Manali 3 Nights / 4 Days Group Tour
First-timers who want the full Manali circuit without overspending
₹12,000 ₹15,000 per person
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The short answer
You need a permit to drive to Rohtang Pass. You do not need a permit for the Atal Tunnel, Sissu, Keylong, Solang Valley or anywhere else on the standard Manali circuit. Rohtang permits are issued online with an enforced daily vehicle cap under National Green Tribunal directions, and the pass is closed by snow from roughly November to May.
The one road that needs paperwork
Of everything a Manali visitor is likely to do, only Rohtang Pass requires a permit. The confusion arises because operators and drivers use 'Rohtang' loosely to mean 'somewhere with snow'. In January, a trip sold as Rohtang is actually a trip to Gulaba, Solang or Sissu — all of which are different places, at lower altitudes, needing no permit at all.
How Rohtang permits work
Permits are issued through the official Himachal Pradesh portal, per vehicle, for a specific date. A daily cap on the number of vehicles is enforced following National Green Tribunal orders to limit environmental damage on the pass. Permits are typically released a few days ahead and the popular dates go quickly. Tuesday is generally a maintenance closure day.
What no operator can do
Nobody can get you onto Rohtang once the daily quota is full, and nobody can open the pass when it is snowbound. Treat any operator who promises a guaranteed Rohtang trip in winter as a warning sign about everything else in their quote.
The Atal Tunnel needs nothing
The 9.02 km tunnel and the Lahaul villages beyond it — Sissu, Gondhla, Keylong — need no permit for Indian travellers. You can drive through any day the road is open. Photography and stopping inside the tunnel are prohibited, and that is enforced.
Beyond Lahaul
If you are continuing to Spiti over Kunzum La, or towards Ladakh over Baralacha La, you are into a different category of trip with its own seasonal windows and, for foreign nationals, additional inner-line requirements in some areas. That is a planning conversation, not a form.
| Topic | Rohtang Pass & Atal Tunnel Permits Explained |
|---|---|
| Reading time | 5 minutes |
| Written from | Manali, Himachal Pradesh |
| Last updated | 2026-07-26 |
| Applies to | 2026 season |
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Packages this guide applies to
Manali Couple Package 2N/3D from Delhi
Couples with a short window who want privacy, not a bus full of strangers
₹26,000 ₹35,000 per couple
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Kullu Manali Kasol Tour Package 3N/4D
Groups who want the Parvati valley added to the standard Manali circuit
₹12,000 ₹16,000 per person
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Shimla Manali Tour Package 4N/5D
Families who want two hill stations in one holiday
₹11,999 ₹14,000 per person
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Questions people actually ask
Do I need a permit for the Atal Tunnel?
No. The Atal Tunnel and the Lahaul side including Sissu and Keylong require no permit for Indian travellers. Only Rohtang Pass does.
How do I get a Rohtang Pass permit?
Through the official Himachal Pradesh online permit portal, per vehicle and per date, subject to an enforced daily cap. We arrange them for our travellers during the open season, but the quota applies to everyone equally.
Is Rohtang Pass open today?
Rohtang is typically open from around May to early November and closed by snow the rest of the year. Exact opening and closing dates shift every year with snow clearing, so check the current status before planning around it.
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