Despite the fact that the Himalayas rise suddenly from the Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputra plain and stand like a vast wall, affording little possibility to traverse, There are, however, certain routes through this mountain wall that can be crossed. The following are a few of the most important passes:

1. Passes of the Western Himalayas:

The Western Himalayas are peppered with a number of passes that provide access to the interior. This region of the Himalayas includes the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

(A) Jammu and Kashmir:

• Mintaka Pass: It connects north Kashmir with China and located near the tri-junction of India, China, and Afghanistan.
• Parpik Pass: It connects north Kashmir with China and is located east of Mintaka Pass on the Indo-China border.
• Khunjereb Pass: This pass, located on the Indo-China border at an elevation of 4934 metres, provides access between Kashmir and China.
• Agahil Pass: K2 peak is located to the north (the highest peak in India and the second highest peak in the world). At an elevation of around 5000 metres above sea level, this pass connects India's Ladakh area with China's Xinjiang (Sinkiang) province. It remains snow-covered during the winter season and is closed from November to May due to its high height and proximity to towering mountains.
• Banihak Pass: It is located in the Pir-Panjal Range at an elevation of 2832 metres. During the winter, it remains snow-covered and cannot be utilised as a transportation route. A tunnel dubbed The Jawaharlal Tunnel (after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister) was inaugurated in December 1956 to offer year-round transportation between Jammu in the south and Srinagar in the north. Another 11-kilometer-long tunnel connects Banihal and Kazigund. In July of 2013, it was opened to railway transport.
• Chang-La: This pass connects Ladakh and Tibet and is located at an altitude of 5360 metres on the India-China border. The temple has been called after the road after Chang La. Due to excessive snowfall, this pass remains inaccessible to traffic during the winter season.
• Khardung La: This pass is located near Leh, in the Ladakh range, at an elevation of 5603 metres. This pass is home to the world's highest motorable road. However, due to excessive snowfall in the winter, this road stays closed.
• Lanak La: This pass connects Ladak and Lhasa and is located near the Indian-Chinese border at an elevation of around 5,000 metres in the Akasai-Chin region of Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese have built a road that connects Xinjiang Province to Tibet.
• Pir-Panjal: It was a customary pass during the Mughal Period, lying across the Pir Panjal Range and providing the quickest and easiest metalled road between Jammu and Kashmir Valley. However, due to the division of the subcontinent, this route had to be closed.
• Qara Tg La: It is located across the Karakarom Range on the Indo-China border. Because it is located at an elevation of over 6,000 metres, it stays snowbound and closed to travel during the winter. It was a tributary of the Great Silk Road.
• Imis La: This pass, located at an altitude of about 4500 metres on the Indo-China border, connects India's Ladakh area with China's Tibet. However, due to the challenging terrain and steep hills, entry is difficult. During the winter, it remains snowbound and closed.
• Pensi La: At an elevation of nearly 5,000 metres, this pass is to the east of the famed Zoji La in the Greater Himalayas, providing a critical route between the Kashmir valley and Kargil. Due to excessive snowfall, it is blocked to traffic from November until mid-May.
• Zoji La: It is situated at an altitude of 3850 metres above sea level and serves as a vital link between Srinagar and Kargil and Leh on one side and Kargil and Leh on the other. The road that passes across this pass is recognised as a National Highway (NH-1D). The Border Road Organisation (BRO) is in charge of keeping the road in good repair and clearing it of snow in the winter. Despite all of these efforts, the pass's route remains closed from December until mid-May.

(B) Himachal Pradesh:

• Bara Lacha La: This mountain pass is situated at an altitude of 4883 m and provides passage between Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. National highway connecting Mandi in Himachal Pradesh with Leh in Jammu and Kashmir passes through this pass. Being situated at high altitude, it remain snow covered in winter and is not used as a transport route.
• Debsa Pass: It connects the districts of Kullu, Lahul, and Spiti, and is located at an elevation of 5270 metres above sea level in the Greater Himalayas. Between Kullu and Spiti, it provides a considerably easier and shorter alternative to the classic Pin-Parbati Pass route.
• Rohtang Pass: It connects the Kallu, Lahul, and Spiti valleys and is located at an elevation of 3979 metres. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is in charge of building and maintaining roads in this region. The Rohtang Pass is a popular tourist destination, and traffic congestion are usual due to the heavy use of this road by military, public, and private vehicles.
• Shipki La: It is situated at a height of about 5669 metres on the Indo-China border in Kinnaur district, and provides a road link between Himachal Pradesh and Tibet. It is snowbound for the majority of the winter season and is not accessible. Near this pass, the Satluj River enters India.

(C) Uttarakhand:

• Lipu Lekh: It serves as a link between Uttarakhand and Tibet, and is located near the tri-junction of the Indian, Tibetan, and Nepali borders in Pithoragarh district. Pilgrims travelling to Kailash-Mansarowar use this pass. Landslides during the rainy season and avalanches during the winter season make it impossible to use this pass.
• Mana Pass: This [ass] connects Uttarakhand and Tiber and is located a little north of the holy location of Badrinath at an elevation of 5610 m near the Indi-China border in the Greater Himalayas. Due to excessive snowfall, it is closed for six months of the year.
• Mangsha Dhura: This [ass] connects Uttarakhand and Tiber and is located a little north of the holy location of Badrinath at an elevation of 5610 m near the Indi-China border in the Greater Himalayas. Due to excessive snowfall, it is closed for six months of the year.
• Niti Pass: This pass connects Uttarakhand and Tibet and is located at an altitude of 5068 metres on the Indo-China border across the Greater Himalayas. From November until mid-May, it is snow-covered and blocked to transportation.
• Muling La: It is located in the Great Himalayas to the north of Gangotri, at an elevation of 5669 metres. It connects Uttrakhand with Tibet, although it is closed during the winter months due to excessive snowfall.

2. Passes of the Eastern Himalayas:

This part of the Himalayas includes states of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

(A) Sikkim:

• Nathu La: It is part of an offshoot of the ancient Silk Route and is located at an altitude of 4310 metres on the Indo-China border. It connects Sikkim and Tibet and serves as a vital commerce corridor between India and China. It was closed after China's invasion of India in 1062, but reopened in 2006 when the governments of the two countries wanted to increase trade via land routes.
• Jelep La: It is located at an altitude of 4538 metres on the Sikkim-Bhutan border and runs through Chumbi Valley. This pass serves as a vital connection between Sikkim and Lhasa.

(B) Arunachal Pradesh:

• Bom Di La: This pass connects Arunachal Pradesh and Lhasa and is located at an elevation of 4331 metres on Bhutan's eastern border in the Greater Himalayas. During the winter, it is snowbound and remains closed to traffic.
• Dihang Pass: It connects Arunachal Pradesh with Myanmar and is located at an elevation of around 4000 metres.
• Diphu Pass: It is located at an altitude of 4353 metres on the border of India, China, and Myanmar, and enables easy transit between Arunachal Pradesh and Mandalay, Myanmar. It is an important land commercial route connecting India and Myanmar that is open all year.
• Kumjawng Pass: It connects Arunachal Pradesh with Myanmar and is located at an altitude of 2929 metres on the Indo-Myanmar border.
• Hpungan Pass: It provides a key link between India and Myanmar, lying at an altitude of 3072 metres on the Indo-Myanmar border.
• Chaukan Pass: At an elevation of 2432 metres, this pass connects Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar on the Indo-Myanmar border.