Manali, Himachal Pradesh in the context of "Cut-and-cover"

Mandi (formerly known as Mandav Nagar) is a major city and a municipal corporation in Mandi District in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of state capital, Shimla in the north-west Himalayas at an average altitude of 880 m (2,890 ft) Mandi is connected to the Pathankot through National Highway 154 and to Manali and Chandigarh through National Highway 5. Mandi is approximately 163 km (101 mi) from Chandigarh, the nearest major city, and 395 km (245 mi) from New Delhi, the national capital. In the 2011 Indian census, Mandi had a population of 26,422. Mandi district is currently the 4th largest economy in the state. Mandi has the second highest sex ratio of 1013 females per thousand males, in the state.

It serves as the headquarters of Mandi District and Zonal Headquarters of central zone including districts namely Kullu, Bilaspur, and Hamirpur. As a tourist place, Mandi is often referred to as "Varanasi of Hills" or "Choti Kashi" or "Kashi of Himachal". Also, Mandi is the starting point for a trek of the region, Prashar lake trek. From Mandi, trekkers go to Bagi village, which serves as the base village for Prashar lake. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi is a premier institute located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Mandi town.

Leh (English: /'leɪ/, Hindi: ['leː(ɦ)]) is a city in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the largest city and the joint capital of Ladakh. It has been the capital of Ladakh since the Medieval Period. Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh. The seat of the kingdom, Leh Palace, the former residence of the royal family of Ladakh, was built in the same style and about the same time as the Potala Palace in Tibet. Since they were both constructed in a similar style and at roughly the same time, the Potala Palace in Tibet and Leh Palace, the royal residence, are frequently contrasted. Leh is at an altitude of 3,524 m (11,562 ft), and is connected via National Highway 1 to Srinagar in the southwest and to Manali in the south via the Leh-Manali Highway (part of National Highway 3).

Manikaran is a town located in the Parvati Valley on river Parvati, northeast of Bhuntar in the Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is at an altitude of 1760 m and is located 4 km from Kasol, about 45 km from Kullu and about 35 km from Bhuntar. The small town is known for its hot springs and pilgrim centres of Manali and Kullu. An experimental geothermal energy plant has also been set up here.

Kyelang (also spelled Keylong) is a town and the administrative centre of the Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, 71 kilometres (44 mi) north of Manali via Atal Tunnel and 120 km (75 mi) from the Indo-Tibetan border. It is located along the Manali-Leh Highway and the banks of the Bhaga River. Kyelang lies about 7 km (4+1⁄2 mi) northeast of where the Chenab Valley splits into the Chandra Valley and Bhaga Valley.

Atal Tunnel (Hindi: अटल सुरंग) is a 9.02-kilometre-long (5.60 mi) road tunnel connecting Manali and Keylong, thus helping in bypassing the Rohtang Pass, Himachal Pradesh in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas. It carries two lanes of National Highway 3 and is the longest highway single-tube tunnel above 10,000 feet (3,048 m) in the world. It is named after the former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The tunnel reduces the travel time and overall distance between Manali and Keylong on the way to Leh. The route, which previously went through Gramphu, was 116 km (72.1 mi) long and took 5 to 6 hours in good conditions. The new route via the tunnel brings down the total distance travelled to 71 km (44.1 mi) which can be covered in about 2 hours, a reduction of around 3 to 4 hours when compared to the earlier route. Moreover, the tunnel bypasses most of the sites that were prone to road blockades, avalanches, and traffic snarls.