Manali snow | Best Route, Road Condition & Toll Cost (2026)

This is the first part of our Delhi to Manali road trip, where I’ve covered the complete driving experience from Delhi to the Himachal border, including road conditions, route details, and toll charges. We started our journey at around 7:00 AM and reached the Himachal border by 1:15 PM, completing the drive in approximately 6 hours 15 minutes. Route Taken: Eastern Peripheral Expressway till Rai NH44 (Panipat Expressway) till Panipat NH44 till Shambhu (Punjab border) Banur Road to NH205A entry NH205A till Kurali NH205 till Himachal border Road Conditions: Total distance: ~350 KM Only ~25 KM stretch was bad Rest of the journey was smooth with good to excellent roads We used NH205A, a newer route that helps bypass Kharar traffic, making the journey faster and more comfortable. Toll Savings Tip: I used an annual toll pass (₹3000 for 200 rides / 1 year) and saved more than ₹750 Break Stop: We took a 1-hour lunch break at Haveli near Kurali Toll Plaza — a great place to relax during long drives. Journey Date: February 2026 Video timeline 0:00 Introduction 0:25 Delhi Meerut Expressway 01:29 Eastern Peripheral Expressway 03:35 Panipat Expressway / NH44 and toll 04:50 NH44 and toll 06:20 Shambhu toll plaza and toll 06:57 Banur road 07:49 New NH205A and toll 09:04 Kurali exit and NH205 10:27 Kiratpur Sahib 11:09 Entry to Himachal 12:03 Himachal entry toll barier Video Highlights How to reach Manali from Delhi? Delhi to Manali road condition Toll charges between Delhi and Himachal Highways covered during drive How much time it will take to reach Manali from Delhi? What roadside amenities available between Delhi and Manali? How beautiful Delhi Manali road is? How far is Manali from Delhi? How long is the Delhi to Manali road trip? Part 1 -    • EP1 - Documenting the seasonal shift to Ma...   Part 2 -    • How The 4-Lane Highway Reduced Our Manali ...   Part 3 -    • Kullu to Manali | Driving through the debr...   Please like and share the video and also watch all parts of Manali Road Trip vlog. We are eager to hear from you through comments and mails including your feedback and suggestions. FaceBook -   / tracingmyfootsteps   Instagram -   / tracingmyfootsteps   #travel #mountains #tourism #travelvlog #wanderlust #roadtrip #manali #manalitravel #kullumanali #himachal