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Two painted chortens and prayer flags at the top of Kunzum Pass
Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY 4.0

Kunzum Pass

Kunzum Pass (Kunzum La) is the pass at about 4,551 m that joins Spiti to Lahaul and the Manali road, 79 km from Kaza and 122 km from Manali. It is usually open from June to mid-October; snow closed it on 13 November 2026, and it normally stays shut until late May or June.

By Chhobyang Singhe · Checked by Divyansh Sood · Last checked

The pass

Kunzum is the only road link between Spiti and Lahaul. It carries the Manali–Kaza highway, NH505, over the Kunzum range: 79 km from Kaza and 122 km from Manali. On the Spiti side the road climbs 22 km from Losar through dry, open country. On the Lahaul side it drops in fifteen sharp hairpins to Batal on the Chandra river.

At the top are chortens, prayer flags and the small temple of Kunzum Mata. Drivers stop to ask her blessing before the road ahead.

When it’s open

Usually from June to mid-October. The dates depend on the snow and on the Border Roads Organisation, which clears the road each spring. In 2026, BRO reopened it for 4×4 vehicles on 20 May after more than six months shut; fresh snow closed it again on 13 November 2026. The latest dated reports are on Is Spiti open?.

When Kunzum is closed, the only way into Spiti is from Shimla through Kinnaur.

Good to know

  • There is no fuel between Manali and Kaza, about 200 km. Fill up before you leave.
  • Chandratal is just over the pass on the Lahaul side, and a trek of about 15 km links it to the top of Kunzum.
  • At about 4,551 m, don’t linger at the top if you have a headache. Go down.

Best months for Kunzum Pass

Saffron: the easiest months. Best time to visit Spiti · Is Spiti open now?

Spiti Villa’s cottages in summer, along a gravel path below bare mountains

From our door

Spiti Villa is on Kibber Village Road, just below Key Monastery and 12 km from Kaza: 32 rooms, a glass-walled restaurant, and oxygen on site if the altitude catches up with you. Open all year.

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Nearby

Quick answers

Is Kunzum Pass open now?

No. Fresh snow closed Kunzum Pass to vehicles on 13 November 2026, with traffic stopped at the Losar check post. It usually reopens in late May or June, once BRO has cleared it. See our Is Spiti open? page for the latest report.

How high is Kunzum Pass?

About 4,551 m (14,931 ft). Some sources give higher figures; 14,931 ft is the height The Tribune uses in its road reports.

How far is Kunzum Pass from Kaza?

79 km, through Losar, which is 22 km below the pass on the Spiti side. From Manali it is 122 km.

Sources

  1. Kunzum Pass, Wikipedia
  2. Himachal: Kunzum Pass route to Spiti opens after 6-month closure, The Tribune, 20 May 2026
  3. Shinkula, Baralacha and Kunzum passes closed after snowfall, The News Himachal, 13 November 2026