If you are in party or holiday mood to celebrate Christmas and New Year Eve with your family or friends, but you are not able to decide on a location to chill, you should just pack your bags and head to the Himachal where you can choose one of the dozens of beautiful locations that are ready to host you for the holiday season.
With all tourist destinations of Himachal expected to remain jam-packed from December 24 to January 1 during Christmas and New Year Eve, the state is gearing up to welcome guests from all around the country.
Most hotels are booked completely in advance and taxis and tourist buses are in huge demand these days. The hotel occupancy has already reached close to 40 per cent which is expected to remain above 75 per cent from December 24 onwards. Most of the good hotels in Manali, Shimla, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Kasauli, Kasol and other popular tourist places are already booked till the new year. New tourist destination Lahaul valley has also good booking. Over one hundred luxury tourist buses from Delhi are reaching Himachal every day besides taxis and private cars.
Given the current booking trends, hoteliers are expecting record tourist footfall. While increasing cases of Covid-19 is a matter of concern, the possibility of fresh snowfall after Christmas may help in increasing the footfall. A fresh wave of western disturbance is expected to hit the western Himalayas from December 25 onwards.
Gajender Thakur, president of the Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Association, said, tourist footfall in the state is increasing as tourists are heading to the hills in the holiday mood. “The peak tourist season will be from December 24 to January 1. Hotels are reporting good bookings. However, some hotels have average bookings. No snowfall in the last many days has affected tourism. However, snow is still available in the higher regions while we expect more snow in the next few days,” he said.
Small destinations like Kasauli, Kasol, Jibhi, Tirthan, Barot and Janjehli are also expected to remain jam-packed. Hoteliers say tourists can see snow in Lahaul valley but a fresh spell of snowfall in the next week, as is predicted, will be an added advantage for tourism.
Amid fun and thrill, tourists may also face some traffic snarls at the tourist places as most tourists will be heading to the hill stations in their private cars. Most of the tourists who have planned their visit to Himachal are from Delhi, Punjab, Harnaya, Chandigarh and UP. Tourists may have to face slow-moving traffic in many places including sightseeing places. The state police are also deploying extra force at tourist places to ensure smooth traffic and law and order.
The associations of hoteliers and travel agents are urging tourists to follow the Covid-19 protocols and wear face masks in crowded places to prevent the pandemic from affecting business one more time.
Why head to Himachal hills for Christmas and New Year celebrations?
Christmas and New Year celebrations in a hill station can be an amazing experience. Many hill stations in India offer picturesque views, cool weather, and festive decorations. Himachal is one of the most sought hill stations for celebrations where you can expect a White Christmas or White New Year, if Weather God is happy with you and showers fresh snow upon you.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, many hill stations are bedecked in festive decorations such as Christmas trees and lights. You can expect to find Christmas carols playing in the streets and squares, and the sound of merrymaking echoing throughout the hills. The local churches are also decorated with lights and candles, and Christmas Masses are conducted with great fanfare. On Christmas Day, many hill stations host special Christmas feasts and parties.
On New Year’s Eve, hill stations often organize fireworks displays, bonfires, and other entertainment. You can also expect to find parties, concerts, and other festivities taking place throughout the hill station.
The days after Christmas and New Year are usually spent in relaxation and reflection. People often take advantage of the cool weather to go for hikes, explore the local scenery, or simply relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. No matter how you choose to spend your Christmas and New Year in a hill station, it is sure to be a memorable experience.
Best places for Christmas and New Year celebrations in Himachal
- Manali
- Lahaul-Spiti
- Shimla
- Kasauli
- Dharamshala
- Kasol
- Dalhousie
- Chamba
- Tirthan Valley
- Tosh
- Jibhi
- Mashobra
- Naldehra
- Kufri
- Fagu
- Chail
- Sarahan
- Kinnaur
- Janjehli
- Palampur
- Sirmaur
What to expect to enjoy celebrations
- Enjoy Snow
- Experience the thrill of Paragliding
- Dare to ride cold water rivers with Rafting
- Bonfires
- DJ parties
- Folk music and dance
- Gala dinner
- New Year shopping
- Day hikes
Current updates:
New Year celebrations leave Himachal roads choked with heavy traffic
Updated on December 31, 2022
The vehicular traffic on the roads of Himachal came to a grinding halt on the last day of the year as a record high number of tourists from different parts of the country entered the state for New Year celebrations.
Roads in Manali, Shimla, Dalhousie, Dharamshala, Solan, Kasol, Kasauli, McLeodganj and other popular tourist destinations have given in to the heavy traffic rush. The roads are jammed completely or it’s taking hours for vehicles to cover a distance of a few kilometers. Not just roads but the markets and streets in tourist resorts have no space to move as thousands of tourists are enjoying the cold weather besides shopping, singing and dancing.
The condition is worse in Manali where kilometers-long jams have ruined the holiday mood. Not just Manali town, but the Manali-Solang, Hidimba Devi temple, Old Manali, New Manali and almost all the roads remained jammed on Saturday. The traffic on Kullu-Manali national highway was moving very slowly and there was no space left in any parking.
With buses stuck midway, many tourists had to walk long distances to reach their hotels with luggage in hand. Even the ambulances were stopped stuck in the jams.
The unavailability of parking space left tourists frustrated in Shimla where most hotels have no road connectivity or their own parking. Shimla-Kufri and cart road were completely jammed while high traffic on Chandigarh-Shimla, circular road and bypass road destroyed the day.
Dalhousie town and roads to Khajjiar and Banikhet also witnessed huge traffic rush and Dharamshala and McLeodganj were left jammed with thousands of vehicles. Slow-moving traffic in Kasol, Manikaran and Jibhi also annoyed both locals and tourists.
The weekend made it easy for holidayers and party lovers to celebrate New Year’s Eve in the hills which resulted in unprecedented traffic chaos. Despite extra police force stationed across the state for traffic management, the cops were helpless before weak tourism infrastrucutre.
Hoteliers are reporting over 75 per cent occupancy. However, almost all the hotels were fully occupied in the main towns and major locations. Tourists stopping from hotel to hotel in search of room also added to the traffic woes.
Tourists have rushed to Himachal especially to see snow and enjoy late-night parties. Most of the hotels, including those run by the Himachal Tourism department, have arranged DJ parties and many competitions along with bonfires and other activities for tourists. The cafes, restaurants and dhabas have no place to sit while taxi operators and other traders and shopkeepers are also minting money.
Tourists today jammed the roads leading to Solang, upper Shimla and Khajjiar to see the snow. Many tourists had to book the hotels midway or outside the town to avoid long traffic jams.
While tourists are enjoying the weather even in traffic jam, most local residents preffered staying home. Many people could not reach office on time and many had to return back home.
Thousands of vehicles had been stuck in jams in different places, especially Solang valley, by late evening. Many tourists were expected to reach back to their hotels by late at night. However, Kullu police have issued a travel advisory that ice was forming on the road surface after sunset, so tourists should not go towards Solang and other upper areas.
A similar tourist crowd is expected on the first day of the New Year on Sunday. The tourist inflow will start decreasing from Monday onwards.
Manali, Lahaul abuzz with tourist crowd
Updated on December 25, 2022
Kullu-Manali and Lahaul valley of Himachal have come alive with a huge tourist crowd that left markets and roads jam packed on Christmas Day.
Manali has received the most number of tourists and Lahaul valley is also jam packed with over 5,000 vehicles traversing the Atal tunnel. According to police, as many as ten thousand vehicles have entered Manali which has resulted in the slow movement of the traffic. On the other side, 10,519 vehicles crossed Atal tunnel from Saturday 8am to Sunday 8am.
Despite Covid-19 threats, a good number of tourists have reached the state and almost nobody is wearing face masks. One out of 1,000 tourists can be seen wearing a mask.
With most tourists coming in their own vehicles, not only the traffic at most places was moving at a snail’s pace, but traffic jams also ruined the holiday mood. Solang-Atal tunnel, Manali-Aleo road, Manali-Rangri, Hidimba Devi and Old Manali were affected by traffic jams for some time. Cops were seen struggling to keep the traffic moving so that tourists do not face problem.
While most of the good hotels were booked in advance, many other options were available easily despite a sudden surge in tourist arrival in the state. The reason is a large number of hotels that have been built in the state in recent times that offer accommodation to over two lakh visitors at a time.
This time, most of the tourists preferred off-beat places and small destinations away from the crowd. While main tourist resorts were not overcrowded, tourists headed to places like Lahaul-Spiti, Kasol and Tirthan.
Manali town received a comparatively good number of tourists only for one reason – snow. The markets in Manali remained overcrowded with tourists till late at night. Hotels in the state have arranged bonfires, gala dinners, live folk dance and music and many other attractions.
While traffic snarls and the non-availability of parking irked tourists, the cold environment and availability of snow at north portal of Atal tunnel made their day.
Diljeet Singh, a tourist from Delhi, who has come to Manali with his friends, said traffic jams annoyed them a lot but bone-chilling cold and snow saved their day. “We had reached Manali on Saturday and headed to Lahaul to spend a night in extreme cold. We stayed in a cosy homestay and returned back to Manali on Sunday after having fun with the snow. We had not expected to see such a crowd here,” he said.
While rooms were easily available in other destinations, it was Lahaul where tourists were struggling to find a room. Most of the hotels and homestays had no availability.
According to facebook post by Lahaul-Spiti police, as many as 10,519 vehicles used Atal tunnel in 24 hours from Saturday 8am to Sunday 8am including 5,635 vehicles entering the tunnel from south side and 4,884 vehicles entering the tunnel from north side.
White Christmas expected in upper parts of Himachal
Updated on December 24, 2022
With a fresh wave of western disturbance hitting the Western Himalayas on Saturday, A White Christmas is expected in the upper parts of Himachal where light snowfall is likely in the next 48 hours.
Light snowfall is predicted in Lahaul-Spiti, Pangi, parts of Kinnaur, Manali and upper parts of the state on Sunday and Monday. The weather is expected to remain dry in the mid and low hills. Most tourist places in Himachal are jam-packed with tourists on Saturday. There is no place to sit or stand on the Mall Road of Manali and traffic was moving very slowly. Lakhs of tourists are likely to enter Himachal by December 31 and most of them are coming only to see snow and snowfall.
As the popular snow point of Himachal, Rohtang pass, is kept closed despite demand from hoteliers to open it for Christmas and New Year, tourists are now heading to Lahaul valley to see snow. Some of the northern faces of the mountains in Lahaul have some snow and ice which are the only hope for tourists.
Lahaul-Spiti is most likely to receive light snow in the next 48 hours. Even district police have issued advisory related to snowfall.
Lahaul-Spiti police has posted in its facebook page: “There is a high possibility of snowfall in the district on Sunday and Monday. Tourists and local residents are requested to plan their travel accordingly. People are advised not to go to the higher areas. Hotels and homestay owners have been asked to pass the information to the tourists.”
A huge tourist crowd is being witnessed in most of the tourist destinations of Himachal. Tourists are enjoying cold weather in the state with almost no fog and clear skies in most areas. Many areas in Lahaul are reeling under extreme cold with minimum temperature dipping below minus 7 degrees C. The cloud started hovering in the upper parts of the state in the afternoon.
According to meteorological centre, Shimla, snowfall is predicted in the isolated areas in the high hills of the state on December 25 and 26. “Kukumseri in Lahaul was coldest in the state with the minimum temperature recorded at minus 7.4 degrees C.”
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