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Prayer flags and a parked jeep on the snow-covered top of Kunzum Pass

Travel guidePermits & roads

Rohtang, Kunzum and Baralacha — when the passes open and close

By Leisure Himachal, Manali · Published

Rohtang Pass usually opens to tourists between early May and mid-June and closes between late November and early January. Kunzum Pass and Baralacha La open between May and early June, often first for light 4x4s, and close in November. The Atal Tunnel is open all year, though the road to it shuts for days after heavy snow. In 2026 Rohtang and Baralacha La opened on 15 May, and Kunzum on 20 May.

On this page
  1. The calendar at a glance
  2. How to read the calendar
  3. Who opens the roads
  4. Planning around the passes
  5. Keeping it current

The calendar at a glance

  • Usually open
  • Opens or closes
  • Usually closed

Rohtang Pass 3,978 m

Manali → Gulaba → Marhi → Rohtang, 51 km; the old road into Lahaul

Rohtang Pass usually opens to tourists between early May and mid-June and closes for the winter between late November and early January. Before it opens, tourists can usually drive up to Gulaba or Marhi.

Rules: Tourist vehicles need an online permit from rohtangpermits.hp.gov.in to go beyond Gulaba, under a daily cap. Closed to tourist traffic on Tuesdays.

On record

  1. Opened to tourists; a permit was needed beyond Gulaba. Source
  2. Closed to all vehicles until spring. Source
  3. Opened to all vehicles, tourists included — a late year. Source
  4. Open to tourists with an online vehicle permit. Source
  5. Closed for winter tourism by order of the Kullu district magistrate after black ice; tourists could go only as far as Gulaba. Source
  6. Opened to tourists; permits needed beyond Gulaba. Source
  7. Officially closed for the winter. Source
  8. Opened to tourists; vehicles need an online permit. Source

Read the full guide

Atal Tunnel 3,000 m

Manali → Solang → south portal → Sissu, Lahaul; the Manali–Leh highway

The Atal Tunnel is open all year, but after heavy snow between December and March the road to it closes, often for days, and tourists are stopped at Solang or Palchan until it is cleared.

Rules: No permit and no toll. Private vehicles entering Lahaul & Spiti register free on e-Aagman. After snowfall only 4x4s with snow chains may be allowed, or locals only.

On record

  1. Opened to traffic. Source
  2. Completely closed after very heavy snow, with Lahaul's roads; at least a week to clear. Source
  3. Road blocked at several points by floods and landslides. Source
  4. Open to Sissu, Koksar, Keylong, Jispa, Darcha and Udaipur. Source
  5. Blocked after heavy snow. Source
  6. Partly open — Lahaul residents only, in 4x4s with snow chains. Source

Read the full guide

Kunzum Pass 4,551 m

Gramphu → Batal → Kunzum → Losar → Kaza (NH-505), the Manali side of Spiti

Kunzum Pass usually opens between early May and early June, first for light 4x4 vehicles only, and closes for the winter in November. Early snow can shut it for days in October.

Rules: No permit for Indian travellers. A rough road with water crossings beyond Gramphu; the turn-off to Chandratal is just below the pass at Batal.

On record

  1. Road restored by the Border Roads Organisation. Source
  2. Reopened for light vehicles after nearly six months; buses and trucks still barred. Source
  3. Gramphu–Kaza road closed for the winter. Source
  4. Gramphu–Losar stretch officially closed until the next summer. Source
  5. Reopened for light 4x4 vehicles after snow closed it on 6 October. Source
  6. Reopened for light 4x4 vehicles after a closure that began in the first week of November 2025; heavy vehicles to follow. Source

Read the full guide

Baralacha La 4,850 m

Darcha → Zingzingbar → Baralacha La → Sarchu; the Manali–Leh highway (NH-3)

Baralacha La, and with it the Manali–Leh highway, usually opens between late March and late May — most years in May — and closes for the winter in November.

Rules: No permit on the Himachal side; private vehicles register on e-Aagman for Lahaul. Ladakh's protected areas need LAHDC permits.

On record

  1. Restored for single-lane traffic over Baralacha La after about five months — unusually early; travel beyond Darcha still needed the district's approval. Source
  2. Manali–Leh highway closed beyond Darcha for the winter. Source
  3. Reopened via Baralacha La by the Border Roads Organisation after nearly six months. Source
  4. Reopened for light vehicles via Darcha–Sarchu; heavy vehicles to follow. Source

Read the full guide

Records checked on . Dates come from the reports linked beside them; a year with no reliable report is left out rather than guessed.

How to read the calendar

Each road has a strip of twelve months. Solid means usually open, striped means it usually opens or closes during that month, and empty means usually closed. Under each strip are the dated reports the pattern is drawn from — openings, closures and notable shutdowns — each linked to its source. These are reported dates, not promises: a late snowfall in April or an early one in October moves them by weeks.

Who opens the roads

Every spring the Border Roads Organisation cuts through the snow on the high passes — Baralacha La on the Manali–Leh road, Kunzum on the road to Spiti, and the road to Rohtang. Once a road is safe, the district administration opens it. The Deputy Commissioner of Kullu opens Rohtang to tourists, under a permit system with a daily cap. The Lahaul & Spiti administration regulates traffic through the Atal Tunnel’s north side, over Kunzum and over Baralacha La. New roads often open to light 4x4 vehicles first, with buses and trucks allowed a week or more later.

Planning around the passes

Keeping it current

We add each year’s openings and closures as they are reported, and the date at the foot of the calendar shows when the records were last checked. If you drove one of these roads recently and the calendar is out of date, tell us on WhatsApp.

Before you go

Quick answers

When does Rohtang Pass open?

Rohtang Pass usually opens to tourists between early May and mid-June and closes for the winter between late November and early January. Before it opens, tourists can usually drive up to Gulaba or Marhi. The most recent opening on record: 15 May 2026 — opened to tourists; vehicles need an online permit. The most recent closure: 3 January 2026.

Is the Atal Tunnel open in winter?

The Atal Tunnel is open all year, but after heavy snow between December and March the road to it closes, often for days, and tourists are stopped at Solang or Palchan until it is cleared. The most recent closure: 23 January 2026.

When does Kunzum Pass open?

Kunzum Pass usually opens between early May and early June, first for light 4x4 vehicles only, and closes for the winter in November. Early snow can shut it for days in October. The most recent opening on record: 20 May 2026 — reopened for light 4x4 vehicles after a closure that began in the first week of November 2025; heavy vehicles to follow. The most recent closure: 23 November 2024.

When does Baralacha La open?

Baralacha La, and with it the Manali–Leh highway, usually opens between late March and late May — most years in May — and closes for the winter in November. The most recent opening on record: 15 May 2026 — reopened for light vehicles via Darcha–Sarchu; heavy vehicles to follow. The most recent closure: 20 November 2023.

Who decides when a pass opens?

The Border Roads Organisation clears the snow. The district administration then opens the road, sometimes to light 4x4s first and to buses and trucks later. That is the Deputy Commissioner of Kullu for Rohtang, and of Lahaul & Spiti for the Atal Tunnel's north side, Kunzum and Baralacha La.

Can I plan a trip around these dates?

Plan by the usual months, not by last year's date — openings have varied by more than a month from one year to the next. Keep a spare day in the itinerary, and check the road the evening before you cross.

What happens to a tour day if a pass is shut?

On our Manali tours the Rohtang day becomes Solang Valley and, when the road is open, the Atal Tunnel and Sissu. Our Leh jeep safaris run only once the Manali–Leh road is open.

Tour packages

Tours for this

Destination guides

More travel guides

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 25 October 2026. Fees, permits, timings and road openings change — check them before you travel.

  1. Rohtang Pass permits — Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Kullu
  2. e-Aagman vehicle registration — Government of Himachal Pradesh
  3. Kunzum Pass — Wikipedia
  4. Manali–Rohtang highway status log — Discover Kullu Manali
  5. Atal Tunnel — Wikipedia
  6. Manali–Atal Tunnel highway status log — Discover Kullu Manali
  7. Six months on, road to Spiti valley reopens for light vehicles — The Tribune, 3 May 2022
  8. Manali-Leh highway shut; alternative routes — Outlook Traveller, 24 Nov 2023
  9. Gramphu-Kaza highway officially closed for traffic via Kunzum Pass — The Tribune, 23 Nov 2024
  10. Kunzum Pass thrown open for 4x4 vehicles — The Tribune, 14 Oct 2025
  11. Kunzum Pass route to Spiti opens after 6-month closure — The Tribune, 20 May 2026
  12. Manali-Leh highway reopens to traffic after 5 months — The Tribune, 27 Mar 2022
  13. Manali-Leh national highway restored via Baralacha La — The Tribune, 13 May 2025
  14. Manali-Leh road reopens for light vehicles via Baralacha-La — The Tribune, 16 May 2026
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