Manali to Jispa by Motorcycle: Day 3 Through the Atal Tunnel

Day 3 of our 11-Day Himalayan Motorcycle Tour: Zanskar and Ladakh is the day the Himalaya changes. In the morning you ride out of Manali through pine forest and green slopes. Nine kilometres of tunnel later you are in Lahaul, where the mountains turn to bare rock, the rivers run grey with glacier melt and the sky seems twice as big. By evening you are in Jispa, a small village at 3,200 m on the Bhaga river, and your first night above 3,000 m.

This post follows that day as our September 2026 group rode it on 14 September: the route, the distances, the heights, the temperatures we rode through and why we stop at Jispa instead of pushing further.

Day 3 at a glance

• Route: Manali, the Solang valley, the Atal Tunnel, Sissu, Tandi, Keylong, Jispa

• Distance: about 90 km

• Start: Manali, about 2,050 m

• Highest point: the Atal Tunnel, at about 3,000 m

• Finish: Jispa, about 3,200 m

• Road: mostly tarmac on the Manali to Leh highway

• Bike: Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

• Night: Jispa

Leaving Manali

After the shakedown ride on Day 2, the bikes are set up, the group has found its rhythm and the luggage is in the support vehicle. Day 3 starts with a short briefing and a slow roll out of town, north up the Beas towards the Solang valley.

On our September ride it was about 18°C in Manali when we left: warm enough in the sun, cool in the shade of the pines. The first stretch climbs gently through villages and orchards, with the snow on the Pir Panjal ahead of you the whole way.

Through the Atal Tunnel

For decades, the only way north from Manali was over the Rohtang Pass, at almost 4,000 m. It was often blocked by snow, landslides or traffic, and it closed for months every winter.

Since 2020 there has been another way. The Atal Tunnel runs 9.02 km straight through the Pir Panjal range at about 3,000 m. It is the longest single-tube highway tunnel above 10,000 feet in the world, and it cut the road from Manali to Keylong from about 116 km to about 71 km.

We stop at the south portal for a group photo. It was about 16°C there on our ride. Then it is helmets on, lights on and ten minutes or so of steady riding inside the mountain. The tunnel is lit, ventilated and two lanes wide, so it is an easy ride. Most riders still remember the moment they come out the other side.

Lahaul: the other side of the mountain

The north portal opens into the Chandra valley in Lahaul, and the change is immediate. The Pir Panjal catches most of the monsoon rain on its southern side, so Lahaul is far drier than Manali. The forest thins out, the slopes turn to scree and rock, and the light is harder and clearer.

Sissu

A few kilometres after the tunnel we stop at Sissu, a village on the Chandra river with a tall waterfall dropping off the cliff across the valley. It was about 19°C at midday on our ride. This is where helmets come off and phones come out.

Along the Chandra

From Sissu the road follows the Chandra river downstream through the valley. It is one of the most enjoyable stretches of the whole tour: wide, smooth and fast enough to settle into the bike, with pine on the lower slopes and rock above.

Tandi and Keylong

At Tandi the Chandra meets the Bhaga, and together they become the Chandrabhaga, better known further downstream as the Chenab. From here the road turns north up the Bhaga valley to Keylong, the main town of Lahaul and Spiti district and the last real town before Leh. If anyone needs cash, a pharmacy or a phone top-up, this is the place.

Beyond Keylong the valley narrows into a gorge of rock walls and tight bends. The green fades with every kilometre and the rock takes over.

Jispa, 3,200 m

Jispa is a small village on the Bhaga river, about 20 km beyond Keylong and 7 km before Darcha. It has little more than a few guesthouses and camps, a river and a ring of high peaks, which is exactly why we like it.

We are usually in Jispa by the afternoon. On our September ride it was about 15°C in Jispa in the early evening, dropping to about 9°C overnight. The rest of the day is for a walk by the river, a hot drink, the briefing for Day 4 and an early night.

Why we stop at Jispa

On paper you could ride much further on Day 3. We don't, for one reason: altitude.

Day 4 takes the group over Shinku La, at about 5,000 m, and into Zanskar. Sleeping a night at 3,200 m in Jispa gives your body time to adjust before that climb. A short, easy riding day here makes the next day safer and far more enjoyable.

Temperatures on Day 3 (14 September 2026)

• Manali, morning: about 18°C

• Atal Tunnel, mid-morning: about 16°C

• Sissu, midday: about 19°C

• Jispa, early evening: about 15°C, about 9°C overnight

These figures come from historical weather data for each place on the day we rode. In June and July expect similar daytime temperatures and colder nights. By late September the mornings in Jispa can be close to freezing.

What to wear and carry on Day 3

• Full riding gear, with a warm layer you can add or remove at stops

• Gloves you can ride in for a long time. The tunnel and the shade are cool even on a sunny day.

• Sunglasses or a tinted visor and sunscreen. The light in Lahaul is strong.

• Water, and a little cash for tea stops

• A warm jacket for the evening in Jispa

If this is your first time riding in India, read our guide to what to know before a Himalayan motorcycle tour.

Where Day 3 fits in the 11 days

• Day 1: Delhi to Manali

• Day 2: Manali preparation day (read the Day 2 post)

• Day 3: Manali to Jispa, this post

• Day 4: Jispa to Padum over Shinku La

• Day 5: Padum to Lamayuru

• Day 6: Lamayuru to Leh

• Day 7: Leh to Nubra Valley over Khardung La

• Day 8: Nubra Valley to Pangong Lake

• Day 9: Pangong Lake to Hanle over Umling La

• Day 10: Hanle to Leh

• Day 11: Departure from Leh

For the bigger picture of the road north, see our Manali Leh motorcycle tour guide and our comparison of starting in Leh or in Manali.

Questions riders ask about Day 3

Do we still ride over Rohtang Pass?

No. Since the Atal Tunnel opened in 2020 we go through the mountain, which is faster and far more reliable. Rohtang is still there for a day trip from Manali, but it is no longer on the route north.

Is the Atal Tunnel difficult to ride?

No. It is a lit, two-lane tunnel with a good surface. Keep your lights on, keep your distance and keep a steady speed.

How far is Manali to Jispa?

About 90 km via the Atal Tunnel: about 71 km from Manali to Keylong and about 20 km more to Jispa.

Why not ride straight to Leh?

Because the altitude rises quickly after Jispa. A night at 3,200 m before Shinku La is part of how we keep the group healthy, and the route through Zanskar is the reason this tour exists.

Is there phone signal and fuel?

The petrol pump at Tandi, just before Keylong, is the well-known last fuel stop for a long way, and Keylong has ATMs and phone signal. Beyond Keylong signal becomes patchy, which is one more reason the support vehicle and mechanic travel with the group.

Ride it in 2027

Our 2027 dates for the 11-Day Himalayan Motorcycle Tour are open: ten departures between June and September, each with ten riders at most, a road captain, a mechanic and a support vehicle. Groups fill early, so if you have a month in mind, pick your date on the calendar or write to us and we will hold a place.

Next in this series: Day 4, Jispa to Padum over Shinku La.