By Manjot Kaur · 17 October 2026
Lahaul turned white this week. On Thursday, 15 October, heavy snow and rain closed the high roads beyond Darcha and left tourists stuck near Keylong until the police reached them. The Atal Tunnel shut for a while. By Friday it had reopened to all vehicles, and about 220 vehicles stuck at Sarchu had been brought down safely to Keylong. Forecasts reported on Saturday morning expected dry weather in Himachal until about 22 October.
So can you still drive from Manali to Keylong and back in a day? On a clear day with the tunnel open, yes. Keylong is about 71 km from Manali through the tunnel, and the road ends at some of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in Himachal. The one condition is that you plan around the snow, not against it. That is easiest with a self-drive car rental in Manali: you pick a 4WD car, leave when the road is ready and turn back on your own schedule. Book a car in Manali for your date, then read the plan below.
Key Takeaways
- Distance: Manali to Keylong is about 70 km each way through the Atal Tunnel (OSRM routing). With checks, photo stops and slow snowy stretches, allow two and a half to three hours each way.
- Stops: Sissu and its waterfall, Gondhla's seven-storey fort, the river confluence at Tandi, then the Kardang, Shashur and Tayul monasteries around Keylong.
- Turn around at Keylong: after the 15 October snow, roads beyond Darcha towards Sarchu and Shinkula, and the Gramphu–Batal road towards Spiti, were closed. Keylong is the end point.
- Paperwork: vehicles entering Lahaul and Spiti need an e-pass from the state's e-Aagman portal.
- Car: on 17 October every car listed on the Manali page was marked 4WD. The lowest rate was ₹4,299 for one day (Maruti Suzuki Jimny), with 300 km a day included.
- Timing: sunset in Manali is around 5:45 pm in mid-October. Aim to be back through the tunnel by about 4 pm.
What changed in Lahaul this week
The snow came on Thursday. According to The Tribune, heavy snowfall and rain disrupted roads across Lahaul and Spiti on 15 October. Police launched a rescue operation for tourists stranded in snow near Ropang Nallah, close to Keylong. The district's status report that day listed Darcha–Sarchu on the Manali–Leh highway, Darcha–Shinkula and Gramphu–Batal as closed. The road from the tunnel's North Portal to Darcha was still open. ETV Bharat reported snowfall at Keylong, Sissu, Koksar and the North Portal itself, with vehicles skidding on the roads. NDTV India reported that during the snowfall only four-wheel-drive vehicles were being allowed onward on the Manali–Leh road, with precautions.
By Friday the weather had cleared. Amar Ujala reported that the Atal Tunnel, closed temporarily the day before, had reopened to all vehicles. On Saturday, a report on The Hill Wire said the administration had banned traffic on the Darcha–Shinkula–Sarchu and Gramphu–Batal–Losar routes. It put Keylong's minimum temperature at −1.7°C, against 5.9°C in Manali.
What this means for you: Keylong and the villages on the way are reachable again, but it is now a cold, early-winter landscape. The shaded parts of the road can stay icy in the morning even on a sunny day. Spiti, Chandratal and the road to Leh are off the plan for now.
Before you set off
Get the e-pass
The Himachal government's e-Aagman portal says anyone with a vehicle who wants to enter Lahaul and Spiti district must apply for an e-pass. It lists an e-permit per vehicle for the Atal Tunnel–Rohtang–Koksar–Chandertal circuit and an e-ticket per vehicle for other places. A Keylong day falls outside that circuit, so the portal will show which one applies when you fill in the form. Apply the evening before and keep a copy on your phone.
Check the road that morning
Snow can close the tunnel approaches with little notice. Before you leave, check the latest Lahaul and Spiti police updates and the day's local news. If the police are again allowing only 4x4 vehicles, take that seriously, even in a 4WD car. The Tribune reported that the police asked people in trouble to call the emergency helpline 112 or the District Police Control Room in Keylong at 89880-92298. Save both numbers before you lose signal.
Pack for minus temperatures
Carry a down jacket, gloves, a woollen cap, sunglasses for snow glare, water and some snacks. Food stops are fewer in Lahaul once the season winds down, so do not count on every roadside café being open.
The route: Manali to Keylong through the tunnel
From Manali you drive north past Palchan and the turn for Solang towards the South Portal. Our Solang Valley guide covers this first stretch. According to the Prime Minister's Office, the Atal Tunnel is 9.02 km long. Its South Portal is 25 km from Manali at 3,060 m, and its North Portal is near Teling village, Sissu, at 3,071 m. Before it opened in October 2020, Lahaul was cut off for about six months every year by snow on the Rohtang Pass. Keep your headlights on inside, hold your lane and follow the signs and speed limits.
From the North Portal, the road follows the Chandra river west to Sissu, Gondhla and Tandi, then turns up the Bhaga to Keylong. The figures below are from OSRM routing:
- Manali to Sissu: about 41 km.
- Sissu to Gondhla: about 11 km.
- Gondhla to Keylong: about 18 km, via Tandi.
Stop 1: Sissu and its waterfall
Sissu is the first village after the tunnel. The district administration describes it as sitting on a broad flat terrace on the right bank of the Chandra, at about 3,130 m. Across the river, the Sissu waterfall drops over a cliff from a high valley between two mountains. A suspension bridge leads towards it, but this week a view from the road is enough. The district notes that one of the best photographs of the fall can be taken from the road just short of the PWD rest house. Park well off the road, as the verge may be snowy.
Stop 2: Gondhla's seven-storey fort
About 18 km before Keylong, Gondhla stands at 3,160 m on the right bank of the Chandra. Its landmark is the tall house of the Thakurs of Gondhla, known as Gondhla Fort or castle. The district's tourism page says the District Gazetteer dates it to 1700 AD and credits it to Raja Man Singh of Kullu, who married into the Gondhla family to strengthen his ties with the Thakur.
The fort is a good example of the Western Himalayan timber-bonded style: alternate courses of stone and wooden beams, set in wet clay. It rises seven storeys and has a wooden verandah running around the top. The fifth storey was kept for the Thakur. It held his prayer room and a verandah from where he listened to people and gave his judgements. The fort is still a family home, so view it respectfully from outside and ask before you go any closer.
Stop 3: Tandi, where two rivers meet
Below Tandi, the Chandra and the Bhaga join to become the Chandrabhaga, the river that flows on as the Chenab. The district says Tandi sits above this confluence about 7 km from Keylong. Local legend links the name to Draupadi, who is believed to have given up her body here. Pull over at a safe spot near the bridge for the view: two rivers of different colours merging in a wide stony bed.
Tandi is also where to fill up. The district lists Tandi as a main fuel station on this side of Lahaul, and IndianOil's locator shows a pump near Tandi Bridge and another in Keylong. Fill the tank here or in Keylong before you start back.
Keylong's monasteries
Keylong is the district headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti. The district's page on the monasteries of Lahaul describes the gompas around it in detail. Three are within a few kilometres of town.
Kardang Monastery
Kardang village, on the left bank of the Bhaga opposite Keylong, was once the capital of Lahaul. Its monastery is the biggest and best known in the area. The district says it was founded about 900 years ago and lay in ruins until 1912, when Lama Norbu of Kardang renovated it. It stands on a ridge below the 15,000-foot Rangcha peak. Its library holds full sets of the Kangyur and Tangyur, and its walls are covered in colourful paintings. Monks and nuns have equal standing here. Lamas may marry and often spend the summer farming with their families, then return to the gompa in winter. By road it is about 14 km from Keylong via the bridge at Tandi.
Shashur Monastery
"Sha-shur" means "in the blue pines", and blue pines still grow around this gompa on the hillside above Keylong. The district says it was founded in the 17th century by Lama Deva Gyatsho of Zanskar, a missionary of Nawang Namgyal, the king of Bhutan. The view from the monastery down over Keylong and the Bhaga valley is reason enough to come. The road up can hold snow in its shaded bends, so check it in town before you drive up.
Tayul Monastery
Above the village of Satingri, Tayul gompa holds what the district calls the biggest statue of Padmasambhava in the area: a 12-foot image with his two forms, Singhmukha and Vajravarahi. The gompa also keeps a full library of the Kangyur. It was founded in the early 17th century by a lama named Serzang Rinchen. If time is short, see Kardang and Shashur and keep Tayul for an overnight trip.
Monastery etiquette
- Walk clockwise around chortens, prayer wheels and the prayer hall.
- Take off your shoes where asked and dress modestly.
- Ask before photographing people or the inside of a prayer hall.
- Prayer halls may be locked when monks are away. A small offering is welcome but never required.
A sample day plan
- 8:00 am: collect your car in Manali. Check the tyres, lights and heater, and note any existing marks at handover.
- 8:15 am: drive north towards the South Portal. Go slowly on shaded bends.
- 9:30 am: through the tunnel. A short stop at Sissu for the waterfall.
- 10:30 am: Gondhla Fort, seen from outside.
- 11:15 am: the confluence at Tandi, and fuel.
- 11:45 am to 1:15 pm: Kardang Monastery.
- 1:30 pm: lunch in Keylong.
- 2:15 pm: Shashur Monastery, if the road up is clear.
- 3:00 pm: start back to Manali, through the tunnel by about 4 pm and in Manali before dark.
If you would rather slow down, stay a night in Keylong and add Tayul the next morning. Ask your host when you book whether the car can be kept overnight and whether it can travel into Lahaul.
Choosing your car
The round trip with the monasteries comes to roughly 160 to 180 km, well within the 300 km a day included on the Manali listings. On 17 October 2026, every car listed on the Hire N Ride Manali page was marked 4WD:
- Maruti Suzuki Jimny (2023 to 2026 models): ₹4,299 for one day, the lowest rate listed.
- Mahindra Thar LX 4x4 (2022): ₹5,399 for one day.
- Mahindra Scorpio S10 4WD (2015): ₹6,795 for one day.
- Toyota Fortuner (2013): ₹6,875 for one day.
The listings showed a security deposit of ₹5,000. Rates and availability change, so check the live page before you book. The compact Jimny is easy to place on narrow, snowy roads. The Scorpio and Fortuner give more room for a family and luggage on an overnight trip.
Driving tips for early-winter Lahaul
- Leave once the sun is on the road, not at dawn. Black ice lingers longest in shaded bends and near streams.
- Use 4WD and a low gear on snow. Brake gently and early, and avoid sudden steering.
- Give way to uphill traffic, Army convoys and snow-clearing machines.
- Keep the tank above half and carry water, a torch and a phone charger.
- Ask at pickup whether snow chains are available for your car.
- If the police stop traffic at a barrier, wait or turn back. Do not try to go around it.
If the tunnel is closed
Snow does not have to cancel your day. The left-bank drive to Naggar stays low in the Kullu valley, with stone temples at Jagatsukh and the Roerich Estate. For more snow-day ideas closer to town, see our guide to planning around the snow above Manali. Then try Keylong again on the next clear morning.
Conclusion: go on a clear day, turn back at Keylong
The first snow has not closed Lahaul. It has made the drive more beautiful and asked for more care. With the tunnel open and a dry spell forecast, you can see Sissu's waterfall, Gondhla's tower and the rivers meeting at Tandi, then spend the middle of the day at Kardang and Shashur. Get your e-pass, check the road that morning, choose a 4WD car and be back through the tunnel before the light goes. A self-drive car rental in Manali lets you choose the right day and the right car.
Ready for Lahaul? Book a car in Manali, check today's rates and deposit, and wait for a clear morning.
About the author: Manjot Kaur writes road-trip and heritage travel guides for Hire N Ride. She enjoys routes that link two places through history, and focuses on the details that make a self-drive day go smoothly, such as daylight, road status and realistic timings.
