Manali, July 8 - The luxury bus service between this scenic Himachal Pradesh town and Leh in Jammu and Kashmir has been restored, six months after it was halted, an official said Wednesday.

'The luxury bus service between Manali and Leh restarted Tuesday after remaining closed for more than six months. This bus will operate to and fro three days a week between these tourist destinations,' Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) senior manager Dev Raj Sharma told IANS.

The HPTDC is running special buses in the state to promote tourism.

'The 35-seater bus will leave Manali at 11 a.m. and will stop overnight at Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district. From there, it will depart at 4 a.m. In the evening it will reach Leh,' he said.

One-way fare is Rs.1,800, which includes a night's stay at Keylong, dinner and breakfast.

'The response of tourists is quite good.