Whenever I am asked about traveling to Spiti Valley, I mostly suggest people not to prefer traveling to Spiti Valley from Manali and rather opt to travel Spiti Valley from Shimla – Kinnaur side because of better acclimatization as the altitude increases gradually on this route.
However, a lot of people want to travel to Spiti Valley from Manali side still and I am sure they somehow incline/prefer one of the reasons I described in one of my previous articles, 5 Reasons to Travel Spiti Valley from Manali Route
Download your FREE high-resolution version pdf copy of this Spiti Valley from Manali day by day plan infographic guide. If, you liked it and found it helpful, please feel free to share it with your family and friends to help them too.
Let's quickly dive into the details:
Spiti Valley from Manali in 10-11 Days
Today in this article, I will be suggesting a most common itinerary to travel to Spiti Valley from Manali side and make the best use of the time and energy to explore most parts of this hidden, magical middle land in the lap of trans-Himalayas.
I have already suggested the most common itinerary to travel to Spiti Valley from Shimla – Kinnaur. In that article, I did mention that sooner or later Leh Ladakh will be full of a mad rush of tourists, almost you can see a glimpse of this thing happening in season time. However, Spiti Valley is altogether untouched as of now, and people mostly confuse it with Lahaul Valley, or they are more or less restricted to only a visit to Chandratal.
The real beauty of Spiti Valley starts beyond Kunzum Pass, towards Losar then to Kaza and then towards Tabo and then further towards Nako or Kinnaur Valley. Not to forget the Pin Valley in between and there is a hell lot of heavenly beauty to explore in Spiti Valley like Langza, Hikkim, Komic, Dhankar, Ki, Kibber, Chicham, etc..
What does this plan cover in Spiti from Manali side?
This article covers almost all major places in Spiti Valley, including Tabo, Kaza, Losar, Chandratal, Kunzum Pass, Ki, Kibber, Pin Valley, etc. There are two routes to enter Spiti Valley viz. Delhi – Manali – Rohtang Pass – Kunzum Pass – Losar – Kaza AND Delhi – Shimla – Narkanda – Kinnaur Valley – Tabo – Kaza.
So, you can see that one can enter from one side (say Manali) and exit back to Delhi from the other side (Shimla) making it a complete circuit.
Here, I will be starting from the Manali side and exiting from Shimla, but it has a major disadvantage. Spiti Valley is a cold desert situated in the trans-Himalayan region at an altitude of 11000+ feet mostly. Hence, your body will require a certain amount of acclimatization before you enter the Spiti Valley.
Traveling to Spiti Valley via Shimla side will help you gradually increase the altitude and your body gets acclimatized properly, hence fewer chances of getting hit with Acute Mountain Sickness (read more info on AMS here). If you start for Spiti Valley from Manali side then you reach the high altitude terrain pretty quickly which increases the chances of mountain sickness that in turn can spoil your road trip to Spiti.
Day by Day Plan | Manali to Kaza to Kinnaur to Shimla
Below is the most common itinerary for Spiti Valley from Manali spanning over about 10-11 days and making the most use of the time. I have covered Chandratal while going to Kaza from Manali, but in case you plan to return from Manali only, then, it is better to plan the trip to Chandratal while coming back from Kaza.
Let us look at this day by day detailed travel of Spiti Valley trip in 10 days from Manali to Kaza to Kinnaur and exiting via Shimla. This way you can also plan your stays on this journey in remote corners of Himachal Pradesh.
Day 1 | Delhi – Manali
- Reach Manali by overnight Volvo of and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
- If there is time explore Manali
- Manali Local sightseeing which includes Hadimba Temple, Manu Temple, Mall Road, Local Monastery, Old Manali, Vashisth Hot Water Springs (never found it interesting), etc.
- About 12-14 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
- Overnight at Solang Valley or Manali
Day 2 | Manali – Rohtang Pass – Battal – Chandratal – Battal
- Head early morning to Chandratal/Kaza via Rohtang Pass
- Visit Chandratal via Kunzum Pass and enjoy the day there
- Drive through Batal – Chattru – Gramphu towards Batal Chandratal is out of the world
- Camps are about 2 KMs from the Chandratal lake, either stay there (not recommended at all) or back to Batal (preferred) where there is a PWD rest house now though without electricity. Unless you want to stay in a guest house with electricity, better stay at Batal and save time as well as energy for the next day.
- About 7 – 8 Hrs drive easily if you do not get messed up Rohtang Pass or stuck in a water crossing
- Overnight at Batal
Day 3 | Chandratal / Battal – Kunzum Pass – Rangrik / Kaza
- Head for Kaza, headquarters of Spiti Valley
- Have lunch at Kaza and check in to Hotel
- There must be some headache or AMS the previous night, but enjoy this magical drive over Kunzum Pass to enter the middle land called Spiti Valley. You will enjoy the drive to Kaza greatly.
- About 4 – 5 Hrs drive minimum
- Overnight at Rangrik / Kaza
Day 4 | Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang – Kaza
- Visit Ki – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang and for more details, you can read: Key – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang – Local Sightseeing in Kaza
- About 4 – 5 Hrs of drive in the day
- Overnight at Kaza
Day 5 | Kaza – Hikkim – Komik – Langza – Kaza / Pin Valley
- Today visit the road less traveled or offbeat places near Kaza
- Great view of Chau Chau Kang Nelda peak from Langza
- Statue of the Buddha near Langza looking down the valley
- The Tanggyud monastery at Komik is one of the most important and the highest monastery in the Spiti Valley.
- You can move to Pin Valley if you would like to stay away from the hustle-bustle of Kaza
- About 2 – 3 Hrs of scenic drive in the day excluding Pin Valley
- If planning to go to Pin Valley, enjoy the most scenic drive of entire Spiti Valley between Losar and Kaza at an easy pace
- About 2 – 2.5 Hrs drive between Pin Valley and Kaza, depending upon the breaks you take in between
- Overnight at Kaza or Pin Valley (Mud Village)
Day 6 | Kaza / Pin Valley (Mud Village) – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Tabo
- Traverse the Pin Valley | Kungri – Sagnam – Mud – Tailing
- Visit Dhangkar Monastery and Dhangkar Lake and leave after early lunch
- Enjoy the magnificent vistas all-day
- About 4 – 5 Hrs of drive in the day
- Overnight at Tabo
Day 7 | Tabo – Geyu Mummy – Nako – Nako Lake – Kalpa
- Start your day early and watch the vistas en route over Hindustan Tibet Highway
- Before Sumdo police registration and after Hurling, detour towards Geyu Village to visit the 500-Year-old Mummy
- After Chango – Sumdo you will exit Spiti Valley.
- Meet the dreaded Malling Nalla before of Nako
- Have your lunch at Nako Lake
- Check Out Khab, Confluence of Spiti and Satluj Rivers
- See the Leo Purygal Peak from Khab Bridge
- About 8 – 9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
- Watch the lovely sunset and sunrise at Kalpa over Mount Kinner Kailash
- Overnight at Kalpa
Day 8 | Kalpa – Sangla / Chitkul
- Leave early to spend some time at beautiful Chitkul Village
- Visit Kamru Fort at Sangla
- About 4 – 5 Hrs of a total drive on this day
- Overnight at Sangla / Chitkul
Day 9 | Sangla / Chitkul (Kinnaur Valley) – Shimla / Narkanda
![What are tips for long-distance bike ride in Ladakh or Spiti? [10 Practical Tips]](https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/yt_vid_thumbs/ladakh/86.png)
- Leave early and enjoy the vistas en route
- You can plan for lunch at Rampur
- About 8 – 9 Hrs of beautiful drive through Kinnaur Valley
- Overnight at Shimla / Narkanda
Day 10 | Shimla / Narkanda – Delhi
- Shimla sightseeing includes Famous Ridge, Mall Road, Lakkar Bazaar, Jakhu Temple
- Shimla is about 60 KMs from Narkanda takes about 2 Hrs
- About 8 Hrs drive to Shimla
- Overnight at Delhi / sweet home
Day 11-12 | Buffer Days
When planning such an adventure trip, like this one to Spiti from Manali side, you should always plan for a couple of buffer days. These buffers days will help in case of road closure due to landslides or snowfall or perhaps you want to enjoy more 🙂
Add On Days to Stay in Spiti Valley??
If you have a couple of more days on hand, then perhaps you can choose any of the days to explore more beautiful places within Spiti Valley or spend some time lazing out in Kinnaur Valley after reaching back to the mortal world again.
Here are a few of my suggestions to spend some more time on this road trip to Kaza from Manali and exiting via the Kinnaur – Shimla route.
- Spend a day or to explore more of Kinnaur Valley. This day may be an extra day in the Chiktul / Rakcham region, or before Shimla, you can spend a night at Sarahan.
- Spend a day to explore more offbeat places in Spiti Valley like Rama Valley and Lingti Valley that includes Demul, Lhalung, Rama villages. These villages do not have many hotels and mostly offer homestays. Hence, the experience will be raw here, and you must be mentally prepared for it before planning a night stay.
- Spend a day to explore Mane Village in Spiti Valley or maybe a trek to Sopona Lake. Again Mane Village is one of the offbeat places in the Spiti region and hence, mostly offers homestay based stays. You can also carry your camps and pitch them in the village to enjoy a camping experience. Read my tips on camping in places like Spiti Valley.
Petrol Pumps Between Manali – Spiti Valley – Shimla Route
Well, when you travel from Manali to Kaza and then further to Kinnaur Valley, you must take care of petrol pumps and fuel availability on this road trip. You should be aware of where some of the important petrol pumps exist and must top up at those petrol pumps in Spiti or Kinnaur.
Otherwise, it can very easily mean you being stranded in the middle of nowhere without any fuel in your vehicle. Of course, when you start the trip, do not miss top up at Manali.
Sometimes getting stuck in such remote places can result in some ugly circumstances that can result in fatal casualties too. Hence, make sure you always have fuel in your vehicle so that there is at least one less reason to worry or get stuck.
Here is the list of petrol pumps that fall on a trip to Spiti Valley from Manali side and which ones you should not miss.
- Manali – Do Not Miss
- Kaza – Do Not Miss
- Rekong Peo – Do Not Miss
- Tapri – Relaced Powari
- Powari – Mostly Closed
- Jeori
- Rampur After crossing the town, the last one on the right side is pretty reliable
- Narkanda Do Top Up Here
- Theog
- Shimla
Foreign Nationals visiting the protected areas of Spiti Valley and Kinnaur Valley are required to get the inner line permits or ILP. Domestic (Indian) tourist do not require any permits. If you are Indian, then just carry a valid photo ID proof of your nationality to be on safe side.
Don’t have time to read the full article? Check this less than 3-minute video on Discover With Dheeraj YouTube Channel on why you may travel Spiti Valley from Manali side. If you like my video, please do not forget to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel.
Conclusion
I am sure the above itinerary if not help you 100% with planning a trip to Spiti Valley but can certainly act as a starting point for your upcoming Spiti Valley trip. Do share your valuable thoughts or queries or doubts you have in the comment section and we can discuss more on your upcoming travel plans for Spiti Valley 🙂
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87 Comments
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Also, if i have to fit Kaza in two days instead of 3 (as per your plan), what are the things i should do?
How many total days do you have in hand? Did you check: How to make a trip to Spiti Valley in 6 days?
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning a trip to Spiti Valley, and thanks, your itinerary has really helped me in planning. Just out of curiosity, why dont you recommend staying at camps at chandrataal? because we were planning to. Any specific concern?
Chandratal is at an altitude of 14000 Feet which is not possible for the human body to acclimatize with just one-night stay at Manali or Solang. You are bound to get stuck with acute mountain sickness/sleepless night/vomits and hence, best is to avoid night stay while traveling from Manali to Kaza. If you are traveling from Kaza to Manali after spending some nights in Spiti Valley being acclimatized, you can try to sleep at Chandratal. Hence, if you want to spend overnigth at Chandratal, please check the plan Most Common Itinerary for Spiti Valley
Hi, we are a group of 10 people travelking to manali on 11th aug. We are planning to visit spiti for 3 days on a bike ride. Day 1: 12 aug, 2017 travel to kaza from manali/solang. Overnight stay at kaza. Day 2: 13 Aug, explore spiti. Day 3 14th Aug travel back to manali from kaza.
Could you please let us know if this is doable. How will the weather be in mid aug. Will it be safe to travel on bikes. Please let me know from where we can hire bikes in kasol/manali. Any tour agent who can take us to spiti. Total cost of the journey for 10 people.
Thanks
Branson
Branson, have you done such treacherous rides on bad roads before? If yes, then only I will advice attempting such an ambitious (over) plan. Also, mid august in a time of rains and you will face monsoon hassles in lower hills.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am really amazed to see the vast and useful amount of information shared on your website. Your work is truely amazing.
I have a query on my plan to visit Spiti Valley via Manal route in June end. I will be starting from Delhi and I have only 5 days in total.
Would it be possible. IF yes, can you please help me with the itinerary.
Thanks
Priya
Thank you, Priya, glad the info. present on the website is helpful for your Spiti trip.
Well, 5 days are too short. I will suggest few options below and you can pick whichever suites you:
Day 1 | Delhi – Manali and stay overnight at Solang Valley
Day 2 | Solang – Khoksar/Sissu/Chatru/Batal
Day 3 | Khoksar/Sissu/Chatru/Batal – Chandratal
Day 4 | Chandratal – Manali
Day 5 | Manali – Delhi
Day 1 : Reach Manali and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
Day 2 : Manali / Solang – Kaza
Day 3 : Kaza – Dhangkar – Tabo – Kaza OR Kaza – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza
Day 4 : Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Ki – Rangrik – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal/Batal
Day 5 : Chandratal/Batal – Manali
Day 6 : Manali – Delhi
Day 1 : Reach Manali by overnight and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
Day 2 : Manali / Solang – Kaza
Day 3 : Kaza – Dhangkar – Tabo – Kaza
Day 4 : Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza
Day 5 : Kaza – Chandratal – Manali
Day 6 : Reach Delhi by overnight Volvo from Manali (do adventure sports in day time at Solang Valley)
Hi.. I wants to visit Manali & around the place in May 17, With my 2 or 3 friends .But our parents don’t allow us by bikes. So suggest me 5-6 days trip by Public transport. From New Delhi
Abz, Day 1 – Reach Manali, take rest for half of the day and enjoy the walks on Mall road. (I assume that you will be reaching in the morning by Volvo)
Day 2 – Manali Local sightseeing which includes Hadimba Temple, Manu Temple, Mall Road, Local Monastery, Vashisth Hot Water Springs (never found it interesting), Hike the woods around Old Manali, Jogni Falls, Bijli Mahadev near Kullu etc.
Day 3 – Manali – Snow Point or Marhi/Gulaba on the way to Rohtang Pass. Enjoy in snow and come back to Manali. On the way back you can visit Solang Valley and do paragliding there.
Day 4 – Manali – Naggar Castle(stay at Naggar and enjoy the place)
Day 5 – Naggar Castle – Manali – Delhi (Checkout from Naggar Castle by noon. Since, the volov will be around 5.30 PM types, so either you can spend a sometime hanging around Naggar only and after lunch leave for Manali or come back to Manali and hang around on Mall road and finally take the return bus)
Hi Dheeraj, we are planning to visit SPITI Valley for 9 days starting from June 17- June 26, 2017. It would be bike trip and we are 5 riders on 3 bikes. Now, my queries are:
1. Can be go on this trip on our bikes.
2. Will be able to cover complete terrain I.e. Delhi – entry from Shimla and exit from Manali side.
3. How would be the weather during the period.
4. What would be the estimated cost for the trip.
Thank.
Hi Hitesh,
1. Manali – Kaza is definitely challenging so, ride with care and caution on it. Have some basic maintenance in your kitty which you may do in case of need as there is no mechanic on that route.
2. Most likely yes, Manali – Kaza opens around mid of June
3. Weather will be pleasant in Spiti in June
4. For stay options in Kinnaur and Spiti, check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley.
You can keep an average of 900-1200 per person per day for food and stay on the tour to Spiti Valley.
Can I get any information about
(1) availability of guide / porter / mule at KIATO for a trek : Kiato – Chicham – Kibber – Langja – Komik – Demul – Lhalung – Dhankar (arrangement by self – no trekking agency).
(2) availability of homestays on the route, particularly at Kiato.
Alakesh, regarding guide, I am pretty sure you will get one villager to travel with you to these places. Kiato seems a bit challenging to me for home stays but most village homes in spiti valley welcome guests as home stays, so I will not be surprised if you are offered one. Rest of the villages do have home stays as they are popular in the trek route.
we as a group of 7 people are planing a 10-day trip to spiti valley on 10 june 2017 from manali and round the way up to kinnaur valley and shimla and then back to delhi.
i think it will be best to visit around 10 july ?
will Manali – Kaza be open by then ?
will mahindra scorpio will be a perfect vehicle ?
Will there be requirement of any special permit as we are renting car from “zoomcar” ?
Its 10 June instead of july .
Kartick, better go from Kinnaur side and come back from Manali side so that you give enough time to open the Manali – Kaza road. Scorpio will do good on those roads and as you will travel from Kinnaur side, no permit is required.
Planning to visit Nako and Kaza after completion of our Rupin Pass Trek at Sangla in last week of May 2017. And travel back from Kaza to Delhi via Manali on 26th may17.
As I read news in TOI there will early summer this year.So is there is any possibility of opening of kunzum pass in last week of May………???
Sundeep, as far as I remember in last decade, Manali – Kaza has not opened in May. Usually the first week of June or second week of June has been the pattern.
Also in the recent reports, it has been claimed though there will be early summer predictions but there has been less but record amount of snowfall in the hills this year. So, stay tuned here on our Road Status updates thread and you shall be knowing about the status.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are planning for a trip to Spiti Valley(Kaza) from Manali from 30th April -2nd May. Is it accessible at that time?
No, the route from Manali to Kaza opens around second week of June. So, in april you will not be able to make this trip.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for your reply. Can you help me with suggesting other places which we can visit at the above mentioned time (like Tso Moriri Lake or Chandratal Lake) and can you please tell me how far can we go from Manali towards Spiti during this time.
Soudipta, if lucky you will at max be allowed to go to Rohtang Pass and that also I doubt even. Regarding other places you mentioned like Tso Moriri or Chandratal, they roads to these places open in June. Tso Moriri can be visited if you fly to Leh and then make the trip further from Leh to Tso Moriri but that needs at least 5-6 days along with acclimatization to see partially frozen Tso Moriri lake.
Hi , I am planning to travel to Spiti from Manali around 12th May , will the roads be open by then.
No Yash, the road from Spiti to Manali that is Kaza – Manali opens up in first week of June.
Hi dheeraj
We are 7 people and wants to travel to kaza (spiti) in mid oct 2017 during diwali. We have maximum 8-9 days from delhi to delhi. Plz advise best suitable itinerary for the same. Also wants to cover chandratala lake.
Thank you very much for such a nice work.
Hi Dheeraj
Could you please reply me on above query as we want to book tickets ?
Thank you.
Anand
I am so sorry that I am unable to reply. Things are a bit messy but I assure you that I will reply over weekend to all pending queries including yours. Please bear for couple of days.
Hi Anand,
With 8-9 days in hand, you can pretty much follow the below plan:
Day 1 : Reach Manali by overnight volvo of and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
Day 2 : Manali / Solang – Chandratal – Kaza/Losar
Day 3 : Kaza/Losar – Key – Kibber – Kaza
Day 4 : Kaza – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza
Day 5 : Kaza – Pin Valley – Dhangkar – Tabo
Day 6 : Tabo – Geyu Mummy – Nako – Kalpa
Day 7 : Kalpa – Sangla / Chitkul
Day 8 : Sangla / Chitkul – Sarahan – Narkanda
Day 9 : Narkanda – Delhi
I have intentionally start the plan from Manali because being season end, it is better to cover Kaza – Manali road early in the plan than late in the October.
Hi Dheeraj
We are 4 people planning for spiti next week.So we made this itinerary :
1. 16th sep(friday night) : delhi to manali.(Will be in manali early morning.)
2. 17th sep(sat) : starts at 9:30 AM for chandartaal (night here, we have our own camps)
3. 18th sep(sun) : starts at 8:00 for spiti (night in spiti)
4. 19th sep(mon) : spend day in spiti & sight seeing around it.
5. 20th sep(tue) : starts early at 7:00 AM & will try to reach manali same day around 8:00 PM.
6 21th sep(wed) : starts back to delhi.
So this will be possible.
You can choose any of the two plans suggested below:
Day 1 : Reach Manali and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
Day 2 : Manali / Solang – Kaza
Day 3 : Kaza – Dhangkar – Tabo – Kaza OR Kaza – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza
Day 4 : Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Ki – Rangrik – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal/Batal
Day 5 : Chandratal/Batal – Manali
Day 6 : Manali – Delhi
Day 1 : Reach Manali by overnight and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
Day 2 : Manali / Solang – Kaza
Day 3 : Kaza – Dhangkar – Tabo – Kaza
Day 4 : Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza
Day 5 : Kaza – Chandratal – Manali
Day 6 : Reach Delhi by overnight Volvo from Manali (do adventure sports in day time at Solang Valley)
Hello dheeraj we are going spiti enter via shimla or exist from manali for 15 days please tell me we take innova for this trip is it safe
Yes Vikas, Innova will be a good car to make the trip. Just be cautious on road from Batal to Gramphu and Chandratal road
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for sharing all the valuable information.
We (6 ppl) are planning to visit Spiti Valley via Manali and Back to manali on Rental Bikes, Please comment on itinerary.
trip Duration (2nd July – 10th July)
OPTION 1
2-Jul Reach manali in morning pick bikes, roam around and stay
3-Jul Manali to Batal(stay)
4-Jul Batal to Chandratal(stay)
5-Jul Chandratal to Kaza (Stay)
6-Jul Roam around Kaza
7-Jul Roam around Kaza
8-Jul Back to Batal
9-Jul Batal to Manali (Rest in Manali)
10-Jul Manali to Delhi (evening Bus to Delhi)
OPTION 2 ( visit chandratal while coming back, as we are not sure whether route will be open or not)
2-Jul Manali
3-Jul Manali to Batal (stay)
4-Jul Batal to Kaza (Stay)
5-Jul Kaza to Tabo to Dhankar. Trek to Dhankar Lake. Drive to Kaza (stay)
6-Jul Kaza to Komik to Hikkim to Langza to Kaza(stay)
7-Jul Kaza to Ki Monastery to Kibber(stay)
8-Jul Kibber to Chandratal Lake. Overnight in Camps
9-Jul Chandratal Lake to Batal Or Manali (Depends)
10-Jul If Stayed in Batal then travel back to Manali and leave to delhi in the evening.
Please look and share your feedback if you feel we can add or remove something.
Thanks
Your option 2 still looks OK to me. BTW, in option 2 you can reach Kaza on Day 2 itself if you start early. So, that looks more good to me.
Hey Dheeraj,
Thank you for all the efforts you putting in which makes it easy for people like us to travel these roads.
I am planning to drive to spiti from manali and have 7 days before I reach reach shimla Via sangla.
Below are my questions..
Is it ok for me to drive my self especially since this is my first visit to spiti valley?
I wish to camp at chandratal lake for a night. Is one night stay at solang/ batal fine before I camp at chandratal to get aclamatized or you suggest more nights?
Is it ok to drive a hatch back or suv is a must?
I am driving down with my wife all alone. Is it safe to go alone as a couple and would we get decent places to stay on the way?
If out of 7 nights, I spend 1 at batal and 1 at chandratal camping, where all do I stop next to break the journey?
Thanks & cheers..
Hello Yash,
1. If you have a SUV and a good driver, it should be OK
2. Please refer plan below
Day 1 : Reach Manali by overnight volvo of and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
Day 2 : Manali / Solang – Chandratal – Kaza. Leave early morning from Manali to see Chandratal too.
Day 3 : Kaza – Rest Day. Evening pay a visit to Ki, Kibber
Day 4 : Kaza – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza – Tabo
Day 5 : Tabo – Geyu Mummy – Nako – Kalpa
Day 6 : Kalpa – Sangla / Chitkul – Sarahan / Rampur
Day 7 : Sarahan / Rampur – Delhi, long drive back
Thank you Dheeraj..
I am planning to drive my self and though original plan was with another couple (4 of us), its just me and my wife now..
Is it safe to travel alone on these roads for the first time and will i get decent places to stay over night on the way..
Yes Yash, lots os people do it solo every year. There are proper places to stay over night and most places have PWD Rest Houses too just in case of any emergency. Plan it carefully and you should be good to go.
Hi to all! Excuse me, I need to know if among Tandi and Tabo there are petrol pump avaible.
Tnks
Dear Dheeraj,
I have few query with regards to our champing to Chandratal Lake.
1. Time required to reach Chandratal Lake from manali.
2. Cars like Tavera / Innova can travel easily to Chandratal.
3. Is any permit or booking at spiti / chandratal required for bypassing rotang or any other way.
4. Please advise regarding acute mountain sickness. Is it advisable to reach to chandratal directly form manali as we have only 1night n 2days stay at spiti. Further, if any Medications required to treat AMS.
1. You need one day to reach Chandratal from Manali, about 7 Hrs
2. Yes
3. Yes, you need permit to cross Rohtang Pass
4. You cannot trea AMS with medicines. Visitng chandratal from manali makes you vulnerable always for AMS
Hello Dheeraj,
We are six people. And we had planned to travel in an in ova for delhi- Simla-Spiti-Manali- Delhi. But now the driver says that he can’t take more than 4 people in innova for manali- spitI road. Do u think 6 ppl can travel in an innova?
Vaani, that is starnge. There is no such rule as per say. Thoguh you can surely travel but of course since the day journeys will be long, it will be very tight
Dear Dheeraj,
we, 4 ( 2 couple), want to visit simla-spiti valley-manali circuit trip in the 2nd week of october 2016.
Please tell me whether kunzum pass will remain open at that time or not? My itinerary is:
Day 1: Manali-rohtang pass-kunzum pass-kaza.
Day 2: Kaza – Chandratal. Stay at camps at Chandratal.
Day 3: Chandratal – Ki Monastry & kibber. Stay at Kaza.
Day 4: Kaza – hikkim-komic-langzha- Kaza/Pin Valley
Day 5: Kaza – Dhankar Monastry-Dhankar Lake- Tabo
Day 6: Tabo – Nako lake-Nako.
Day 7: Nako – Kalpa
Day 8: Kalpa Sight seeing
Day 9: Kalpa – chitkul -Sangla
Day 10: Sangla – Sarahan
Day 11: Sarahan – Kalka/Chandigarh.
Hi Dheeraj,
DOW was of immense help to me when I planned my ladakh trip last year. This year I am planning to visit Chandratal and Spiti valley during mid June via Manali.Please suggest if the highway from Rohtang-Kunzum la would be open during this time.
Thanks
Vaishali
Yes Vaishali, the road from Manali to Kaza is open. The diversion road to Chandratal should also open by the time you are planning the trip
Hi Dheeraj.. we are doin shimla-sarahan-tabo-kaza-batal-manali-shimla … shimla to shimla is 10 days in all.. from june 10 to 19.. 4 people (2 guys 2 girls).. 2 bikes…
with no backup vehicle.. no mechanic.. carrying basic spares (accel, clutch cables, fuse),.. puncture kit etc…
its manageable right?? any precautions? special tips? safety? bike probs etc?
please suggest 🙂
Sagar, you can follow the above itinerary and should be good to go.
Hi Dheeraj,
We plan to visit Spiti valley from 4th June’16 onwards on our Royal Enfield bike…will the track open for visitors??
If not please suggest when it will be open…
Rgds,
Deepak
Deepak, highly like the road from Kaza to Manali will open by the time you will reach there if you follow the above plan that is going from Shimla side and come from Manali side.
Dear Dheeraj,
We are Planning a trip from shimla to manali via kaza….
Please give some suggestions and help.
Day 1: shimla to rekcong peo. night stay in reckong peo.
Day 2: reckong peo to kaza- kibber. night stay in kibber.
Day 3: kye Monastry and near by places visit. camping in some near by places.
Day4: kaza to manali.
Doubts:
1. Our day 1 is 29th may 2016 and from kaza to manali we are travelling on 1st of june, the kunzum pass will be open or not? from where I can get the correct information?
2. Is it ok to stay in kibber?
3. While travelling from shimla to reckong peo and recknong peo to kaza suggest me some other good places where we can go while daytime only.
4. Reckong peo is good to stay or there is some more better option.
5. How much the travelling will cost excluding stay charges?
6. Please give me phone number of some good CABs, who can make this trip cheap and good as well.
Shubham, I am not sure what will you see being just in bus only all days from Da 1 to Day 4. It does not make any sense and you may end up with bad AMS
Hi,
Mr.Dheeraj v r planning a trip to leh n spiti in July,I wanted ur opinion is it posbl to go to spiti via manali n den to leh n head down fm srinagar.v vl ride on bikes n v hv 12 days to travel,plz guide n help me plan d trip.
In just 12 days you can either do Spiti Valley or do Leh – Ladakh
What will be the itenary if I am looking for Delhi to Spiti in around 5-6k in early to Mid June from Manali route
1. Is it possible with that budget.
2.the longer the trip, the better.
Well, it all depends when you exhaust the money in hand. You will have to rely on buses to travel to Spiti Valley and then you can stay over in monasteries at places like Rangrik, Lhalung, Komik, Langza away from main places to get cheapest accommodation and food. This way you will be able to make the long trip with 5-6K in hand.
Hi Mr. Dheeraj,
First of all, I would like to tell you that “Devilonwheels.com” is a nice, informative and great platform for himalayan travellers.
I am planning to visit Lahaul-Spiti in first week on June by my own compact SUV. I am planning to go via Shimla and come back via Manali.
Please let me know these 2 things:
1. Is June, a good time to go on this route?
2. I’ve heard only BSNL works there. Does BSNL prepaid also works there or is it only the postpaid like in Ladakh.
Thank you.
Thanks Akshun !!
1. If you can make it a little like mid of June, the chances of Manali – Kaza road being stable will be much more.
2. Yes only BSNL works in Spiti Valley beyond Kinnaur Valley. Yes, prepaid also works in Spiti unlike Ladakh where only post paid works.
Hi dheeraj,
First of a ll a gr8 platform for the himlayan lovers. It’s the ultimate guide to himalayas.
Well i m planning trip to spiti valley and want to add keylong and sarchu with it. or should i go to leh from manali n from way back stay for a night in keylong or spiti valley.
Is first week of may a good time to visit. ?
I will using publc transport throughout my travel.
Thank you Himanshu. All depends how many days you have in hand. Secondly, first week of May, neither Spiti Valley nor Leh will be open from Manali side.
hi dheeraj…
can i visit chandratal lake from manali to and fro in 2 days starting on 20th may?
thanks.
No Ketan, the road to Chandratal, Spiti Valley will not be open by then.
Hi! Thanks for your helpful blog Dheeraj. Is it possible to go directly from Kaza to Keylong? (Once the road is open of course). Also, this is the itinerary my boyfriend and I are thinking of, can you let me know if it sounds doable?
Day 1 – Dharamsala to Manali (overnight) then bus from Manali to Kaza in the morning
Day 2 – Dhankar
Day 3 – Kaza to Keylong
Day 4 – Keylong to Leh
Day 5 – Leh
Day 6 -7 (Sat/Sun) – Pangong Tso Lake
Back to Delhi via Manali
Hello Kyla,
It will be too tight and hectic. There are high chances that you will get hit with AMS in Kaza and Dhangkar. I will suggest that you take it easy and plan only either Ladakh or Spiti.
Hi Dheeraj thanks a lot for responding my plan is for15 to17 days so Please suggest me a budget friendly itinerary.
Alok, are you planning just Spiti Kinnaur Valey in 15-17 days?
can we go to chandratal in first week of april this year as i have heard due to less snowfall rohtang pass will open early this year.
Ritesh, no you cannot go to Chandratal in first week of April. Rohtang Pass opening does not mean that road to Chandratal will be open which is only expected to open not before anytime before mid of May at the very least. Regarding Rohtang Pass as well, it wis going to open for locals of Lahaul Valley that early not for everyone.
Dear Dheeraj,
Can you give me a fair idea of the weather profile in Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley in the month of July??? I am afraid, I am getting all kinds of mixed answers regarding the same. We a group of five are planning a trip to Kinnaur Valley & Spiti Valley in the month of July, 2016. I have the following already stacked up based on my previous trekking & hiking experiences in Arunachal:-
1. Down Jackets (2 nos- one can bear temperature up to -15 deg C & the other can up to -8 deg C).
2. Rain Cover (Full Torso with rain cap)
3. Full Sleeved Fleece inner (2 nos)
4. All weather hiking pants (3 nos)
5. All weather hiking shoes (2 pairs)
6. Inner Thermals
7. Sleeping Bag (up to -5 deg C)
8. Tent
9. Hiking Poles (2 nos)
Will it be too much or too less???!!! Weather will be hot or cold???
PS:- My past hikes in Arunachal have been quite snug thanks to my gear.
Hi Bikash,
July will be quite pleasant, dont bother much about cold. Your minus 8 one will be enough I shall say. Rest looks quite good brother, you have covered it all pretty much 🙂
Why not share the experiences of Arunachal in the DwD Community and be an expert for us of that region along with our Soumen da 🙂
Regards
Dheeraj
I will love to do so Dheeraj. I am going on a trip to Mechuka in March and shall definitely publish the same with your permission obviously.
No need of permission dost, it is a public community of like minded lovers of Himalayas, so everyone has his own will permissions to share and help others in need 🙂 … Looking forward to it.
Please highlight some information of your Mechuka Trip.
dear dheeraj sir thanks for your latest updation .sir we are planning leh trip on march end ,we are six guys one suv car what are the rad condition.sir we are adventure loving guys ,is there road condition is lke going to leh by adventure and danger condition, we like danger condition
Praddep, the road to Ladakh will open by May not by March.
Hello Dheeraj,
thanks for the good info.
any info about leh to srinagar highway and petrol bunk.
thanks..
Ramesh, please refer: How to plan a journey on Srinagar – Leh Highway
awesome pictures,what a road condition
Thank you Harshita !! and yeah that is some road conditions, perhaps the best you get in season time 😉
Dear Dheeraj,
I am planning to travel Kinnaur and Spiti Valley in the first week of April so please advice if we can travel on those dates as wanted to see snow as well feel the beauty of Spiti Valley.
Thanks and Regards,
Suvojit Roy
Suvojit, April is quite a tricky time with snowslides and landslides pretty common on Hindustan – Tibet Highway. You should surely measure the adventure intake you can go through because even in Spiti Valley it will be quite cold but yes snow will be there and less hotels will be open only.
Plus, from Manali side it cannot be done as the Highway from Manali – Kunzum Pass – Kaza opens in mid June only.
Is there any possibility of opening in last week of May.(Kaza to Manali via Kunjum pass)…???
Sundeep, as far as I remember in last decade, Manali – Kaza has not opened in May. Usually the first week of June or second week of June has been the pattern.
Wow.. very useful info.. and breathtaking photos..
Thanks a lot, glad you loved them 🙂