Kardang
Kardang village faces Keylong across the Bhaga river and holds the valley's largest, most important monastery, founded some 900 years ago on a ridge.
Himachal Pradesh⛰ 3,080 m3 itineraries
Keylong and the Lahaul valley
Keylong at 3,080 m: Lahaul's district headquarters, its Drukpa Kagyu monasteries, and the valley towns the Atal Tunnel opened year-round to.
Itineraries you can copy
All 3 →
Day plan · First visitClassic
One day around Keylong — Shashur, Tayul and Kardang
A single-day Keylong loop: Shashur, Tayul and Kardang monasteries, all within half an hour's drive of the bazaar. Free itinerary on HimLocal.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct
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1 night · 2 days · First visitClassic
Two days in Keylong — monasteries on both sides of the valley
A two-day Keylong plan: Shashur, Tayul and Kardang on day one, Guru Ghantal Monastery and Gondhla Fort on day two. Free, copyable plan on HimLocal.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct
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2 nights · 3 days · First visitClassic
Three days in Lahaul — Keylong's monasteries and the highway villages
A three-day Lahaul plan from Keylong: monasteries and Gondhla Fort on days one and two, Sissu, Jispa and Darcha on day three. Free on HimLocal.
Best Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct
See the plan →Keylong — also spelled Kyelang — is the headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal's largest and least populous district, on the banks of the Bhaga river a few kilometres from where the Chandra and Bhaga valleys meet. Until the Atal Tunnel opened in 2020, the only road here crossed Rohtang Pass and shut for six months a year. Now the drive from Manali runs in under two hours, in any season, and Lahaul has gone from a place people reached to a place people pass through on the way to Ladakh — worth stopping for on its own.
The valley's monasteries are the reason to slow down. Shashur Monastery sits a short walk from Keylong's own bazaar. Across the river, Kardang was once Lahaul's capital and still holds its most important Drukpa Kagyu monastery. Further along the same road, near Gondhla Fort, sits Guru Ghantal Monastery, with a history local tradition traces back to Padmasambhava. Tayul Monastery, closer to town, rounds out the valley's five monasteries worth the drive.
Further up the highway, Sissu and its waterfall, Jispa and Darcha are the villages travellers heading towards Baralacha La and Ladakh stop at overnight — each a plausible day trip from Keylong on its own, or a stage on the way further north.
Photos: Timothy A. Gonsalves (CC BY-SA 4.0) · In Transit (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Timothy Gonsalves (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Places worth the drive
Jispa
Jispa sits on the Bhaga river past Keylong, a quiet overnight stop for travellers continuing towards Baralacha La and Ladakh on the highway.
Darcha
No village sits any further north on this highway than Darcha, past Jispa on the way towards Baralacha La and Ladakh, deep in the Himalayas.
Sissu
Sissu sits on the Chandra river past the Atal Tunnel, known for a waterfall across the water and a peak named for the valley's own guardian deity.
Gondhla Fort
Gondhla Fort was the seat of the Thakurs of Gondhla, who ruled this stretch of the Chandra valley on behalf of the Rajas of Kullu for generations.
Shashur Monastery
Shashur Monastery sits a short drive from Keylong's bazaar, founded by a Ladakhi lama in the 17th century, known for its Tseshe festival in July.
Guru Ghantal Monastery
Guru Ghantal Monastery near Gondhla is linked by local tradition to Padmasambhava in the 8th century, and to a Kushan-era relic in the British Museum.
On the map
Open the Keylong map →The places a Keylong day reaches, with the road time from town. Each opens on the map with its plans and pages beside it.
Before you go
All articles →Things to do in Keylong — 7 worth the drive, and what each costs
Seven things to do in Keylong and the Lahaul valley sorted by distance from the bazaar, with measured drive times, what each costs, and when to go.
The monasteries of Lahaul — a guide to Keylong's gompas
A guide to Keylong's Drukpa Kagyu monasteries — Shashur, Kardang, Tayul and Guru Ghantal — their founders, festivals, and which to see first.
How to reach Keylong — the Atal Tunnel route
Getting to Keylong via the Atal Tunnel from Manali in under two hours, by air via Bhuntar, or by bus — and exactly what changed here since 2020.
The best time to visit Keylong and the Lahaul valley
Keylong and the Lahaul valley by season: when the Atal Tunnel keeps you moving year-round, and when the road further north actually opens up.
Questions people ask
Is Keylong open year-round now?
Yes — since the Atal Tunnel opened in 2020, Keylong is reachable from Manali in under two hours in any season, though roads further north towards Baralacha La and Ladakh still close for the winter months, usually from late autumn to late spring.
How many days do you need in Keylong?
Two days covers the monasteries on both sides of the river — Shashur, Kardang, Tayul and Guru Ghantal — plus Gondhla Fort. A third day reaches Sissu, Jispa and Darcha further up the valley, each a plausible stop worth its own visit.
Do I need a permit to visit Keylong or Lahaul?
No — the Lahaul valley itself, including Keylong, Sissu, Jispa and Darcha, needs no permit for Indian visitors at all. Inner Line Permit rules apply only to specific border areas of Spiti, well beyond what this guide covers or recommends visiting.
Photographs by Wikimedia Commons contributors (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA), resized; each picture is credited on its own page.