A tourist can get advance booking for the bus in any tourist information centre of the Himachal tourism department in the country,' the official said.

Sharma said the bus would make a brief halt en route on all major tourist spots like the Rohtang Pass (13,050 feet).

The strategic Manali-Leh National Highway 21 re-opened for vehicular traffic May 21 this year after remaining closed for six months. The highway was closed in mid-December due to heavy snowfall.

The highway passes through the most rugged and inhospitable terrain of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. It crosses five high mountain passes in the cold desert, including Tanglang La at 17,582 feet.

With the opening of the Manali-Leh road to foreigners, the overseas tourist influx into the state has seen a tremendous increase in the past few years. In 1989, the central government threw open this highway to foreign tourists.