Lahaul is a part of Lahaul-Spiti, the largest district in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh. It is bordered by the Zaskar range and Tibet (known as the roof of the world since it is the highest plateau) on the east, while to its south-east lies the Kinnaur Valley and to its south the Kullu Valley. High altitude glaciers are a regular feature around Lahaul - the Bara Shigri glacier,10 km long and 1 km wide, one of the longest in the Himalayas, is situated close to it.

The main crops grown in the valley are barley, wheat, peas, potatoes and hops  (a climbing plant with flowers that grow in bunches). One of the most traversed trekking route kicks off from Manali, passes through Lahaul and ends at Zanskar (in Kashmir). The Leh-Manali highway is the main passage for tourists into Lahaul and further on to Leh. This route usually open from July to September.