Marhi
A seasonal cluster of highway dhabas at 3,360 metres on the Manali to Rohtang road, known as the last food stop before the pass, a snow activity spot when the road first opens in May, and the point where the mountain highway leaves the trees behind and enters high altitude open terrain.
What makes it special
Marhi is not a village. It is not really a destination either. What it is, honestly, is a cluster of seasonal dhabas on the side of a mountain highway at 3,360 metres, where everyone heading to Rohtang Pass stops to eat Maggi and catch their breath. And somehow, that is exactly what makes it worth knowing about.
The settlement sits roughly 35 km from Manali on the Leh Manali Highway, about 16 km before Rohtang Pass. It appears after you pass Gulaba and the Rahala waterfall stretch, at the point where the treeline starts thinning and the road enters open, exposed terrain. The landscape shifts here. Below Marhi, you are in forest. Above Marhi, you are in high altitude scrub and snow. The dhabas mark the transition zone, and they have been doing so since at least the 1950s, when the first roadside tea stalls started serving truckers and travellers headed towards Lahaul.
Wikipedia describes Marhi as a "shanty town of roadside restaurants," which sounds harsh but is not inaccurate. When the road is open, usually from May to October or November, roughly 20 to 30 seasonal dhabas line the highway. They sell Maggi noodles, parathas, rajma chawal, momos, chai, and basic snacks. The food is simple and expensive by plains standards, because everything has to be hauled up the mountain road. But after an hour of hairpin bends from Manali, a plate of hot rajma and a cup of sweet tea at this altitude genuinely hits different. That is not travel brochure talk. It is just true.
In early season, when the road opens till Marhi but Rohtang itself is still being cleared by BRO, Marhi becomes the de facto snow destination. Snow lingers here longer than at Gulaba because of the higher altitude, and local operators set up snow scooter rides, skiing, sledging, and snow tubing right beside the dhabas. Snow suits, boots, and gloves are available for rent. The activities are informal and basic, not resort level, but for families and first timers, it is an accessible way to spend time on real snow at a significant altitude.
Since the Atal Tunnel opened in 2020, through traffic to Lahaul and Leh no longer needs to cross Rohtang or stop at Marhi. This has shifted the crowd composition. Marhi is now mostly visited by tourists doing Rohtang day trips from Manali, not by long haul travellers and truckers. The settlement is quieter than it used to be on non peak days, but on busy weekends in June, the highway near the dhabas still gets congested.
One thing to understand: Marhi shuts down completely in winter. When the road above Gulaba closes, usually by November, the dhaba operators pack up and move back to their villages. The structures are temporary. In winter, Marhi is buried under snow, and nothing is open. There is no off season version. If the road is open, Marhi is alive. If the road is closed, Marhi does not exist as a place you can visit.
Is Marhi worth visiting on the way to Rohtang?
Marhi is worth stopping at as part of a Rohtang day trip, not as a standalone destination. It is the only proper food stop between Manali and Rohtang Pass, and in early season (May to early June), the snow here is often the best accessible snow on the highway. Plan 20 to 40 minutes for a meal, longer if you want snow activities. Do not drive 1.5 hours from Manali just for Marhi alone.
Is there snow at Marhi?
Often yes, especially in May and early June when the road first opens. At 3,360 metres, snow stays longer here than at lower stops like Gulaba. Snow scooter rides, sledging, and tubing are available from local operators. By mid summer, the snow melts and the meadows turn green. In autumn, early snow may return before the road closes.
Do I need a Rohtang permit to reach Marhi?
Yes. Marhi is above the Gulaba checkpoint. A valid Rohtang Pass vehicle permit, booked online, is required to drive past Gulaba. No permits are issued on Tuesdays.
Quick facts
Everything you need to know at a glance
At a glance
On the ground
Seasonal weather
Suitable for
How to reach Marhi
1 approach route with seasonal access
From Manali Bus Stand to Marhi
Usually May to October or November, depending on when BRO clears and closes the road each year. In early season, the road may open only up to Marhi before the full pass is cleared.The drive follows the Manali to Rohtang Pass highway. You climb through Kothi village, past the Gulaba checkpoint (where Rohtang permits are checked), past the Rahala waterfall, and then through increasingly open, treeless terrain until the dhabas of Marhi appear. The road is paved and maintained by BRO, but it is narrow in stretches above Gulaba, winding, and busy with Rohtang traffic in peak season. A full day Rohtang taxi from Manali costs roughly Rs 3,000 to 5,000, depending on vehicle type. Start early. The highway gets clogged after 9 AM on busy days, and the permit checkpoint at Gulaba adds time.
Best time to visit
Season-by-season breakdown to help you plan
Snow on the ground, dhabas steaming, the best window
This is when Marhi is at its most interesting. The road opens progressively from Manali, and BRO often clears the highway up to Marhi a few days or weeks before the full Rohtang Pass opens. During this window, Marhi becomes the highest accessible point on the highway, and the snow on the ground is often substantial. Snow activities are in full swing. The dhabas are open and busy, the air is sharp and cold, and the combination of hot food and fresh snow at this altitude is the experience that most people remember from Marhi. By late June, much of the snow at Marhi has melted.
Green meadows, fewer crowds, but monsoon road risk
The snow has mostly melted by July. Marhi's meadows turn green, and the landscape is wide and open. Monsoon rains can make the road above Gulaba slippery and occasionally trigger landslides on the higher stretches. Marhi itself is not landslide prone, but the road above and below it can be affected. Fewer tourists than in May and June. The dhabas are open and less crowded. If you are driving to Rohtang in monsoon, Marhi is a good break to check weather conditions before continuing up.
Sharp light, quiet road, the season's closing window
The monsoon clears, and the mountain views from Marhi are at their sharpest. The Pir Panjal peaks are visible without haze, and the light at this altitude in October is golden and clean. The dhabas thin out as operators start winding down for the season. Early snow can appear in late October. By November, the road usually closes and Marhi shuts down. If you catch a clear October day, the drive from Gulaba to Marhi with the mountains lit up is the best visual stretch on the entire Rohtang road.
Road closed, settlement abandoned, snow covers everything
Marhi is completely inaccessible. The road above Gulaba is closed. The dhabas are dismantled or buried under snow. There is nothing here in winter. Do not plan a trip to Marhi between December and April.
Things to see & do
3 experiences at Marhi
Eating at the dhabas
20 to 40 minutesThis is the main reason anyone stops at Marhi. The dhabas here serve as the only proper food stop between Manali and Rohtang Pass. The menu is similar across most stalls: Maggi noodles (plain, egg, vegetable), parathas, rajma chawal, fried rice, momos, and endless chai. Some dhabas also serve siddu, a local steamed bread stuffed with walnuts or poppy seeds. The food is basic, the prices are higher than Manali, and the experience of eating hot rajma at 3,300 metres with snow on the ground is something you remember. Eat before you continue up to Rohtang. There is nothing above Marhi.
Snow activities in early season
30 minutes to 1 hourIn early season, when the road opens to Marhi but Rohtang has not fully cleared, snow activities run here. Local operators set up snow scooter rides, basic skiing on short slopes, sledging, and snow tubing on the meadows beside the highway. Equipment and snow suits are available for rent, usually Rs 300 to 500 per outfit, and activity rides cost Rs 500 to 1,000 each. Negotiate. Quality is informal. It is fun for a quick half hour, especially for families, but do not expect groomed runs or organized instruction.
Meadow walk and photography
10 to 20 minutesAbove the dhaba cluster, the landscape opens into wide alpine meadows. When the snow has melted, these turn green and offer some of the widest mountain views on the entire Rohtang road. The Pir Panjal peaks line the horizon, and the silence at this altitude is different from anything lower down. You can walk into the meadows for ten minutes and feel genuinely remote, which is odd given that you are standing next to a highway. Good photography light in the morning.
Know before you visit Marhi
Essential information for planning your visit
Nearby attractions
Other places worth visiting nearby
The 3,978 m pass connecting Kullu to Lahaul. Marhi is the last food and rest stop before Rohtang. From here, the road climbs steeply through 16 km of exposed, treeless terrain to the pass. Most travellers eat at Marhi, then continue up.
The Rohtang permit checkpoint and popular snow point. You pass through Gulaba on the way up to Marhi. In winter when the Rohtang road is closed, Gulaba is the highest accessible point. In summer, it is a quick viewpoint stop.
A glacier fed waterfall right beside the highway, between Gulaba and Marhi. A five minute pull over. Best in early summer when glacier melt is heaviest and the cascade runs strong.
Manali's main adventure hub with ropeway, paragliding, and organised snow activities. A different kind of stop from Marhi, lower in altitude and more commercial. Most Rohtang day trips pass the Solang turnoff.
The highway tunnel connecting Manali to Lahaul Valley without crossing Rohtang. Since 2020, through travellers to Lahaul and Leh use the tunnel instead of the pass. For day trippers doing Rohtang for snow and views, the old highway through Marhi is still the route.
A quiet village on the Rohtang highway below Gulaba, known for the Beas River gorge viewpoint and a local temple. A brief stop on the drive up.
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