The Rohtang Pass is open only during the summer season. Summer months from June to October is the only time when Rohtang Pass is available for motor transport. This pass is around 50 kilometers away from the town of Manali. This pass helps provide the important supply route connection for the transport of food grains, vegetables, and other essential supplies.       

Apart from being an important connection to other travel destinations, Rohtang Pass also provides one of the best views of the snow-covered mountains. Drive leading to the main point of Rohtang pass is a wonderful experience on its own. In the earlier times, Rohtang Pass was also a trade route among the traders from either side of the Pass. 

Suggested Read: Mysterious Places to visit in India

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Challenges of Rohtang Pass

For domestic tourists, Rohtang Pass is a very well-known destination to witness the beauty of the natural snow-covered landscape. Rohtang Pass attracts hundreds of tourists particularly from the Northern parts of India every year. The word ‘Rohtang’ means the land of corpses, it was named in such a way because many travelers died while crossing this pass during extreme weather conditions.

For adventure travelers, Rohtang Pass is quite a challenging experience for people who are traveling to Leh and Ladakh on a motorcycle. For motorcyclists, riding through the rough roads with the crisp mountain air is a rewarding experience. Rohtang pass during summer serves as a gateway to the popular Manali-Leh highway for the travelers going towards Leh and Ladakh. 

Motorcyclists, find some of the most challenging roads at Rani Nallah which are some of the muddiest and slippery tracks to ride on. Landslides are another regular happenings that hamper travel on this route.  The government of Himachal Pradesh is working towards building a two-way tunnel system to make travel easier on this route. 

Suggested Read: Famous Temple in Himachal Pradesh

Weather Conditions

Rohtang during summer is the ideal time to visit and travel through. The average temperature during the summer months reaches around 24 degrees Celsius. 

During the winter season, the tour operators offer various Himachal tour packages which include many winter sports activities such as Skiing and Snowboarding. It is important to know that the temperature falls to an average of 2 degrees Celsius.  

How to reach Rohtang Pass

Rohtang during summer receives the maximum number of tourists and it is an ideal tourist attraction in Manali. The tourists who avail the popular Himachal tour packages from the travel agents can find many activities such as mountain biking, hiking, and paragliding in Manali. These tour packages always include Rohtang Pass as an essential tourist attraction.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Tourists can take the main highway known as NH21 to reach Manali and to the Rohtang Pass. For travelers, it is an amazing experience to drive on this highway as it offers some of the best scenic views you can cherish. One thing to remember is that an experienced driver is needed to travel to RohtangPaas. Most drivers without any experience of traveling to Manali’s roads can create problems for themselves and the passengers they are carrying. 

Requirements to visit Rohtang Pass

Tourists need to acquire a permit to visit the Rohtang Pass. Also, the fees which have been recently introduced need to be paid. The fee is around 550 Indian rupees which are administered by the National Green Tribunal.

Two separate permits are required for traveling to and traveling beyond the Rohtang Pass. Tourists can avail themselves of these permits online through the web portal of the Himachal Tourism Department. Before applying for the permit, tourists need to submit photo identification and registration papers for the tourist’s vehicle.

Tourist Activities

For the tourists, there are many tourist activities to enjoy at Rohtang Pass. With the increase in the number of tourists visiting Rohtang Pass every year, the tour operators came up with various activities to offer to the tourist.

Following are some of the most popular activities in Rohtang Pass.

- Skiing

- Heli-skiing

- Paragliding

- Snow-Mobile riding

- Mountain Biking

Tourists attractions near Rohtang Pass

There are some Himachal tour packages from Delhi to Manali, which include some of the following destinations as part of the tour. These destinations have become popular on their own as well as due to the fact of them being close to Rohtang Pass. 

Suggested Read: Famous Lakes in Himachal Pradesh

1. Waterfalls of Rahala

For the photographers, this is a beautiful site to capture some amazing shots of the waterfall and the area around it. This waterfall is somewhat of a hidden gem and is not very popular among regular tourists.

You can reach this beautiful attraction by traveling from the town of Manali towards Rohtang Pass. It is around 15 kilometers away from Manali. The waterfalls fall from the height of 2500 meters which gives one of the most beautiful spectacles to cherish.

Rahala Waterfall has also become popular among the Instagram community of travelers who popularized this destination for the other tourists.

2. Solang Valley

Solang Valley has become one of the most popular adventure sports destinations near Rohtang Pass. Solang Valley as a destination provides ideal sightseeing of Kullu&Manali. The picturesque beauty of the valley is an unforgettable experience for the tourists.

Solang Valley has become one of the popular destinations for adventure tourism activities. Sports such as Zorbing, Paragliding, and horse-riding are some of the most popular activities tourists engage in. 

Suggested Read: Best Honeymoon Destinations in Himachal Pradesh

3. Lahaul & Spiti

Apart from all the sightseeing of Kullu and Manali, Lahaul&Spiti is the most favorable destination during the summer season. The Lahaul and Spiti valley offers some of the best views of the mountains. The vast expanse of the dry hills of Spiti valley is particularly beautiful during the winter season.

Many ready-made packages are available for tour to Lahaul Spiti Valley, but various adventure travelers travel on their vehicle. There are many things to do in Spiti Valley for the tourists, most of which include sightseeing of monasteries, villages, and valleys.

Suggested Read: Famous Tourist Attraction in Dalhousie

Conclusion

Before traveling to Rohtang Pass, it is very important to consider the weather conditions. Packing Warm clothing and necessary preparations to acquire a permit are among some of the most important things to remember.

Rohtang Pass will provide the best view of the mountains along with the availability to travel to other destinations. Tourists can take a tour to Lahaul Spiti Valley or enjoy the many adventure activities available in Manali. 

Rohtang is a very important site for transporting goods as well as connecting travelers to other destinations. It is worth visiting Rohtang only for the view that it offers.