How to reach Keylong — the Atal Tunnel route
The route that changed everything
Until 2020, reaching Keylong meant crossing Rohtang Pass — a 4-to-6-hour climb, negotiation and descent, shut entirely from late October to mid-May by snow. The Atal Tunnel replaced that with a 9 km bore under the pass, and the whole Manali–Keylong drive now takes about two hours, in any season.
By road from Manali
The most direct route: about 70 km and under two hours via the Atal Tunnel, on the Manali–Leh highway. HRTC buses and private taxis run this route regularly through the year, with more frequent service in the summer season (May–June and October are the peak travel months, when tourists head for Rohtang Pass and the tunnel itself alongside those continuing to Lahaul).
By air
Bhuntar, also known as Kullu–Manali Airport, is the nearest airport — about 119 km and just under three hours from Keylong by road via Manali. Flights are limited and mostly connect through Delhi, so checking the day's schedule matters more here than at a bigger airport.
By road from further away
Most travellers reach Keylong via Manali rather than in one long push from a distant city — fly or bus to Manali first, then continue through the tunnel. Chandigarh, Shimla and Mandi all connect to Manali by road; from any of them, treat the Manali leg as the last, easiest stage of the journey.
> demand for the tunnel route spikes alongside the Rohtang Pass tourist traffic on the same road.
Getting around once you're there
Keylong's own monasteries — Shashur, Kardang, Tayul and Guru Ghantal — are a short taxi ride apart. The highway villages further north, Sissu, Jispa and Darcha, are reached on the same Manali–Leh highway, progressively further out; see the three-day full-valley plan for the full sequence.
Plans that include this
All Keylong itineraries →
Questions people ask
How do I get to Keylong from Manali?
Drive or take an HRTC bus through the Atal Tunnel — about 70 km and under two hours, open in any season since the tunnel's completion in 2020. This replaced the old route over Rohtang Pass, which used to close for roughly six months a year.
What is the nearest airport to Keylong?
Bhuntar, also called Kullu–Manali Airport, about 119 km and just under three hours away by road via Manali. It has limited daily flights, mostly to Delhi, so it's worth checking the day's schedule before relying on it.
Is there a direct bus from Delhi to Keylong?
Not typically direct — most travellers take an overnight bus or drive to Manali first, then continue through the Atal Tunnel to Keylong the next day, rather than attempting the whole distance from Delhi in one long, exhausting push in a single sitting.