Start from Delhi early in the morning for the beautiful trip to Manali. Chances are you would reach by evening.

Road Condition:

The road from Delhi to Manali is smooth and thus you do not have to worry a lot for this trip.

It is almost a 12 hour journey. You can travel 550 kms via Ambala, Chandigarh, Roopnagar (Ropar), Bilaspur and Mandi.

You can find decent restaurants and hotels on the mall itself. Pick one and get ready for taking a stroll on the mall road.

Or else you may go visit the Tibetan monastery situated on NH 21.

Here's a review:

Manali town has small Tibetan Monastery middle of the town,near by Tibetan market alos fun to explore.Its walkabale distance ,at end of the Mall road.Mall road is main road in Manali,where one can find shops,tourist office,bus stand ,taxi stand etc.

 (Source: Manali Things To Do - Attractions & Must See - VirtualTourist)

Sarchu is about 230 km away from Manali.

Rohtang Pass - Video clip (Source: Balaji.B)

Road Condition:

The roads are very horrible near the passes, so take care.

Also, the road is currently unofficially open which means, many are travelling but permits are not being issued by the SDM office currently. The permits will be issued once the road is opened officially.

You will reach Sarchu via Rohtang Pass. In case you wish to make a visit to the snow peak, leave early from Manali in order to reach Sarchu on time.

On your way to Sarchu, you will also see a small town named Darcha, a line of shops in the middle of nowhere. The sight is beautiful and you can make a stop and fetch your camera to capture the natural beauty here.

Sarchu (Source: Jace)

Also known as Sir Bhum Chun, Sarchu has loads of tented camps for overnight stays for those who are travelling from Manali to Ladakh. Sarchu is the boundary between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.

Approximate price of a tent for one person's stay comes to around Rs. 1000 including dinner. These camps have temporary bathrooms attached in the back.

Here's a review of Goldrop's camps:

It was lovely staying at goldrop sarchu camps. There i understood the true meaning of hospitality. At the height of 4000mts, they make you feel like you are at home. the kind of service they provide is remarkable.it was two day stay at goldrop but didnt feel like leaving that place.I'll never forget that time which i spent there and would surely visit there again for atleast a week.

 (Source: Goldrop Camps - Reviews, Photos - UNFORGETTABLE TIME AT SARCHU.. - TripAdvisor)

Leh is 250 km away from Sarchu. It would take you an entire day to reach. 

You can also visit Tso Moriri before Leh. But remember, Tso Moriri is even higher altitude than Sarchu, so if you were feeling uncomfortable/sick at Sarchu, it might not be a good idea to vist Tso Moriri.

Views of Tso Moriri.MPG

Road Conditions:

A review:

Literally one of the most dangerous highways of the world, Manali-Leh highway, which connects Lahaul-Spiti and Ladakh regions with Kullu, is important strategically and for tourism. Rohtang is the only gateway to Lahaul valley, which after being blocked with snow cuts off the valley from rest country for over five months. BRO has requested administration not to let the civilian vehicles beyond Palchan towards Rohtang pass for smooth running of the operation.

 (Source: Manali - Leh Highway Status 2012 - DeViL on WheeLs...)

On arrival, you can choose from plenty of guesthouses and hotels in Leh.

The guesthouses start from the price range of Rs. 800/double-bed room in guesthouses. I would really recommend staying in a guesthouse so that you get a sneak peak into the traditional style of living in Leh.

Chaali Villa Guest House, Leh (Source: millie.cartwright)

Although you would be dead-tired from the journey, but if not, visit the local Tibetan market. You will find lots of traditional stuff being sold there.

Here's a review:

It is fun to shop in these flea markets but be sure to bargain well. Visits to the tibetan markets was a daily affair for us when we visited leh in july 2009.Shopkeepers are friendly and in some instances , I felt that they had better stuff than the overpriced shops.

 (Source: Tibetan Market Reviews - Leh, Ladakh Attractions - TripAdvisor)

IMG_2559.jpg (Source: Saad Faruque)

You must visit the Shey Palace since you are staying in Leh. It is about 15 km away from Leh, in Shey.

The Palace was built in the year 1655 by the King of Shey, Deldan Namgyal, also known as Lhachen Palgyigon. The monastery has a huge statue of Shakyamuni Buddha.

IMG_9924.jpg (Source: Saad Faruque)

Here's a review:

the best part about visiting Shey is the expanded view of the valley and its villages. From one of the vantage points (a little up the hill above the palace) you can spot the Thiksey, Stakna, Matho and Spituk monasteries. Goes to show how important this vantage point is and it is no wonder that the ancient kings of Ladakh built their capital there.

 (Source: Shey Palace - Reviews and User Experiences from Leh)