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Himachal Pradesh

Chanshal Pass (Dodra Kwar)

Rohru's high road pass into the shepherd meadows and apple villages of Dodra Kwar

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Best time to visit Chanshal Pass (Dodra Kwar)

peak shoulder off-season avoid

  • Go: June and September to October
  • Shoulder: May, July to August and November, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
  • Skip: December to April

Planning a specific month? JuneSeptemberOctober

Chanshal Pass (Dodra Kwar) season by season

Winter December to February Do not go

Dec-Feb not now: the pass is under several metres of snow and the road from Larot is closed until BRO cuts it open again; Dodra Kwar is sealed off from the Himachal side

Summer March to May Shoulder

Mar-Apr the road is still shut; May usually sees it reopen, walls of snow either side of the track, Larot's homestays waking up, and the meadows still brown

Monsoon June to September Prime time

June is the clearest month, flowers on the ridge and the Rupin side green; Jul-Aug slides on the Rohru road and cloud on the pass most afternoons; Sep dries out

Autumn October to November Prime time

Oct is the finest: gold ridges, first snow on the tops, the Dodra Kwar apple harvest and an empty road; by mid-November the first big snow closes the pass

What Chanshal Pass (Dodra Kwar) is actually like

A few Rohru families running Larot homestays, shepherds on the ridge, a rest house at Dodra; evenings are a bukhari and no phone signal

Things to do in Chanshal Pass

The local places worth your time in and around Chanshal Pass, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.

  • Larot

    Village · 23 km out

    Village at about 2,500 m on the Rohru side, some 20 km below the pass; the usual overnight base before crossing

  • Saru Tal, Chanshal

    Lake · 8 km out

    High lake about 7 to 8 km along the ridge south of the pass on an unmarked trail; take a local guide from Larot or Rohru

  • Dodra

    Village · 15 km out

    First village over the pass, at about 2,500 m on the Rupin river, with Kwar on the far bank

  • Kwar

    Village · 35 km out

    Twin village of Dodra across the Rupin river, about 20 km further on by road

  • Shikru Devta Temple, Rohru

    Temple · 55 km out

    Temple of the local deity Shikru Devta in Rohru, the Pabbar valley trading town and base for the pass

  • Hateshwari Temple, Hatkoti

    Temple · 67 km out

    Temple group on the Pabbar dated to the 8th to 9th century, a stop on the road up from Shimla to Rohru

Getting to Chanshal Pass (Dodra Kwar)

Shimla-Rohru bus (5 h), Rohru-Larot bus or taxi 35 km, then a shared jeep 30 km over the pass to Dodra

Practical ways in: road

Trip facts

How long to stay
3 days
Budget
Shoestring
How busy
Quiet at its peak
Solo travel
Doable solo with some planning
Altitude
3563 m
State
Himachal Pradesh
Coordinates
31.2083, 78.0020

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Chanshal Pass (Dodra Kwar)?

June and September to October is peak season in Chanshal Pass (Dodra Kwar). May, July to August and November is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid December to April. June is the clearest month, flowers on the ridge and the Rupin side green; Jul-Aug slides on the Rohru road and cloud on the pass most afternoons; Sep dries out.

How many days do you need in Chanshal Pass (Dodra Kwar)?

3 days is the usual stay. A few Rohru families running Larot homestays, shepherds on the ridge, a rest house at Dodra; evenings are a bukhari and no phone signal.

How do you get to Chanshal Pass (Dodra Kwar)?

Shimla-Rohru bus (5 h), Rohru-Larot bus or taxi 35 km, then a shared jeep 30 km over the pass to Dodra. Practical ways in: road.

Is Chanshal Pass (Dodra Kwar) expensive, and does it get crowded?

Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.

What are the best things to do in Chanshal Pass?

Larot, Saru Tal, Chanshal, Dodra, Kwar, Shikru Devta Temple, Rohru and Hateshwari Temple, Hatkoti. Village at about 2,500 m on the Rohru side, some 20 km below the pass; the usual overnight base before crossing.

Nearby, and where to go next

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