Chandrakhani Pass Trek
Kullu, Himachal Pradesh
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- Max altitude
- 3,660 m
- Days
- 5 days
- Distance
- 22 km
- Difficulty
- Moderate
No technical or bouldery sections, but the first trekking day climbs about 1,100 m through steep forest from Rumsu, and pass day is a long 9.5 km, roughly 10-hour round trip from Chaklani with no water on the way.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Manali → Rumsu (drive via Naggar)
2,050 m → 2,056 m
Day 2
Rumsu → Naya Tapru (via Stiling and Ghan Kuradi)
2,056 m → 3,179 m
Day 3
Naya Tapru → Chaklani
3,179 m → 3,465 m
Day 4 · highest point
Chaklani → Naya Tapru (via Chandrakhani Pass)
3,465 m → 3,660 m → 3,179 m
Day 5
Naya Tapru → Rumsu (drive to Manali)
3,179 m → 2,056 m
Ups and downs
Altitude profile
Where it is
Map
Trailhead and high point only — not a recorded track. Use it with a proper map.
Weather
Next 5 days on the trail
Live forecast for the trailhead and the high point. Mountain weather changes fast — check again on the morning you start.
Trailhead · Rumsu
at 2,056 mLoading forecast…
High point · Chandrakhani Pass
at 3,660 mLoading forecast…
Each day: high / low °C · rain mm and chance · snow cm · wind km/h
Weather data: Open-Meteo.comModel forecast, not an official warning. For alerts follow IMD and the local administration.
Plan the trip
How to reach
- Trailhead
- Rumsu (nearest town: Naggar)
- Nearest railway
- Joginder Nagar (narrow gauge); Chandigarh is the nearest broad-gauge station
- Nearest airport
- Kullu-Manali Airport, Bhuntar
- By road
- Manali (about 27-29 km via Sarsai and Naggar, 1-2 hours); Kullu (via the left-bank Kullu-Naggar road)
- Drive
- About 8 h from Chandigarh
Plan the trip
Permits and fees
We could not confirm the current permit rules and fees from an official source. Check with the local forest department or tourism office before you go.
Plan the trip
Cost
Self-guided
₹4,000–8,000
With an operator
₹11,500–13,000
Per person, ex-Manali. Guided prices published October 2026: Indiahikes ₹11,200 + 5% GST plus ₹1,000 for Manali transport; Adventure Club Pune ₹12,499 Manali to Manali, including forest and camping permits. Self-guided is an estimate: local bus or taxi from Manali to Rumsu, a homestay night, a local guide or porter, tent and stove hire, food, and forest charges paid locally.
Gear
Top picks for this trek
The gear that matters most on this route, chosen from its altitude, season and risks.
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Packing checklist
Matched to this trek: altitude, season, days and the risks on the route.
Packed 0 of 34
Snow on the trail in May–Jun: microspikes, gaiters and a warm layer are not optional.
Tick each item as it goes in the bag.
Know before you go
Good to know
- Mobile network
- Indiahikes reports Jio and Airtel working almost throughout the trek; do not rely on it near the pass.
- Last ATM
- Naggar, about 4 km from Rumsu; Manali is the more reliable place to withdraw cash
- Nearest hospital
- Manali (about 27 km from Rumsu) for first care; Chandigarh, about 6 hours from Manali, for serious cases
- Water
- Streams at Stiling, Ghan Kuradi and next to Chaklani camp; no water on the ridge between Chaklani and the pass, and streams dry up from October. Boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- A 1-2 km open ridge walk to the pass with the Dhauladhar range on one side and the Pir Panjal and Parvati ranges on the other
- Views of Hanuman Tibba, Friendship Peak, Shikar Beh and Indrasan from the pass and from Naya Tapru
- Deodar, pine, walnut and rhododendron forest above Rumsu, a Kathkuni-style village that shares its deity and customs with Malana
- The historic shepherd and trader route between the Beas and Parvati valleys, once called the Malana Pass, with wildflower meadows in July and August
Risks
- Day 2 gains about 1,100 m from Rumsu to Naya Tapru, so acute mountain sickness is a real risk for people who arrive straight from the plains.
- The ridge to the pass is exposed to strong wind and has no water source; carry enough water from Chaklani.
- Monsoon rain from July to mid-September makes the forest trail above Rumsu muddy and slippery, and landslides on the Mandi-Kullu-Manali highway cause delays; keep a buffer day.
- In June there is deep snow from Chaklani to the pass; from October night temperatures fall below zero at the camps.
- Rumsu and Malana follow strict local customs: do not touch temples, shrines or people's houses without permission.
Know before you go
Questions
How difficult is the Chandrakhani Pass trek for beginners?
Operators rate it easy to moderate and call it one of Himachal's easiest high passes: there are no bouldery or technical sections. The hard parts are the steep forest climb of about 1,100 m on the first trekking day and the long 9.5 km pass day of around 10 hours.
What is the best time to do Chandrakhani Pass?
May to October. May and June have snow near the pass, July and August bring wildflower meadows with cloud and rain, and September-October give clearer views but colder nights. The route is not trekked from November to April because of deep snow.
How high is Chandrakhani Pass and how long is the trek?
The pass is about 3,660 m (12,000-12,185 ft depending on the source). The usual out-and-back route from Rumsu is about 22 km of walking over four trekking days, plus the drive from Manali.
How do I reach Rumsu, the start of the trek?
Rumsu is about 27-29 km from Manali, a 1-2 hour drive via Naggar. Local buses run from Manali to Naggar every 30 minutes from 7 am; from there you need a taxi to Rumsu.
Can I continue to Malana instead of returning to Rumsu?
Yes. The Himachal Pradesh trekking portal lists the older traverse from Naggar over the pass to Nagruni Thach and down to Malana, then out by road via Jari. Most operators now run the shorter out-and-back route from Rumsu.
In an emergency
Save these numbers before you lose signal. Tap to call.
- 112All emergenciesIndia’s single emergency number — works in every state
- 108Ambulance
- 1077District disaster control room
You are in
District: KulluHimachal Pradesh
- Nearest hospital
- Manali (about 27 km from Rumsu) for first care; Chandigarh, about 6 hours from Manali, for serious cases
- Last ATM
- Naggar, about 4 km from Rumsu; Manali is the more reliable place to withdraw cash
- Phone network
- Indiahikes reports Jio and Airtel working almost throughout the trek; do not rely on it near the pass.
Before you set off
- Tell someone your route and when you will be back.
- Carry a charged phone and a power bank.
- Download an offline map of the route.
- Turn back if the weather turns bad — the mountain will wait.
Questions about Chandrakhani Pass
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Chanderkhani pass — Himachal Pradesh Trekking Portal (Govt. of Himachal Pradesh) (official)
- Chandrakhani Pass Trek — Indiahikes
- Chandrakhani Pass Trek — Himalaya Shelter
- Chandrakhani Pass Trek — Adventure Club Pune
- Chandrakhani Pass Trek — Trek The Himalayas
Photos: Shivendrahans, CC BY-SA 4.0; Premdasan, CC BY-SA 4.0; Shivendrahans, CC BY-SA 4.0; Premdasan, CC BY-SA 4.0
