Kinnaur is the valley of the Trans Himalayan river Satluj and its tributary Baspa. Kinnaur is the North-East Frontier district of the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. Before India's independence, Kinnaur formed part of the erstwhile Bhushhar State. After India's independence in 1947, Kinnaur formed the Chini Tehsil of Mahasu District. As part of the reorganization of border areas, the Kinnaur District was formed on May 1, 1960, to enable speedy development of this area.

Kinnaur covers an area of about 6,553 square kilometers. To the east lies the Ngari region of Tibet; the Dhauladhar range forms its southern boundary, separating it from Uttarkashi District of Uttar Pradesh and the Shimla District of Himachal Pradesh. In the west, the Srikhand Dhar marks the boundary between Kinnaur and Kulu. Spiti is on the northern border of Kinnaur -- the boundary being formed by the rivers Spiti and Pare near the Indo-Tibetan border.

Kinnaur consists of very high mountains, deep valleys or gorges, glaciers and rivers. Upper Kinnaur is an arid Trans Himalayan region. Three roughly parallel ranges run in Kinnaur. The Zanskar range is present along the northeast and its crest forms the eastern international border of Kinnaur with Tibet. The main Great Himalayan range runs from northwest to south. Finally, the Dhauladhar range forms the southern boundary of Kinnaur, merging with the main Himalayan range in southeastern Kinnaur. The mountain ranges are full of craggy rocks of enormous heights and spurs having perilous gradients. In northwestern Kinnaur the mountains are remarkably precipitous and present huge boulders, rocks and cliffs of various forms.

The elevations of Kinnaur range from 1,220 m to 3,050 m. The mountains with elevations greater than 5,500 m have high peaks which remain covered with snow and ice throughout the year. The highest peaks in Kinnaur are Leo Pargial (6,770 m) and Manirang (6,593 m).

Almost every mountain range in India has its own Kailash. Kinnaur also has one, namely the Kinner Kailash, which rises from the base of the Satluj river to a spectacular height of 6,437 m. The yatra (pilgrimage) around the Kinner Kailash is considered holy by both the Hindus and the Buddhists. The trek takes about 3 to 4 days and thousands of pilgrims go around this peak every year.