Kunzum Pass
The high pass at roughly 4,551 metres that connects Lahaul to Spiti, and the only road door into the valley from the Manali side in summer
What makes it special
Kunzum Pass, or Kunzum La, is the high saddle at roughly 4,551 metres that connects the Lahaul valley to the Spiti valley. It is not a destination you go to, it is the door you drive through. For seven or so months a year it is shut under snow. The weeks it stays open are effectively the summer window for the Manali to Kaza route, which is why every Spiti itinerary from the Lahaul side bends around it. The top is small and exposed. A chorten, a cluster of prayer flags, and the Kunzum Mata temple, which most drivers circle once, slowly, before pushing on. That parikrama is a local tradition, not a photo stop, and it is taken seriously. The 360 degree view takes in the Chandrabhaga range and the long grey tongue of the Bara Shigri Glacier to the north. Honestly, the pass itself is brief. What makes it memorable is what sits on either side of it. On the Manali side, fifteen hairpins drop you steeply to Batal, the famous Chacha Chachi Dhaba, and the rough 14 km turn off to Chandratal. On the Kaza side, the road rolls down to Losar through a wide, dry, light coloured valley that feels like another country. Spend twenty minutes at the top, do not linger longer.
Is Kunzum Pass worth visiting?
Yes, if you are already crossing between Manali and Spiti. It is not a detour destination on its own. Plan 20 to 30 minutes at the top, a round of the temple, a few photos, then move on. The altitude does not reward lingering.
Is the pass open right now?
Depends on the date. It is generally open from around late May or early June to mid or late October, and shut by snow the rest of the year. In early 2026 the pass is still snowbound, BRO clearance typically starts in March or April. Always reconfirm the Lahaul and Spiti district road status before you leave.
How much time do you need here?
About 20 to 30 minutes at the top is enough, and is what locals actually recommend. Any longer at 4,551 metres starts to work against you. Plan the crossing as part of a bigger drive, not as a stop in itself.
Quick facts
Everything you need to know at a glance
At a glance
On the ground
Seasonal weather
Suitable for
How to reach Kunzum Pass
3 approach routes with seasonal access
From Manali
Generally late May or early June to mid or late OctoberThe classic summer approach. Manali, Atal Tunnel, Sissu, Koksar, Gramphu, then right onto NH505 through Chhatru and Chhota Dhara to Batal. The pass climbs from Batal in about fifteen sharp hairpins, which are genuinely tight and loose in the first few weeks after opening. Do not attempt as a same day return from Manali, that is how people lose a day to altitude and a night to bad sleep. Break at Chandratal or at Batal.
Fuel stop: Manali is the last reliable pump before the pass. Next is Kaza
From Kaza
Kaza side generally opens a little earlier than the Manali sideThe easier climb. From Kaza, drive past Hansa and on to Losar, which sits at about 4,076 m and is the last village before the pass. From Losar the road rises roughly 22 km up a wide, dry valley to the top. Gradient is gentler than the Manali side and the road is usually cleaner. This is the less stressful direction to cross.
Fuel stop: Kaza, the last reliable pump for the whole region
From Shimla via Kinnaur and Kaza
Kinnaur side generally open most of the year, the pass itself is summer onlyThe smarter loop if acclimatisation matters. Come in slowly via Sarahan or Sangla, then Nako or Kalpa, then Tabo, then Kaza. Cross Kunzum in the Kaza to Manali direction on your last leg. By the time you reach the pass you are already acclimatised and the climb feels far easier.
Fuel stop: Shimla, Reckong Peo, Pooh, Kaza
Best time to visit
Season-by-season breakdown to help you plan
The main open window, both approaches usually running
This is when the pass is reliably open and the full Manali to Kaza circuit comes alive. Days at the top are bright and brisk, nights at Batal and Losar are cold. Mid July to mid August is peak traffic, bikes, SUVs, and tour vehicles all sharing the road. Cross early in the day if you can, the wind picks up in the afternoon.
Pass stays open, the Manali side is the risk
Kunzum itself sits in a rain shadow and stays mostly dry. The danger is the Manali approach through Lahaul, where heavy rain, flash floods, and landslides can block the road at Chhatru, Chhota Dhara, or the Chandra river crossings near Batal. If you are travelling in this window, build at least one buffer day into your plan and prefer the Kaza side approach.
The quietest and sharpest version of the crossing
Fewer travellers, thinner traffic, and the cleanest light of the year. The Chandrabhaga peaks look closer than they did in July. Nights get cold quickly, so carry a proper jacket even for a day crossing. Watch the dates at the tail end of October, an early snowfall can shut the pass suddenly, sometimes within 48 hours of the first storm.
Snowbound, the pass is not accessible
Kunzum shuts with the first heavy snowfall, typically by mid or late October, and stays closed till BRO clears it in the following spring. Manali to Kaza is not possible in this window. Spiti is reachable only via Kinnaur from the Shimla side. Do not attempt a winter crossing, people have been stranded here with serious consequences.
Awkward shoulder, opening date changes every year
The pass may open in late May, or it may not open until early June. In 2022 it opened on 3 May. In 2024 it took until the first week of June. In 2025 BRO opened it on 24 May for 4x4 vehicles only, with wider access about two weeks later. Early May is too risky to plan around. If you are targeting late May, keep a flexible itinerary and a Plan B via Kinnaur.
Things to see & do
7 experiences at Kunzum Pass
Do a parikrama of the Kunzum Mata temple
5 to 10 minutesThe small stone temple at the top is dedicated to Kunzum Mata, a form of Goddess Durga. Local drivers slowly circle it once before continuing, a tradition meant to ask for a safe journey ahead. Stop the car, walk round once, do not honk, do not rush. It is a quiet two minutes that sets the tone for the rest of the drive.
Take in the Bara Shigri and Chandrabhaga view
10 to 15 minutesThe 360 degree view from the top is the main reason to stop. The long grey line of the Bara Shigri, one of the largest glaciers in the western Himalayas, sits to the north. The Chandrabhaga peaks rise beyond. Best light is early morning, by noon the contrast goes flat.
Photograph the Manali side hairpins
10 minutesWalk about 50 metres along the road on the Manali side, away from the parking. From there the fifteen hairpins dropping to Batal stack up in the frame. Better than anything you will get from the parking itself. Do not step off the shoulder, the fall is real.
Drop down to Chandratal Lake
3 to 4 hours round trip from the passThe turn off for Chandratal leaves the main road just below the pass on the Manali side, near Batal. It is a 14 km rough dirt stretch that takes roughly 45 to 60 minutes each way, plus a 15 to 20 minute walk from the roadhead to the lake. Do not try to do it as a same day return from Manali, break the drive at the lake or at Batal.
Eat at Chacha Chachi Dhaba in Batal
45 minutesAbout 12 to 14 km below the pass on the Manali side. Rajma chawal, hot tea, and basic shelter run for decades by the same family. Almost every traveller who has crossed Kunzum has a photo here. Worth stopping regardless of meal time, if only for the cups of chai.
Pause at Losar on the Spiti side
30 to 45 minutesLosar sits at about 4,076 m and is the first Spiti village after the pass. A small collection of homestays, a couple of dhabas, and a checkpoint. Good place to stretch, warm up, and drop some altitude before continuing to Kaza.
Short stops on the Spiti side descent
Ad hocThe Kaza side of the pass runs through a wide, light coloured valley that is genuinely different from anything on the Lahaul side. Pull over once or twice, even a five minute stop is enough. Shadows on the slopes change fast through the afternoon.
Know before you visit Kunzum Pass
Essential information for planning your visit
Nearby attractions
Other places worth visiting nearby
About 12 to 14 km, 30 to 45 minutesThe road junction at the base of the fifteen hairpins on the Manali side. Home of the Chacha Chachi Dhaba, basic rooms, hot rajma chawal, and usually the only warm place for several hours in either direction.
About 22 km from the top, 1 to 1.5 hoursThe crescent shaped Ramsar lake at roughly 4,300 m, just off the Manali side of the pass. The turn off is near Batal, the final 14 km is rough dirt. Most travellers pair Chandratal with the Kunzum crossing.
Along the Manali side approachThe wide glacial riverbed and the small settlement you cross on the way in. Worth a five minute stop for photographs, especially in the late afternoon light.
About 79 km, 3.5 to 4 hoursThe main town of Spiti Valley, sub divisional headquarters, with the region's most reliable petrol pump, ATMs, and stays. The logistical base for anything you plan after crossing the pass.
About 90 km, 4 to 4.5 hoursSpiti's largest gompa, stacked on a conical hill at about 4,166 m. Usually combined with the Kunzum crossing as part of the same Spiti circuit.
Visible from the pass itselfOne of the largest glaciers in the western Himalayas, the long grey tongue you see to the north from the top of the pass. No trek access from the road, the view is the visit.
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