Continuing on towards laying the foundation of comprehensive Travel Guide for Spiti Valley and as discussed in the last article about Hindustan Tibet Highway, first let’s cover the lower Kinnaur Valley in depth before going further towards upper Kinnaur Valley and Spiti Valley.
The lower part of Kinnaur Valley is also very much visited by many people during summertime due to ease of accessibility from Shimla/Delhi/Chandigarh and less crowded or offbeat location. By lower Kinnaur, I mean that I will be covering Kalpa, Sangla Valley and Chitkul in this travel guide and maybe upper parts like Nako, Chango, Ropa, Hangrang can be covered in time to come, if required.
Let's quickly dive into the details:
Kinnaur Valley Travel Guide
Kinnaur Valley is one of the 12 districts in Himachal Pradesh which is known for its apple orchards, beautiful small hamlets, beautiful meadows surrounded with thick dense woods and not to forget the ever-adventurous roads. One of the roads to Sangla Valley was also got popularly featured by the name Ledge in History Channel as Deadliest Roads in the World 🙂
This adds just the right charm of adventure on the trip. In winters, the presence of snow makes it just a jaw-dropping experience to be in Kinnaur Valley, where the major attraction is the breathtaking view of Kinner Kailash, a mountain sacred to Hindus, close to the Tibetan border.
The beautiful meadows in Sangla or Baspa Valley and Chitkul which is considered the last village in India where one can reach from Kinnaur side, are also covered commonly on a trip to this part of Himalayas.
Location
Kinnaur Valley is located in the Northeast corner of Himachal Pradesh, about 235 KMs from the state capital, Shimla. The distance of Delhi to Kinnaur Valley is about 570 km considering Reckong Peo. It makes Kinnaur Valley not so far from civilization yet so raw and offbeat.
Altitude
Kinnaur Valley has a mountainous area, ranging in altitude from 2,320 Mtrs to 6,816 Mtrs (7,610 ft to 22,362 ft) where Kalpa is located at an altitude of 2,960 Mtrs (9,710 ft) and Sangla Valley is located at an altitude of 2,696 Mtrs (8,900 ft). Chitkul is the highest in the lot at an altitude of about 3,450 Mtrs (11,320 ft).
In general, people face AMS issues if they spend the second night directly at Chitkul. Hence, it is always recommended to spend a night in Sangla or Kalpa before sleeping overnight at Chitkul.
Weather in Kinnaur Valley
The majority of the year Kinnaur weather is mostly cool to cold. Even in the summer months, you can feel the coolness in the breeze especially in the morning and evening. You will find snowfall in Kinnaur in winter months and a few feet of snow being a common phenomenon.
In summer months, the temperature in Kinnaur revolves around 15-25 degrees Celsius. Come July – August, the rain begins to play spoilsport with landslides and road closures getting common.
Kinnaur in December – January – February
When you visit Kinnaur in winter months, you must prepare very well with heavy woolen clothing. Many hotels remain closed in most parts of Kinnaur Valley. The road to Chitkul closes down in January and February. It can open anytime in December.
Roads to Kalpa and Sangla also closes in between intermittently but as soon as bad weather settles, authorities open up the road connectivity to these tourist destinations in Kinnaur Valley.
Kinnaur in March to July
The snow starts to melt in March and the closed roads within Kinnaur Valley, like the road to Chitkul, start to get open to welcome tourists. The heat starts to rise as we approach the summer months after spring in Kinnaur.
There is a heavy tourist rush from April end to June – July period. Once you get into the last week of July, monsoon lashes Northern parts of India. The road journey to Kinnaur becomes problematic.
Kinnaur in August
Monsoon is one of the worst times to visit lower hills in the Himalayas, including Himachal. And then, combining rains with fragile mountains of Kinnaur Valley, it becomes a deadly combination. Hence, I strongly feel that Kinnaur is not the place to be in monsoon. The entire Kinnaur region is very fragile, and road closures are pretty common.
Kinnaur in September to November
Once the rain goes away, the apple harvest season begins in Kinnaur Valley from late August to September. It runs up to the middle of October in the upper parts of Kinnaur Valley. I do feel that it becomes one of the best times to visit Kinnaur because even the roads are dried up and much better in road conditions, including stability. In November, the temperature starts to go toward sub-zero conditions, and water in pipes starts to freeze at night. The winter chill is there to welcome you.
What is the best time to visit Kinnaur Valley?
You can visit this beautiful valley throughout the major part of the year, but in winter things get very tough and heavy snowfall makes it inaccessible sometimes too. But, apart from peak winters in Kinnaur Valley, including Kalpa and Sangla Valley, Kinnaur can be visited throughout the rest of the year without much fuss.
It is important to note that monsoon is not the right time to be in Kinnaur Valley due to common landslides and worse roads, so in any case avoid monsoons My favorite time to visit Kinnaur Valley is Autumn or Fall, when monsoon just resides away and you might still see some apple orchards loaded with apples with clear skies in the background.
Also, please note that Chitkul becomes inaccessible at the time of peak winters, so please avoid going there in late winters without knowing the weather conditions. One snowfall can trap you for months in Chitkul :)…
In case you are going in Apple Season, that is around Late July or August in Kinnaur Valley then be ready for a massive mess of trucks traffic too along with rains and landslides.
Travel Tip: Read my detailed article on best time to travel to Kinnaur Valley.
How to Reach Kinnaur Valley
Below is the most general route to Kinnaur Valley from Delhi that most people usually follow. You can reach Kinnaur on the second day with an overnight halt at Narkanda or anywhere away from Shimla or Chail. However, if you are visiting Manali, then you can travel to Kinnaur Valley from Manali as well via Jalori Pass or the longer Spiti Valley route.
Delhi to Kinnaur from Shimla side by Road
The route to Kinnaur Valley from Delhi via Shimla runs along the Hindustan Tibet Road or NH-05 (previously called NH-22). You will be traveling on one of the most treacherous roads as soon as you enter Kinnaur Valley. The sense of adventure is pure bliss, and in case you drive yourself, you will enjoy the offroading in some sections of Kinnaur.
The route from Delhi along with the distance between the subsequent places is as follows:
Delhi – Shimla (360 KMs) – Narkanda (420 KMs) – Rampur (488 KMs) – Karcham (566 KMs) – Reckong Peo (587 KMs) – Kalpa (595 KMs)
At Karcham, the road bifurcates towards Sangla Valley and Chitkul as per below distance between these places.
Delhi – Shimla (360 KMs) – Narkanda (420 KMs) – Rampur (488 KMs) – Karcham (566 KMs) – Sangla (582 KMs) – Rakcham (596 KMs) – Chitkul (610 KMs)
You will reach Kalpa or Sangla on this road trip to Kinnaur Valley in a minimum of 2 days from Delhi. Mostly, Narkanda or somewhere near Shimla / Chail – Narkanda is an ideal overnight halt to distribute the journey evenly. If you are starting from Chandigarh, you can consider taking an overnight halt at Sarahan as well. The road to Sarahan bifurcates from Jeori which is 23 km from Rampur. The distance from Jeori to Sarahan is 12 km only.
Love food on the Kinnaur road trip?
Also, a pit-stop-must is a makeshift dhabha of sorts right after Jeori – Sarahan diversion where an old lady serves lip-smacking Rajma Chawal. Yes, the hygiene is slightly questionable, but it is a dhabha after-all! The taste is unbeatable. Rs 50 for an unlimited plate of Rajma Chawal – sign me up! Apart from that Annapurna dhabha nearby it also is pretty famous for Rajma Chawal too.
Delhi to Kinnaur from Manali side by Road
You can travel to Kinnaur Valley from Manali well. There are two routes that exist. The shorter route that goes from Jalori Pass – Rampur and the longer route in which you travel from Rohtang Pass – Kunzum Pass route while making a Spiti Valley trip from Manali side.
The distance from Manali to Kinnaur via Jalori Pass route is 310 km and will take 12-15 hrs. This route will merge at Rampur on Hindustan – Tibet Highway and then follows the route via Shimla to Kinnaur. I recommend staying overnight at Jalori to break the journey evenly. If you travel from the Spiti side, then it is better to explore Spiti Valley and then travel down to Kinnaur.
By Air
The nearest airport to Kinnaur Valley is at Shimla, about 220 km away. If you are traveling from the Manali side, then you can get down at the Bhuntar Airport which is near Manali. Bhuntar is approximately 245 KMS from Reckong Peo, the center of Kinnaur. However, due to their small size, these airports have limited capacity and connectivity.
Chandigarh Airport lies approximately 340 km. Hence, Chandigarh is the best place to start the journey to Kinnaur Valley if you are flying from any other part of India than Delhi or other Northern states.
By Railways
Shimla is the nearest railway station. However, this would also have limited connectivity. My suggestion would be to have your endpoint of the railway journey as Chandigarh, which is well connected throughout.
By Bus or Public Transport
Reckong Peo is well connected with Chandigarh and Shimla by direct buses run by HRTC, the state bus department of Himachal Pradesh. There is an overnight bus from Chandigarh to Reckong Peo, and one bus leaves Shimla around 11 AM. Once you reach Reckong Peo, you can travel to Kalpa, Sangla, and Chitkul by connecting buses within Kinnaur Valley.
Reckong Peo is also connected by a daily morning bus from Kaza in Spiti Valley as well. So, you can travel from Spiti to Kinnaur as well by public transport.
You should look more details in the article on how to visit Kinnaur by public transport.
Taxis for Kalpa
You can get private taxis for trips to Kinnaur Valley from Shimla taxi stand. These taxis can also come to Chandigarh or New Delhi for a pickup. I always recommend traveling with local drivers or taxis in remote regions of the Himalayas like Kinnaur and Spiti.
You can always get connected with local taxi drivers in this list of taxi drivers in Kinnaur and Spiti Valley. Hiring a private taxi for a Kinnaur road trip may cost you about Rs 25000 for 7-8 days. In general, these local drivers charge from Rs 3200-3500 per day for taxi charges which includes everything including their own stays and food.
The prices will come down if you’re traveling in a group. You can also book self-drive cars from Delhi or Chandigarh to plan a road trip to Kinnaur as well.
Preferred Vehicles
The higher ground clearance vehicles are preferable and 4×4 ones not required. However, quite a few people make a trip to Kinnaur Valley in hatchbacks and sedan cars as well. So, it all depends upon your skills to drive and the road conditions at the time of travel.
You can always refer my list of top 40 things to carry on a self drive trip to Kinnaur.
Suggested Itinerary for Kinnaur Valley
I mostly recommend people to spare at least 7-8 days to plan a relaxing trip to Kinnaur Valley. This much days will help you explore the beautiful places on Hindustan Tibet Road as well as relax in the enchanting and peaceful villages like Kalpa, Sangla, Chitkul, and Sarahan.
If you are not one of those who visit places to tick them off from bucket lists, then you can refer my article on Kinnaur Valley – Most Common Itinerary for a detailed plan. I have highlighted the high-level day by day trip plan from Kinnaur below as well.
- Day 1 | Delhi – Shimla / Narkanda
- Day 2 | Shimla / Narkanda – Sarahan
- Day 3 | Sarahan – Tapri – Reckong Peo – Kalpa
- Day 4 | Rest day at Kalpa
- Day 5 | Kalpa – Karcham – Sangla / Rakcham (Baspa Valley)
- Day 6 | Sangla / Rakcham – Chitkul / Sangla / Rakcham
- Day 7 | Chitkul / Sangla / Rakcham – Rampur – Daranghati / Narkanda / Chail
- Day 8 | Daranghati / Narkanda / Chail – Delhi
Accommodation Options at Kinnaur Valley
There are many accommodation options available at Reckong Peo, Kalpa, as well as Sangla Valley and Chitkul. Many of them are good enough to cater to the varied needs of budgets among people. There are economic guest houses or homestays, which are cheap enough to keep your money saved. But, there are other luxury properties as well which provide the comfort and facilities if you are looking forward to them.
Apart from private accommodation options, you can go ahead and vouch for many PWD Rest Houses in Kinnaur Valley, which are though comfortable and economical but may not suit the needs of every family may be. Also, you require bookings for them, and sometimes, in case of some VIP visit, they may try to push you though not in rights. So, in general, and in case you are OK with average comfort conditions, Quite Recommended!! You can refer: How to Book HP PWD Rest Houses or FRHs
For more details on good hotels to stay in Kinnaur Valley OR good accommodation options to stay in Kinnaur Valley, you can refer the article: Good Hotels or Accommodation options in Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley
Where to eat in Kinnaur
Most of the time you will be eating out in Hotels or Camps or Guest Houses or Homestays you will be staying in Kinnaur. However, there are dhabhas or eating joints on the way to Kalpa or Sangla from Shimla, which you can use for in-between meals. Do not forget that famous “Last Indian Dhabha” in Chitkul.
You should always carry your water bottle and refill it as many times as you need water. It will not only keep you hydrated always, but you will also help in saving the Himalayas from plastic garbage. Remember, every tiny step counts and your step in this direction can help save the Himalayas too !! 🙂 🙂
Places to visit in Kinnaur Valley
Once you enter the gate of Kinnaur Valley, the daunting mountains welcome you, and a kind of adventure begins. The drop around the roads gets higher and higher. The roads start to deteriorate and soon becomes a dirt track. Every tourist attraction places in Kinnaur is much closer to nature than being commercialized towns of lower Himachal.
You can plan a trip to Kinnaur Valley where you can try and explore the following places in or around Reckong Peo.
Sangla Valley
About 120 odd KMs before the Indo-Tibet border, lies one of the most beautiful and romantic valleys in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, Sangla Valley or otherwise also known as Baspa Valley which houses a major village by the name Sangla.
Sangla is about 16 km diversion towards right from Karcham, which is at Hindustan Tibet Highway going towards Kaza from Shimla Sangla Valley is surrounded by thick forest slopes and offers lovely views of the high mountains surrounding it. Recently, various beautiful meadows in this valley (such as Rakcham meadow) have become very popular among shooting various film scenes and advertisements too.
You can read our detailed travel guide of Sangla Valley.
Chitkul Village
About 28 km away from Sangla Valley at an altitude of 3450 Mtrs and on the banks of Baspa river there lies the last inhabited place in India before the Indo-Tibet border named Chitkul. The magical beauty which this village offers is unmatched and incomparable. Chitkul remains closed in winters and is extremely famous for its potatoes in the whole world which are extremely costly as well.
You can read our detailed travel guide of Chitkul Village.
Kamru Fort
About 2-3 km away from Sangla Valley, there is a famous 1000-year-old Kamru Fort considered to be one of the oldest forts in Himachal Pradesh. Do check out when you are in Sangla Valley.
Misc. Trails & Meadows around Sangla
There are loads of trails in these apple orchards that can be hiked around while you stay in Sangla Valley. There are some lovely meadows too (one near Rakcham village as I remember) as well which can be visited or spent the time to bask in the lap of pristine mother nature.
You can also for an easy 3-4 Hrs hike to the Glacier point if you are interested in some snow play. Batseri village to Sangla Village walk of about 12 km through dense Cedar forests is also quite famous among people who love being midst nature and actually feel it.
There is a Trout Fishery Farm on the other side of Baspa River near Sangla Village too which is nice to visit and can be covered in this walk itself. What better having a trout for yourself and later barbecue it over a campfire in the evening 🙂 !!
Kalpa
Kalpa is one of the best places to see sunset and sunrise in the Himalayas over the Kinner Kailash range. Kalpa is about 8 KMs from Reckong Peo, district headquarters of Kinnaur Valley, which in turn is about 7 KMs diversion from a place called Powari on Hindustan Tibet Highway.
The place is just majestic and the views of Kinner Kailash range from almost any of the hotel at Kalpa would make your jaws drop at any day. I never thought that it would be that beautiful what I witnessed after reaching this lovely place. We were fortunate to witness such fantastic weather at such an awesomely beautiful location in Kinnaur Valley.
You can read our detailed travel guide of Kalpa Village.
Roghi Village
It is about 6-7 KMs from Kalpa and is known for its traditional lifestyle of Himachal surrounded by apple orchards. Very nice place to have a short hike or walk across the village from Kalpa. You will almost feel you are in a time machine and somewhere in the past if you spend some time here in this village.
The villagers have a great knowledge of the place, its flora, and fauna and you can get quite a decent knowledge in the village from them in case you are interested to know about Kinnaur Valley and this region
Kothi Village
Just 3 km from Recong Peo, this village has a Chandika Devi temple which has an unusual architectural style and fine sculpture set amidst a picturesque mountains backdrop.
Medical Facilities
In case you need any medical assistance in Kinnaur, there is a one district hospital at Reckong Peo, being the headquarters of Kinnaur Valley. There is a local hospital at Sangla village, too, being the biggest village in Baspa Valley. The next help for anything major will be available in Shimla.
Phone Signals
Most of the mobile phone service connections work in Reckong Peo, Kalpa, as well as Sangla Valley, with best being Airtel. However, as you go ahead towards upper remote parts of Kinnaur like Nako, Puh, Chitkul, etc. then the best option will be to carry an MTNL/BSNL prepaid/postpaid connection. It has maximum coverage in Himachal Pradesh. Vodafone did have issues with some connectivity at times. Lower Kinnaur Valley does not have any major phone connectivity issues.
Petrol Pumps
About 10 km from Kalpa, you can find the nearest petrol pump at Reckong Peo. There was one more fuel pump at Powari, which is on Hindustan – Tibet Highway when you move from Reckong Peo back towards Shimla, which is about 30 km from Sangla Valley.
I am not sure if it is still functional though on my recent trip to Spiti Valley in the first week of May 2013, the Powari fuel pump was not functional. There has been one fuel pump which is fairly new that I saw at Tapri, and it is true as of 2020 as well.
The best thing is to top up your petrol or fuel tank at Narkanda which is fair in terms of quality as well OR the last petrol pump in Rampur that comes on the right side while going from the Shimla side.
ATMs near Kinnaur Valley
There is an ATM as far as I know in Sangla Valley. Otherwise, you will find one for sure at Reckong Peo about 8 km away from Kalpa and 38 km away from Sangla. However, whenever I travel to such remote villages of the Himalayas, you must carry enough cash with you for an emergency without relying on credit or debit cards.
Conclusion
Kinnaur Valley is one of such secluded and untouched places in Himachal Pradesh where people must go over and enjoy raw nature in its purest form. It is a perfect place for a family vacation with lovely views all around and yes, a part of the adventure too with rough roads. It is one of those places where the journey is itself a destination. You might opt for your honeymoon destination in Himachal as well.
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If you have been to Kinnaur Valley, kindly share your thoughts and other information you might feel will be worth sharing with other fellow travelers and help them travel better.
Finally, in case, If you know your friends or family are planning a road trip to Kinnaur, then do share this article with them to help them make a memorable trip as well.
966 Comments
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Hi Dheeraj,
You are doing a wonderful job by helping people ralize their travel dreams. Could you please help me with the below travel itinerary ?
Travel dates – 11 – 18 june. ( Leave by 10 th night and back by 19 th afternoon )
Place- Kinnaur
People travelling :- family of 3 , kid is 15 years old but asthamatic.
Possible routes :-
1) delhi – Shimla – narkanda- sangla – chitkul-Reckong Peo -> kalpa- sarahan – chail – delhi
2) delhi – Shimla – Sarahan – sangla -chitkul- Reckong Peo – kalpa – ? – delhi
Questions :-
1) How can we go back to delhi in the second plan ? What it we dont want to go back to Sarahan ?
2) Will it be advisable to explore Tabo and Kaza in this plan with an asthmatic kid or would that be too much rush ?
3) Are all these places interconnected via good quality HPTDC buses ? Do you know of any taxi services who could be with us all along or in places where we dont have buses?
4) Should we expect some cold weather and showers during that time ? Will atke umbrellas and lilght woollens in that case .
5) How many days you recommend at each place ? 2 in kalps and sangla, one in simla, and the rest ?
6) Does all the above places have good accommodation for a family ? Am looking for minimum 3 star.
Thanks in advance.
Heloo Ritu,
You can follow below plan:
Day 1 | Delhi – Shimla – Narkanda
Day 2 | Narkanda – Sangla Valley
Day 3 | Sangla – Chitkul / Sangla
Day 4 | Chitkul / Sangla – Kalpa
Day 5 | Kalpa – Sarahan
Day 6 | Sarahan – Chail/Shimla
Day 7 | Chail/Shimla – Delhi
1. I explained the plan above.
2. No, avoid that and try to follow a relaxed plan like above and spend you extra day whereever you feel like between Sangla,Chitkul and Kalpa. With asthmatic child, better stay at sangla
3. No, you will need taxi.You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali / Shimla / Delhi / Chandigarh too, of course with a price of pickup as well.
The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3000-3500 per day depending upon the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price.
Otherwise, taxis in general are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands
4. Yes, do take light woolens and unbrellas.
5. Take it as you like it. I prefer spending more time in Sangla / Chitkul than Kalpa
3. Yes, they do have. For stay options in Kinnaur and Spiti, check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley
Thank you for the prompt and detailed response. I spoke to a couple of taxi guys in Shimla and they have recommended delhi- shimla-sarahan- sangla route. So in that case, does the below plan look good ?
10 th night – bus to shimla
11 th – stay at shimla
12- leave for sarahan/narkanda , stay overnight at either
13- sarahan to sangla, see chitkul , sangla kamru fort , Rakcham village . stay at sangla
14 – same as above. stay at sangla/chitkul
15 ) Sangla to Kalpa . Overnight at kalpa
16) kalpa – see Roghi Village . stay at kalpa
17) kalpa to narkanda/sarahan based on previous decision. overnight stay at either
18) reach simla by the bus time via chail and take the return bus.
Sounds good ? What would you change ?
Thanks again.
Yes, ritu, it sounds good. I will say on 13, do not visit Chitkul and visit Chitkul on 14.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for all your up dation This absolutely a fantastic information available on net regarding this route,i must admire you have lots of in depth knowledge of this route.
We 2 couples are planning to visit Kalpa on our cars in mid of June with 4 children aging fm. 12 to 19.Could you pl. guide us what safety we should take while driving to Kalpa, although we both are seasoned drivers but need your suggestions on the route.
Thanks & lovely seeing your updates on this site.
God Bless you, Regards,
Bhupesh
Hello Bhupesh,
Thank you for appreciation and warm words. Glad that the site helped you. Well, all I will say is
1. Leave early, sleep early
2. Avoid being over confident and make double sure if you can pass the gap available and stay distant from trucks especially uphill.
Rest you shall be able to manage.
HI,
HAVE FEW OPTIONS TO TRAVEL TO KINNAUR REGION EITHER FROM 13TH AUG TO 21 AUG 2016 OR 3RD SEPT TO 12TH SEPT 2016 OR 01 MARCH TO 12 MARCH 2017, SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW THE BEST TIME TO BE WITH UNTOUCHED NATURE.
ALSO CONSIDER THAT I WILL BE TRAVELLING WITH MY FAMILY (WIFE , DAUGHTER 16, SON 6, FATHER 75).
THANKS,
Saurabh, september will be much better in terms of road conditions in Kinnaur while March will have loads of snow and mesmerizing beauty. Chitkul might not be open in March though.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am from SURAT(GUJARAT) . Many times I am reading your blogs regarding Himalayan tour.
I am planning to go to shimla/kinnaur/ sangla/ spiti velly /rohtang pass/manali/chandigardh with my wife & 2& half year old my son from 25th may to 2nd June.
So pls suggest me the tour itternerry, transportation, wheather, road condition & other do’s & don’t in this area.
Expecting your valuable support.
Hello Yagnesh,
You do not have sufficient number of days to make a trip to Spiti Valley circuit especially with small child. Also, the journey form Manali to Kaza might not be possible during that time because of road not being open. Can you add couple of days to the plan and move this by mid of June?
COULD YOU PROVIDE US THE INFORMATION ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSPORT SCHEDULE IN THIS ROUTE
Vivk, the entire route is connected by public transport buses. There is infact a bus that goes daily from Delhi to Reckong Peo, Chandigarh to Reckong Peo, Shimla to Reckong Peo. All these places are connected among themselves too on daily buses. Then there is daily buses that runs to Sangla and Kalpa from Reckong peo too.
Hello Dheeraj,
We are planning to go Kinnaur Valley – Kalpa, Sangla Valley, Chitkul in the month of July. I want to know is there any tour package company who will arrange the package tour. If you know please inform me. We want to start the tour from Shimla.
Thanks
you can connect with info@offbeatescapes.com as most of the readers in the past three years have had very good feedback about them and especially their transparent policies along with being there with you all the time in need. So, we trust them the most (please note that DoW except reliable reference has nothing to do with them)…
Hi Dheeraj
Nice and lucid writing. Will be looking forward for more. I am planning to visit in first week of Nov. Can you please guide me how would be the weather condition? Will there be massive snowfall? Can I reach Sangla & Chitkul? I am planning to go from Kolkata. Can you suggest me an itinerary for Sangla – Kalpa – Chitkul (consider 8-9 days max including travel days).
I shall be thankful if you can please guide me though with your vast knowledge.
Thanks Dear & keep up your good work.
First week of November is fine and there will not be any massive snowfall. It will surely be cold and many hotels especially in Sangla will be closed. Chitkul will be like tricky to travel with black ice on roads but I feel should be manageable with some adventure in first week of November. Take caution for it and drive/ride safely. You can follow something like below
Day 1 | Delhi – Shimla – Narkanda
Day 2 | Narkanda – Sangla Valley
Day 3 | Sangla – Chitkul / Sangla
Day 4 | Chitkul / Sangla – Kalpa
Day 5 | Kalpa – Sarahan
Day 6 | Sarahan – Chail/Shimla
Day 7 | Chail/Shimla – Delhi
Thanks Dheeraj for the help.
Another thing I would like to know is Rohtang Pass accessible on Dec? I know it depends on the weather conditions but still would like to know some hands on experience from your side.Hope I am not asking too many questions.
Thanks Again
Shamik, Rohtang Pass is mostly closed in December. Mostly it closed by mid to end of November officially.
hello sir
I am plan to go kinnour ,kalpa,sangla,chitkul,kaza, i want your valueable suggestion that how much longer trip should be ?? I have 5days nd i want to start my trip from shimla on bullets on 12th june 2016 . Pleaae suggest me rout nd is this the right time to go there as i realy want to eanjoy and feel the sight scean so please suggest . What should we want to do …
Hi Rajiv,
You can make something like below:
Day 1 | Delhi – Narkanda
Day 2 | Narkanda – Sarahan
Day 3 | Sarahan – Sangla Valley
Day 4 | Sangla – Chitkul – Kalpa
Day 5 | Kalpa – Shimla/Fagu/Chail
Day 6 | Shimla/Fagu/Chail – Delhi
SIR ,IS IT A GOOD TIME TO VISIT KINNOUR IN APRIL?
Yes, vivek, you will enjoy alot in Kinnaur Valley during this time of the year with snow around and beautiful flowers of spring.
Hi Dheeraj. Is it feasible to do a bike trip to Chitkul at this time? I was planning to do it between 6th to 11 April. Would be grateful for your suggestions.
Yes Ankur, road to Chitkul has been opened. You can surely make a trip to Chitkul
dhreej sir
I along with my family want to visit kalpa in first week of october 2016..want to spend 1 night in any apple and orchid garden ..
is it possible .? can u give me any contact numbers..?
Prosenjit sir, yes, you can stay in Sangla Valley in October and Chitkul both of them will be beautiful around that time. Most of the apples will be plucked by then but you should be able to find some. For stay options in Kinnaur and Spiti, check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley
Hi dheeraj sir,
I am plan to go kinnour ,kalpa,sangla,chitkul, i want your valueable suggestion that how much longer trip should be ?? I have 4 days nd i want to start my trip from shimla on bullets on 5th april 2016 . Pleaae suggest me rout nd is this the right time to go there as i realy want to eanjoy and feel the sight scean so please suggest . What should we want to do …
Kehsav with just 4 days in hand you can only do below:
Shimla – Sangla Valley
Sangla Valley – Chitkul
Chitkul – Kalpa
Kalpa – Sarahan – Shimla/Narkanda
Hi Dheeraj, I may like to visit kinnaur in coming months. Do tell me the months to avoid(monsoon months) for self driving alto car and best time to travel. when will be monsoon start form region shimla to kalpa…mainly to focus n road condition.
September shall be the time in that case when you should plan this trip to Kinnaur.
which month are of monsoon in himachal, how are the april/may month for travel in small car there..for sangla and kalpa valley
May is good to go mostly with less snow. June does have pre-monsoon showers and then mid July to August is what pours most.
how is the road condition in april/may as snow is melting? is it doable by alto.. thanks
When snow melts in April and MArch, the landlsides snow slides are pretty common. By May it usually settles down.
Hello bro dheeraj!
M planning to visit kinnaur n it’s adjoining places (4 days), last week of APRIL, Kindly suggests
Places to visit
Places/hotels to put up for overnight
Is it ok in motor BIKE?
Thanks n Regards
Simon, the 4 days you have are from where? Shimla? From Delhi it will be too much to do a bike trip to Kinnaur Valley in 4 days if you are not that experienced of very very rides.
Sir i am planning to visit Shimla-Chitkul-Sangla-Recongpeo-Kalpa-Kaza-Kunzum-Manali places in last week of October. I am planning to take HRTC bus all over this route which will be cheaper than taking Taxi. I am basically a solo traveller, i need to know if it is feasible time to visit the Kinnaur valley in Oct month. I have 1 week schedule span for visiting these places. what will be status of Kunzum pass last week of OCT will it be still open at that time to reach manali.
Ankit, I will not recommend to do Manali – Kaza route in the last week of October. If at all you want to take the risk then I will advice do Manali – Kaza leg first taking in considerations, caution and updates of roads + weather from locals as well as weather sites and then come back from Shimla side.
yes sir that will be good to go via Manali Kaza first as in mid of Oct the Rohtang and Kunzum pass might be open. Sir is it safe to travel on shimla-Recongpeo national highway in Oct month?
Yes that is mostly safe and September October are better months to travel in Kinnaur than any other in entire season.
Hi
Me and my freinds are planning for a trip to Kalpa and chitkul fro Delhi on 24th, 25th March. Please suggest is it a good time as weather there in HP is not very good. Please suggest???
Yes Rahul, it is currently good time to visit Kinnaur Valley. Do visit Sangla and Chitkul too if you have more time. Keep a tab on weather updates and in case it says heavy rainfall or snowfall in Himachal then avoid else it shall be good time.
Dheeraj Sir,
I am planning to visit Kinnaur and other adjoining places during end of may. Please give me a tour guide for 12 days. We want to start our journey from Shimla. We want to visit spiti valley. we want to come back via manali. Your kind help and guidance is highly solicited.
With regards
Bijaya Sanyal
Hello Bijaya,
You can follow the plan below:
Day 1 | Delhi/Chandigarh – Shimla
Day 2 | Shimla – Sarahan
Day 3 | Sarahan – Sangla/Chitkul
Day 4 | Sangla/Chitkul – Kalpa
Day 5 | Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
Day 6 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley
— Homestay
Day 7 | Pin Valley – Kaza Local Sightseeing
— For stay check Sakya Abode or snow lion are two good options at Kaza apart from PWD Guest houses. Get in toufh with Tsering, the guy who runs it. He is a very good friend of mine.
Day 8 | Kaza Local Sightseeing
— Ki, Kibber, Gette, Tashigang
Day 9 | Kaza Local Sightseeing
— Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
Day 10 | Kaza – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal
Day 11 | Chandratal – Manali
Day 12 | Manali – Delhi
I am not 100% sure that if the route from Manali – Kaza will be open and also Chandratal will be open by that time or not. If the route to Manali is not open then you will have to come back via same route and if Chandratal is not open you can reach Manali and spend that day there OR you can spend that day in Kaza.
Hi Dheeraj Bhai
Need ur suggestion Again, M planing for Chitkul on 15th of March 2016, Is it Good time to Go thier………??
I am not 100% sure if Chitkul road has opened this season or not but most likely it should be open this year owning to less snow. IT will be a good time to travel to Chitkul.
Dear Dheeraj,
I am planning a 3 day trip to kinnaur valley along with a friend between 20-23 March. My query is weather it’d be possible to cover Kalpa-Kinnaur-Chitkul in the timeline mentioned above (given the present weather in the valley) or should we be planning the trip some other time with more time at hand?
Best Regards,
Abrar
Abrar, I am not sure from where are you planning the three day trip. From Delhi it takes at least 2 days to reach Kalpa/Sangla and two days to return. So, 4 days are just gone in touching and coming back.
Sir, we have a bus from Delhi, leaving at 10 lm on the 19th that reaches us Sangla on the 20th evening. We head back towards Delhi on 24th morning.
*That’s 10 pm on the 19th.
In that case, you have 3 days in Kinnaur Valley. So, once you reach in Sangla spend couple of days there in Sangla / Chitkul and then head to Kalpa on 23rd. On 24th catch the bus to Delhi from Reckong peo.
Dear Dheeraj,
I express my sincere thanks for your advice and apologise for not being able to revert back on time. I’d been on the go without network.
Nonetheless, I really appreciate your deeds dsharing your experiences across the country, and advising travel enthusiasts around.
Kudos to you.. 🙂
Thank you Abrar, glad it was helpful for you. Have a great trip 🙂
Dheeraj Sir,
I am planning to visit Kinnaur and other adjoining places during 25th May to 3rd June’2016. Will it be a rainy season during that time? And will it be a season for apple and garpes? Please let me know how the weather will be during that time. I’ll be highly obliged if you kindly make a tour guide (including our stay at hotel/guest house etc.) for us and give your valuable suggestions. We are from Kolkata and planning to go there via Shimla. Would it be better if we plan to go there frm Chandigarh (by road/train?). Your kind help and guidance is highly solicited.
With regards
Amitava Paul
Hello Amitava ji,
It is usually not a rainy season and it is summers during that time, so very less chances of rains. Weather will be cool in Kinnaur and hot in lower hills. You can reach Chandigarh by train and then I see you have about 8 days at hand and this is what you can follow:
Day 1 | Chandigarh – Shimla – Narkanda
Day 2 | Narkanda – Sangla Valley
Day 3 | Sangla – Chitkul / Sangla
Day 4 | Chitkul
Day 5 | Chitkul – Sangla – Kalpa
Day 6 | Kalpa – Sarahan
Day 7 | Sarahan – Chail/Shimla
Day 8 | Chail/Shimla – Chandigarh
For stay options in Kinnaur and Spiti, check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley
You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali / Shimla / Delhi / Chandigarh too, of course with a price of pickup as well.
Dheeraj Sir,
Thank you very much Sir for your quick and prompt response. Please let me know whether we shall have the opprtunity to see apples and grapes during that time (25th May to 5th June). We are very much excited. We are at planning stage. I will let you know our detail journey and tour members. Hopefully we will be around 12 in nos. If 12/15 seated bus is available, then pl. let me know.
With regards,
Amitava Paul
Dheeraj Sir,
Thank you very much Sir for your quick and prompt response. Please let me know whether we shall have the opprtunity to see apples and grapes during that time (25th May to 5th June). We are very much excited. We are at planning stage. I will let you know our detail journey and tour members. Hopefully we will be around 12 in nos. If 12/15 seated bus is available, then pl. let me know.
With regards,
Amitava Paul
No, there will not be any apples during tht time of the year. You should get tenpo travellers for 12 but for 15 you will need two of them
Replied to other comment.
Dear sir,
i am planning for Shimla -Narkanda-Sangla-Chitkul in between 22nd March to 27th March this year is it right time to visit sangla -chitkul or road is blocked???
Please help me for plan my trip…
Pradip, road will be open by that time of the year in Kinnaur Valley. This year, snowfall is pretty less and Chitkul road should be open as well by then.
Dear Dheeraj, we are planing bike expedition for last week of march himachal off beat place (billing, barot, prashar lake, tirthan valley, jalori pass, chindi).
Please guide regarding this trip especially about jalori pass as we have to cross it
Sandeep how many days do you have in hand?
Dear Dheeraj Sir, forget to mention days in hand, we already make plan
Day 1. Billing, Barot .
Day 2. Prashar lake
Day 3. Tirthan valley
Day 4. Janjehli Chindi
Day 5. Rewalsar
Day 6. Back to faridkot (Punjab).
Need your expertise for this expedition to make this a memorable one. Be free to add another place or delete already plan.
Sandeep, but in this case I have two things to comment:
Tirthan Valley to Janjheli / Chindi does not make sense to go over from Jalori Pass. OR Will you guys target Jalori Pass route which will be longer in comparison to reach Chindi from Tirthan Valley over Mandi – Rohanda route.
Secondly, why to come back from Chindi to Rewalsar? You should move ahead from Chindi towards Shimla – Barog and exit from there.
Sir, from faridkot (Punjab) to Billing barot, prashar lake , tirthan valley, jalori pass, chindi, rewalsar and back to faridkot.
How would you plan this tour in minimum days.
And will jalori pass open by march end.
Sandeep, in case I want to do it, I will do like below:
Faridkot – Shimla – Chindi/Karsog
Chindi/Karsog – Jalori Pass – Tirthan Valley
Tirthan Valley – Prashar Lake
Prashar Lake – Barot / Bir – Biling
Barot / Bir – Biling – Rewalsar
Rewalsar – Faridkot
This way you will not traverse the unnecessary route or directions twice. You can add more rest days in between if required otherwise it will be much like just being riding on the road to tick off the places from the list.
Thank you Dheeraj ji for your suggestions.
Hi Dheeraj,
The rate Rs 3000-3500/- is only for the Cab ? Hotel cost is separate?
Yes, Deepa, these are rates of taxis only. You will be paying separate for hotels.
Hi Dheeraj,
I had commented earlier this day asking in a post on Himlayan-Tibet NH. I am not bale to find that post. So asking my second question here. Where will we be able to find snow. Our travel dates: May1 to May 7
Reshma, most part of the journey you will not find any snow at all. The snow will exist towards Kunzum Pass only and seeing the conditions of very less snow this year, it also appears unlikely. Your query has been replied here: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/hindustan-tibet-road-nh-22/comment-page-1/#comment-374100
Hi ,
We are planning to go to Sangla April second week. Do I have reasons to worried about landslides and road condition ? We will be coming from Thendar to Sangla.
regards,
Sumana
Sumana, well, landslides are something that cannot be predicted but March is the time when they are at peak due to snow melting and by mid April it stabilises. However, this year there hasn’t been much snow at all, so roads might stabilize by March end only.
Respected Dheeraj Sir,
Many many thanks again for your advice.
Best wishes for the trip to Kinnaur Valley
Respected Dheeraj Sir
Many Many thanks for your advice. just tell me what type of car will be suitable for three of us and what will be the approx. cost for the total tour. Thanks again.
You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali / Shimla / Delhi / Chandigarh too, of course with a price of pickup as well.
The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3000-3500 per day depending upon the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price.
Otherwise, taxis in general are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands
You can also check if they can offer the small car. But, still check with them if you can have small car like sedan for just three of you? Big car will only be required in Kinnaur belt, so you can ask the drivers to give you small car upto Rampur and then big car. This might save you some money.
just to add my post . Is jalori pass will be open at that time,that is around 6th april
Jalori Pass should be open during April
Respected Dheeraj Sir
You have not commented on my post posted on 22nd jan.I am eagerly waiting for your reply at the earliest. thanks in anticipation.
Just replied 🙂
Hi Sir
It was a great read. I am planning a bike trip(alone on Pulsar 200NS) to kinnaur valley with a time frame of 1 week starting from Jan 25 (monday). Will the roads be open this time to Kinnaur and nearby places like chitkul?
If not than, can u suggest any alternate bike trip in himalayas that can be done in the same window
Thanks in advance
Sahil, roads to Kinnaur remain open all round the year barring few days of heavy snowfall. Chitkul will be closed though.
Hello Dheeraj, Hope you are having a good New Year.
I am a regular reader of your blogs. And i like them very much and i followed your instructions for the manali Trip from the chandigarh. It was more than Awesome. No words to explain the adventure it was there. Thanks a lot for that.
Now I am planning a trip for 3-4 days using my own Hatchback i20. And I can drive long easily so what would be the best scenario for this? As I want to visit each place and i am also thinking for a visit to spiti valley but i think it won’t be possible to go there in such short span of time. But I will try and if that doesn’t seem possible at that stage then i would be thinking about Kinnaur and Sangla, Chitkul area.
So Please Advice the best possible scenario for me that would suit me the best. I would be leaving from chandigarh on First week of July on Thursday Night so that i can reach there on Friday Afternoon.
Also Please let me know if the night driving is safe on those areas? Because I drove to Manali on Night and drove whole night so suggest me if those areas are equally safe as that of Manali.
And Please suggest me what are the best residing places for those 4 days. Where should i stay so that it to be an affordable stay for me.
Please suggest me the best plan of 4 days to this area so that i can plan and manage everything accvording to that as you are much professional and experience than me. I would be very thankful to you.
Thanks in Advance,
Bhupinder
Hello Dheeraj,
Good day. I see you haven’t commented on My Post above. I know my message is big and i am asking a lot of questions. But I really love your blog and would love to get your feedback on this. Please reply me so that I can plan my Trip.
Thanks,
Bhupinder
Will surely be doing it Bhupinder ji, no worries on the length of the reply. I reply to each and every query posted on DoW 🙂 … Just spare me a day more and you will get reply. I do not want to rush through it and give you half the info 🙂
ok Dheeraj ji, i am waiting for your reply. and i have read your one more blog SACH VALLEY, can we consider this option too during our season ? but i have i20!!!
waiting for your reply..
thanks
Sach Pass will not be possible in i20 or I should say, you may make it possible but car might have severe damage especially on the side of Killar ahead of Bairagarh.
Hello Bhupinder,
Thank you for the patience and continuously loving DoW Travel Platform 🙂 .. You should make the trip in following manner:
Thursday / Friday: start the drive and reach Sarahan for the day. Roads are mostly good all the way upto Jeori and then little bad patches further 14 KMs to Sarahan
Friday: Rest at Sarahan only
Saturday: Sarahan to Sangla Valley / Rakcham.
Sunday: Visit Chitkul and start the drive back to reach Rampur
Monday: Rampur to Chandigarh
This is what you can do as a trip to partial part of Kinnaur Valley in 4 days in hand.
Thanks for the reply, Will it be possible to follow your directions for Sachpass that you described in other blog. Means will that be possible in July for 4 days?
Also can you also give me some suggestions about the residence for the Kinnaur valley trip that includes Chitkul and Sangla? As i checked but couldn’t find any options for the stay.
Thanks
Well, Sach Pass will be very very tricky in small car I will say but yes can be done in 4 days. Sometimes it opens mid of July too. Regarding plan for Sach Pass,
Day 1 – Reach Bairagarh
Day 2 – Bairagarh – Sach Pass – Killar
Day 3 – Killar – Tandi / Keylong / Sissu
Day 4 – Tandi / Keylong / Sissu – Manali
Day 5 – Manali – back home
Day 1 – Reach Bairagarh
Day 2 – Bairagarh – Sach Pass – Bairagarh
Day 3 – Bairagarh – Chamba/Dalhousie
Day 4 – Chamba/Dalhousie – back home
Options of stay in Kinnaur Valley: Good Hotels or Accommodation options in Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley
hi dheeraj, first of all thankyou for sharing your adventure i along with my wife and 2 kids one is 13 ,and the other one is 5 years old have planned atrip to the kinnaur valley we will be reaching shimla on 11 may and have two weeks to explore kindly guide me and suggest a itenary thank you in advance
Everett, since you have two weeks of time I will recommend you plan for both Spiti Valley and Kinnaur as below:
Day 1 – Chandigarh – Narkanda
Day 2 – Narkanda – Sangla
Day 3 – Sangla – Chitkul
Day 4 – Chitkul – Nako – Tabo
Day 5 – Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley
Day 6 – Pin Valley – Kaza Local Sightseeing
— For stay check Sakya Abode or snow lion are two good options at Kaza apart from PWD Guest houses. Get in touch with Tsering, the guy who runs it. He is a very good friend of mine and you can refer my name or DoW
Day 7 – Kaza Local Sightseeing
— Ki, Kibber, Gette, Tashigang
Day 8 – Kaza Local Sightseeing and go back to Tabo
— Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
Day 9 – Kaza – Kunzum Pass top or till where road is open and back to Kaza
Day 10 – Kaza – Geyu Mummy – Nako
Day 11 – Nako – Kalpa
Day 12 – Kalpa – Sarahan
Day 13 – Sarahan – Chandigarh
Day 14 – Buffer or rest day
hi dheeraj thanks a lot .
Respected Dheeraj
I along with my wife and son had planned to visit Shimla Manali Sangla Kalpa Sarahan and Chitkul.My tour plan is as follow.
Day 01: Manali (2nd April)
Arrive Chandigarh st. After refreshments proceed towards Manali. On the way enjoy the beautiful scenario
& tunnels of Manali. Transfer to hotel, check in rest n relaxes. Evening is free leisure . Overnight stays at
Manali.
Day 02: Manali (3rd April)
Morning after refreshment of tea/ coffee and breakfast we will start journey for Rohtang Pass & Solang
valley – leisure tourist activities – return to hotel – Overnight stays at Manali for full rest n relaxes.
Day 03: Manali (4th April)
Morning after refreshment of tea/ coffee and breakfast we will start journey for local sight-seeing at Manali
(Arjun gufa, Rahal falls, Jagat such, Hadimba & Hidimba temple) and visit the local market and buy souvenirs
or simple walk in near about Manali.. Enjoy dinner and overnight stays at Manali.
Day 04: Manali to Rampur (5thApril)
After breakfast we will start journey for Rampur via sighseeing at Kullu valley , Bijli Mahadev Temple ,The
Pandoh Dam etc – reach Rampur by evening, check-in-hotel, rest n relax. Enjoy dinner and overnight stays at
Rampur.
Day 05: Rampur to Kalpa (6th April)
Early morning , proceed to Kalpa via local sight-seeing. Transfer to Kalpa
hotel . Evening is free for leisure. Overnight stay at Kalpa.
Day 06: Kalpa (7th April)
Next morning, start for Sarahan & Kalpa Sightseeing at Bhimakali temple, Kinnaur-Kailash, Bird Park, Bhaba
Valley, Darang Ghati, Gaura,. Lunch on the way. Evening is free for leisure. Overnight stays at Kalpa.
Day 07: Kalpa to Sangla (8thApril)
Early morning, move to Sangla, transfer to hotel via all tour in Sangla (Chitkul, Nako), visit the valley of
flowers at Sangla, walk around Rupin river – night stay at Sangla.
Day 08: Sangla to Shimla (9th April)
Next morning, proceed to Shimla. Transfer to hotel, check in & rest –relaxes. Evening is free for
leisure. Overnight stays at Shimla.
Day 09: End of Trip (10th April)
Next morning, move to Kalka station & board train towards NDLS then proceed to Durgapur/Howrah..
For 3 person what will b a good & safe vehicle? What will b the total tour cost of the vehicle? Is my tour plan all right? Please comment and suggest required changes.
Overall plan looks OK but I will suggest that you stay at Sangla from Rampur, visit Chitkul next day and stay only one day at Kalpa.
Hello Dheeraj
salute for such a indepth knowledge and pasion.I am planning to go to Chitkul along with my friend from delhi by bus .it is a 7 days affair. please guide me which time of the year i shoud prefer and what about availability of accomodation ? i often visit in small villages in uttarakhand but going to chitkul for the first time.
Hi Tapan,
Well, you should travel in April – May window OR you should travel in September-October when rain resides the region to witness beauty of Kinnaur Valley in colors. There are mnay guest houses running in Chitkul on season time and for plan you can refer the itinerary in above article.
Dear Dheeraj,
First of all, immense respect for your efforts in putting all these bits n pieces together. Its great to see someone equally passionate about spreading responsible travel.
I want to check with you about my plan to visit Kinnaur-Spiti valleys in May’16. I’ve about 13 days to spare & wish to travel at ease & stay in basic accommodation like home-stays enjoying the local culture. your list of good hotels/stays has come really handy. also, the same with list of drivers.
Here’s my plan.
Day Plan
1 Mumbai – Chandigad – Mohali
2 Chandigad – Sarahan
3 Sarahan – Sangla – Chitkul
local exploration
4 Chitkul Rest day
local exploration + short walk
5 Chitkul Rest day
6 Chitkul – Kalpa
Raksham – Kamru Fort – Kalpa
7 Kalpa – Nako
8 Nako – Tabo
Chango – Sumdo – Gue – Tabo
9 Tabo – Kibber
Tabo – Dhankar – Kibber
10 Kibber – Kaza – Komic
11 Kaza – Tabo – Sumdo
12 Sumdo – Nako
Drive back
13 Nako – Ribba
Drive back
14 Ribba – Narkanda
15 Narkanda – Chandigarh
16 Chandigarh – Mumbai
Is it fine if I have same vehicle for the entire trip?
More on this when we interact. thanks a ton for sparing your time reading this!
Regards,
Yatin.
Hi Yatin
Thanks a lot. I will suggest to take out time from Chitkul and spend that day in Spiti Valley only. Also, instead of doing Nako twice skip it and again spend that day in Spiti only. One day you can devote to Demul and other to Langza along with Kibber and Komik already in plan. Lhalung and Pin Valley are other options as well along with Dhangkar. So, spend more time in small villages of Spiti. Ideally on the way back you can easily do
Kaza – Kalpa/Peo
Kalpa / Peo – Shimla/Narkanda
Narkanda – Chandigarh
So, spend rest of the time in Spiti only and couple of nights in Chitkul will be sufficient too soak the place.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning a Kinnaur tour in next October for 7 -8 days . I am coming from Hyderabad so I will try to reach Delhi/Chandigarh by flight and then take a bus from there.
My tentative plan is
1st day.Delhi/Chandigarh to Simla (
2nd day.Simla to Narkhanda(Is one day time is enough for Narkhanda?)
3rd and 4th .Kalpa
5th- Sangla/Chitkul
6th-Saharan
7th -Back to Chandigarh from Saharan
Can you please fine tune the itinerary? Also is it possible to directly go to Kalpa from Simla ( ie without a stoppage at Narkhanda?)
HI Sumit, overall the plan looks OK but I will suggest that you spend two day in Sangla/Chitkul as it offer much more than Kalpa. Also, I will say Narkanda will not offer anything much rather you can either skip it or if you want to explore Shimla in detail then do it only.
Dheeraj SIr,
Wonderful Job. I have never come across someone with such in-depth information. I plan to visit Kinnaur from 25th December’15 to 1st January’16. As I am travelling from another end of India I need to get back home on time due to job and other commitments. I also understand that it is next to impossible to predict weather, but just want your opinion by the vast experience you have regarding this area and place. I read somewhere in this page that due to heavy snowfall people may get stuck for days and weeks, in such a scenario what would be ur suggestion to me going ahead to Kinnaur Valley at this time of the year (25th Dec to 1st Jan). Plus is there a way to get news regarding the condition as I said I am coming to Himachal for the first time from another end of the country and wouldn’t want to get stuck and stranded after reaching Himachal and also maybe celebrate my New Year stuck on a highway 😉 (though I am sure it would be uber fun). I have a few more options which I feel maybe safe (*Safety only in the sense of getting back to Delhi on time to catch my flight on 2nd Jan) The following are the options I have collected from the net…also we are a pack of 4 highly adventurous guys and we have travelled long distances in the most unfavourable conditions. Sir, pls give ur views on the following options I have gathered from the Internet. Having loads of snow fall is something that would be an extra topping for us.
Option 1: Dharamshala-Mcleodganj-Khajjiar-Dalhousie (Seemed more like the Nana-Nani family trip place)
Option 2: Malana, kasol, rasol, tosh and kheerganga (Seemed more like a trip for junkies, but we are open to it until unless theres peace and scenic beauty)
Option 3: Sangla – Chitkul – Kalpa – Sarahan (Seemed very much like the trip we want, but conditions are completely unknown)
Warm Regards,
Victor
Victor, I will advice you to keep a tab on weather updates and plan about 2 days of contingency. The week period mostly is adviced here for going further fro Kalpa towards Nako but for Kalpa, I guess 2-3 days of contingency will do for you.So, I will suggest you go ahead with you option 3 of Kinnaur Valley and always keep a tab on weather updates once you reach near the dates.
Hi Victor,
I am planning on 8th january 16 for the same(Kinnaur valley) and I have the same dilemma.
Please let me know if you have any lead.My email id is rohit.trivedi89@gmail.com.
Thanks.!
What leads/tips are you looking forward to Rohit?
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning for kinnaur/Spiti Valley. Kalpa being at my base so that I can move either to sangla or try to move into spiti valley depending on conditions that time.
I talked to the drivers listed by you.Huge help sir.!..I I owe you for the drivers list with numbers because I almost had cancelled Spiti before seeing your website and was started looking into Dalhousie :(.
Anyways,I talked to Tsering/vinkal. They rejected straight.
I talked to Chewwang Dorjey,he told he is ready to go kaza and even ahead.I confirmed many times by observing his confidence.
Then,I talked to Arun Negi, he is looking into every aspects and suggested me that he can take me till nako lake and will try for tabo.
I am in huge confusion.I cannot afford vacation again no way sooner or even later.I am only concerned with my driver.If he is okay I am good with the other conditions prevailing. Please suggest.
Hi Rohit,
Yes, most driver will refuse to go in this season beyond Tabo because the road is mostly gets blocked from Schichilling only from where the extreme weather belt start in Spiti and then further towards Kaza. I will suggest in case you are mentally prepared then go ahead and talk to Dilip as well because he too is a genuine guy. As of now it is snowing up there in Kalpa and chances might be that the road is closed. I believe you can make a trip to Kinnaur but further will depend upon how many days snow will continue now from today.
Hi Rohit!
I am flying to Delhi tonight. M still in a dilemma where exactly to go. Do u have any info on whether transportation is easy available in the Kinnaur Valley route???
Victor, the bus from Delhi to Peo is still running. It is snowing up there in Kalpa as of yesterday and routes are open.
Hi Victor!
The last volvo bus from delhi to shimla as per Redbus is at 11.20pm which promise to reach at 7am.You can start from shimla then in morning.All volvo buses runs during night only.You can talk to the list of drivers provided by Dheeraj, i think talking to them will solve your transportation problem and will also give you clear picture of conditions in kinnaur valley.
The other way is kalka shimla toytrain.But you might be losing a day because it depends on train timings.You can check timings for delhi-kalka or delhi-chandigarh(kalka is 40mins from chandigarh) and kalka-shimla toy train.
Anyway,you try to reach shimla as per your convenience and get in touch with your driver.And as per dheeraj halt at Sarahan and guide yourself to kinnaur as per discussions on this thread.It will cost 3000 per day after negotiation.
If budget doesn’t allow you then as mentioned by dheeraj you can take bus fromDelhi to Peo.Please keep us posted.
Thanks Dheeraj!..I will get in touch with Dilip.
HELLO
WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO BREAK THE JOURNEY WHILE TRAVELLING FROM KALPA TO MANALI
ALSO I TERMS OF ACCLIMATIZING WOULD IT BE BETTER TO STAY FIRST AT SANGLA VALLEY OR AT KALPA IF TRAVELLING FROM MASHOBRA
HOW MUCH TIME WILL IT TAKE TO DRIVE FROM MASHOBRA To SANGLA VALLEY ?
THANKS AND REGARDS
RAJESHWARI GANESH
RAJESHWARI, please dont type in CAPS, as it is more or less meant for shouting on a public forum or user sites.
Regarding the query, I will say better go with Sangla valley first couple of days and explore Chitkul around and then go over to Kalpa. Regarding breaking the journey between Manali – Kalpa, I will say you go with Shoja after just crossing the Jalori Pass. When are you planning this trip?
Hi
sorry about the caps lock !! thanks for the reply
i am planning to do the trip in april last week but am open to do the same in may last week also if weather conditons are not favourable. April end was because my son wants to see snow .
a varied age group oldest being 71 years and youngest being 10 years will be there in the travel group
is it possible to go to chitkul from kalpa and say bypass sangla ?? is manali possible via the jalori pass and can you please help me with the timings if possible, from mashobra to sangla valley how much time will it take on the roads and from kalpa to shoja what will be the time taken? Sorry about so many questions at the same time , am really excited about travelling to this part of himachal and want to make sure that i plan a good trip so that my family members are not inconvenienced and enjoy lovely kinnaur !!
Thanks once again
Hi Rajeshwari,
1. Alright, last week of April should be OK to go. You might see snow in Chitkul. It is much better to plan to stay in Sangla Valley as it is much better IMHO and close to nature where as Kalpa is mostly about sunrise and sunset at Kinner Kailash range.
Mashorba to Sangla = Around 8 Hrs, Kalpa – Shoja around 9-10 Hrs.
Hi Dheeraj,
Am planning the trip in the second week of march. We are looking for a relaxing trip. Please refer the itinerary and let me know any suggestions.
5th mar: Reach Simla in the morning (spend the day), leave for mashobra in the afternoon
6th mar: Reach Tirthan Valley at noon, visit gushaini
7th mar: Leave for Kalpa in the afternoon
8th mar:- Visit Sangla, chitkul and rakcham and head back to Kalpa in the evening
9th Mar:- Leave for Tabo and Nako Monasteries
10th Mar:- Leave for Sarahan
11th Mar:- Reach bank chandigarh
Thanks a lot!
Hi Ralph,
If you are looking for a relaxing trip then better that you skip the Tirthan Valley – Gushaini par and ay be do Sarahan on 6th March. Then go over to Kalpa and spend a day or two there and then make a couple of days stay at Sangla Chitkul. Going beyond Kinnaur to Nako will be too much and road cnoditions do have lot of landslides and snow slides during that time beyond these places wherever the glaciers fall/slide from higher mountains. So, best is that you stick to Kinnaur Valley only given the constraint of relaxed trip
Hey dhiraj we are planning for a bike trip. Shimla-chitkul-sangla-kalpa. Is it safe to travel on bike in January?? What are the difficulties we can face in the journey.. Add your opinion on how we should prepare as well.. Thank you..
Aniruddha, Chitkul is closed for the season. You can make a bike trip to Kinnaur Valley with Kalpa and Sangla in the plan. However, keep a note that road might close in case snowfall happens and also you will have to face cold conditions quite a much along with black ice on roads too which skids the bike. If you are familiar with such road conditions and have made such bike trip, then only try for such an adventure.
Is it May or Oct is the best for travelling sarahan,sangla,chitkul,kalpa,manali ?
Pls, reply with temperature range .
Both the months are good to travel Kinnaur Valley with October having clear waters in the river.
can we visit sarahan,sangla,chitkul, kalapa,back to manali in the month of May ?
What will be temp range at kalpa & manali in taht period ?
Debashish, yes, you can visit Kinnaur Valley covering all above places and return to Manali from Jalori Pass route in the month of May. Climate will be pleasant in Kinnaur during that time.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are 6 people planning to visit the Kinnaur valley in the last week of April 2016. The itinerary looks something like this:
Day 1: Reach from Delhi to Shimla. Night stay.
Day 2: Shimla to Sarahan. Visit Kufri, Fagu, Rampur Padam palace etc. Reach Sarahan by evening. Night stay.
Day 3: Sarahan to Sangla. After reaching Sangla, visit Kamru village & fort, Berinag temple etc. Night stay.
Day 4: Visit Chitkul and return to Sangla. Night stay at Sangla.
Day 5: Sangla to Kalpa. Kalpa sightseeing: Rekong Pio Mahabodhi temple, Pangi village, Roghi village. Night stay at Kalpa.
Day 6: Stay at Kalpa. An additional day to roam around the place.
Day 7: Kalpa to Shimla.
Day 8: Shimla to Delhi.
Q1. Seek your feedback on the itinerary. Can there be any impact on the plan because of weather?
Q2. We are a 6 people group and planning to rent an MUV (Xylo/ Innova) for the entire week from Shimla to Shimla. Can there be any cheaper alternative (public transport etc.)?
Q3. Any recommended hotel in Sangla?
Thanks in advance. 🙂
Hi Avik,
A1: Your plan looks quite relaxed. I will advice that you make Kalpa to Narkanda on Day 7 and Narkanda to Delhi final day. You going to enjoy it in relaxed manner.
A2: Best is you hire an Innova by directly getting in touch with drivers. You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali / Shimla / Delhi / Chandigarh too, of course with a price of pickup as well.
The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3000-3500 per day depending upon the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price.
Otherwise, taxis in general are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands
A3: Please check the thread: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/india/lahaul-spiti-kinnaur-valley-hotels-guest-houses/
Want to visit Simla, Sangla, Chitkul and Kalpa in 14 to 21st December, 2015, please advise.
Ashit, the conditions will be quite cold in Kinnaur. Chitkul will not be reachable but Sangla and Kalpa will be reachable.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning the trip in Mid March – from 13th to 22nd
Will you suggest to make the trip in March?
DAY 01: DELHI –SHIMLA —– 13th
DAY 02: SHIMLA Arrival and proceed to hotel —– 14th
DAY 03: SHIMLA –SARHAN —- 15th
DAY 04: SARHAN-SANGLA —- 16th
DAY 05: SANGLA –CHITKUL – SANGLA —- 17th
DAY 06: SANGLA-KALPA —- 18th
DAY 07: KALPA —- 19th
After that could not fill the itinerary –
Is it possible to go to Manali on Day 08, or you suggest any thing else?
Shouvik, from Kalpa you need to track back toward Delhi and for Manali, better plan two days from there. Kalpa to Shoja over Jalori Pass, Jalori Pass to Manali.
Dear.. Dheeraj.. I had planned to Kalpa..by 11th of this January…. Day one arrival at Chandigarh by 1 pm halt at Rampur.. Day two. Rampur to Kalpa.. Day 3 Kalpa.. Day 4 Kalpa to sarahan.. Day 5 sarahan to shimla.. Day 6 back to chandigarh.. Is it possible to do. Can you suggest me good cab operator innova I need ur valuable suggestions
Anand, all depends upon is the link road to Kalpa will be open from reckong peo or not.
Dear Dheeraj.. Upto Recongpeo Road I’ll be opened… Or please suggest me some other itenary from Chandigarh please
As discused, feel free to post any further queries as I replied them to other thread
HI, Is it possible to visit Nako from Kalpa and come back to Kalpa in Same day, I saw its around 3 hrs one way journey from Kalpa to Nako
Amlan, it will at least take 4 Hrs to reach Nako from Kalpa and 4 Hrs to come back. So technically possible.
Thanks Dheeraj, your advice is really helpful. Though It is technically possible, I wont like to make the travel hectic for my 3 yr old kid. its better to stay at Nako 1 day.
Amlan, it depends upon when are you making the trip. In case you are making the trip in season time, from May to mid October, it is perfectly fine to stay at Nako but other than that Nako is a harsh place to stay with quite cold conditions. When are you staying?
Hi Dheeraj, I am planning for Mid April, will it be too harsh at Nako…
Amlan, mid April, shall be OK to visit Nako and will be cool may be with cold nights but Not at all harsh.
Any updates on current weather condition in Kalpa & Sangla ? Will be travelling between 1st – 6th Nov..
Vidisha, it has snowed up there in Kinnaur Valley in last couple of days. Chitkul may be out of bounds now. Long term weather forecasts of Kalpa and Sangla shows clear weather anyhow with partly cloudy during the time you are planning to visit. So, in case it snowed less then Chitkul might open. Be prepared with heavy woolens though.
Thanks a lot Dheeraj ! Got a mail from my hotels informing it will be possible to visit Chitkul & Rakcham during my visit.. keeping fingers crossed 🙂
Cool, best wishes for the trip to Kinnaur Valley. If possible, do share the experience in DwD Community Travel Tales section to treat other like minded travelers too 🙂
I want to visit simla, sarahan ,Sangla,kalpa,chitkul during last week of March or first week of April 2016 along with two kids . Also desire to come back by visiting Manali and Amritsar. Please suggest me the route and budget Hotel and also advise me about the vehicle.
Rajesh, Chitkul may not be possible or would be just lucky as road might have opened just during that time. Apart from that you can visit all these places. You can make your way back over Jalori Pass to Manali and then further to Amritsar. Before suggesting any plan, let me know how many days do you have in hand?
I am also planning to make a trip during mid March. Is it possible to make Kaja? I have a total of 9 days, Starting from Shimla, how much can I cover?
Also should I book hotels in advance or will get after reaching there?
Thanks Dheeraj in advance.
Venkatesh, it is very much possible to go to Kaza in March. However, the risk of getting stuck for few days is high. Also, the facilities from Kinnaur to Spiti will be very basic including food and water. Washrooms will be dry only with no water in them. Regardless to stay, the cold will be very very much. I have been in March and you can check out my experience of staying in March in Spiti from the links in Main Menu of the site.
may i (4 including 2 kid i.e 13 & 05) want to visit shimla to manali via kinnaur,kaza , lahul spiti ( through kunzum pass & rothang pass) next year. cld u pse tell me the right time to visit those place and how many days it will take also suggest me how can i book pwd rest house and a cab with no during this tour. expect ur reply urgently fr further planing. thanks manab
Manab, July – September will be the only time you will be able to do a complete circuit from Shimla to Manali over Kinnaur Valley and Spiti Valley. You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Spiti Valley followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 10-11 days: Most Common Itinerary for Spiti Valley.
You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali / Shimla / Delhi / Chandigarh too, of course with a price of pickup as well.
The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3000-3500 per day depending upon the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price.
Otherwise, taxis in general are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands
For stay options in Kinnaur and Spiti, check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley
hi dheeraj this is venkatesh , we r planning to kinnar in january first week and me and my friend r planing to go to Chitkul by trecking from sangla is it possible,we r tacking tent and sleeping bags and food stove etc,is our plan wiil be workout,is it possible to terk and can we stay there with my campang tent,so plz guide me,and canu u tel me with u r experiance what is the precautions we want to take.
Venkatesh, Chitkul will not be accessible during that time of the year even by trekking AFAIK. It is quite risky to do so and even deadly. So, even Kinnaur Valley you will struggle a bit and have to have good gear to survive.
I am planing to visit kinnar valley at the end of january nxt yr. Will i be able to reach kalpa and chitkul? Are the hotels open at that time?
Arka, Chitkul for sure you will not be able to reach as the road will be closed. Most hotels will be closed in Sangla Valley and few basic guest houses or home stays and a single hotel or two will be running. However, please note that water freezes in pipes and hence, you might not have running water anywhere and even have to have dry pits for toilets with no water.
Regarding Kalpa, there are some good number of hotels and better infra. up there and in case snow do not pour during the the time you will visit Kalpa, the road gets cleared and open.
Thank u sir , are the hotels in kalpa in same condition at that time? Are the roads to kalpa cleared everyday for tourist to reach kalpa? Is it possible to reach manali from shimla via kiiner valley (as much snow permits) on same day so that we can see liitle of kinner valley?? What tour plan do u suggest from 23rd Jan to 1st Feb 2016?
Arka, since Kalpa has better infra. so a bit better than in Sangla. Roads do not clear everyday but will start to clear when snow has stopped for a day or two. In case less snow pour then they try to clear it every day.
There is no route to Manali from Kinnaur Valley unless you are talking about Spiti Valley or Jalori Pass by back tracking towards Narkanda. However, in case you want to go to Manali from Kinnaur, then you can come back towards Rampur and take the route from Chindi – Karsog – Rohanda – Mandi/Ner Chowk route to reach Manali.
Thanks once again sir . As i cannot visit kinnar what tour plan do u suggest for 23rd jan to 1st feb??
Hello Arka,
Are you open for tourists location or you only planning offbeat? Also, are you open for a plan to Kumaon region in Uttarakhand or only Himachal you are planning?
Only himachal sir. Already i have booked tickets to shimla. Reaching on the 23rd of jan
Sorry for delay, are you interested in Shimla – Manali tour or looking for something offbeat only?
I am planning go for kinner valley and Chitkul Village on jan 1.it is possible to go there on january.is roads will be open that time , i am going solo to enjoy the nature , i will planing to stay there for 5 days is it possible,is there any buses from shimla in january to kinner valley , plz sugesst me with ur plan.and what will be the cost of the trip for 10 days from shimla , plz help me
Venkatesh, Kinnaur Valley will be in reach but Chitkul will be out reach due to snow, similarly in case it snows during that time Kalpa and Sangla might also be closed. So, there is a chance that you might want to take to witness the snowbound beauty of Kinnaur Valley
Thanku sir , can u tel me is buses will available in january from shimla to kinnar,if no buses then tel me howbi want go from shimla.with mediam cost.and what is the cab cost for droping sri.plz help me sir
Buses runn all round the year. Taxi will cost around 3500 per day
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning a trip to Kinnaur Valley from Chandigarh. Do you suggest I take a taxi from Chandigarh or Shimla?
I had the below in mind
1st Nov – Take Toy Train to Shimla -> move to Narkanda
1st and 2nd -> explore Narkanda, Thanedar and Kotgarh
3rd -> move to Kalpa
4th -> Explore Kalpa and nearby villages
5th -> Visit Sangla and back to Kalpa
6th -> leave for Shimla and there on Chandigarh
do you think the above sounds like a good plan? I am basically looking for an easy trip.
Hello Jaspreet,
Your plan looks good to me. It will be better if you stay at Sarahan on 2nd Day. If hotels in Sangla are open there is no need to come back to Kalpa as again you have to travel the same route. Day 5, reach Sangla try to go ahead towards Chitkul till the point snow allows you and then return for a stay at Sangla. Finally from Sangla come back to Shimla.
Hey dheeraj,
Grt work you are doing!!
We are a group of 4 on two RE planning a round trip starting from Chandigarh to kala kaza mana li mandi and back to Chandigarh.
We have planned a trip starting this Wednesday. The only thing now disturbing is that somebody advised us that roads are not good enough to ride RE.
Could you please advice us on roads keeping in mind the whole route to be covered from Thursday to Sunday (4days)..
This would be just a road trip so not planning much to halt except at night stays.
Kindly guide accordingly
Sorry, for late reply. You must be on your trip , Have a great time.
Hi Dheeraj, wonderful article you have written, knowledgeable.
I am planning to go Kinnaur and near by places in mid of sept. i have few queries pls. suggest
1. is it safe for a couple
2. can i go by my i20
3. how’s the road conditions at this time
4. which route i should prefer as i am planning from delhi
or anything else which i should keep in mind while planning for kinnaur.
Hi Yogi,
Are you on the trip or still looking for the answers to your queries.
1. Totally safe to travel to Kinnaur Valley
2. Should be manageable but do understand that roads will be bad once you enter the Kinnaur Valley
3. Roads are more or less the same. Bad in Kinnaur
4. Delhi – Shimla – Narkanda – Rampur – Kinnaur
Hey Dheeraj
you mentioned Glacier points in the article in Kinnaur vally. Can we get some snow in any small track over there. Also what is the route should we follow.
We are planning to visit from 21st to 26st OCT. IS there any place near sarahan to visit.Will Dharangati be possible by small car.
Thanks
Kapil
Snow will not be present on those glacier points as well as glaciers also melt away from base in summers. I will suggest you to skip Daranghati may be but I am not saying it is not possible. Focus on Sarahan, Sangla, Chitkul and Kalpa only.
Dear Dheeraj,
I need to know few things about Kinnaur valley, I am a great lover of Himalayan region as well.
1. How about the road conditions from Shimla to Sangla Valley, Kalpa & kaza.
2. Could we access that place in month of October, or its chilling cold during that period.
3. Where we, halt in Mid Way, is it Narkanda, Rampur or some other place.
Thanks.
Hi Vinod,
1. Road conditions up to you cross bhawanagar will be fine but then will start getting bad to worse
2. Yes you can access Kinnaur Valley in the month of October and can reach Kaza and come back the same way too. It will certainly be cold more the more you go higher from Kinnaur to Spiti
3. You can do Narkanda to be decent halt mid way to Kalpa.
Dear Dheeraj, I have gone through your blog and found it very interesting and really appreciate the way your responded to all queries. I am also planning to go there in September 2015 for 10 days with one professional traveler group from New Delhi. Best Regards!!! Kudos to your excellent work!!! 🙂
we are five and want to visit kinnaur lahul spiti kunjum pass keylong manali from chandigarh and back to chandigarh .we will reach chandigarh on 01.09.2015 by kalka mail and our return journey at chandigarh on 11.09.15. we want to hire a suv with all front view seats throughout our journey. our probable stay at narkanda/sarahan, sangla,kalpa,tabo,pin village, kaja,kiber,keylong, manali. please arrange a best tour plan for us ,and give us information and contacts regarding hotels or good homestays , car rentals . pl also mention any other beautiful places to visit besides our destinations within our time limit
Kalyani, You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Spiti Valley followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 10-11 days: Most Common Itinerary for Spiti Valley.
You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali / Shimla / Delhi / Chandigarh too, of course with a price of pickup as well.
The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3000-3500 per day depending upon the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price.
Otherwise, taxis in general are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands
For stay options in Kinnaur and Spiti, check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley
sir,many many thanks for your suggestion .our plan is like this-
1. starting from chandigarh early morning -01.09.2015
2. night stay at narkanda or sarahan(which one is better)- 01.09.2015.
3.we want to visit sangla, banjara camp,chitkul .where should we stay? which one is better for stay?night stay on 02.09.2015 & 03.09.15.
4.kalpa night stay -04.09.15
5.tabo night stay-05.09.15
6. pin valley night stay-06.09.2015
7.kaja-07.09.15
8. losar-08.09.15
9.battal.09.09.15
10. manali.10.09.15
11.kalka mail at chandigarh..11th night
are all these places we planned to stay is ok . we have the desire to visit and stay at kibber village and keylong . is it possible to arrange the tour plan including these two places? we want to hire xylo or innova from chandigarh and drop at chandigarh. pl advice us how much it costs from chandigarh to chandigarh back. pl give us the contacts of chandigarh vehicle owners.. kindly reply along with your valuable advice.
There is no need to stay at Losar rather it is better that you either stay at Batal or you stay at Chandratal only that day. Rest looks OK. Better stay at Rakcham which is between Chitkul and Sangla. Keylong is not possible but you can surely stay at Kibber from Kaza on Day 8, Day 9 move to Chandratal and Day 10 Manali from Chandratal directly. This is easily doable. I shared the contact in the previous reply, you can get in touch with them as those who are based in Shimla or Kinnaur can come to pick you up from Chandigarh itself.
dheeraj I am planning to go to kinnaur in the first half of november and from your other replies I take it that its not a bad time to travel there. I plan to go upto shimla by train and from there catch a bus to reckong peo and from there please guide me. I will be travelling alone by the local transportation and backpacking. from your reply I think its not possible to travel from kaza to manali due to extreme climate so what do you think I should do to include khir ganga in my plan? I am not time bound and I will be booking my tickets only by sept last.
Premnath, you can travel to Reckong peo by bus and then take a bus to Kalpa. Rest there for couple of days and then take a bus to Sangla from there. Rest there again for couple of days and then move back towards Sarahan. Rest at Sarahan for a day and then get down to Shimla. Better avoid going further to Kaza during that time unless you are way way too adventurous and accustomed to such extreme harsh conditions.
Deeraj! I have been traveling a lot and I have done some good high altitude treks both in India and Nepal so I think with the grace of God I can manage the climate part, but my question is will there be any public transportation at that time of the year and what about Chitkul? will it be possible for me to go there by some public transport? suppose I do this trip in the month of September or October will it be possible to travel to Kaza and to Manali?
Yes, public transport does run all the time up there barring few days of heavy snowfall. Also, in most cases the buses from both places do start and go to the point they can where there is blockage and then exchange the passengers and come back to their places. In case you do this trip upto mid of October it is still pretty safe to travel from Kaza to Manali in a public transport bus. Beyond that risk starts increasing and even bus between Kullu – Manali – Kaza also stops running.
Just started writing my series on Himachal Road trip across Kinnaur, Lahaul & Spiti http://www.inditales.com/first-thoughts-on-himachal-pradesh/
Hallo Dheeraj,
We (me and my wife) are planning to visit Shimla & Kinnaur valley in the month of November from 22nd to 28th November (excluding the journey days from Kolkata). The main destination stops will be Shimla, Sarahan, Sangla, Kalpa, Chitkul.
Can you please suggest an itinerary for the tour which will cover the places??
Also, will the places be accessible (or advisable to go) at that time of the year??
Thanks
Anish
Day 1 | Delhi – Shimla – Narkanda
Day 2 | Narkanda – Sangla Valley
Day 3 | Sangla – Chitkul / Sangla
Day 4 | Chitkul / Sangla – Kalpa
Day 5 | Kalpa – Sarahan
Day 6 | Sarahan – Chail/Shimla
Day 7 | Chail/Shimla – Delhi
Thanks a lot Dheeraj for the help… Is it advisable to visit the area in 3/4th week of November??
Anish, in case you can sustain the cold up there in Kinnaur which is quite freezing, you are fine to travel up there.
Hi,
I am planning to travel from Chandigarh for 8 N/9 D Himachal Trip.
Please find my proposed intinerary as follows:
Day1–Chandigarh to Chail
Day2- Chail to Sarahan
Day3- Sarahan to Sangla
Day4-Sangla
Day5-Sangla to Kalpa
Day6-Kalpa
Day7-Kalpa to Kaza
Day8- Kaza
Day9-Kaza to Manali
Day10- Manali to Chandigarh/Delhi
Is this itinerary OK?
Also, is it OK to travel in November? we are starting on 28th Oct. Will it be too cold ? Will the roads be blocked?
Appreciate your help.
Saheli, I wil advice that instead of spending a day in Kalpa extra, please add that day in Kaza. so, from Kalpa go to Tabo stay there, then next day Tabo – Dhangkar – Pin Valley – Kaza. Next day Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Langza- Hikkim – Komik – Kaza, then come back via same route to Delhi as I saw you going end of October. Well, in that case it is a big big NO to travel beyond Kaza towards Manali as it becomes no mans land and veru risky with chances of getting stuck up there for months in case snows out there. Even local people are afraid of traveling beyond mid of October between Kaza – Manali over Kunzum Pass unless it is some very very badly needed in case of some crisis. I will suggest followin
Day1–Chandigarh to Chail
Day2- Chail to Sarahan
Day3- Sarahan to Sangla
Day4-Sangla – Chitkul – Sangla
Day5-Sangla to Tabo
Day6-Tabo – Dhangkar – Pin Valley – Kaza
Day7-Kaza and around as suggested above
Day8- Kaza – Kalpa
Day9-Kalpa to Shimla/Narkanda
Day10- Shimla/Nakranda to Chandigarh/Delhi
Hi,
Thanks a lot for your inputs. Is it feasible to go Kinnaur Valley in November? Or should I plan for some other places like Dharamshala and all? Will the weather be too harsh? Also, is it advisable to book the hotels in advance, or will get good deals on the spot? I heard the HPTDC hotels are good.
Yes, Kinnaur Valley is fine to travel in November but yes weather will be cold though not too harsh in November.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are group of 9 bikers from Bangalore. We are starting our ride from Shimla on the 21st of July.
Our proposed travel is as under,
JULY
21st – Shimla- Narkanda (Snow trail camps Near Chail)
22n – Narkanda- Sangala ( Kinner Camps Sangla)
23r – Sangla- Chitkul- Nako (Kinner Camps Nako)
24t -Nako- Pin valley- ( Guest House)
25t – Pin – Kaza local – Kye monastery -( Spiti Sarai Kaza)
26th- Kaza – Chandrataal (paramount Camp)
27th- chandrataal- Rohtang- Manali .
Ride ends.
28th manali – chandigarh by car.
We have a a innova which is following us with luggage and two back up people.
* Suggestions Required from you.
* Current Whether/ Road Conditions/ Rain factor- intensity
* Any change in route required.
* AMS precautions for suggested route.
* Accommodation mentioned above ok/ not ok/ better options.
Appreciate your constant effort to guide,
Thnx ,
Ashwin
Ashwin, given the days in hand, plan looks fine to me.
Hi Dheeraj….
We are 6/7 heads planning a trip to Sangla form Delhi. The travel date is 1-8-2015 to start from delhi & have to reach delhi 7-8-2015.
Please advise me about weather & road conditions there. It is ok to go with Toyota Innova. Is it is the right time to visit this place?
Ankit, it is monsoon time and Kinnaur is ideally not really a place to be in monsoons due to fragile roads which are vulnerable to landslides anytime. Please check the weather updates from http://yr.no website and then take a call to go or no go.
Hello Dheeraj,
I am planning to travel Spiti and Kinnaur Valley in 1st week of august along with my wife. I am landing in Chandigarh on 6th August and returning back from Chandigarh on 12th August. We have 6 days and we need to cover Spiti and Kinnaur. Kindly suggest me the Iternary plan where I can cover the max Spiti and Kinnaur Valley and other places arounf those valleys. Alos suggest me if you know any local travels who can guide and help us through out the journey. Also suggest me if it is the right time to travel in August and is it safe if we can trust Cab Drivers as me and my wife is planning the trip. Awaiting for your fond response.
Vamshi, in just 6 days it will be very tough to do Spiti Valley and Kinnaur Valley. Also it will be rains and Kinnaur is not an ideal place to be in rains 🙁
Thanks Deeraj Bhai for your response. I am planning to go to spiti valley in 6 days. One of my friend Sarin went to spiti valley on june 15th 2015. he has hired a scorpio Tenzing – 09418433973 where he got the info from DOW. Even I am planning to hire Tenzing – 09418433973. One query here. Sarin has informed that the road is extremely dangerous from manali to spiti valley. Also the accommodation seems a worry as we have lots of Isreil and germen people around kaza. and hotel will be packed with those people. I also heard they have lots of drugs but for sure they wont disturb anyone. Request your kind help if you can help me with some accomodations around chandratal lake and kaza where we have more Indians. Money is not a problem. Awaiting for your fond response.
Vamshi, regarding accommodation, you can 100% rely upon: Sakya Abode Kaza – An Enriching Experience in Spiti Valley
Get in touch with Tsering bhai and tell him you are an avid reader of DoW and he will help you out for sure.
Hello Dheeraj,
I am planning to visit Chitkul by the end of July or May be early august. First of all is it a good time to visit at this time of year. Also how is the condition of the road and is it safe enough to travel on Bullet. I will be travelling all alone or may be with my Gf. I or we would be travelling by Bullet. I am planning a four days trip from delhi and back. Please suggest are the number or days enough for the trip and is it good time to visit as I think rainfall can create a mess. Would really appreciate that 🙂
Thanks,
Lukesh
Lukesh, it will be monsoons and Kinnaur is not really a good place to be in monsoons unless you are ready to take up the madening challenge.
HI DHEERAJ BRO,
how are u ….i need a help…i and my friend are planning a trip to shimla -reckang peo-kaza on our apache bike from delhi in first week of october….i want to know about the road condition from reckong peo -pooh-tabo-kaza….will it be safe to go on a single bike….plzzz help
Siddharth, it should be fine to travel during that time with respect to road conditions. However, doing Kaza – Manali that late in the season, must ensure that weather is good because Manali – Kaza is a no mans land road and most dhabhas also wind up by October mid october.
i am planning for visit to kalpa / sangla / chitkul from delhi. the travel date is 22.10.15 to start from delhi & have to reach delhi on 28.10.15.
can we travel by train upto chandigarh by train & onward by road or we should plan by road jourbey from delhi itself ??? which is better one ??
Pl. also help us to get a tour plan.
regards,
sanjib
Sanjib, better you go with train to Kalka, then carry on with road journey. Also, Delhi to Shimla has a good volvo service as well which you can avail too.
Hi Dheeraj !!
This site is very useful.
I want to go kinnaur valley between 24 to 30 May from Dehradun with family. Is it OK to go with beat diesel ?? Which are place of interest between shimla & sangla valley? Can we visit kotgarh during this route?
Or Could you help & make plan for us?
Rajesh, you can find all the required details of places and sightseeing in the article above and it also suggest a 6-7 day plan as well. Regarding taking hatch back, if you are a good driver and can tackle a bit rough roads, it is OK to travel.
Hi Rajesh,
I am Rohit from Chandigarh. Many of the facts explained in the article above highlight only the geographical conditions of the vicinity and the points of interest.
As you are traveling with family and hailing from Dehradun, then I believe you will be quite familiar with mountain roads as Dehradun is near mussoorie therefore I think you will be quite experienced to enthrall yourself onto this escapade.
Eitherways, you have to reach Shimla in order to continue further and the road till Shimla is sweet! Will suit your vehicle. On the contrary, i totally agree with Dheeraj that if you are a good driver and can avoid potholes or any other depression on the road then you should be good! Also if your kid is quite comfortable with Mountain drives then you should be perfect, however there can be AMS if care is not taken at the right time. Kothgarh can also be covered however for the same, you would require a day more.
Should you have any concerns regarding your travel plan, please don’t hesitate and contact me
Thank you Rohit for the inputs, the plan in general covers the main aspect of AMS too if followed properly. Also, AMS starts to affect once you are beyond 3000 Mtrs and main problem in Kinnaur in general comes to people going/sleeping at Chitkul. So, as long as you follow Narkanda, Sarahan/Sangla, Kalpa sequence with hydrated bodies you are mostly good to keep up with AMS.
Good day Dheeraj,
I am from Singapore and came across this site as was planning a trip to Kalpa next late May.
Can you advise road condition from Kalpa to Manali via Chango? Can Toyota Alto handle this terrain? How many days would it take if we do it in a leisure manner?
Plan is get a driver from Shimla and drop in Manali. Would you be able to advise what is the current rate for a driver with Toyota Alto per day?
Thanking you in advance and your guidance.
Hello seow,
There is no Toyota Alto in India, we have Maruti Alto. It will struggle a bit up there due to low ground clearance though people do it. Also, in May it will not be possible to do Kalpa to Manali over Kunzum Pass. You will have to hire a big car driver. You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali / Shimla / Delhi / Chandigarh too, of course with a price of pickup as well.
The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3000-3500 per day depending upon the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price.
Otherwise, taxis in general are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi All,
Good Evening…
Have visited Kinnaur – Reckong Peo, Sangla, Kalpa, Chhitkul with family. In family me, wife and 1 year old baby boy….
Went by my TATA Indigo Car, have hired driver for the travel.
Date of Travel from 08.05.2015 to 13.05.2015…
Wil share shortly pics of travel along with experience…
Overall the trip was good…..
Great to know that Gaurav. Looking forward to your experience in DoW – Himalayan Travel Community
This article is a step by step guide to help you post your first travel tale or photo tale: How to Write a Travel Tale or Topic with Attached Images
Regards
Dheeraj
Dear Dheeraj,
We are in plan to travel Sangla – Kalpa – Chitkul from Meerut by Alto (13 June to 21 June). We are husband, wife with 7 years old kid.
1. Please check, if my itinerary is correct? Especially the driving hours.
2. What shall be the average Hotel Tariff (Just want clean toilets + Good bed) in Sangla & Kalpa
3. Which route is better:
SHIMLA – NALDHERA – PANDOA – NANI – KINGAL – RAMPUR – SARAHAN
OR
SHIMLA – KUFRI – THEOG – NARKANDA – BITHAL – RAMPUR – SARAHAN
Our planned itinerary:
Day From To Night Stay Dates in June Km / Day Driving Hrs
Day 1 Meerut Narkanda 1st Night 13 400 km 12 Hrs
Day 2 Narkanda Sangla 2nd Night 14 190 km 7 Hrs
Day 3 Sangla Chitkul – Sangla 3rd Night 15 50 Km 4 Hr
Day 4 Sangla Kalpa 4th Night 16 50 km 2 Hr
Day 5 Kalpa Kalpa 5th Night 17 0 Km 0
Day 6 Kalpa Saharan 6th Night 18 100 Km 4 Hr
Day 7 Saharan Shimla 7th Night 19 170 Km 6 Hr
Day 8 Shimla Shimla 8th Night 20 0 0
Day 9 Shimla Meerut 21 350 km 12 Hrs
Hi Amit,
Please find my replies below:
2. You will get around 1500 per day for hotel on average for on the spot bookings. check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley
3. Kufri – Theog will be better in terms of short distance.
1. Your timings are correct and they will range in these hours only with an hour here and there plus, minus. Also, I will suggest you can come back via Chail route instead of following shimla and stay at Chail on Day 8 in case required.
Regards
Dheeraj
Dheeraj Ji,
Thank You so much for your helpful reply.
Just few more thing to ask…
1. Is it medically safe to travel with 7 year old kid
2. Predicted road conditions in June 3rd week and is it doable with Alto?
3. I drove till Bairagarh (on the way to Sach Pass) ; are roads of Kalpa – Sangla like that or WORST?
4. Considerable Petrol filling points on this route after Shimla.
5. Last ATM location after Shimla
Regards,
amit
Hello Amit,
1. In general, it is fine to take the children of such age group because AMS do not matter with respect to age or sex or any physical health condition. It can happen to anyone of any age or sex or fitness I shall say :D.. The issue with children is that they tend to exert the body considering it the same kind of place they belong to and this elevates the chances of getting struck with AMS. Secondly, they are not much expressive about their uneasy feelings, so it is parents who need to watch out and take care that the child is not suffering from uneasy feelings, headache or nausea and is behaving properly. With 5+ year child, I think he/she would be able to convey the uneasiness with little efforts. If you notice any such feeling or he/she tells you about such a feeling then please do not ascend anywhere, either descend to lower altitude or stay at the same place to watch things overnight and if symptom increase then start descending immediately. Same is applicable for any adult as well. And yes, do keep the body adequately hydrated!!
2+3. Will be bad and in case it rains it will be further bad. Till Bairagarh, roads are fine in Kinnaur when it rains it becomes more or less much bad.
4. Don’t worry about fuel for just Kinnaur Valley. Top up at Tandi for sure.
5. There is an ATM at Rampur as well beyond that I believe there is one at Reckong Peo too in kinnaur.
Regards
Dheeraj
Dheeraj Ji,
That means we should drop the idea to going to Kalpa Sangla by our ALTO 800 ? (DATES ARE BETWEEN 14 JUNE TO 21 JUNE)
Please suggest so that we can plan accordingly.
2. Is Gangtok – darejeeling is doable with Alto in these dates?
Replied at the link: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/kinnaur-valley-travel-guide-kalpa-sangla-chitkul/comment-page-3/#comment-329367
Dheeraj Ji,
Still in confusion whether to take my Alto LXI to Kalpa Sangla or not
Please answer my query that I asked earlier.
Amit, if you are a good driver and love adventure more than the car, then it is fine to take. Just keep a check on weather, if it says raining then cancel else go with it. But, prime condition is of good driver.
Hi ,
I plan to visit Reckong Peo in Early October this year (2015) . I am having a small kid who would be approx 18 months old in that month. Please advise whether October month would be preferrable or not ?
Also , what would be possibility of having rains or snow during that period ?
Can anyone also please advise the most lavish / costliest hotel in Reckong Peo / Sangla ?
Regards
Anubhav
Anubhav, please read the article: Traveling to Ladakh or High Altitude with Kids or Babies
October is mostly devoid of rain but one cannot predict. Cold settles in the valley by that time of the year.
hi i plan to visit kalpa velly what is the bus route from shimla to kalpa
Lalit, there are buses available to Reckong Peo from Shimla. From there you will get the bus or shared jeep to Kalpa from Reckong peo.
Hi Dhiraj,
I will go kalka on14th may’15 & return troy train ticket 20th 17.40…..then I want to go sarhan,sangla,chikul,kalpa,..two 60 yers aged person with us. please suggest it can be any problem their for high altude.please suggest a plan
No, plan to travel with easy pace with overnight halt at Narkanda, Sarahan, Sangla, Kalpa and then finally Shimla. Avoid staying at Chitkul overnight and rest shall be fine. Read the AMS article: Acute Mountain Sickness and Importance of Acclimatization
Hi, We are 6/8 heads planning to visit Sarahan, sangal and Kalpa on Nov 15 end, could you please advice me about the weather there……….. Is it is fine to travel there that time.
Our trip is like
Day 1 – Chandigarh to Sarahan and stay
Day 2 – Sarhan to Sangla and stay
Day 3 – Sarahan side scene.
Day 4 – Sarahan to Kalpa and stay
Day 5 & 6 – At Kalpa.
Day 7 – Kalpa to Rampur or Narkanda and stay
Day 8 – Narkanda to Chandigarh.
We will start from Kolkata on 21st of Nov and reach Chandigarh on 23rd 0300 hrs (as per schedule).
Please advice……………..
Thanks
Arijit Chakraborty.
Arijit, it will be quite cold up there especially in chitkul during that time of the year. Rest your plan looks fine to me. On Day 3, you meant Sangla including Chitkul I think. Plan is quite relaed.
Thanks Dheeraj Ji, for your prompt reply, Yes we are planning to visit Chitkul on day 3.
Actually my only worry is snow, Is there any chance of snowfall there during my said time? I mean I have a really very bad experience of snowfall in Sikkim. It was on the month of Feb, Me and my wife travelling to east sikkim and suddenly snowfall starts, our car has lost his grip and it skiting badly and we have stay that night in a Army camp. They saved us and next day we have walk around 10/12 kms down.
Is it possible to reach those places during 1st week of December, actually one of my friend has some problem to take leave during month end so now we are planning to start from Kolkata on 28th of Nov.
If you please guide us……………
All depends upon luck. If it is a lucky dayfor you then it might happen else not. December will be very cold and most of the places will be shut down including hotels. In case it snows the road might close too to Sangla.
Hi dheeraj..
I have planned a trip to kinnaur valley.. I have an extra day in hand after visiting sangla, kalpa, chitkul and tirthan valley. Any suggestions for an additional day? I am confused between chail, sarahan, narkanda and kasol. Which is the better place to stay a day?
Thanks in advance
Satya
I will suggest that you spend the day at Daranghati 🙂
Hi Dheeraj.. I tried searching for daranghati in the internet. All I could get is daranghati sanctuary. Is this what you were mentioning?
Also, I will be visiting in June 1st week. Is this a good time?
Yes, Satya, Daranghaati is a mountain pass actually located in sanctuary. There are couple of camping sites up there and yeah it is good time to visit 🙂
Hey satya, im planning a trip up to chitkul on the same first weeek of june. I am travelling alone tho. R u planning to ride there?
hi satya and hi aslam,…. i am also planning for chitkul in first week of june….can i join you guys…?
dear Dheeraj,
i have 5 nights between kalpa and sangla.
pls advice kalpa main 3 nights ka stay aur sangla main 2 nights.or
kalpa main 2 nights aur sangla main 3 nights……..
Personally, I will always spend more time in Sangla + Chitkul than Kalpa. So, my choice will be more for Sangla Chitkul and less time for Kalpa as there is nothing much to do there in comparison.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are planning for a family tour on last week of May,2015. Our plan is to visit sangla/chitkul/kalpa/rekong peo. We have two kids in our team ( 4yrs,5 yrs). I want to know if there will be any problem for high altitude and AMS. we are anxious about the kids. It will be helpful if you kindly guide us.
Sanjib, Kinnaur does not come under that too high altitude region. All you can do is skip the stay at Chitkul and make a day trip from Sangla. Also, keep the ascend gradual to acclimatize better, something as followed under the plan suggested here: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/white-spiti-valley-march-itinerary-road-conditions-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-322526
Thanks Dheeraj for your advice. Your blog is really helpful, love it 🙂
Thank you so much dear 🙂
Hi Sir,
We are two people , planning to visit sangla and chitkul from 26 April onwards. My query is regarding road conditions from narkanda to sangla/kalpa…is the road open now and if u hv any idea r they in good condition or not…as we r going on bikes. So according to u wht precautions we need to take while riding on bikes.
Following is itinerary :
Day 1. chd to narkanda (night stay at narkanda)
Day 2. narkanda to kalpa (night stay at kalpa)
Day 3 . Local kalpa (night stay at kalpa)
Day 4. Narkanda to sangla (night stay at sangla)
Day 5 Sangla to Chitkul and back (night stay at Sangla)
Day 6 Sangla to Sarahan (night stay at Sarahan)
Day7. Sarahan to Chail (night stay at Chail)
Day8 . Back to base
Is it fine or kindly suggest some changes if u think. Moreover we r planning to stay at homestays only.
Thanks and d regards
Tejinder, road has been opened recentlyfor light vehicles. Your itinerary looks fine to me except on Day 4 I think you meant Kalpa to Sangla.
Dear Dhiraj.
I am planning to travel to Kinnaur valley (Shimla, Narkanda, Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa, Fagu) from 5th to 12 th May. How would the weather be at that time of the year. Is it extremely cold ? Would we require heavy woolens? Does it rain in May? This year there has been lots of rain in March & early April–would this be a problem regarding landslides & condition of roads? Pl advice.
Mayoor, weather will be pleasant mostly during that time of the year. I will suggest that you carry light woolens and just a pair of heavy woolens or probably a jacket which can be taken out on demand basis. Chitkul will be most cold in all three places. Road conditions will settle by May.
Dear Dheeraj,
We are a group of 11 people travelling to Kinnaur. We are planning to hire a tempo-traveller. Would a tempo traveller be safe on these roads. Would it be able to negotiate the narrow roads. Are accidents common in this region. Taking two Innovas is an option but this increases the tour cost way too much. Please advice
Mayoor, many people travel by tempo traveler as well to Spiti and Kinnaur. Even state buses run too including loaded trucks 🙂
Dear Dheeraj.
Thanks for your advice. We will take the tempo traveller only.
Hello Dheeraj,
Your portal is highly informative 🙂
I was planning to travel to kinnaur district(kalpa,spiti and chitkul) from shimla may 17-22 do we get accomodations easily or do we need to book in advance?
I also plan to cover dharamshala and Mac L in the said dates,kindly suggest an appropriate order?
p.s I will be travelling alone and this my first 🙂 your guidance will be of great help!
Rahul you will be able to get accommodation on the spot in the month of May with some search here and there. With 6 days in hand, you will only be able to cover Kinnaur Valley so you will have to drop Dharamshala and Mcleod Ganj. I will suggest to check out the itinerary suggested in the article above.
Hi Dhiraj,
I m planning for tour of shimla/kalpa/sangla valley during 20th may to 27 th may for 7n/8days. Pls suggest me is it convenient time to visit this place with my wife & 1&half year old child? Also help me to design iternery from shimla / to shimla return by car/hptdc Luxary bus by visiting these places. Also provide me information abt Pwd rest house/home stay /budget guest house at kalpa/sangla/ kinnaur. Thanks.
Yagnesh, you can refer the article above which has a detailed plan link for 6-7 days for Kinnaur Valley. You can add a rest day in between.
You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali & Shimla too.
The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3000-3500 per day depending upon the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price.
Otherwise, taxis in general are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands
Check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley
Hi Dheeraj
I am planning a road trip from Chandigarh – Kinnaur – Spiti – Manali – Chandigarh during later half of may (2-3 weeks). I am keen on traveling on a two-wheeler but well versed with driving only a gearless scooter (Honda Activa) and not geared once (Bike). Let me know if it would work and any precautions that needs to be taken.
Many people say that it won’t be possible but i still fell that at 110 cc, engine is enough powerful to complete the journey successfully. I am from Himachal only (lower hills) but have never traveled to Kinnaur.
Ashish, I have known people who have taken Activa to Ladakh as well. So, with efforts you can for sure do. However, the progress per day will be slow and at times you may need to push the vehicle in case of slush or water crossings. Also, in case you want to travel from Manali side THEN better plan in mid of June as road from Manali to Kaza opens in mid of June.
Thank you Dheeraj for your insights.
It would be great if you can provide me contact info (email id, phone no.) of few people who have carried their journeys on Activa so that i can plan better.
Also, i would like to know if we are two people, then we need to carry 2 vehicles or one Activa would suffice considering luggage weight as well.
Ashish, you will get a mail as I reply over it. Just reply me back on it and I Will share the details with you. One activa with luggage and pillion will be too much to ask for. Carry two vehicles.
Hiii,
Dheeraj we r playning a trip to himachal by the end of this month, we r adventure loving ppl, we have visited almost all famous places in himachal twice r thrice, plzzz plan a trip fr me of 4 days frm chandigarh by car, we want to visit offbeat places we would like to enjoy forestbresorts and adventure journey
PRashant, in just 4 days, you can make a trip to Pabbar Valley and Chansal Pass about 95 KM ahead of Shimla.
Hi Dheeraj,
What is the best time to visit Spiti valley with family. I think after May, it is rainy season and there is slush all around. I would prefer going via Narkanda and return via Manali doing the Chandrataal lake as well. pls. suggest the best time to visit this place considering I would be going with a 8 yr old kid. I have not yet decided on the number of days, but it will be a leisure trip. I would be driving all the way from Mumbai.
Regards,
Rahul K
Rahul, you can get your doubts cleared by reading the article: Best Season to Travel on Road to Spiti Valley
Hello Dheeraj,
I am planning a quick escape to Chitkul from Delhi in first week of April. All I have is 4 days. If you can suggest best itinerary for this short trip..
0400hrs Leaving Delhi >>>>
1. What should be my destination for the day? Narkanda/Sarhan or may be little further (I can manage long non-stop drive at a stretch)
2. Where to stay on Day2 Sangla, Chitkul or Rakcham?
3. Can I also manage RecongPeo, Kalpa?
4. Which place would be suggested among those to spend much time?
Thanks
Pancham
Hi Pancham,
4 days to Chitkul trip means being on the road only. May be you can try something like below:
Day 1: Delhi – Narkanda
Day 2: Narkanda – Sangla/Rakcham
Day 3: Sangla/Rakcham – chitkul – Sangla – Sarahan / Rampur
Day 4: Rampur – Delhi
Adding anything else beyond it will be too much to ask in 4 days 🙂
Hello Dheeraj. Planning to go to Sangla Valley on from 5-10 April 2015. Will road condition be fine at same date and what about the weather
It is snowing / raining up there in Kinnaur at present and forecast for coming week is also snow / rain up there in Kinnaur Valley. Hence, you will find some bad roads with slush stretches and weather might be overcast/rainy too as per the IMD/Accuweather sites.
Dear Dheeraj, first of all thanks for this wonderful information. I am also planning a trip to kinner valley by last week of May. I want to trek to kinner kailash in this trip. Could u pls help me un this regard.
1) Is it necessary to hire a guide for this trek. Or can we identify the trek route easily?
2) will there be any accommodation option in-between the trek route to kinner kailash
3) will there be snow in kinner valley in general during this time.(may last)
Thanks in advance..
Hi Dinu,
1. May might be a bit early due to the presence of snow up there on the trek though I am not 100% sure. I would prefer that you take one local with you for sure.
2. Sorry, never did this trek so do not have much idea on it.
3. May last will have some snow
Regards
Dheeraj
Dear Dheeraj,
Planning trip to Kalpa with family 20-06-15 onwards. Will highly appreciate your inputs on the following questions:
1. Is the time of year OK.
2. Can I do The trip in my Wagon R. Have done a lot of driving in this car but are the roads OK.
3. Plan to base at Kalpa for 3-4 nights and then come to Simla. Have already seen Sarahan.
4. What all to do in Kalpa on foot?
3. Will a days trip be Ok for Chitkul and Sangla Valley. What vehcles are available for hire and what will it cost.
While answering my queries please keep in mind that the motto of the trip is leisure combined with adventure.
Look forward to receive your valued advice ASAP so that I could book my accommodation. Always prefer to stay with HTDC.
Regards,
Amar
Hi Amar,
1. Time is OK but at times in June it does rain which can play spoil sport in terms of road conditions. Please keep a check on the weather conditions when you reach closer to dates.
2. Roads are just manageable beyond Bhawanagar. Hatchback with low GC will face some issues and you have to be very careful.
3+4. Better to have base in Sangla. Visit Chitkul and roam around there. Have one night in Kalpa.
Regards
Dheeraj
Dear Dheeraj,
Thanks for the reply from which I assume that it is doable but with caution. How much driving time would it take from Rampur to Kalpa
What exactly is meant when you say spoilsport. Does one get stuck. Are there landslides. If so how long does it take to clear.Also one just can not go without any advance hotel bookings which, in the eleventh hour would not be available.HAs anyone done the route recently?
So, what do you suggest. Is Sangla doable in my car. What accommodation is available there? Shall be grateful for an update ASAP.
Also, can we do Kalpa-Khab-Kalpa as a day trip to see the Spiti-Sutlej confluence. Will the roads be open in June?
Hi Amar,
Rampur to Kalpa shall be around 4.5-5 Hrs of drive. Yes, there can be landslides when it rains, there will be slush that makes driving difficult as car skids, sometimes car gets stuck. Road opening depends on the extent of damage done. You can surely go over and book on the spot by searching here and there. There are plenty of stay options in Kinnaur. Kalpa – Khab – Kalpa can be done in a day but road conditions further deteriorates on this route and completely broken. The roads will be open in case there is no landslide.
You can read the most recent experience from last week at the link here: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/white-spiti-valley-march-itinerary-road-conditions-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-317066
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi dheeraj,
We are 4 to 5 people and planning a trip to Spiti in june end. Here is my itenary and want your comments and suggetions. We will land Chandigarh at 11 am morning. And our return flight will be at 7pm in eve in return.
1) Day 1 – chandigarh to Sarahan. Or narkanda if sarahan is long
2) Day 2 – Narkanda/Sarahan to Sangla ( stay at kinner camp)
3) Day 3 – sangla to Kalpa ( Visit to Chitkul village)
4) Day 4 – Kalpa to Tabo
5) Day 5- Tabo to Dhankar/mud village. Stay at mud village or phukchong village
6) Day 6 – Mud village/ phukchong village to Demul
7) Day 7 – Demul to komic
8) Day 8 – komic to kibber
9) Day 9- Kibber to kaza
10) Day 10 – Kaza to Chandratal
11) Day 11 – Chandratal to Manali
12) Day 12 – Manali to Chandigarh. Flight from chandigarh at 7 pm.
Want your comments for the above itenary and will each and everything is getting cover in this?
Dharman, it looks decent to me. While going to Demul, you can take a detour and visit Lhalung first and then come back and stay overnight at Demul. From Komik, you can also visit Hikkim and while going to Kibber, visit Langza on the way.
Thanks bro. Will surely add those places in itenary.
Hi Dheeraj, we are planning a trip to kinnaur on 10th may for 10days. 2nights at chail.1 day chail-narkanda-rampur o/n.1day rampur to sarahan o/n at Sarahan.Sarahan to kalpa 3days.kalpa to rohru o/n.rohru to naldera o/n.naldera to Chandigarh. Pls suggest me whether the iternary is correct or any other good place we could be to.can we travel to nako during that period of time than may be we can change the iternary.pls help me in this. Thanks,beena
Hello Beena,
Make Chail to Sarahan directly. From Sarahan go over to Sangla and stay up there for 2 days, may be one night at Chitkul. Then from Sangla, go over to Kalpa for a day. Finally, Kalpa to Rohru (it will be long, so break at Narkanda may be) Use the saved day above.
Hope this helps, still any doubt, feel free to post the query.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi dheeraj,thanks for your fast reply and thanks for the suggestions I will surely bring down the changes. Can you pls clear my querrie about kaza can we travel on those dates will the roads be clear without any issues
Beena, you can for sure travel to Kaza in the month of May but you will have to come the same path that is from Kinnaur Valley because the road from Kaza to Manali will not be open by that time.
Also, the amount of travel will increase and hence, the trip will not remain as relaxed as it is as of now.
Dear Dheeraj,
We plan a family trip from shimla to kalpa,peo,sangla,chitkul and theog in first week of April 2015.Please advice me the rout ,weather condition and stay facility.
Hi Vijay,
The route and itinerary is suggested in the article above along with stay options suggestions. Please let me know in case you have any queries or doubts left after going through the article above.
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks Dheeraj. Now please give me the suggetion about road condition at that time of our trip i.e. 3rd April to 9th April 2015.
Dear Deeraj,
This is my plan from Shimla to Kalpa,peo ,sangla and chitkul in first week(3rd to 9th) of April 2015.Detalis of trip as follows:
1.Day one-Chandigarh to Shimla(N/S)
2. Day two-Shimla to Sangla (N/S)
3. Day three- Sangla visit and rest
4. Day four-Sangla to Chitkul and return
5. Day five- Sangla to Kalpa via peo and return
6. Day six- Sangla to Theog
7. Day seven-Theog visit
8. Day eight-Theog to Kalka
Please give me the road condition reprot and weather condition during my trip.Is my plan ok or not.
Thanking you.
Hi Vijay,
Here are my comments:
1. Better go over to Narkanda and stay there instead of Shimla on Day 1
2. Day 4: You can stay at Chitkul too if you like.
3. Day 5: There is no need to return from Kalpa, better stay in Kalpa
4. Day 6: Do Kalpa to Sarahan, there isn’t much to see anything in Theog
5. Day 7: Sarahan – Theog – Narkanda / Shimla / Chail
Regards
Dheeraj
Vijay, it shall be OK during that time of the year. As of now roads are not open but it may not take much time once the weather settles. Stay tuned here and we will update the status.
Dear Dheeraj,
Thanks for information .Please update me the more information regarding weather and road condition till my trip date.
Again thanks….
Vijay, as per the updates from this Monday, the roads to Kinnaur were closed.
Dear Dheeraj Bhai,
Thanks for the update.Please keep in touch with me..
Hiii Dheeraj,
Thanks for your suggestions, we complet our trip and return on 10th April.Realy it is a nice and enjoyable trip in our life.Road conditions are good before Tapri.After Tapri is not so good.Some landslide are found in between Tapri and Sangla.Sangla to Chitkul road is quit good.We have not go to chitkul proper due to heavy snow on the road,but before 1.5 km chitkul near rakchham,we found lots of snow.
Again thanks for making our trip so wonderfull .Keep in touch always.
Vijay, it is very nice to know about your trip and yeah the road conditions are always such only around Tapri.
hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for all your help.
Based on all your suggestions earlier, this is what I have planned finally.
Sunday : Day – 0 (April 12)
Chandigarh to Shimla (3 hours – 131 kms)
Night stay – Shimla
Monday : Day – 1 (April 13)
Shimla sight seeing (Daytime)
Shimla to Sarahan (afternoon time) (6 hours – 170 kms)
Night stay – Sarahan
Tuesday : Day – 2 (April 14)
Sarahan to Sangla (3 hours – 90 kms)
Night stay – Sangla
(Hotel prakash regency – Rs. 2000)
Wednesday : Day – 3 (April 15)
Sangla – Chitkul (50 mins – 25 kms) – Kamru Fort – Sangla
Night stay – Sangla (same)
Thursday : Day -4 (April 16)
Sangla – Kalpa (1 hour – 40 kms) – Roghi Village – Kalpa
Night stay – Kalpa
(Options – The MOnk resort)
Friday : Day – 5 (April 17)
Kalpa to Narkanda ( 4.5 hours – 170 kms)
Night stay – Narkanda
Saturday : Day – 6 (April 18)
Narkanda – Delhi (9 hours – 450 kms) via chandigarh
Does it sound good as per you? We will be having enough time to cover the places wherever we staying right?
Deepak
Deepak, your plan for Kinnaur seems fine now and to quite an extent relaxed. You will have enough time to explore these places in relaxed manner.
thanks again Dheeraj.
Grt article Dheeraj. I want to go to a quiet place preferably with river or streams. It’ll be a 3 days trip. This Fri, sat, sun. When I looked up weekend trips to Himachal there were a few names that came up, including Manali and Kinnaur. But here it’s written that one needs 7 days for Kinnaur.
Another place that comes to my mind is Mcleodganj. I’ve been there once. At this time it will have crowd I guess but there is the waterfall bhagsu there.
Which place would u recommend? And if Kinnaur, is OK then which part of Kinnaur?
Shail, may be you need to check Barot Or Tirthan Valley for the same. You can get all the info. at the links:
Delhi to Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh – Travel Guide and Delhi to Barot Village, Himachal – Travel Guide
Hi Dheeraj,
We are two persons from Bangalore, planning to visit Kinnaur, spiti and Lahaul between 28th April and 9th may (Shimla to Shimla). Please clarify on following things:
1) is this the right time to visit all above places?
2) will it be feasible to travel through all these places in 12days? If yes, then could you please suggest a travel itinerary? if not then also kindly suggest the best possible travel option.
Thanks,
Gopi,
Hi Gopi,
1. It should be OK time to travel up there in Spiti in May. Though it will be a bit cold not that much though.
2. Yes, 12 days is good enough time period to travel. You can follow a plan like below:
Day 1 – Delhi – Narkanda
Day 2 – Narkanda – Kalpa
Day 3 – Kalpa – Nako – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
Day 4 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley
Day 5 | Pin Valley – Kaza Local Sightseeing
— For stay check Sakya Abode or snow lion are two good options at Kaza apart from PWD Guest houses. Get in touch with Tsering, the guy who runs it. He is a very good friend of mine and you can refer my name.
Day 6 | Kaza Local Sightseeing
— Ki, Kibber, Gette, Tashigang
Day 7 | Kaza Local Sightseeing and go back to Tabo
— Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
Day 8 | Tabo – Rakcham/Sangla
Day 9 & 10 – Rakcham – Sangla – Chitkul
Day 11 | Chitkul – Sarahan/Narkanda/Daranghati
Day 12 | Sarahan/Narkanda/Daranghati – Delhi
Lahaul Valley will be closed and will not be possible during that time.
Regards
Dheeraj
Shimla – Kaza, Spiti Road Update by a friend Bhaskar who is stuck there at Nako – Puh for last 8-10 days. He writes
“Kinnaur is in really bad shape still stuck at poo ..bro just opened malling bt vry risky nd bro still cudnt clear recking peo -poo steach frm 10 days nd the amount of snow is huje aftr 6 days cud pass nako to poo nd it ws vry cold,freezing cold..only vehicle tht crossed frm nako to poo ws mee nd vry vry risky evn with 4×4 nd all tyres chained….so plz guz dont attempt dis tym wub b vry nasty in spiti….still hopin to cum bck delhi…”
Hi Dheeraj
We are going to sangla valley at the end of this month. 22/3 chail, 23/3 sarahan, 24/3 sangla, 25/3 26/3 kalpa, 27/3 shoja 28/3 29/3 manali 30/3 chandigarh.Is it fine? How will be the weather in kalpa sangla? The road to chitkul- will it be opened? The night stay at Raja Guest House at Shoja- is it safe? Regarding veihle (innova or tavera) if you have any contact? What will be the per day charge? We have 1 child and 2 sr citizen along with us. Pl help.
Dear Dheeraj
How will be to stay at jibhi at latoda hut instead of shoja. Pl send contact no if you have.
Dr. Tonmoy, Jibhi shall be fine too but Shoja is more cold. Here are the details I have for Latoda hut as per official tourism website of Himachal Pradesh
Lato Da Hut Home Stay, Bhallagaon (Jibhi).
Address : Prop. Sh. Kishan Singh, Village Bhallagaon, P.O Jibhi, Tehsil Banjar, Distt Kullu.
Tariff per day : Rs 800/- & Rs. 1000/- per room.
Contacts : Ph.: 094186-91868.
Dear Dheeraj
The contact no of latoda hut is wrong. pl try to send the correct one
I suggested it from HP Tourism site, do not have any other one.
Hi dheeraj..we are planning to go kinnaur vally..like kalpa, roghi,sangla n chitkul vally on our RE bikes from 15th april from chandigarh n want back on 19th april..cn u plz guide us about weather conditions road conditions n the route and where we plan our night haults because we dont want to ride after sun set….
Hi Surya,
15th April shall be fine to travel and roads will be open for all these places. You can follow a plan like below:
15: Chandigarh – Sarahan
16: Sarahan – Kalpa, visit roghi in the evening
17: Kalpa – Sangla – Chitkul
18: Chitkul – Chail / Shimla / Nakranda
19: Chail / Shimla / Nakranda – Chandigarh
Dr. Tanmoy, I will suggest to swap a bit here. There are more things in Sangla – Chitkul and around and shall be done later to shorten the distance to Shoja. So, you should do like below:
22: Chail
23: Sarahan
24: Kalpa
25,26: Sangla – Chitkul
27: Shoja over Jalori Pass
Raja Guest House, I have stayed and was quite nice. Like in other comment, you can stay at Jibhi too. I will suggest to have Innova and regarding Chitkul, it may or may not open. Usually it opens by that time. You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali & Shimla too.
The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3000-3500 per day depending upon the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price.
Otherwise, taxis in general are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands
Dear Dheeraj
Is it safe to go to kalpa sangla on 24/3- 26/3 in the present weather forecast ?we will be in Himachal from 22/3 to 30/3. pl suggest.chail-sarahan- kalpa- sangla -jibhi- manali -chandigarh or chail -manali-rampur-kalpa -sangla-sarahan-chandigarh —which option will be better in this situation?
Dr Tanmoy, Chail to Manali is way apart, not sure if you miss typed or you meant it. Regarding considering present conditions, wait for this week to get more clear understanding as snowfall is predicted in this week and will clear the facts if roads to Kalpa/Sangla will be open or not or safe to travel up there or not.
Hi Dhiraj,
We are a group of 4-5 friends and are looking to plan a trip to lower kinnaur valley for from 2nd April(evening after office) and be back on 6th April night. Few questions:
1. Will this be a good season to visit there?
2. I know we dont have enough days to work with so we might need to alter this a bit. Please suggest a good itenerary without tiring us too much.
3. Please suggest an alternative trip on the Manali circuit if you this this is un-doable.
Regards,
Harpreet
Harpreet, it shall be OK time to travel. Just see there aren’t any heavy rain predictions during that time. Since, you do not have too much days in hand so there will certainly be tiring days. best you can do is
3: Reach Shimla by overnight Volvo and carry on towards Sarahan for this day
4: Sarahan – Kalpa
5: Kalpa – Sangla / Chitkul – Jeori – Rampur
6: Rampur to Delhi
Hi Dheeraj,
planning to visit Kinnaur in the last week of May with family of six members for 6/7 days (from Shimla/Kalka and back), Please plan me a budget trip in a non AC car.
Swarup, what query do you have for Kinnaur Valley trip? DoW is an travel information portal where we provide info. on traveling to Himalayas and are in no way involved in providing any tours to anyone. In case you looking for info. feel free to post any queries and in case you need to get in touch with any travel agent for travel services, you may get in touch with info@offbeatescapes.com for travel related services. They might be able to help you.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning this tour from 1st June to 10 th June, 2015
In this case you can check:
Day 1 | Delhi – Narkanda
Day 2 | Narkanda – Kalpa
Day 3 | Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
Day 4 | Tabo – Dhankar – Dhankar Lake – Pin Valley (Mudh Village) – Kaza
Day 5 | Kaza Local Sightseeing
— Ki, Kibber, Gette, Tashigang in the second half of the day
— Sakya abode or snow lion are two best options at Kaza. Get in touch with Tsering at 09418208987, he is more than a friend to me. Will offer you best price. Both are run by him only. He has home stays too.
Day 6 | Kaza Local Sightseeing (Hikkim, Koumik) – Tabo
— Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
Day 7 | Tabo – Sangla
Day 8 | Sangla – Chitkul – Shimla / Narkanda
Day 9 | Shimla / Narkanda – Delhi
Thank U Dheeraj. I Just want to know whether roads will be open ?? As I heard roads are closed sometimes pls.confrim
Yes, roads from Shimla to Kaza remains open all round the year except few days of heavy snowfall OR major landslides which no one can predict. The rroad only closes in these cases only. Regarding Kaza to Manali, it opens by late June or mid June only and remain open upto mid of October.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning for a tour to Kinnaur with 10 members for 9 days. I want to cover Kinnaur, Kalpa, Sangla, Chitkul, Nako, Puh, Ribba, Chango & Kaza. Can u suggest me the itinerary for the same alongwith stay option.
Best Regards,
Madhavi Surti.
Madhavi, in which month are you planning this trip to Kinnaur and Spiti Valley?
Hi,
As you suggested, we are planning a weeks’s trip to kinnaur valley from chandigarh starting 11th april 2015.
I have a question, how is self-drive in this region, we are planning to get zoomcar for this trip from delhi?
I have driven many hill stations in south-india, so with that experience, do you suggest us to go ahead with self-drive there?
Thanks
Deepak
Deepak, get a higher ground clearance vehicle from them and that should be fine enough. Here I wrote an article on them: How to hire a Self Drive Car on Rent for Ladakh or Himalayas
Thanks Dheeraj,
So you mean to say this https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/kinnaur-valley-sample-itinerary-kalpa-sangla-sarahan/
is do-able self-drive on a ford eco-sport type of a vehicle, trip starting from 12th april 2015 ?
I will look more into link provided by you.
Thanks again Dheeraj,
Yes, Deepak, that shall be fine for a self drive trip to Kinnaur Valley.
Thanks Dheeraj.
I m planning to go kaza via kinnaur
Is it safe place wd family???
Jay, when are you planning to take this journey? If upto May, then better be off it as it is not a place to be with family before mid April – May due to arduous journey and harsh weather up there in Spiti.
Hi! Dheeraj
I am planning to visit kinnaur valley some time in the March 1st week for 5 days. Could you pl. suggest me the best places to visit in kinnaur.
We are looking for budget trip. pl. guide.
Regards
Hi Vikash,
You can refer the above article which details out all the places that can be visiting around Kalpa, Sangla, Sarahan. Place like Chitkul will be closed due to presence of snow up there but Sangla will be open. Also, refer the itinerary as well to draft a plan for yourself. Feel free to post any queries you have.
Regards
Dheeraj