LIVE UPDATES · 028 SEGMENTS
Road conditions.
28 highway segments — Manali-Leh, Srinagar-Leh, Char Dham, Spiti circuit, and more. Check before you drive.
🟢Atal Tunnel North Portal to Keylong
Well-paved road through Lahaul Valley. Open year-round since Atal Tunnel opened (Oct 2020). Fuel at Tandi. Road follows Chandra River. Drive time: ~1 hour. Black ice risk in winter. As of May 2026, expect queues at the tunnel itself during peak tourist hours (safety audit ordered by HP govt due to capacity overload).
🟢Chandigarh to Dharamshala
Good highway via Una/Amb. 240km, ~5 hours. Alternatively via Mandi (longer but more scenic). Road to McLeod Ganj from Dharamshala is steep, narrow 10km climb — shared taxis available. Fuel at Hamirpur, Kangra.
Well-maintained 4-lane highway up to Bilaspur, then 2-lane mountain road via Mandi and Kullu. Total 310km, 7-8 hours. Frequent truck traffic. Fuel every 50km. Aut-Mandi bypass has reduced congestion. Pandoh Dam area often slow. Best to start early morning.
Well-maintained highway. 115km, ~3.5 hours. Narrow and winding after Solan with hairpin bends. Heavy traffic on weekends and holidays — can take 5+ hours. Fuel at Parwanoo, Solan, Shimla. Shimla parking scarce — use public transport from Tutikandi.
Excellent 6-lane expressway. 270km, ~4 hours (3.5 if no stops). Toll plazas at Kherki Daula, Manesar, Shahpura. FASTag mandatory. Multiple fuel stations and rest areas (Highway King, etc). Neemrana Fort midway for a break. Avoid Friday evening Delhi exit rush.
Smooth expressway to Haridwar then short drive to Rishikesh. 230km, ~5 hours. Delhi-Meerut Expressway cuts 1 hour. Toll road. Fuel abundant. Weekend traffic heavy on Friday evening and Sunday return. Haridwar bypass recommended to avoid temple traffic.
🟢Drass to Kargil
Open with the Srinagar-Leh highway, which stayed open through winter 2025-26 (BRO historic first). Drass = 2nd coldest inhabited place (-60C record). Fair road. Kargil War Memorial at Drass. Fuel at Drass and Kargil. Drive time Zoji La to Kargil: ~4 hours.
Long desert highway. 560km, ~8 hours via Jodhpur. Excellent road surface via Ajmer-Jodhpur-Jaisalmer. Flat terrain, easy driving but monotonous. Fuel every 80-100km. Jodhpur is natural midpoint for an overnight stop. Avoid driving at night — cattle and camels on road.
Challenging road through Kinnaur-Spiti. Multiple landslide zones, narrow cliffside sections, no guardrails in places. Passes through Nako, Tabo. Drive time: ~10 hours for 200km. Last reliable fuel: Reckong Peo (carry jerry cans). Open May-Nov only.
🟢Karcham to Chitkul (Sangla Valley detour)
Detour from NH5 at Karcham into Sangla Valley. 40km, ~2 hours. Good road to Sangla, narrower to Chitkul (last Indian village on Tibet border). No fuel in valley — fill up at Reckong Peo. Open Apr-Nov, risky in monsoon.
Open with the Srinagar-Leh highway (which stayed open through winter 2025-26 for the first time). Namika La (3700m) and Fotu La (4108m) on the route. Good BRO surface. Magnetic Hill, Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, Lamayuru en route. Drive time: ~6 hours from Kargil to Leh.
Manali-Leh highway via Baralacha La (4890m) reopened to light motor vehicles on 15 May 2026 after a six-month winter closure. BRO Project Deepak still clearing snow further north (Nakee La, Lachung La). Last fuel: Tandi. Fair-to-poor gravel with patches of slush and active clearance zones. Drive time when open: ~5 hours. No habitation between Keylong and Sarchu.
As of June 2026 (peak Ladakh season) Khardung La (5359m) is normally open — BRO clears it by late May and the wider Manali–Leh network cleared mid-May 2026. Fair-to-poor surface, ~120km to Diskit (~5 hrs). Brief weather/landslide closures possible — confirm same-day with Leh traffic police before crossing. ILP required. No fuel Leh→Diskit. AMS common — acclimatise 2 days in Leh first.
As of June 2026 (peak season) Chang La (5360m) is normally open — BRO usually clears it by mid/late May. Fair BRO road, 160km, ~5 hrs. Inner Line Permit required (apply online 2 days ahead). No fuel after Leh — carry enough for the return trip. Very high AMS risk at the pass. Confirm same-day locally; brief weather closures possible.
Open Jun–Sep only; as of June 2026 the seasonal window is open. Remote route via Mahe/Sumdo (Chumur), 220km, ~8 hrs, very rough track — high-clearance vehicle essential. No fuel or habitation for long stretches. ILP required. Carry food, water, spare fuel. Confirm same-day locally before setting out.
NH3 Manali to Atal Tunnel south portal (13km). Smooth tarmac. Atal Tunnel (9.02km) open year-round, single lane each direction. Speed limit 40kmph inside. As of May 2026, tunnel running well over design capacity (>20,000 entries/week vs 3,000/day design) — long queues at peak times; safety audit ordered by HP govt. Drive time Manali to Sissu via tunnel: ~45 min off-peak.
Sumdo-Kaza-Gramphu highway via Kunzum La (4551m) reopened on 20 May 2026 for 4x4 vehicles only, after a six-month winter closure. BRO snow clearance complete but slippery patches during morning/evening as snow melts; heavy vehicles barred until full restoration. Rough gravel, multiple stream crossings (Gramphu-Batal worst). 200km, 10-12 hours. No fuel Manali to Kaza. Spectacular but gruelling drive.
Old Rohtang Pass road (3978m) CLOSED Oct-May. Permit required even when open (Rs 550/vehicle via HP govt portal). When open: extremely busy, 4-hour queue common on weekends. Poor surface. Most travelers now use Atal Tunnel instead. Road opens Jun-Oct.
Fair road with narrow sections after Rampur. Landslide-prone during monsoon Jul-Sep. Sutlej River gorge — dramatic but dangerous drops. Fuel at Rampur Bushahr. ~5 hours for 130km. Bhimakali temple at Sarahan.
Char Dham all-weather highway project partially complete. Rishikesh to Rudraprayag: good dual carriageway. Rudraprayag to Guptkashi: fair, single lane patches. Guptkashi to Gaurikund (trek start): narrow, slow. Total ~220km, 8-9 hours. Fuel at Rudraprayag and Guptkashi.
Char Dham highway under construction — expect delays and diversions. Rishikesh to Devprayag: good. Devprayag to Joshimath: fair with construction zones, frequent traffic stops. Joshimath subsidence zone — road realignment in progress. ~250km, 9-10 hours. Fuel at Srinagar, Chamoli.
🔴Sarahan to Kalpa via Tapri
Narrow mountain road with frequent landslide zones, especially near Kinnaur Kailash region. Fair surface but single lane in many places. Fuel at Reckong Peo only. Drive time: ~4 hours. Stunning Kinner Kailash views from Kalpa.
Currently CLOSED. As of mid-May 2026, BRO Project Deepak is still clearing snow on Nakee La (4739m), Lachalung La (5059m) and Tanglang La (5328m); trial vehicle movement to begin once Nakee La stretch is operational from the Leh side. Expected opening: early June. Altitude sickness risk high above 4500m. Drive time when open: ~10 hours Sarchu to Leh. No fuel Sarchu to Upshi.
Good tarmac road, 65km, ~2.5 hours. Apple orchards en route. Fuel at Theog and Narkanda. Hatu Peak detour possible. Road gets icy Dec-Feb above Kufri. Chains recommended in winter.
Srinagar-Leh highway via Zoji La (3528m) is open. BRO kept Zoji La operational through winter 2025-26 for the first time in recorded history due to lighter-than-usual snowfall and continuous clearing. Brief closures during heavy snowfall events. Z-Morh tunnel still under construction. When passing: poor surface, single lane sections, army convoy delays.
Good road via Tangmarg. 50km, ~1.5 hours from Srinagar. Last 14km from Tangmarg to Gulmarg is steep with hairpin bends. Snow possible on road Nov-Mar — chains may be needed. Fuel at Tangmarg. Gondola starts from Gulmarg town center.
Good road via Anantnag. 95km, ~2.5 hours. NH44 to Anantnag then state highway to Pahalgam. Fuel at Anantnag. Saffron fields of Pampore en route. Army presence. Road is well-maintained year-round. Last 15km to Pahalgam is scenic along Lidder River.
Well-maintained NH1. 80km, ~2.5 hours. Road follows Sindh River valley. Army checkpoints. Fuel in Srinagar and Kangan. Smooth tarmac. Scenic drive through rice paddies and walnut groves.
ALSO ON NAKSHIQ
Eight more rooms in the magazine.
Guides
Visa, scams, food, packing.
Everything the guidebook won't tell you — written for India in 2026.
Blog
Field notes from the road.
Long-form reads on regions, festivals, and the offbeat circuit.
Road trips
Curated multi-day routes.
Driving itineraries with day-by-day stops, distance, and difficulty.
Collections
Themed reading lists.
Wettest places. Sacred lakes. Solo-female-safe. Curated cuts.
NakshIQ 100
The 100 best destination-months.
India's highest-scoring places, ranked across all 12 months.
The Window
Our weekly newsletter, archived.
One honest spread, every Sunday. The full back catalogue.
Skip list
What we'd skip — and what we'd do instead.
Overhyped places with honest alternatives.
First trip
Planning your first time in India.
Safety, scams, what to wear, food survival, solo female travel.