Are you looking for a detailed and common itinerary for Spiti Valley trip? Look no further, this article deep dives into all the required details for you.
Spiti Valley is one of my favorite places to travel in the trans-Himalayas after Leh – Ladakh. In fact, when people question me about if Leh Ladakh is better than Spiti Valley or not, I do not have an answer 🙂 …
Now that I have covered both Spiti Valley and Ladakh so extensively that I feel I can forever go to Spiti Valley but may skip the journey to Ladakh.
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Let's quickly dive into the details:
Spiti Valley or Ladakh?
As of 2022, Leh Ladakh is filled with a crazy rush of tourists, especially in season time from May to September. However, Spiti Valley has also seen a tremendous rise in tourist rush in the last few years but still, I will say the situation is not as bad as it has become in Ladakh tourism.
People mostly confuse Spiti Valley with Lahaul Valley or they are more or less restricted to only a visit to Chandratal. However, the real beauty of Spiti Valley starts beyond Kunzum Pass, towards Losar then to Kaza and then towards Tabo, and then towards Nako or Kinnaur Valley. Not to forget the Pin Valley in between and there is a hell of a lot of heavenly beauty to explore in Spiti Valley.
Secondly, a trip to Leh Ladakh will always cost you more than a trip to Spiti Valley while the experience of adventure and thrill is almost equivalent. While you have more vastness in the Ladakh region, the valleys in Spiti are much narrow with closer mountains, as if you can touch them. Hence, Spiti Valley has a different but raw nature to offer still amidst the budding commercialization.
Most Common Itinerary of Spiti Valley for 11 – 12 Days
I will be starting up the most comprehensive Travel Guide to Spiti Valley on the blog with this article in a similar fashion to what was done for Leh – Ladakh i.e. with the Most Common Itinerary for Spiti Valley.
I am sure as the most common Ladakh itinerary has proved super successful in guiding and helping countless travelers planning their trip to Leh Ladakh, similarly, this article too will act as a special guide for all such people who are looking forward to exploring the magical colors of Spiti Valley.
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 Spiti Valley from one Shimla side and exit Spiti Valley from Manali back to Delhi making it the complete circuit.
This detailed day by day Spiti Valley itinerary covers the entire circuit from Shimla to Kinnaur Valley to Spiti Valley to Manali with almost all major tourists places in Spiti Valley including Tabo, Kaza, Losar, Chandratal, Kunzum Pass, Ki, Kibber, Pin Valley, Langza, Hikkim, Komic, Dhangkar, etc.
Day 1 | Delhi – Shimla / Narkanda
- Shimla sightseeing includes Famous Ridge, Mall Road, Lakkar Bazaar, Jakhu Temple
- Narkanda is about 60 KMs from Shimla takes about 2 Hrs
- About 8 Hrs drive to Shimla
- Overnight at Shimla or Narkanda, whichever suits your timings
Day 2 | Shimla / Narkanda – Sangla / Chitkul (Kinnaur Valley)
- Leave early, if from Shimla 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 Sangla
Day 3 | Sangla – Chitkul – Sangla – Kalpa
- Leave early to spend some time at beautiful Chitkul Village
- Visit Kamru Fort at Sangla as well before going back to Kalpa
- Watch the lovely sunset and sunrise (next day) at Kalpa over Mount Kinner Kailash
- About 4 – 5 Hrs of total drive on this day
- Overnight at Kalpa
Day 4 | Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
- Start your day early and watch the vistas en route over Hindustan Tibet Highway
- Check Out Khab, Confluence of Spiti and Satluj Rivers
- See the Leo Purygal Peak from Khab Bridge
- Have your lunch at Nako Lake
- Meet the dreaded Malling Nalla ahead of Nako
- After Chango – Sumdo you will enter Spiti Valley.
- After Sumdo police registration, detour towards Geyu Village to visit the 500-Year-old Mummy
- About 8 – 9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
- Overnight at Tabo
Day 5 | Tabo – Dhankar – Dhankar Lake – Pin Valley (Mud Village)
- Visit Dhankar Monastery and Dhankar Lake and leave after early lunch
- Enjoy the magnificent vistas all-day
- Traverse the Pin Valley | Kungri – Sagnam – Mud – Tailing
- About 4 – 5 Hrs of drive in the day
- Overnight at Mud Village in Pin Valley
Day 6 | Pin Valley – Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang – Kaza
- Head for Kaza, headquarters of Spiti Valley
- Have lunch at Kaza and check in to Hotel
- Visit Ki – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang in the second half of the day
- Ki is a famous monastery and others are places to explore as a lovely drive
- Tashigang is where the road ends but again beautiful drive
- About 4 – 5 Hrs of drive in the day
- Overnight at Kaza
Travel Tip: You can always refer to my detailed travel guide of Kibber Village.
Day 7 | Kaza – Hikkim – Komik – Langza – Kaza / Losar
- 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 Losar if you would like to stay away from the hustle-bustle of Kaza
- About 2 – 3 Hrs of drive in the day excluding Losar
- If planning to go to Losar, Enjoy the most scenic drive of entire Spiti Valley between Losar and Kaza at an easy pace
- About 2 – 2.5 Hrs drive between Losar and Kaza, depending upon the breaks you take in between
- Overnight at Kaza or Losar
Travel Tip: You can always refer to my detailed travel guide of Langza Village.
Day 8 | Kaza / Losar – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal / Battal
- Visit Chandratal via Kunzum Pass and enjoy the day there
- Camps are about 2.5 KMs from the lake, either stay there or back to Battal where there is a PWD rest house now though without electricity. But, no point going back a painful ride to Losar over Kunzum Pass unless you want to stay in the guest house with electricity. Better stay at Battal and save time as well as energy for the next day.
- About 4 – 5 Hrs drive minimum
- Overnight at Battal or Chandratal Camps
Day 9 | Battal / Chandratal – Kunzum Pass – Rohtang Pass – Manali
- Head back to Manali via Rohtang Pass
- Drive through Battal – Chattru – Gramphu towards Rohtang Pass is out of the world
- About 7 – 8 Hrs drive easily if you do not get messed up Rohtang Pass
- Overnight at Manali
Day 10 | Manali – Delhi
- If there is time explore Manali, that is if going by overnight Volvo which starts around 5.30 PM
- 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
- Back Home
Day 11-12 | Buffer Days
Buffer days to be kept in case of road closure due to landslides or snowfall or perhaps you want to enjoy more 🙂
Add-On Days for Spiti Tour
If you have more days then perhaps you can choose any of the days to explore more beautiful places within Spiti Valley…
- Spend a day to explore more of Kinnaur Valley, maybe after Shimla stay at Sarahan before reaching Sangla or at Chitkul/Sangla itself.
- Spend a Day to explore Rama Valley and Lingti Valley that includes Demul, Lallung
- Spend a day to explore Mane Village in Spiti Valley
Why travel to Spiti from Shimla side?
In this article, I started the trip from Shimla side and exit the Spiti Valley from Manali side due to three basic advantages.
Firstly, Spiti Valley is a cold desert situated in the Trans-Himalayan region at an altitude of 11000+ Feet mostly and hence, your body will require a certain amount of acclimatization before you enter the Spiti Valley.
Going via the Shimla side will help you gradually increase the altitude and your body gets acclimatized properly. Hence, there is less chance of getting hit with acute mountain sickness. If you start from the Manali side then you reach high altitude terrain pretty quickly which increases the chances of mountain sickness that can spoil the trip.
Secondly, you get a chance to traverse the Hindustan – Tibet Highway which is one of the world’s most treacherous or adventurous (some call deadliest too :)) roads. Riding or driving on Hindustan – Tibet Road is a journey in itself even if you do not visit any places in Spiti Valley 🙂 …
Thirdly, you do not need Rohtang Pass permits when you are not traveling to Spiti Valley from Manali side. Rohtang Pass permit is required to travel beyond Rohtang pass in case you travel to Rohtang Pass from Manali side. Hence, travel to Spiti from Kinnaur helps you avoid the process of getting the Rohtang Pass permit first.
So, with these three reasons in mind, I prefer to travel to Spiti from Shimla side and exit via Manali side. However, you can read my top five reasons to travel to Spiti via Kinnaur Valley.
However, in case you are not interested, we can discuss a Spiti Valley itinerary from Manali as well. In fact, you can search my blog for the dedicated itinerary.
Petrol Pumps After Shimla to Spiti Valley
Please note these petrol pumps that come on the route from Shimla to Spiti Valley and up to Manali. You do not need to worry about fuel or petrol from Delhi to Shimla or Manali to Delhi, but once you enter Kinnaur and further to Spiti Valley, make sure you have enough fuel or petrol stocked up to complete the trip.
- Theog
- Narkanda Do Top Up Here
- Rampur After crossing the town, the last one on the right side is pretty reliable
- Jeori
- Tapri – Do Not Miss
- Rekong Peo
- Kaza – Do Not Miss
Do I need Permits for Spiti Valley?
Foreign Nationals visiting the protected areas of Spiti Valley and Kinnaur Valley are required to get the Spiti – Kinnaur inner line permits or ILP. Domestic (Indian) tourists do not require any permits. If you are Indian, then just carry a valid photo ID proof of your nationality to be on the safe side.
FAQs – Spiti Valley Travel Plans
Let us look at some of the common questions travelers ask about a Spiti Valley tour from Delhi. I hope you find them useful too.
Well, the detailed travel plan explained in this article is equally applicable for a trip from Chandigarh to Spiti Valley. You can replace Delhi with Chandigarh in the above plan, and most of the day-wise plan should remain the same. You may try to do Chandigarh to Sarahan on Day 1 instead of sleeping at Narkanda.
The cost of Spiti Valley tour depends upon the mode of transport you pick. An 8-10 day itinerary of Spiti Valley by public transport may not cost you more than Rs 12000, while a trip to Spiti Valley by car or bike may cost you under Rs 15000. On the other hand, if you go for a rental bike or rental car, the prices increase based on the model of bike or car you rent. Hence, you may not need those costly Spiti Valley tour packages from Shimla or Manali.
Well, a Spiti Valley itinerary of 5 days will look like three days to reach Kaza from Shimla side and then two days to travel back from Spiti Valley via Manali side. Hence, you will be on-road for all 5 days. You may save one day in case you travel from Manali side both ways. However, I will advise you to plan a trip to Spiti Valley with at least 8 days in hand to make some sense of it.
You should at least make a Spiti Valley trip in 8 days as you need 5 days in total to reach Spiti via Kinnaur side and come back from Manali side. So, having three more days will help you explore Pin Valley, Langza, Hikkim, Komic, Ki, and Kibber Villages around Kaza.
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.
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1,633 Comments
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Hi Dhiraj
This forum was extremely helpful for our maiden self drive to Leh & Ladakh last year. Keep up the good work.
Now that Spiti seems to be our next destination, wanted to check if you are aware of any restrictions (legal or forcibly imposed) on self drive car rentals in Spiti, similar to the one imposed by local taxi mafia in Ladakh?
There is no such restrictions on self drive cars rented or private owned in entire Himachal including Lahaul and Spiti. So, feel free to take it with you 🙂
hello Dheeraj!
I am planning for solo spiti trek(on foot) in mid june.
– i am 21 and have done one week long trek in sandakphu last december, my fitness level is sufficient i guess.
– i am planning to start my trek from reckong peo to batal on foot, so i am planning to cover nako, tabo, kaza dhankar hikkim, key gompa ,chandrataal. so ill ake bus from shimla to reckong peo and from batal to manali.
– which means ill have to walk about 300 kms total. and that too with some weight and i can stretch upto 30 kms a day, max.
I know that this might seem a bit crazy, well more than a bit, haha. though seriously, is it possible to do this? if yes, can you suggest an itinerary?
Thanks a lot!
Hello Ishan,
Well, though there have been other people who have poured in thse ideas of making it, so out right does not sound crazy. If you have ample of time in life can walk, hitch hike on roads, well yes you may be able to do it.But, do a study of Hindustan Tibet Highway and the villages where you will stay if you will be able to reach every other village with your day’s pace.
30KMs in a day seems OK in plains or low altitude but in high altitude region, it is altogether a different ball game and you fall sick easily if your body is unable to cope up with acclimatization. At many places you may not even find a place to stay within 30 KMs, so will have to walk more in such a case.
Thanks for the useful info DOW!
Is there any way to bypass Shimla-Narkanda and reach Sarahan?
Could you also comment if Chitkul is a must see? Can it be skipped and Sarahan to Kalpa be done directly?
Thanks in Advance
Vish, well, in case you are planning for Kinnaur Valley trip only then well Chitkul – Sangla are must see I will say. But if you are going to Spiti Valley then you can go over to Kalpa directly as a pit stop. Shimla – Narkanda is hard to skip unless you want to take some inner longer roads.
Hi
Please guide us on itinerary for 7 days.
Me and my cousin will start from chandigarh on 8th morning. We have 6-7 days in total.
We would self drive in a hatchback.
Regards
Pulkit Gupta
Although it will be hectic trip, you can try to give a shot to:
Day 1: Delhi – Shimla / Narkanda
Day 2: Shimla / Narkanda – Kalpa
Day 3: Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Tabo
Day 4: Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
Day 5: Kaza – Ki, Kibber, Komik, Hikkim
Day 6: Kaza – Tabo – Nako – Kalpa – Rampur/Jeori (very long day)
Day 7: Rampur/Jeori – Delhi (again a long day)
Hi Dheeraj,
Thats a very detailed information on visiting Spiti valley. Last year around same time you helped me chart my itinerary for Ladakh motorcycle trip which was huge success 🙂 Thank you.
I will need your help this time again, but for little different reason. I’m looking for places to visit in June end for my honeymoon with my wife. I was thinking if I come to Manali, I can rent a motorcycle and drive all the way upto Rohtang and then to Keylong, staying there overnight and then on my return journey to Manali go to chandratal. Can Keylong -> chandratal -> Manali be done in 1 day or do I need to break it up by staying somewhere near Chandratal?
Thank you Harish !! These places are not for honeymoon, I hope you are aware of it by making a trip to Ladakh. Also, bike could be more adventurous and I hope you guys have an agreement on it. The road from Manali to Chandratal is one of the worst roads you will ever ride the bike on. Also, going from Manali to Chandratal may cause some AMS issues as you might have seen/experienced a little in Ladakh. You do not need to come back to Manali from Keylong and also dont need to go to LKeylong from Manali for Chandratal trip. You can do Manali to Khoksar/Sissu wherever you get the stay, next day Khoksar/Sissu to Gramphu to Battal to Chandratal, then next day come back from Chandratal to Manali.
Thanks Dheeraj for your response! Now that you have informed that the roads are not good to chandratal I will drop it. My first idea was to go to Keylong from Manali, and if possible visit Chandratal. Can I then just do Manali to Keylong?
Hmmm, I am not sure on Honeymoon if going to Keylong will serve any purpose. It will be much better to stay in Tirthan Valley instead and hike in the great Himalayan National Park instead. I am sorry for being reluctant but I want to ensure that you make best use of your time instead of struggling on the roads without much worth back.
Not a problem Dheeraj. We seek advice because we are not sure and you help people have the best experience in the trip!
Thanks, yeah, then go with Tirthan Valley. If available stay with Raju Bharti Guest House.
Hi,
Firstly thank you for maintaining this extremely informative site.
My question is: You have mentioned at many places to stay overnight at the mud village in Pin Valley. Is there any specific hotel or homestay that you can suggest. I will be on a self drive with wife and 2 kids. At those remote places, it would be better to plan and know than go blind.
Similarly if you can also suggest some good places to stay in Kalpa, Tabo and Kaza too.
Thanks.
Sarthak, well, there is Tara Guest House in Mud Village which is decent but mostly houses are home stay types, if that is fine with you. Also, 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
Thanks a ton Dheeraj. God bless you.
Best wishes for the trip, feel free to post any further questions you may have for the trip 🙂
I have my itinerary as below:
Day 1. pickup from chd Airport to Manali
Day 2. Manali to Keylong via Rohtang pass and night stay at keylong
Day 3. keylong to Trilokinath anb udipur back keylong
Day 4. kelong to Baralacha pass and back keylong
Day 5 keylong to chandertaal and night stay in camp
Day 6 chandertaal to kaza
Day 7. Kaza local sightseeing stay at kaza
Day 8. Kaza to Tabo via Dhankar fort, pin valley stay at Tabo
Day 9. Tabo local sightseeing and proceed for Nako night stay at Nako
Day 10. Nako to Rampur
Day 11. Rampur to Shimla drop tour end
I have my 4 year old daughter with me. We have already covered Sangla Valley. Please suggest the best plan.
Regards
Vidhya, your plan looks good to me. Do not miss Langza, Hikkim, Komic circuit from Kaza. Also, Nako – Rampur will be long drive, so leave early.
Thank you for your detailed reply
Great, best wishes for your trip. Feel free to post any further questions you may have for your trip 🙂 🙂 …
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
We are 4 women planning a trip to Spiti Valley this year mostly around end of May – beginning of June. We have about 12 days to travel starting from Shimla. We are keen to cover the following places, however this stretches our days further. Could you recommend must do places and if we could skip few of these to fit 12 – 13 days at the most:
Shimla – Kalpa
Kalpa – Nako
Nako – Tabo
Tabo – Dhankar – Kaza
Kaza
Kaza – Kibber
Kibber – Tashnigang
Tashnigang
Tashnigang – Kibber
Kibber – Ki – Kaza
Kaza – Hikkim – Langza – Komic – Kaza
Kaza – Chandratal
Chandratal – Manali
Manali – fly out
Regards
Disha
Hey Disha,
1. I hope the above is not day wise plan, if it is better not stay overnight at Nako as you will not be acclimatized for it. You have good number of days in hand and I will recommend below:
Day 1 | Shimla – Sangla
Day 2 | Sangla – Chitkul – Sangla – Kalpa
Day 3 | Kalpa – Nako – Tabo
Day 4 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley (Mud Village)
Day 5 | Pin Valley – Rama Village – Lhalung Village – Kaza
Day 6 | Kaza rest day. Visit day trip to Key kibber in the evening
Day 7,8 | Kaza – Hikkim – Komic – Langza – Kaza. Do a trek from Komic to Langza and spend over night at Langza
Day 9 | Kaza – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal (if roads are open by then)
Day 10 | Chandratal – Manali
Day 11 | Manali – Kullu and fly out or Manali – Chandigarh
Day 12 | Fly out
You should also have a back up plan to come back by same route to Chandigarh via Shimla – Kinnaur in case the road from Kaza to Manali are not open.
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.
You can keep an average of 900-1200 per person per day for food and stay on the tour to Spiti Valley.
Thank you Dheeraj for helping us with the itinerary. The information shared is very useful.
Great, best wishes for your trip. Feel free to post any further questions you may have for your trip 🙂 🙂 …
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,an amazing itinerary once more.I followed your leg itinerary to the T and its been the best trip I have been so for.
Just looking at the spiti itinerary makes me want to travel and have started making my travel plans.
We are planning to make a road trip starting from 15th june
I have a few questions though:
1.My mom in law is 65yrs old.Will it be safe for her?
2.We will be traveling by 2 cars…innova and Logan.Will traveling by Logan be ok with this terrain?
3.If we can squeeze in 2 extra days in our itinerary, where should we stay ?
4.When should the add on days u suggested for Rama valley and lingti valley and mane village be squeezed in ?
5.Will it be ok to go on short and easy half day treks while traveling?If so,then where?
6.We would like to support the DoW causes…If there is any particular place you can recommend?
6.Will the road to Manali be open in the last week of June?
Thanks in advance and once again,kudos for the efforts you put in .
Kavita Thukral
Hello Kavita,
Replies below:
1. It should be OK as long as you plan a easy trip with 13-15 days in hand.
2. Well, Logan will surely struggle especially on Manali – Kaza road. Unless you have experience in such terrain, please avoid it.
3. Pin Valley is worth the stay and so as villages like Langza, Lhalung but there will be dry pits traditional toilets only which will be difficult for elders.
4. Mane, Lhalung, Demul are all very raw but in case you like such, I will highly recommend it. Pin Valley is one where can spend a night for sure.
5. Hmm, well, Langza to Komic or Komick to Hikkim or Demul are good treks but take some times doing it. You can hike towards top from Key monastery as well. But do it if you feel rally comfortable. Dhangkar lake trek is good 2 Hrs trek as well.
6. Thank you so very much for supporting the DoW Causes. When in Kaza, you can either get in touch with Tsering at Sakya Abode for directing you to best place. I will personally recommend spending time at Nunnery near Rangrik/Kaza, small school at Lhalung, school at Mud Village, school at Losar, etc..
7. Yes road to Manali from Kaza will be open at that time.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi!
Me and my husband are planning a one week road trip (self drive) around 7th may, 2017. Was looking forward to travel to Spiti Valley but heard that the roads will be closed around that time of year. Any route that you can suggest to visit spiti valley? is their any route via Kinnuar which is completely open? And what would be approx. Kms from Delhi to Spiti?
Hey Richa,
Roads from Manali to KAza will be closed but you can travel from Shimla – Kinnaur route as that route remains open all round the year. 7 days will be quite hectic and I will recommend you to keep the plan for Kinnaur Valley. You can refer: Kinnaur Valley – Most Common Itinerary
However, if you still want to attempt Spiti Valley in 7 days,
Day 1: Delhi – Shimla / Narkanda
Day 2: Shimla / Narkanda – Kalpa
Day 3: Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Tabo
Day 4: Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
Day 5: Kaza – Ki, Kibber, Komik, Hikkim
Day 6: Kaza – Tabo – Nako – Kalpa – Rampur/Jeori (very long day)
Day 7: Rampur/Jeori – Delhi (again a long day)
Hi! Dheeraj
Thank you for prompt reply. Our days might be flexible. So, if we calculate the total distance, how many approx. kms will it be from Delhi to Kaza?
Richa, it is approximately 800 KMs from Delhi to Kaza but it should be done in 3-4 days to acclimatize the body to such high altitude. Delhi to Narkanda, Narkanda to Kalpa, Kalpa to Tabo, Tabo to Kaza
Hi! Dheeraj
It’s me again! Ok, so will camping be available anywhere in spiti in may? What are the other adventure activities or sightseeing spots available on the way? Plus any hotel or campsite recommendations from your side?
Hey Richa, well, for camping do read Top 10 Tips for Camping in Ladakh & Spiti Valley.
Most of the places have these spots where you can pitch your own camps. Also, if you are refering to Chandratal camps in the middle of May, well the road to Chandratal will not be open. So, you have to go from Shimla – Kinnaur side and come back from same route.
Hi Dheeraj & all others
Thanks for your lovely write up.. Also the link of driver phone numbers. Definitely helpful for the ppl like me.
I am planning for spiti valley this summer…
People: 3 Families (6 adults & 6 kids.. Youngest is 6 yr old)
Dates around 25th May to 4th May (we can start early if need arise)
Based on your write up & other forums. Here is my plan
26th Noon/Evening: Arrival at Chandigarh (Halt at night)
27th : To Manali (7.5 Hours).. Sightseeing/Mall Road Roaming in the evening (Halt at Manali)
28th : Local SightSeeing (Halt at Manali).. Mainly for acclimatization.
29th: To Kaza (approx. 4 hours).. Enroute Chandratal trek (assume 1 hour trek..) Total travel time may be 6-7 hours (Halt at Kaza)
30th : Local SightSeeing (Ki Monastery, Kibber village).. (Halt at Kaza)
31st : To Tabo (approx. 50 mins).. Mummy Castle, Tabo Monastery, Lalung/Dhankar Monastry? (Halt at Tabo)
1st : To Kalpa (approx 4.5 hours) Nako Lake, Confluence of spiti/Satluj rivers? (Halt at kalpa)
2nd: Simla (approx 7.5 hrs.) (Halt at Simla) Bhimkali temple? (Halt at simla)
3rd: Local Sight Seeing (Halt at Simla)
4th : To Chandigarh (approx 4 hrs. )Local SightSeeing
Depending on flight schedule last 2 days can be adjusted for halt..
Does this itinerary look ok?
Anything I missed or wrongly interpreted?
Will there be any problem if we don’t book hotels? (Planning to hire some taxi from chandigarh)
Do you suggest if this can be better from manali to manali (till tabo) considering manali as basecamp.. Considering trip is with kids.. Will we miss anything?
(Mainly families may not like packing/unpacking every other day if there are kids).. If above plan is hectic, then need to reconsider manali to manali..
Any other plan changes?
Thanks & Regards
:-Anand
Hello Anand,
I see you have 9 days in hand. You will not be able to make this trip from Manali side as the road from Manali to Kaza opens by second week of June. Below are couple of options that you can work out depending on the road conditions. If the road to Chandratal is not open, the trek to Chandratal will be a bit tricky with kids, I will recommend to not do it. So, skip the Chandratal in below plans and make use of that day in Kaza or Manali itself.
Day 1 | Chandigarh – Narkanda – Sarahan
Day 2 | Sarahan – Rakcham/Sangla/Chitkul
Day 3 | Rakcham/Sangla/Chitkul – Nako – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
Day 4 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
— 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 to him. Read more about Sakya Abode at: Sakya Abode Kaza – An Enriching Experience in Spiti Valley
Day 5 | Kaza Rest and Local Sightseeing
— Ki, Kibber, Gette, Tashigang
Day 6 | Kaza – Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit – Kaza, may be in the second half go towards Kunzum Pass or till where the road is open towards it.
Day 7 | Kaza – Tabo – Nako – Kalpa
Day 8 | Kalpa – Narkanda
Day 9 | Narkanda – Chandigarh
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
Day 6 | Kaza Local Sightseeing (Hikkim, Komik)
— Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
Day 7 | Kaza – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal
Day 8 | Chandratal – Manali
Day 9 | Manali – Delhi
Thank you Very much Dheeraj. This will definitely help us in planning. Thanks again.
:-Anand
Best wishes for your trip, feel free to post any further questions for your trip to Spiti Valley
Hi!
Me and my husband are planning a one week road trip (self drive) around 7th may, 2017. Was looking forward to travel to Spiti Valley but heard that the roads will be closed around that time of year. Any route that you can suggest to visit spiti valley? is their any route via Kinnuar which is completely open? And what would be approx. Kms from Delhi to Spiti?
Hey Richa,
Roads from Manali to KAza will be closed but you can travel from Shimla – Kinnaur route as that route remains open all round the year. 7 days will be quite hectic and I will recommend you to keep the plan for Kinnaur Valley. You can refer: Kinnaur Valley – Most Common Itinerary
However, if you still want to attempt Spiti Valley in 7 days,
Day 1: Delhi – Shimla / Narkanda
Day 2: Shimla / Narkanda – Kalpa
Day 3: Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Tabo
Day 4: Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
Day 5: Kaza – Ki, Kibber, Komik, Hikkim
Day 6: Kaza – Tabo – Nako – Kalpa – Rampur/Jeori (very long day)
Day 7: Rampur/Jeori – Delhi (again a long day)
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi DHEERAJ,
Your page has saved my trip! Its so hard to find information on these areas.
I am planning a trip in early May. My original plan was..
DELHI -> SHIMLA -> KAZA ->MANALI -> CHANDIGARH-> DELHI (with stops in between at the smaller towns).
However, I now see that the Kazum pass wil be closed in May.
I am interested in seeing beautiful landscapes and big mountains. Should I just go to Kaza and return the same way? Or do you have a better suggestion? I have about 3 weeks total and plan on traveling by bus.
Thank you for your time. 🙂
Hello Maggie,
Yes, I will recommend that you make this trip through beautiful Kinnaur Valley and on the way back keep exploring the little villages that keep coming on the way and spend some time in Kalpa, Sangla Valley and Chitkul apart from remote villages of Spiti Valley. You will really enjoy the trip even when road from Kaza to Manali is closed.
Hi. I want to do a solo bike trip. If I take the shimla route, how and where can I arrange the bike on rent? As u mentioned the route, it’s a great plan. Completing the circuit. Which means I will have to hire the bike from Delhi. Right? A pls guide me on this trip. And suggest place from where I can rent a bike.
Thanks
Yes, you need to rent the bike in Delhi, check with Lali Singh.
Dheerajji, I got immense help last year from your blog and visited Tso Moriri lake from Pang Gong lake. This year I am planning to travel Spiti on last week of Sept. through Shimla. Can we visit Tso Moriri from there ? Please suggest.
Pijush ji, you can surely visit Tso Moriri from Spiti Valley but there is no direct road route that exist. You will have to take the Manali – Leh Highway only which means you will need more days to travel to it and then either fly out of Leh or follow the same route back to Manali from Tso Moriri.
Sir, I need to plan trip of 11 days keeping a few resting point as I am traveling with child. Can we exclude Sangla,Chitkul as we vistied the place earlier and our prime attraction this time is Spiti valley. I have already booked flight upto Chandigarh. Now please suggest a suitable route. Exit route can vary as I have not made any booking. Please suggest.
Yes Pijush, it will best to exclude Sangla and have that day spent in Kaza only may be to explore Langza, Hikkim, Komic at ease. You can pretty much follow the route as mentioned in the article above, just reach Kalpa instead of Sangla from Narkanda.
Sir, as Battal has no good accommodations is it possible to tweak route a bit after visiting Kunzum Pass ?
You can stay at Chandratal camps? No need to come down to Battal. Parasol Camps are Chandratal are good option.
Hi Dheeraj,
First of all, I would like to thank you for providing such a beautiful tour itinerary.
Due to lack of available days, we have to reduce the no of the day. We have drafted the following itinerary please let us know if it is doable or not. Your suggestion is highly needed.
2nd October: Reach Narkanda and stay at narkanda
3rd October: Narkanda-Rampur-Sarahan-Sangla,stay at sangla
4th October:sanla-rakcham-chitkul-kamru-recong peo-kalpa,stay at kalpa
5th October:Kalka-khab-nako-geyu-Tabo(stay at Tabo)
6th October:Tabo-dhankar-mud-kaza,stay at kaza
7th October:Kaza-ki-Kibber-tashigang-komik-langza-losar,stay at losar
8th october:losar-kunzum-chandrataal-battal-rohtang-manali,stay at manali
Should plan a visit to chandrataal and stay at battal on 7th October or the otherway as stated above?
Please help!
Well, Losar makes sense as you will not be able to do too much on that day and doing Chandratal will be too much. Keep it as it is and also I will highly recommend skipping Sangla for this plan and spending one more day at Kaza for splitting it in two days of ease. That will make more sense.
Thank you Dheeraj!
Best wishes for your trip, feel free to post any further questions you may have.
We are facing trouble in finding budget homestays or hotels.Please help.
Anirrudha, you can skip losar and stay either at PWD rest house at Battal or you can also book the PWD rest house a losar in Kaza if you are coming from Kaza side.
Sorry! I forgot to mention that in losar only we are facing the problem in finding budget accomodations.
Just replied.
Hi Dheeraj,
Good Morning. First time I am writing to you. I follow your posts and accordingly visited Ladhak in last June. This year I want to make a trip to Spiti Valley. My programme is as below:
Oct 3- Chandigarh to Narkanda
Oct 4- Narkanda to Sangla
Oct 5- Sangla-Chitkul-Kalpa
Oct 6- Kalpa-Nako-Tabo-Kaza
Oct 7- At Kaza
Oct 8- Kaza-Manali
Oct 9- Manali-Manikaran-Shimla
Oct 10- Shimla- Chandigarh
I have few questions:
1. Can we get Tempo Traveller? We are 9 people
2. The above itinerary is OK? OR too tiring?
3. On Oct 8th, the road from Kaza to Manali is open?
4. Can we book hotels on the spot during that time of the year? We are all adults above 50 years.
I shall await your reply.
Regards.
Nirmal Kumar Mukherjee
Hello Nirmal ji,
Firstly, I will suggest to spend at least one more day in Kaza or do like
Kalpa – Nako – Geyu – Tabo
Tabo – Dhangkar – Pin Valley – Kaza
Kaza local
Kaza – Chandratal Manali
Manali – Chandigarh
No need to come back to Shimla to waste a day.
1. Yes, tempo traveller should be available.
2. Just suggested changes
3. Kaza – Manali road will be open at that time
4. Hotels will be easily available during that time of the year.
Thanks for your reply. I have made the changes accordingly. Regards.
Best wishes for your trip 🙂
Hi Dheeraj,
would it be possible to hire a cab from Kaza either to Manali or Shimla as well as for local sightseeing.
regards
Pankaj
Yes Pankaj, completely possible. 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 Kaza or Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands
Hi Dheeraj,
We are planning to do a full round circuit on lines of “Most Common Itinerary of Spiti Valley for 11 – 12 Days” suggested by you. Can you please let me know what would be the safe date to travel in June when all roads including Rohtang and Kunzum Pass would be open.
Should we go in June or August ? What would be a good season to go so that we are not stuck anywhere due to road closure or landslides due to rains.
I understand weather is very unpredictable but considering your immense experience and knowledge about the region what dates would you suggest ?
Thank you,
Shahil Bheda
Shahil, second week of June to mid July is much better in comparison to August when the rain pours in.
Thanks for your quick reply Dheeraj. When does Kunzum pass open ? So can plan June travel accordingly .
We are planning to do a full circuit from 15 June to 26 June entering from Shimla side and exiting from Manali. So do you think all roads from Kaza to Manali will be open by 20 June ?
Yes, by that time of the year Kunzum Pass will be open and you can do the entire circuit.
Kunzum Pass opens around mid of June.
Sorry for bothering you again.
Can u let us know one option out of this two. Am gonna rely completely on your suggestion so that we dont stuck anywher due to to road closure or landslides and can enjoy spiti to the fullest.
1) 15 june to 26 june
2) 5 july to 16 july
Shahil, both options are good. If you want snow, then better go in June else in July as well is OK to travel.
Hi,
I plan to travel in Laddakh and Spiti in the month of June (the entire month). Am in the very initial stage of planning please let me know if the below rough itinerary makes sense
Day 1 : Arrive Leh
Day 2-4: Leh
Day 5-7: Nubra Valley
Day 8-11: Pangong Tso
Day 11-15: Tso Moriri
Day 15-18: Tso Moriri- Spiti
Day 18-26- Spiti Valley
Day 26-29 : Spiti-Shimla-Chandigarh
Please let me know if i should add / subtract anything. Also i am a solo traveller, It would be awesome if you could let me know about the public transport facilities.
Cheers,
Aabeer
Hello Aabeer,
Your plan looks fine to me. May be you can spend couple of more days in Kinnaur Valley after Spiti Valley especially in Sangla Valley and Chitkul around. It will seal the deal for you 🙂
I will suggest you refer the articles for public transport as: How to make a budget trip to Spiti Valley by public transport and How to make a budget Ladakh trip by public transport
Though it talks about budget, but it also gives you fair understanding on the buses and routes and when is what available.
You can also go through: Top 10 Tips for a Solo Trip to Ladakh or Spiti Valley
Thank you So much for such a quick and reply Dheeraj and yes those links are really insightful……
Is it possible to head fromTso Moriri directly towards Spiti (Manali highway) without having to return to Leh (using Public transport ?)
Cheers,
Aabeer
No Aabeer, unless you patch up with a group that is taking Leh – Tso Moriri – Manali taxi in that direction. If you find such a group to travel, then yes, else you will have to come back to Leh to get the public transport for Leh – Manali ride.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thank you for your replies. Pardon my lack of knowledge as I have never traveled to Himachal before.
I am a lil confused about my return from the Spiti.
I have a return flight to catch from Chandigarh; need to reach the airport by 11 am. Can I start early in the morning from Shimla and make it on time ? are buses / shared cabs available and how much would they cost me…..alternatively Can i take overnight bus from Manali and reach chandigarh early morning ? is it safe ? considering i will be travelling in early july when there shall be a rains i bliv.
Or may be i drive Reckong Peo-Shilma-Kalka in 1 day and then take overnight train to Delhi…
Please let me know what u feel shall be the most suitable option.
Cheers,
Aabeer
Cheers,
a
Aabeer, it will be OK to take the overnight bus and reach Chandigarh from Manali and take the flight in day time. Though in this case you have to wait 2-4 Hrs more for flight to come. It takes about 4 hrs from Shimla to reach Chandigarh, so if you can leave by 4 AM that is also an option to catch the flight with an hour of buffer in hand.
Hi Dheeraj,
Fist of I like to thank you for your effort and helping may tourist like me.
Now I like to place my query , we are group of 17 people including 2 kid of 3 years age planning to visit Kinnaur and spiti Valley from Delhi .we will be reaching Delhi on 22nd April early morning and our flight back home from Delhi on 2nd May Night.
Can you please help me with this following query.
Question :
1. Can you please tell me is that a good time to visit ?
2. Can you please suggest me an itinerary for the trip ?
3. Ca you please suggest some budget hotel with clean accommodation for such a big group we required 5 room?
4 . Is that fine to travel with kid 3 years old ?
5. For such a big group we required a TT (Tempo traveler ) is that fine to travel with TT ? or do you suggeat any alternative ?
6. If TT is fine from where we can book ?
Sorry for long question list , waiting for your reply eagerly….
Thanks
Samiran
Hello Samiran,
1. It is not an ideal time to visit Spiti Valley with family. Many roads are closed during that time and chill is still present during those days. So, go prepared. You may not get luxury stays up there and have to enjoy the basic stays only.
2. You can follow the plan mentioned below. Add a day at Kalpa in case you are OK reaching on 2nd at Delhi
Day 1 | Delhi – Narkanda
Day 2 | Narkanda – Rakcham/Sangla
Day 3 | Rest day in Sangla, visit Chitkul in day time.
Day 4 | Rakcham/Sangla- Nako – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
Day 5 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
— 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 to him. Read more about Sakya Abode at: Sakya Abode Kaza – An Enriching Experience in Spiti Valley
Day 6 | Kaza Rest and Local Sightseeing
— Ki, Kibber, Gette, Tashigang
Day 7 | Kaza – Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit – Kaza, may be in the second half go towards Kunzum Pass or till where the road is open towards it.
Day 8 | Kaza – Tabo – Nako – Kalpa
Day 9 | Kalpa – Narkanda
Day 10 | Narkanda – Delhi
3. For stay options in Kinnaur and Spiti, check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley.
4. Please refer: Traveling to Spiti or Ladakh with Kids or Babies
5. Well, yes people do travel in Tempo Traveler, personally I never felt them comfortable but that is a personal choice
6. 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
They can help you with Tempo Travellers too.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for your quick it is really helpful.
As you suggested It is not an ideal time to visit Spiti Valley with family , do you think visiting kinnaur-valley is fine in same time (we will be reaching Delhi on 22nd April early morning and our flight back home from Delhi on 2nd May Night.) ?
If you think so then can you please suggest me an itinerary ?
Thank in advance waiting for your reply eagerly.
Thanks
Samiran
Yes Kinnaur will be good, I am not tryingt o scare you for Spiti. You can surely go ahead and make a plan for it but the intent is that you go prepared well for Spiti Valley trip with woolens and also may be talk to someone like Tsering from Sakya Abode for accommodation of such large group.
H Dheeraj,
Thanks for your prompt response you’re advise and guidance are as always very helpful.
Thanks
Samiran
It is a pleasure Samiran, feel free to post any further queries you may have for your trip to Spiti Valley
Hi Dheeraj,
I am afraid I have few more query , actually some people are suggesting itinerary like this
Day 1: 22nd April Delhi -> Narkanda
Day 2: 23rd April Narkanda -> Sarahan
Day 3: 24th April Sarahan -> Kalpa
Day 4: 25th April Kalpa -> Nako/Tabo
Day 5: 26th April Tabo -> Kaza
Day 6: 27th April Kaza
Day 7: 28th April Kaza->Sangla
Day 8: 29th April Sangla
Day 9: 30th April Sangla ->Shimla/Narkanda
Day 10: 1st May start at night Shimla/Narkanda ->Delhi
But I am not sure , and as always I need your guide. What you think ?
As I am not aware of pros and cons please help me.
Thank in advance waiting for your reply eagerly.
Thanks
Samiran
Hello Smiran, Can you please paste your other plan too in the same thread, i mean botht he plans together. I am sorry i could not find it. The itinerary you have posted here seems fine too too me but you are not spending time in Spiti Valley, may be a day short I will say. But, nothing wrong with the plan. Also, DO NOT spend night at Nako while traveling from Kalpa, you may get hit with AMS
Hi Dheeraj,
As I told you earlier we r 15 member with 3 kids (3 year old) training kinnaur and spiti valley.
Please find my itinerary
Plan 1
Day 1: 22nd April Delhi -> Narkanda
Day 2: 23rd April Narkanda -> Sarahan
Day 3: 24th April Sarahan -> Kalpa
Day 4: 25th April Kalpa -> Nako/Tabo
Day 5: 26th April Tabo -> Kaza
Day 6: 27th April Kaza
Day 7: 28th April Kaza->Sangla
Day 8: 29th April Sangla
Day 9: 30th April Sangla ->Shimla/Narkanda
Day 10: 1st May start at night Shimla/Narkanda ->Delhi
Plan 2
22nd April – stay at delhi
23 – delhi -> chandigarh -> shimla -> narkanda
24 – narkanda – sangla
25 – sangla
26 – sanlga -> Tabo
27 – Tabo -> Kaza
28 – Kaza
29 – Kaza -> Kalpa
30 – Kalpa
1 – Kalpa -> Narkanda
2nd May ->Narkan -> Chandigarh -> Delhi
As always I need your help to decide my itinerary, please help me which one should I follow? If anyone needs any changes then also please let me know.
Waiting for your reply earlierly
Thanks
Samiran
Samiran, looking both of these side by side, well, I will prefer first one as you are in any case spending only one day in Spiti in both of them. The first one gives you easy warm up start with first few days split evenly and while return you rest in Sangla which is more beautiful and offer much more than Kalpa. There is no use of spending extra day at Kalpa I will say and first one does give you right time required to be there at Kalpa too.
Hi Dheeraj,
Do you feel it would be beater if I add one more day in Kaza and then come back to Kalpa and spend 1 day there instead of 2 days like plan 1
plan 1:
22nd April – stay at delhi
23rd April – delhi -> chandigarh -> shimla -> narkanda
24th April – narkanda – sangla
25th April – sangla
26th April – sanlga -> Tabo
27th April – Tabo -> Kaza
28th April – Kaza
29th April – Kaza
30th April – Kalpa
1st May – Kalpa -> Narkanda
2nd May ->Narkan -> Chandigarh -> Delhi
plan 2:
Day 1: 22nd April Delhi -> Narkanda
Day 2: 23rd April Narkanda -> Sarahan
Day 3: 24th April Sarahan -> Kalpa
Day 4: 25th April Kalpa -> Nako/Tabo
Day 5: 26th April Tabo -> Kaza
Day 6: 27th April Kaza
Day 7: 28th April Kaza->Sangla
Day 8: 29th April Sangla
Day 9: 30th April Sangla ->Shimla/Narkanda
Day 10: 1st May start at night Shimla/Narkanda ->Delhi
Please advice me which one better ,
Waiting for your reply eagerly
Thanks
Samiran
In Plan 2, please add one more day at Kaza and it will make it balanced enough. Make sure you leave early by 7 AM for sure from Kaza to reach Sangla in time by evening.
Hello Dheeraj,
Thank you so much for your itinerary . It sorts my plan perfectly.
But I wanted to ask, is it safe for the beginners to do a road trip to spiti valley. This is my first road trip (bike) and many people are advising to skip spiti valley because of long hours travelling and difficult terrains.
So if I am to change the destination, can you please help me suggest a place for a roadtrip to any other place anywhere in India?
Thank you.
Yash, they are correct in advising you. Unless you have been used to riding bikes in mountains, it is not recommended to undertake a bike trip to one of the toughest terrains or treacherous roads you can ever be in our country.
You can make a road trip somewhere in the lower hills first and see how it fits. Kumaon circuit will help you, may be up to Chaukori: Kumaon, Uttarakhand – Most Common Itinerary. Take a short ride up to Manila or near by place in Kumaon and then try another to Chaukori or if you feel really good about riding long hours may be Munsiyari too. Then try your bet at Kinnaur and once Kinnaur is done, go for Spiti Valley.
Hi. I have been planning a trip to Spiti since almost 2 years now but unfortunately it never happened. We plan to rent a SUV for the entire trip. Now, I am planning from 16th May and my plan is as below:-
16th May – Reach Shimla
17th May – Shimla – Sangla
18th May – Sangla – Chitkul – Kalpa
19th May – Kalpa – Nako – Geyu – Tabo
20th May – Tabo – Dhankar – Mudh. Overnight at Dhankar or Mudh
21st May – Mudh – Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Tashigang – Kaza
22nd May – Kaza – Langza – Hikkim – Komic – Demul – Kaza. Overnight at Kaza or Langza
23rd May – Kaza – Kalpa
24th May – Kalpa – Shimla & then to Chandigarh.
Is this itinerary fine? Is there any other undisturbed place which I can cover?
Request you to please your thoughts.
Madhu, this looks fine to me. Last day as you might be knowing will be long but not impossible. We usually undertake such long drives at ease and since it is just a day, should not be an issue.
Hello Dheeraj,
Firstly, amazing work! This itinerary has sorted out my entire plan Thank you for that! 🙂
Second, am planning to do this, the exact same itinerary only, hiccup, i intend to start on 5th Dec’16 from Chandigarh & its gonna be a Solo trip on an Enfield. Is it advisable to go this time of the year? Please advise.
Cheers,
Akash
No Akash, the road from Manali to Kaza is officially closed and you should not venture into that terrain at all. It is a deadly region in this time of the year. You can visit up to Kaza from Kinnaur side and come back by the same route. You should read the articles: Spiti in Winters – Most Common Itinerary and How to plan a trip to Spiti Valley in Winters
Thank you so much for the prompt reply! Coming back, damn, its all down the drain. 🙁
Meanwhile I’ve planned another itinerary, please suggest if the same is fine.
Day 1- Chandigarh
Day 2- Dharamshala
Day 3- Mcleodganj
Day 4- Bir Billing (Paragliding)
Day 5- Dalhousie
Day 6- Khajjiar / Chamba / Kalatop
Day 7- Dharamshala
Day 8 -Chandigarh
It the above trip worth it on an Enfield? And what about the roads & bookings for accommodation? Period – 5th Dec onwards
Please advice as 15 days left for the tour 🙁
Akash, first go over to Dalhousie, Khajjiar, Chamba, Kalatop, then come down to Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala. Once done, then come down to Bir – Billing and come back to Chandigarh from Mandi side. This will avoid you doubline any routes.
Done! Will plan accordingly then! Thank you so much 🙂
Hi Dheeraj
I would like to know whether it would be fine to visit Spiti during late April and early May?
Yes Chirag, late April and early May should be good time to visit Spiti Valley. However, the road from Manali – Kaza will not be open by that time of the year. It opens by early June. So, you will be able to go from Kinnaur side and come back from Kinnaur side only.
Hi Dhiraj,
Thanks a lot for guiding the extreme wanderers!
Can i do Spiti valley via Shimla and back thru’ Manali in first week of Nov? Will Kunzum pass let me travel thru? Will Chitkul be open by that time?
Regards, Dhananjay
Dhananjay, Manali – Leh Highway is already closed due to dangerous conditions of driving or riding. Similar will be true for Manali – KAza road as snowfall has started already. So, going over Kunzum Pass that late in the season is highly not recommended. Chitkul will be touch and go at that time but chances are it will be open.
Hey Dhiraj,
Thanks a lot for your valuable guidance. Will skip spiti vally for this year then, next sep, 2nd week will schedule colourfull valleys around spiti. Thanks again!
Dhananjay
Sure, feel free to post any more queries you have for your trip 🙂
Hi Dhiraj,
We’re planning to go in 2nd week of Oct and the car in question is Ford Figo. Below is the Itinerary planned.
Days Destination Kms
1 Surat – Jaipur 970
2 Jaipur – Narkanda 600
3 Narkanda – Chitkul – Sangla 221
4 Sangla – Kalpa – Reckong Peo – Nako – Tabo 207
5 Tabo – Dhankar – Lallung – Mud – Kaza 155
6 Kaza – Hikkim – Komic – Langza – Kaza 53
Kaza – Kibber – Gette – Tashigong – Kaza 70
Kaza – Demul – Kaza 65
7 Kaza – Chandartal Lake – Khoksar 151
8 Khoksar – Ambala 410
9 Ambala – Chittorgarh 800
10 Chittorgarh – Surat 602
2nd option (If unable to cross Chattru-Chotadhara-Gramphoo Stretch)
7 Kaza – Chandartal Lake – Tabo 180
8 Kaza – Sangla 225
9 Sangla – Narkanda 221
10 Narkanda – Jaipur 600
11 Jaipur – Surat 970
Thoughts, is it feasible ?
Few queries,
1) Can I skip Reckong Peo-Kalpa and head straight to Tabo or is it worh visiting ?
2) What is the current road status of Kunzum-Chotadhara-Gramphoo-Rohtang stretch ? Can I cross it in Figo ? If I’m unable to cross over Chotadhara, is Kaza – Sangla possible in a single day during return journey ?
3) What would likely weather be between 7th-15th of October ?
Regards.
1. Taking a detour does not really make any sense, so head straight to Tabo.
2. The route is doable with little caution and care. Yes, Kaza to Sangla is a possible.
3. Weather will be cold at night and there may be snowfall if you are lucky/unlucky 🙂
Thank You Dheeraj.
Just came to know Raid De Himalaya Rally is from 8-15 Oct. So wanted to ask whether they’re doing Spiti route or not a it’d clash with my own schedule and could jeopardise my trip.
Yes Zamir, they are doing Spiti route, guess first few days are Spiti only.
Dear Mr Dheeraj,
Please suggest itinerary so that we can cover Shimla, Kalpa, Chitkul & Manali as well in 8night/9days.
We are planning to visit HP during November.
Regards,
Sumit
Hi Sumit,
Manali comes in the other corner of Himachal when doing the Kinnaur Valley belt. Well, I will say that it will be very cold in Novemeber in Kinnaur and I hope you are OK with it. Chitkul will be closed by that time and there will be ice on road making it slippery. With 9 days in hand I can think of:
Day 1 | Delhi – Narkanda
Day 2 | Narkanda – Sangla
Day 3 | Sangla and around
Day 4 | Sangla – Kalpa
Day 5 | Kalpa – Sarahan
Day 6 | Sarahan – Shoja via Jalori Pass or Sarahan – Chindi via Naldhera
Day 7 | Chindi – Manalai
Day 8 | Spend day in Manali
Day 9 | Leave from Manali
Is it okay to go on bike (FZ-SFI) from N.Delhi? I am planning to go in Oct 1st week with my wife, please suggest if this time is good for travelling to spiti also provide details to travel from public transport from New Delhi to Spiti as i have no idea, how to go there…I have 8-9 days in hand (30th Sep to 8th Oct). Please suggest..Thanks!
Hi Pankaj,
It will surely be cold out there in Spiti Valley by the time you planning to visit. You can choose the below mentioned plan for 9 days during that time of the year:
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
Thank you for the details, also please confirm what would be preferable going via on bike or public transport?
Well, I will suggest go by public transport now. Bike you may find ice on roads in the morning and it tends to be cold now.
Hi Dheeraj,
We 3 guys plan to leave for Spiti on 30th Night from Delhi by self driven Ertige. Following is tentative itinerary. Let us know if this can be worked out.. we are not booking any place and expect to do the arrangement there itself..
Day 1 Delhi-Sarahan
Day 2 Sarahan-Sangla
Day 3 Sangla-Chitkul-kalpa
Day 4 Kalpa-Khab-Nako-Sumdo-Gui-Tabo
Day 5 Tabo-Sapona lake-Kungri-Mikkim-Mud
Day 6 Mud-Kungri-Lingti-Dhankar-Dhankar lake-Lallung-Rama-Demul-Rangrik
Day 7 Rangrik-Kee-Chicham-Khibber-Gette-Tashigong-Rangrik
Day 8 Rangrik-Hikkim-Komic-Longza-Losar
Day 9 Losar-Batal-chandratal-Batal
Day 10 Batal-manali
day 11 Manali-Delhi
I specially need your expert comment on Day5/6/7, vehicle Ertiga (Petrol), and weather (kind of woolen)
Regards
Abhinaw
Forgot to mention 30th Night implies, Coming Friday Night.
ust replied.
Hi Dheeraj,
Can you please comment on above please. We are visiting spiti for the first time.
Regards
Abhinaw
Just replied to your query. Sorry for the delau.
Abhinaw, your plan looks pretty fine to me. However, you may not be able to doo all the villages you have planned else it will be just hitting the village, ticking it off and moving on. Sopona Lake trek requires about 4-6 Hrs easily, so will not recommend that without much acclimatization. Then with Dhangkar Lake trek, doing Demul – Lhalung will be difficult. I doubt the road from Lhalung/Rama to Demul is yet complete. The road from Komik to Demul is there but very patchy and may hurt Ertiga. Rest looks pretty much OK to me and very well relaxed. Day 9, no need to got to Batal first as the diversion to Chandratal comes before while going down from Kunzum Pass.
Hi Dheeraj,
Good afternoon!!!
Thanks to information shared in your blogs i prepared the following itinerary for my family.
Request your time to validate please…
Day1: Shimla-Narkanda-Sarahan-Raksham. Night Stay at Raksham.
Day 2: Raksham-Chitkul-Sangla – Kalpa. Night Stay at Kalpa.
Day 3: Kalpa Reckong Peo – Kothi –Riba- Jangi- Puh -Khab- Nako- Sumdo – Geyu Mummy – Tabo. Night Stay at Tabo.
Day 4: Tabo – Dhankar – Dhankar Lake – Pin Valley (Mud Village). Night Stay at Mud Village.
Day 5: Pin Valley – Mane Villages- Sopona Lake-Mane Villages. Night Stay at Mane Village.
Day6: Mane / Sopona Lake – Lingti Valley – Kaza. Night Stay at Kaza.
Day 7: Kaza and sightseeing around (Ki – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang & Langza – Hikkim – Koumik) – Kaza. Night stay at Kaza.
Day 8: Kaza –Chichcham-Losar- Kunzum Pass – Chandratal / Battal. Night Stay at Chandratal.
Day9: Chandratal – Batal – Gramphu – Rohtang Pass – Manali. Night Stay at Manali.
Queries:
My family consists of two kids (aged 11 and 5). Can we afford to opt for night stay in Mane Village and Chandratal without having to fear AMS? Are the stay in these two places like that of Pangong Tso of Ladhak?
Is the Sopona Lake now dried up? i saw in your snaps.
Thanks & Best Regards,
Kuntal Mukhopadhyay
+91-8800097815
Can anyone confirm the if I can get ‘Puncture Wala’ at regular intervals on this route? Mean to say after Narkanda and heading towards Kaza and towards Rohtang.
Vishal not exactly at frequent intervals at all. Once you cross Tapri, Reckong Peo then you get one at Spillow, Puh, Nako, Chango, Tabo, Kaza. In between Kaza and Manali, you will get one at Losar and then at Gramphu
Hi Dheeraj,
A superb write-up and itinerary.
I had a query regarding renting motorcycles from delhi and doing the circuit. Any problems in doing so?
If yes, what kind of problems and how to solve them, and where all will I be facing the problem?
No Sayan, you can travel on a rented motorcycle. There is no restriction on rented bikes in Spiti circuit.
hi dheeraj
can I (or should I) do spiti in a chevrolet cruze or honda city(shimla – kalpa route)?
please help
Yes Mayank you can do so. Only issues are that roads are bad, so cars will take a beating for sure and at times scratches too. Also, if there is any problem in the car it will be hard to find any mechanic for it.
Hi, really neat, to the point write up. Thanks for sharing this with us. I am planning a Bike solo trip to Spiti Valley in week of 26th Sept for 7 days. Had few questions:
1. Will the road allow a Ninja 650, I have taken it to Leh via Srinagar. Would you recommend that, as I do have an option of a Classic 500.
2. What about night stays, is that something I book in advance or getting places would not be an issue at this time of the season.
Thanks again
Vaibhav
1. Yeah Vaibhav, I have known people who have done such trips on that bike, so should not be an issue unless it breaks down
2. Not reaaly, you going in offseason so no need to book in advance.
Hi Vaibhav,
How was Ninja 650 on Leh trip is it possible to go with pillion of 60 kg on this bike to Leh.
Is there any major issue you faced on the way.
Thanks for reply in advance.
Vaibhav, when ur leaving fot Spiti. Im also planning till now alone. Pls ping me 9717035353…Devesh
Hello Dheeraj,
We are 8-10 people and planning our spiti visit to zostel, till now we have planned we will be taking self drive car (Dezire most probably) from chandigarh. We have to start from 21st sept morning and come back by 27th sept. As you have seen the route to spiti, which route will you recommend and are self drive cars like Dezire safe for that route. We have already done roadtrip to kasol, tosh mcloedganj. But what do you suggest.
For hatchback/sedan taking on Manali – Leh Highway Or Spiti Valley via Manali Or Ladakh, please refer the link: FAQ | Can I do Leh – Ladakh / Spiti / Manali – Leh trip in Hatchback or Sedan? for more details.
hi dheeraj
i am planning my spiti ride on bike from delhi via entering from shimla side, starting on 24th oct.
tentatively i will reach manali 3rd November.
are there chances of road getting closed?
Yes Hardik, I never recommend anyone traveling over Manali – Kaza road after mid October. It becomes very risky and desolate. By end of October, it is a big NO.
Hi Dheeraj,
The itinerary is neat and helpful.
I have one question, do you have any information about monasteries other than kee monastery that provide accommodation?
Ravi, most monasteries provide accommodation including Komic, Tabo.
Hi Dheeraj,
I’m planning a trip to spiti between 9th-17th October by bike. I wanted to know if the Manali route will be operational during this time, if yes, how do we go about getting the permits arranged for Rohtang.
Thanks,
Sunil
Sunil, Manali – Kaza closes by end of October but keep in mind that it is remote road and only venture on that route after checking the weather conditions in Manali. You do not want to get stranded in case it snows as it is not the place to get stranded!!
Getting permits for Rohtang Pass is just a visit to SDM office and submitting the required paper work with fee of Rs 50.
Hi Dheeraj, thanks for the response. Can u suggest an alternative route to spiti. will the shimla route be too much as I have only 7days?
Any proto itinerary would be really helpful.
Thanks,
Sunil
Sunil, you can follow below plan:
Day 1 : Reach Manali by overnight volvo of and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
Day 2 : Manali / Solang – Kaza
Day 3 : Kaza – Dhangkar – Tabo
Day 4 : Tabo – Pin Valley – Kaza. Do Ki, Kibber in the evening.
Day 5 : Kaza – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Chandratal
Day 6 : Chandratal – Manali
Day 7 : Reach Delhi by overnight Volvo from Manali
Thank you for your excellent information. FIVE Questions:
Spiti Valley, Kennaur, Lahaul Circuit BY CAR
1. When is the best time (avoid floods and closed passes etc) to begin and end the Circuit spiti valley, Lahaul, Kennaur tip beginning from south in Shimla?
2. When is the best time (to avoid floods and closed passes) to begin and end the Circuit Spiti Valley, Lahaul, Kennaur trip beginning form the North in Manali?
3. How many days should I allow for a normal paced circuit trip, 14 days? More or less?
4. Since I am going to go to Lei and Ladakh on one end or the other of the circuit, do you still (as on your website) suggest beginning in Shimla in the south, completing the circuit, and then on to Leh?
5. How do I find a reliable car-4wd/ driver/guide for the Circuit?
appreciate all the help you have given by sharing your information online.
ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS OR ADVICE?
Hello Randy,
1,2. September is the best time to visit Spiti Valley, towards the late it will be much better.
3. 14 days is more than good enough.
4. Not really, you can follow: Spiti Valley to Ladakh from Manali – Most Common Itinerary
5. 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
Thank you for your excellent information. Two Questions:
1. When is the best time (avoid floods and closed passes etc) to begin and end the Circuit spiti valley, Lahaul, Kennaur tip beginning from south in Shimla?
3. When is the best time (to avoid floods and closed passes) to begin and end the Circuit Spiti Valley, Lahaul, Kennaur trip beginning form the North in Manali?
3. How many days should I allow for a normal paced circuit trip, 14 days? More or less?
appreciate all the help you have given by sharing your information online.
Replied to you other comment.
Hey Dheeraj,
I m from delhi and planning to visit leh-ladakh in second week of september by motobike but, i also want to go spiti. So, pls tell me if it is possible to do both. I have 14 days in hand. Waiting for ur reply.
Thanx
Pawan, you will need to extend the trip and follow the plan: Spiti Valley to Ladakh from Manali – Most Common Itinerary
Thanx Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for the detailed information provided on this page.
we two people are planning to visit the places for 8 days starting from 5th to 13nth.
following is my plan
chandigarh (5th night)
shimla (6th night)
chitkul (7nth night)
kaza (8th night)
manali (9th night)
daramsala (10th night)
dalhousie (11th night)
amritsar (12th night)
chandigarh
Is it worth to visit dalhousie and daramsala compared to nearby places in kaza, spiti and a stay in Chandratal ?
Jestin
Sorry I forgot to mention the month. i am planning it on September.
Also is there any snow filled and apple orchards areas in the root?
Jestin
There wont be snow in September. Also, apples will surely be there in Kinnaur and Spiti.
Jestin, you are trying to mix too many things in too less a time. You should focus just on Spiti Valley and Kinnaur Valley in the 8 nights you have in hadn.
Dheeraj, Thanks for your quick reply.
I can increase the days. but just want to check whether it is worth to visit dalhousie and darmasala after seeing all the places in spiti and kinnaur. means i just compare the places in spiti and kinnaur against dalhousie and darmasala and have a feeling that if i visit most of the places in spiti and kinnaur then it is not much worthy to visit dalhousie and darmasala. But i would like to have your expert opinion on the same.
Very true, if you visit Kinnaur and Spiti, there is nothing much left to see in Dharamshala and Dalhousie. You can plan such trips to Dharamshala and Dalhousie anytime but Kinnaur and Spiti needs full dedication and focus. How many days you have in hand? It is better to follow the itinerary in the article above.
As of now i have 7 days in hand. Already booked the flights.
Do it like below in just 7 days in hand:
Day 1 : Reach Manali by overnight volvo of 28 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 – Chandratal
Day 5 : Chandratal – Manali
Day 6 : Chill around Manali and take evening Volvo
Day 7 : Reach Delhi by overnight Volvo from Manali
Dheeraj, Sorry for troubling you again.
I have updated my schedule as below
chandigarh (5th night)
kalka to shimla train (12.10 to 5.20PM-shimla)
shimla (6th night)
7nth morning 8AM start to sangla
sangla (7nth night)
Kalpa (8th night)
Tabo (9th night)
Kaza (10nth night)
Losar (11nth night)
manali to chandigarh 12th by volvo 9PM reach 7AM on chandigarh.
Here i am loosing one day for train journey from kalka and not having stay in manali and not visiting kullu. Is it worth to have the train journey?
Jestin, I suggested you the plan considering the days in hand you have
Hi Dheeraj,
We are a group of 4 people and planning to travel Spiti Valley in the last week of September for 9 days. We are considering two options to commute:
1. Local Transportation
2. Self driven SUV
But we have apprehensions for both the options. We want to know if the terrain is okay to consider the self driven option and whether the journey would be comfortable if we opt for the local transportation. Can you provide some details regarding the local transportation routes and frequency?
Nishta, it depends upon what you are looking back from the trip. If you want to go through the adventure and thrill of driving your self then yes self drive but if you look forward to less tensions and more comfort then better hire a local 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
For stay options in Kinnaur and Spiti, check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley.
Dear Dheeraj
I am planning to visit all the places you mentioned above in the 3rd Week of November. I am thinking of hiring a car and travel all along.
Just wanted to know is it possible to go there at that time and what all road blocks can we expect in the trip.
Arijit, you will not be able to make the round trip to Spiti Valley as Manali – Kaza road becomes very dangerous and risky of being stuck for months in the month of November. Rohtang Pass also closes officilay by October end. Hence, in case you ar OK with very cold conditions, you can make a plan to go from Kinnaur side and come back from Kinaur side only. However, most of the hotels will be closed and it will be quite cold.
Hi Dheeraj,
Can this itinerary be completed by public transport? I am travelling solo, and I don’t have other options to travel apart from public transport.
If it’s not possible, can you please suggest an alternative itinerary for people travelling solo by public transport?
Kindly share your valuable inputs. Thanks!
Yes, most of the itinerary can be completed by public transport. the whole circuit is well connected by HRTC buses and shared taxis. So, that will not be an issue. For inner villages, you can take shared local taxis or hitch hikes with other travelers or cars. For Chandratal, I have explained how to go about it in public transport in article: Chandratal Lake | Cheapest Ways To Travel There
Hi Dheerej,
Will I be able to get bus to Chitkul from Shimla, or I need to go Reckong Peo from Shimla?
Jeevan, you wil get bus to Sangla and from there you can take share jeeps to Chitkul
Hi Dheeraj,
We a group of 7 will be going to spiti on 1st week of September. I’ve some queries listed below:
1. Can you advise whether we can do Dhankar Lake on the way from Tabo to Chandartaal on the same day? How much time will it take to reach from Tabo to Chandertaal?
2. If not possible, can we do Dhankar Lake along with Pin valley after seeing Kii monastery and finally halt at Tabo on the same day?
3. Which will be more comfortable for 7 person Xylo or Innova. I’m more concerned about the 3rd row leg space for 3 person. As far as to my knowledge the 3rd row of Innova is more cramped than Xylo. Also we’re looking for a budget option among the two and according to your Taxi price list Xylo is mid price range while Innova is high price range category. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
Kindly suggest for the above queries. Thanks.
Hello Kaushik,
1. Tabo to Chandratal is about a 6 Hrs drive. Dhangkar will need at least 2-2.5 Hrs. So, doable but will soak all energy out of you.
2. You can do Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Pin Valley – Dhangkar – Tabo. All will take about 6-8 Hrs in all.
3. Both shall be fine, not sure about the third row comparison. In general Innova is more comfortable than any other. That taxi price list is taxi union rates of Leh not 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
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks very much for your valuable suggestions. So you are saying that the 3rd row of Innova (front facing) can fit 3 person (with height around 5ft 8 to 6 ft) comfortably? We’re also considering a winger for more space and comfortable sitting and also since all the windows are open able (to minimize the vomiting tendency). Both Xylo and Innova have non open able 3rd row window seat as far as I know. Also winger will be a bit of budgeted option.How do you see a Winger for this route? Finally we’re planning to catch the early morning Satabdi train from either Kalka or Chandigarh next day. We’ll be starting from Manali. Can you suggest which will be more preferable for night stay among the two places. Waiting for your earliest reply on this regard. Thanks.
No Kaushik, I am not saying so. All I know is that Innova is more comfortable than Xylo but I have not compared it’s third row capacity. I have been in Xylo on thrid row and it was nicely spacious but never been in Innova thrid row.
It will be much better to get a winger or small tempo traveler. To minimize the road travel Kala makes more sense than Chandigarh in case you have the train from there available.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for your valuable suggestions. We’ll plan the trip accordingly. Also can you suggest some budget staying options at Solang valley? Are the hotels at Solang valley expensive than Manali ?
Yes Kaushik, Solang Valley will have more expensive hotels than Manali. You can opt to stay at Guest houses at Vashisth as well.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for all your valuable suggestions. We’ve cut short our number of travel days since we need to be back at kolkata on 7th Sep 2016. Our total travel days have come down to 10 including train. We’ll be hiring taxi for a total of 7 days for the spiti tour. I’ve contacted 2-3 drivers from your suggested list and most of them are quoting 4K per day for xylo/scorpio/innova. The rate seems to be higher than what you have suggested (3000-3500) per day. Is this seems reasonable? Or shall we try to book on spot to get a better deal? Please suggest. Our itinerary is given below:
30/Aug/2016 – Shimla – Narkanda
31/Aug/2016 – Narkanda – Hatu – Manali/Solang valley
1/Sep/2016 – Manali/Solang valley – Kaza
2/Sep/2016 – Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Pin Valley – Dhankar – Tabo
3/Sep/2016 – Tabo – Chandertaal
4/Sep/2016 – Chandetaal – Manali/Manikaran
5/Sep/2016 – Manali/Manikaran – Kalka
Thanks once again.
I dont think so, they are charging a bit higher. General rates are 3000-3500. Better book on the spot. For 7 days it should not be more than 3500. You should kick out Shimla and Narkanda out of plan and focus just on Spiti Valley to enjoy it more from Manali side only.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot. Actually we’re getting down at Shimla via toy train. We’re preferring to stay for the night at Narkanda than Shimla since it is more congested. We’ll book both the car and hotels on spot as suggested by you. Appreciate your help.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are 3 friends planning to take the trip to Spiti Valley starting from Shimla. We would be starting on 9th September. Could you please give us an idea about the road condition and the weather at that time? Also, we plan to reach Manali by 14th as we are short on time. Is it possible to do the full circuit in 6 days (i.e. 9th from Shimla to Manali on 14th) ?
Please advise. Thanks !!!
Rohit, you will be mostly on road only as below:
Day 1 | Shimla – Kalpa, long drive
Day 2 | Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
Day 3 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Pin Valley – Kaza
Day 4 | Kaza – Ki, Kibber – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza
Day 5 | Kaza – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal
Day 6 | Chandratal – Manali
September will be pleasant in day, cool at night. at times cold at night especially in Spiti.
Hi Dheeraj,
We a group of 7 are planning for a 12 days trip to spiti (Including train). The itinerary is given below:
28/8/16 – Start from Kolkata
30/8/16 – Reach Kalka. Kalka to shimla via toy train. Shimla to Narkanda. Stay
31/08/16 – Narkanda to Hatu peak. Hatu peak to Gushaini. Stay
1/9/16 – Gushaini to jalori pass, serolskar lake. Then to Manali. Stay
2/9/16 – Manali to Kaza. Stay
3/9/16 – Kaza site seeing. Then to Pin valley. Night at Tabo
4/9/16 – Tabo to Dhankar, Dhankar Lake. Then to Chandertaal. Stay
5/9/16 – Chandertaal to Keylong. Night stay
6/9/16 – Keylong site seeing, Udipur, Trilokinath. Then to Manali/Manikaran. Stay
7/8/16 – Manali/Manikaran to Shimla. Stay
8/9/16 – Kalka to Delhi via Shatabdi, then Rajdhani in the evening
9/9/16 – Reach Kolkata
Please suggest if the above itinerary need modifications. We know that the Shimla kalpa spiti route is more preferable, but since we’re in short of days and also wants to visit the serolskar lake, we’re planning to take the Rohtang route.
I think I replied to your other comment. If not, please let me know.
Hi Dheeraj,
As per your suggestion I’ve modified my tour plan. Please have a look at it and give your final comment.
Also help me with accommodation details at below locations and contact of cab drivers if you have any.
23-09-16=Kolkata to Delhi
24-09-16=Delhi to Kalka
25-09-16=Kalka-Shimla-Sarahan via Narkanda
26-09-16=Sarahan to Chitkul
27-09-16=Chitkul-Sangla-Kalpa
28-09-16=Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
29-09-16=Tabo to Kaza via Dhankar Monasteries,Key Monastery, Kibber, Pin Valley
30-09-16=Kaza – Hikkim – Komik – Langza – Kaza / Losar
01-10-16=Kaza to Chandratal
02-10-16=Chandratal to Manali (Manali sightseeing)
03-10-16=Manali – Chandigarh
04-10-16=Chandigarh-Delhi
04-10-16=Delhi-Kolkata
Hotel required at: kalka, Sarahan, Chitkul, Kalpa, Tabo, Kaza, Losar,Chandratal, Manali.
Thank you again.
Regards,
Subrata
This plan looks good to me. No need to stay at Losar in case you visiting Chandratal. You can directly reach there and stay.
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.
Hello Dheeraj,
I used your ‘most common itinerary’ for travelling to Leh this summer. It was quite helpful.
Keep sending more such stuff and all the best…
Great to know that Yudhvir. How about sharing a short travel tale or photo tale with all of us ?
Hye Dheeraj
First of all thanks a lot for your quick response on my last post. Can you pls have a look at this itinerary and tell us whether this short itinerary is ok or not as in is it worth ?and whether it will be hectic or we should take some more time and travel more of spiti later..
day 1 delhi to manali
day 2 manali -rohtang-batal
day 3 batal-chandratal-kaza
day4 kaza-key monastry-kibber-chhatru
day 5 chhatru -manali-delhi
Thanks in advance!!!
This makes sense to me. In fact you can take it easy on Day 4 and make Kaza to Manali easily on Day5.
Many thanks for your response Dheeraj.
I do want to do the complete circuit. But I read that route from Kaza to Manali might be a little too much for a hatchback. I am planning to take my i20 Elite. What do you recommend?
Hmm, in that case better keep a track on Kinnaur circuit only. Though people did in i20 but yes I know it will be risky to do Kaza – Manali on i20.
Hey Dheeraj,
Awesome work on providing all the details. I am planning a 9 day solo trip to Spiti from 13th Aug – 21st Aug on my i20 Elite. The planed itinerary is as follows.
From To Kms
Day 1 Saturday 13-Aug-16 Gurgaon Narkand 439
Day 2 Sunday 14-Aug-16 Narkand Sangla 179
Day 3 Monday 15-Aug-16 Sangla Pooh (Via Chitkul) 139
Day 4 Tuesday 16-Aug-16 Pooh Tabo 88
Day 5 Wednesday 17-Aug-16 Tabo Kaza (Via Pin Valley) 115
Day 6 Thursday 18-Aug-16 Kaza Kaza (Nearby places) 116
Day 7 Friday 19-Aug-16 Kaza Kalpa 196
Day 8 Saturday 20-Aug-16 Kalpa Shimla 241
Day 9 Sunday 21-Aug-16 Shimla Gurgaon 380
Please let me know your thoughts on
1) The plan – Is it going to be feasible
2) What precautions should I keep in mind
3) What essentials to keep
Cheers,
Ashish
Hi Ashish,
Well, plan is doable but why to come back from Kinnaur again. Do it like below in last three days to complete the circuit and visit amazingly beautiful Chandratal:
Kaza – Chandratal
Chandratal – Manali
Manali – Delhi/Gurgaon
Hi Dheeraj,
I am back in manali after a ladakh trip. I will be leaving to spiti via kinnaur on 6th morning. Driving a swift diesel 2010 model. The overwhelming advice from locals at khoksar was not to try gramphoo baltal road on a hatchback. Traveling with my wife and have time to do it via kinnaur. So, back to manali now. What do you suggest regarding itineray. I would like to include chandratal.
We have 6 days in hand and have to reach Bangalore by 15th.
Also, I saw a road to sangla from manali via Aut, Bandar, shoja, Tinman and Rampur. Need your advice on that.
As I will be leaving very early tomorrow, a quick response is highly appreciated.
Vageesh, well, it will surely be challenge to take a hatchback on Gramphu – Batal road. If you really want to accept the challenge, you can take the risk but leave by 4 AM so that water crossings have less water by the time you reach there. Else take a taxi and do Spiti trip and come back. In 6 days in hand, you can easily do
Day 1 : Manali / Solang – Kaza
Day 2 : Kaza – Dhangkar – Tabo
Day 3 : Tabo – Pin Valley
Day 4 : Pin Valley – Kaza. Do Ki, Kibber in the evening.
Day 5 : Kaza – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Chandratal
Day 6 : Chandratal – Manali
Or you can take the route from Shoja – Jalori Pass on your own car and visit Sangla – Chitkul – Kalpa in these 6 days:
Day 1 | Manali – Shoja – Jalori Pass – Rampur – Sarahan
Day 2 | Sarahan – Sangla
Day 3 | Sangla – Chitkul – Sangla
Day 4 | Sangla – Kalpa
Day 5 | Kalpa – Narkanda
Day 6 | Back home
Thanks Dheeraj for quick reply. Finally decided to it via kinnaur. There were mixed opinions from cab drivers in Manali regarding gramphoo baltal road. Had to give up that plan.
Finally decided on the following itinerary. Please suggest any changes.
6th manali to sangla.( We had two nights of complete rest in Manali. So leaving by 4am)
7th kalpa and chitkul reach tabo by night( probably as close to tabo as possible. worried about malling mala)
8th tabo and around.
9th reach kaza
10th chandratal and back to kaza
11th kaza to Sarahan or Rampur
12th Jaipur
13th Indore/ While
14th Hubli
15th Bangalore
I feel it’s too cramped. I can extend for a day or two.
Guess, you already have completed your trip. I hope you had a good one.
Hi Dheeraj,
Yes. We did it with lots of driving.
We reached Sangla from Manali by evening. I felt jalori pass is difficult than Rothang in rains. Many landslides and slush. But enjoyed my time driving there.
The road to chitkul was blocked due to a swollen stream in the cloud burst area. Had to return from close to Rakcham. decided to do Kalpa and Chitkul on the way back and reached Tabo by late Evening.
Being Sunday, road workers were not there. So, road was filled with stones of varying sizes. Sections from Nako to Sumdo was terrifying. It was raining and shooting stones at regular intervals. Being tired both physically and mentally made things worse.
Thought of returning from Tabo. But the hotel guy convinced road to Kaza will open in the morning and we can return visiting Kaza, Ki and Kibber. After some rest, we decided to do that.
Visited Kaza, Ki and Kibber and returned to Reckong Peo by night. Long long day.
Visited Kalpa and left Chitkul for next time and started our return journey.
Thanks Dheeraj. Your blogs helped us a lot in this road trip. Looking forward to them in future.
Hi
I am planing to the above trip by bike from 7th august to 19th august and I have done some ground work with information which I had,
please give your feedback and additional information which you want to suggest thank you
07-08-2016 Delhi -Narkand
08-08-2016 Narkand -Rechong peo
09-08-2016 Rechong peo- Tabo/kaza
10-08-2016 Tabo/kaza- keylong
11-08-2016 Keylong- Leh
12-08-2016 Rest In leh
13-08-2016 Leh pangong -lake
14-08-2016 pangong lake -Leh
15-08-2016 Leh – turtuk
16-08-2016 turtuk -leh
17-08-2016 Leh -keylong
18-08-2016 Keylong -Manali
19-08-2016 Manali- Delhi
Manjunath, the plan is doable but you should visit Nubra Valley before sleeping over to Pangong Tso. However, please note that plan has long distance travel on almost all the days. This makes it very tiring overall.
Hi Dheeraj,
Hope you are doing great!
We are 4 friends planning for Spiti Valley trip from Delhi in september 2016.
Below is our plan, can you kindly let me know if it looks good?
I am not sure about the kms and time. Kindly let me know.
Fri Day 0: Pune to Delhi
Sat Day 1: Delhi – Shimla (350 Kms/8 Hours)
Sun Day 2: Shimla – Sarahan (175 Kms/5 To 6 Hours)
Mon Day 3: Sarahan – Sangla – (**Chitkul)(100 Kms/4 Hours)
Tue Day 4: (**Chitkul) – Sangla – Nako (135 Kms/6 Hours)
Wed Day 5: Nako – Kaza (111 Kms/ 2 Hours)
Thu Day 6: Kaza – Chandartal(Batal)(****) (90 kms/2hrs)–Night stay Batal
Fri Day 7: Chandartal/Batal(****) – Manali (200 Kms/7 To 8 Hours)
sat Day 8: Manali – Chandigarh (350kms / 8hours)
Sun Day 9: CG – Delhi (260 / 6hours)
Mon Day 10: Rest day in Delhi
Tue Day 11: Delhi to Pune
Hi
Tapas,
1. Your plan looks OK to me. Avoid night stay at Chitkul. Make a day visit.
2. Nako night stay, you might have some symptoms of AMS, people generally avoid and only stay at Tabo
3. You can do Manali – Chandigarh in a day. Save that day and spend it around Kaza. Or stay at Tabo and use this spared day to do Tabo – Dhangkar – Pin Valley – Kaza
Thank you Dheeraj for your kind reply.
From your comments below , I did a bit of change. kindly take a look and let me know if this looks perfect!
Fri Day1: Delhi – Shimla (350 Kms/8 Hours)
Sat Day2: Shimla – Sarahan (175 Kms/5 To 6 Hours)
Sun Day3: Sarahan – Sangla (100 Kms/4 Hours)
Mon Day4: Sangla – Chitkul – Sangla – Reckong Peo – Kalpa (40kms/2hrs)
Tue Day5: Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Geyu Mummy – Tabo (150kms/5-6hrs)
Wed Day6: Tabo- Dhangkar – Pin Valley – Kaza (50kms / 2hrs)
Thu Day7: Kaza – Langza, Komik, Hikkim, Ki, Kibber – Kaza (Day trip)
Fri Day8: Kaza–losar-Kunzum Pass- Chandratal(*) / Battal (90 kms/2hrs)
Sat Day9: Battal / Chandratal(*) – Rohtang Pass – Manali-Mandi (222kms/6-7hrs)
Sun Day10: Mandi – Delhi via Kurukshetra and Panipat (457kms / 10hours)(Is this route open for Bikes and doable in this time?)
The KMs I have put from gmaps and and time I have put approximately. Can you please help ?
Thank you again for your inputs.
Regards,
Tapas
Hmm, I will say forget about the time on road as there will be many factors but more or less time is OK except few days. However, plan is balanced and doable.
Especially Day 9, will take much more time than anticipated. May be about 10-11 depending upon how many water crossings you face..
Hi Dheeraj,
We are from bangalore and two years ago we had done a road trip of Manali to Leh to Srinagar. Your website helped us a lot to plan that out. Thanks a bunch !
This time we are planning road trip to Spiti valley. We will be reaching chandigarh on 27th of august and would want to start our road journey that day and have to be back by 4th of sept for our return flight.
So, it’s 7 full days and 2 half days..
What itinerary would you suggest?
And I hope end of august would be fine, considering the weather.
Please suggest.
Thanks in advance,
Navneet
Navneet, you can check 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 – Kaza
Day 3 : Kaza – Dhangkar – Tabo
Day 4 : Tabo – Pin Valley
Day 5 : Pin Valley – Kaza. Do Ki, Kibber in the evening.
Day 6 : Kaza – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza / Losar
Day 7 : Kaza / Losar – Chandratal – Manali
Day 8 : Reach Chandigarh by overnight Volvo from Manali
Thanks Dheeraj.
I forgot mentioning that we will be renting a car from chandigarh. With the days we have in hand, can we do narkanda leg while going or coming back?
It is a longer route and require another day extra or you will have to drop one or other place.
Thanks Dheeraj.
I forgot mentioning that we will be renting a car from chandigarh. With the days we have in hand, can we do narkanda leg while going or coming back?
And another thing, how will the roads be for self drive during that time? Both manali side n narkanda.
Replied to other comment.
Hi Dheeraj,
I’m planning for solo trip from 2nd August to 16 Aug for spiti valley. I will be starting from Gurgaon.
I just want to know that what is the general condition of rain in my travelling period on the route.
As i would be travelling alone, is their any special measure i need to take care of during my travel.
Please suggest me if any
You will face monsoon hassles in the lower hills for sure. Once you reach towards Spiti Valley, which is a rain shadow region there you wil mostly have overcast skies with less rains.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am Sreenadh from Kerala. A new member in DOW Community. We a group of 6 are planning a trip to Spiti in September
17th sept: Leave for Manali from Delhi (night)
18 th sept: Reach and spend day in Manali.
19th sept: Leave for Kaza early morning – via Rohtang and Kunzum Pass. Reach in the evening.
20th sept: Kaza – Dhangkar – Tabo – Kaza
21st sept: Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza
22nd sept: Kaza – Chandratal – Manali
Is this itinerary possible? Will the route be opened during this time and is it safe to travel?
Thanks in advance.
Sreenadh
Sreenadh, this is very much possible. Do keep your bodies hydrated as there might be chances of getting hit with AMS, so keep bodies hydrated. Also, after coming back from Hikkim, you can start for Chandratal on the same day to enjoy it more and enjoy the reflections in the morning.
Thanks Dheeraj
As we are reaching there by last week of September what kind of chlothing we need to carry? What will be the temperature be like?
You should carry at least one heavy jacket and some light woollens. Also, carry some T-shirts as in day time it may be hot only.
OK.. We contacted some taxi drivers and travel agencies.. Most of them are asking 18000/- for 4 days..what is your opinion about that rate?
Yes, the days more the price as they have to cover the same distance in less time. I think any how 3500 per day is in general cost that makes it 14K. May be check for couple of 1000 negotiation.
Hi Dheeraj,
We 3 guys planning Spiti following this itinerary with additional day at Kaza area starting Delhi on 17th Sept. Do we need to book in advance for stay on places you mentioned to stay (Sangla, Kalpa, Tabo, Mud village, Kaza, losar, battal), also can these village of pin valley, also Lallung,Demul and other mentioned above be traveled by self driven car. We will be driving Ertiga car from Delhi. Thanks bro.
Hi Deeraj, Awaiting your comment on above..
Will reply for sure today. Please bear with me for the delay.
You do not need to book in advance and you will surely get a place tby searching couple of places
Hey Dheeraj,
We are 3 friends planning to travel to Spiti Valley and Leh for 20 days.
I’ve read your itinerary for Spiti Valley to Ladakh, the only question that arises in my mind is if its possible to travel only with public transport. If not, we will stick to either one of the places! We are only planning to take local buses.
We were planning to start from Manali. Are 20 days enough to cover both with only local Buses? Do we need to travel everyday? We would definitely like to pace it out, and stay at a place for more than just a night and not travel everyday, as we do not have our own car.
Also, there are two foreigners traveling with me. Do we need any permissions for them?
Hope to hear from you!
Thanks!
Hello MEhi,
The whole route is connected by public transport from end to end and it can be done. However, the sightseeing places within Ladakh and Spiti does not have frequent bus connectivity for which you may need to rely on shared taxis at times and at times private taxis as well. However, if you want to soak in the place for couple of days and then move to another place, it may not be right to combine both the places in one trip.
Both foreigners will need permits in both Spiti Valley as well as Leh – Ladakh
hello Dheeraj
i am planning to go to spiti valley from manali on 25th of july. Do bikers need permit to go beyond rohtang pass? and what about road conditions. Is it safe to travel in july end?
YEs, bikers also need to get permit to cross Rohtang Pass and go to Spiti Valley. Do check the weather conditions and in case monsoons shows heavy rains in lower hills, kindly avoid. Once you reach Spiti Valley it is a rainshadow region with less rains but before that you may be facing trouble.
Thanks Dheeraj
I will be in manali on 25th july in morning.
can i go for batal same day or i have to wait that day for permit and start next day
You should get the permit on the same day and you can travel to Khoksar if you are feeling OK from the journey of last night else better stay at solang Valley
are there any staying options in khoksar?
Yes there is a PWD Guest House in Khoksar else you can travela bit further to Sissu where there are many options, we stay at Hotel Triveni always.
what are the documents required to get permit?
can we apply for permit on sunday…sunday is working or a holiday
You need to show Driving License, PUC and RC of the car. Yes, permits are not available on Sunday as well.
Hello Mr. Dheeraj
You have always provided the valuable information. After reading your blogs last year i have visited Leh ladakh on a my personal car and your itinerary has helped me a lot.
This year in 1st week of august i am planning to cover kaza, kunzum pass and chandratallake.
I will start my trip on 31st July 2016 from Chandigarh and i want to travel via shimla as there will not be any problem of permits.
I dont want to cover sangla chitkul as i have already covered.
1.Kindly suggest the itinerary I want to go via shimla, narkanda,rampur, kalpa, tabo,kaza, kunzum pass ,chnadrataal and then back to chandigarh via manali.
2, no of days required
3. Can i cover this with elite i20 /Scorpio.which one will be better???
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.
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.
Better take Scorpio with you.
PS: If possible, do pay a visit to our DoW Spiti Library in Kaza. Who knows you short walk there may help it remain active for the kids up there for much longer time 🙂 :)…
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for your reply. We were planning to take a car on rent from Chandigarh and start on 30th Sept early Morning for Shimla and return to Kasol / Tosh to Chandigarh, but as u suggested we must do it other way round so can v make it is following way:
30th Sept: Chandigarh to Tosh/Kasol (over Nite stay)
1st Oct: Stay at Kasol / Tosh
2nd Oct: Tosh to Rohtang – Chandratal – Kaza/Losar
3rd Oct : Kaza/Losar – Key – Kibber – Kaza
4th Oct : Kaza – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza
5th Oct : Kaza – Pin Valley – Dhangkar – Tabo
6th Oct : Tabo – Geyu Mummy – Nako – Kalpa
7th Oct : Kalpa – Sangla / Chitkul
8th Oct : Sangla / Chitkul – Sarahan – Narkanda
9th Oct : Narkanda (stay over nite)
10th Oct Narkanda to Chandigarh to Mumbai (Flight)
Looks good to me, except the fact 2nd Oct day will be too much and also you need to arrange permits to cross Rohtang Pass too. 🙂
Thanks for your reply… you are correct 2nd Oct looks difficult so i was reading your chat & most common itinerary can planned my. We planning to cancel Kasol as its becoming too hectic. So below find the new plan:
1st Oct: Chandigarh to Manali (over Nite stay)
2nd Oct: Manali to Rohtang – Chandratal / Batal (Over nite at Chandratal camp / Batal) (can you suggest accomadation at chandratal)
3rd Oct: Kunzum La Pass – Losar – (Stay over at Losar) (Can v add anything on dis day?)
4th Oct: Losar – Kaza – Kyi – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang – Kaza (Overnite At Kaza)
5th Oct: Kaza – Hikkim – Komik – Langza – Kaza (Overnite At Kaza)
6th Oct: Kaza – Pin Valley – Dhangkar – Tabo (Overnite At Tabo)
7th Oct: Tabo – Geyu Mummy – Nako (Lake) – Kalpa (overnite at Kalpa)
8th Oct: Kalpa – Sangla / Chitkul
9th Oct: Sangla / Chitkul – Sarahan – Narkanda
10th Oct: Narkanda (Stay)
11th Oct: Narkanda to Chandigarh
(We hav 2 more nites so please guide were can v add in our stay. Or please guide any other places to visit dat v can add.
1. Better come back and stay at Battal Dhabha or PWD Rest House instead of Chandratal because it will be windy and cold during Ocotober and second day your body will not be acclimatized to sleep t such a height. Otherwise, there will be camps easily available during that time.
2. There is no need to stay at Losar, go over to Kaza and make use of that day. Chandratal/Batal – Kunzum Pass – Losar – Ki, Kibber – Kaza
3. 4th Oct, eased out now because of point 2, skip Gette, Tashigang and only focus on Langza, Komik, Hikkim. Spend more time there
4. Spend one day extra in Spiti Valley instead of Narkanda. After covering so much in Spiti, you will feel you must have spend more time instead of Narkanda.
5. If you have two more nights, spend in Spiti only. You can visit Demul, Lhalung villages too in Spiti. You can spend a rest day in Kaza or may be do trek between Langza, Komik, Hikkim villages. Also, you can plan to spend night in Pin Valley.
Thanks Dheeraj, I guess u r correct, we must spend more time in spiti. So v shall skip Narkanda 1 nite add add in Pin Valley (please recommend the accommodation)
Also v are keen on doin camp stay at Chandratal but my worry is acclimatization so can v directly reach Kaza from Manali stay der for 3 days and den drive to Chandratal lake and stay over (this will help is to acclimatize and also v’ll get use to the chilling climate.
Yes Karishma, you should do that. In Pin Valley, you should try to stay at Sagnam PWD Rest House else stay at Tara Guest House in Mud village which is a bit basic but OK. I hope you do not have luxury expectations from Spiti Valley.
You can do that as well but late in the season it becomes very chilly with cold winds up there. You may have a challenge spending a night.
Thanks a lot Dheeraj for all your help and advises… It’s a great help as alwez…Shall soon fix the plan… Can’t wait to go now… Shall share my experiences with u after the most awaited trip…
Sure, have a great trip !! Will wait to read your experience and see some fabulous pictures in DwD Community 🙂
Hi Dheeraj Sir,
I have to plan itinerary for 7 days for myself, i have planned it from mandi (currently where i live) till tabo and from kaza to manali and finally to mandi but i am not getting which all places to visit from tabo till/around kaza. I am having two days and two nights from tabo and i want to be around kaza after these two days and two nights. I will be very thankful to you, if you could advice me for this.
You can refer the days and choose what you want to explore around Tabo and Kaza from the above itinerary in the two days you have in hand. BTW, Mandi to Tabo is a very very very long way, you will be too tired or will give up in between.
I think i was not able to make it clear. Sorry for that.
Sir, Actually My plan is as follows:
Day1: Mandi to Reckong Peo
Day2: Reckong Peo-Sangla – Chitkul – Sangla – Kalpa
Day3: Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
Day4:
Day5:
Day6: Kaza–losar-Kunzum Pass-Chandratal / Battal
Day7: Battal / Chandratal – Rohtang Pass – Manali-Mandi
I was just confused how to spend my 4&5 day. I would be very happy if you could just convert day 5,6,7 of yours above mentioned itinerary into my day 4&5 in the best way possible. Please sir, i am very much confused.
You should do it like:
Day1: Mandi to Sangla, as Sangla route comes before you reach Reckong Peo
Day2: Sangla – Chitkul – Sangla – Reckong Peo – Kalpa
Day3: Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
Day4: Tabo- Dhangkar – Pin Valley – Kaza
Day5: Kaza – Langza, Komik, Hikkim, Ki, Kibber – Kaza
Day6: Kaza–losar-Kunzum Pass- Chandratal / Battal
Day7: Battal / Chandratal – Rohtang Pass – Manali-Mandi
HI Dheeraj
I along with my 5 friends are planning to explore spity valley on bikes from delhi. We have 7 days with us starting from 14th july to 20th. we are planning to take the shimla route. Can you please suggest us the best suitable itinerary. we want to follow a complete circuit. Also If you have any information regarding best bike rental companies in delhi, please tell me that too.
Thanks in advance.
Deep
Hi Dheeraj,
Firstly you are really doing a great job in guiding so many like us travel beyond the usual tourist circuits.
I wanted your advice on planning a route from lahaul Spiti to Leh. I and my wife would travelling in an SUV starting from Chandigarh at 3 PM (due to Blore – Chandigarh flight timings) on 20th July and have to reach Leh by 26th July.
Can you please advice the best route to achieve this?
Many thanks
Regards
Subodh
20th: Reach Fagu/Narkanda by night
21st: Fagu/Narkanda – Kalpa
22nd: Kalpa – Nako Geyu Mummy – Tabo
23rd: Tabo -Dhangkar – Pin Valley – Kaza
24th: Kaza – Langza, Hikkim, Komik – Chandratal
25th: Chandratal – Keylong – Jispa
26th: Jispa – Leh
Keep in mind every day you will be traveling to quite a distance and for sure it is not a easy drive.
hiya,
I am in manali as a solo woman traveler and am curious about your tips for spending approximately 6 days (leaving July 7 or 8) in spiti, returning to manali by the 13th/14th to connect with a motorbike trip to leh 7/15. will I have enough time to make it worthwhile if I travel by bus? recommended route?? does it make more sense to go directly from kaza to leh (would mean missing the ride on motorbike and would have to take bus …. but would give me greater flexibility of time)….. or do you have any other suggestions??
Hi Hanna,
1. Yes, you can make a good 6 day trip to Spiti from Manali, check the below mentioned plan. You can use bus from Manali to Kaza.
2. You should go from Kaza to Keylong on the way back instead of Manali and ask your friends to pick you up from Keylong as they will be anyhow passing the place. So, does not make sense to go back to Manali.
Here is the plan you can follow:
Day 1 : Take the bus to Kaza from Manali and reach Kaza. Manali / Solang – Kaza
Day 2 : Kaza – Dhangkar – Tabo. You can do it in either bus to Tabo or shared taxis running between these places
Day 3 : Pin Valley – Kaza. Do Ki, Kibber in the evening.
Day 4 : Kaza – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza
Day 5 : Kaza – Chandratal, Take the bus going to Keylong or Manali and get down either at Batal Dhabha and wait for some hitchhike option OR get down at Chandratal diversion point and hitchhike or trek from there. Reach Chandratal and spend overnight there.
Day 6 : Chandratal and get back to Batal Dhabha or wait for the bus to come to the diversion point and take that bus to Keylong. Start early from Chandratal to reach around 7.00 AM at Battal. Or ask the driver of Keylong bus in Kaza when they reach at Battal and you can buy the ticket to Keylong a day before when leaving from Kaza to Chandratal.
huge thanx for the quick, thorough response! quite impressed with ur site! for the manali kaza bus, is there just the one bus that leaves 5am from manali bus terminal by the market? am I able to make reservation or is it a super local bus (want to make sure I get a window!) for the other routes, are there frequent buses going, or is there a schedule of the specific times I’d have to catch them (aside from the leg I could maybe get shared taxi)? lastly, do u have recommendations for affordable/interesting places to stay on the itinerary u suggest? many thanks again!
Hi Hanna,
1. AFAIK with assurance, there is one bus in service that leaves from Kullu to Manali, though I have heard from some people that there is one that starts from Manali 10-15 minutes between the two though I am not 100% sure. The bus starts at 4.30 AM from Kullu and 5.00 AM from Kaza to Manali. You can expect it to be around in Manali at 5.30 – 5.45 AM. The bus fare from Manali – Kaza is Rs 295 and up to Kullu is Rs 360.
2. There is only one bus so in case you miss it, you have to get the shared taxi which should be available early in the day as many taxis leaves from 6-7 AM to Kaza only. You can ask for bus ticket a night before though I am not 100% sure they will give you because for most of these routes tickets can be bought in the morning only before the bus leaves. Try to be there around 5 AM
3. Best is to look forward to home stays when you reach up there. There will be in plenty around Kaza and other places, just Chandratal you may need to bargain hard or pay more.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj
Thanks for the lovely blog you maintain with very useful information. We just completed the Spiti Valley circuit – Delhi/Matiana/Sangla/Kalpa/Kaza/Losar/Chandratal/Manali – using some invaluable pointers from your blog. It was the drive of a lifetime which we hope to repeat soon. Now planning on the Leh drive.
Thanks a ton & please keep the valuable info updated as always.
That’s great to know. How about sharing a photo tale or travel tale in DwD Community 🙂
Hi Dheeraj,
We are planning to drive down to Spiti on 1st week of Sept 2016. We will travel from Delhi and thinking of taking the Manali route and come back by the same.
Total no of days for our journey is 6 days. Will it be a good time to go there? Please suggest
Car- Ford Ecosport
Can you please also suggest the best itinerary for the trip ?
Thank You in advance.
With just 6 days in hand, you can follow below:
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 / Losar – Chandratal – Manali
Day 6 : Start for Delhi
Will 1st week of sept a good time time to travel?
September is always a good time to travel, in fact the best time to travel in trans-Himalayas including Spiti and Ladakh
Thank You So much for the moral boosting feedback. 🙂
Have fun 🙂
Hi Dheeraj,
Firstly thanking you for your efforts on helping each one out there!
Im visiting Manali in July last week but due to tight schedule, want to travel Spiti in minimum time. Can you please let me know if below itinerary is good to go on bike? Im not covering entire Spiti but just a part of it.
Day 1 – Manali/Solang for acclimatization
Day 2 – Manali –Chandrataal
Day 3 – Chandrataal – Kaza – Losar
Day 4 – Losar – Manali
You can suggest any changes if needed. Also, I came to know that Rohtang pass is closed on Tuesday, is it true? Cant we return back from Losar to Manali on Tuesday?
Thank you in advance
Regards,
Akshay
Day 1 | Solang – Kaza
Day 2 | Kaza – Ki, Kibber, Langza or do Tabo, Dhangkar circuit
Day 3 | Kaza – Chandratal
Day 4 | Manali
Well you will be prone to AMS, so take care. You should be allowed o pass through Rohtang Pass as you are going beyond it.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to do a complete circuit on bike with pillion and I have 15 days in hand, I am planning to reach Shimla on 16th of July and return on 1st August. I own a Thunderbird and I will be carrying it along. The given itinerary is for 10 days, please advise what else I can do with the remaining days in hand?
I appreciate the time and effort you are spending to help others to reach and explore these wonderful places, to be honest I came to know about Spiti valley through your website only, initially my plan was to visit common tourist places like Shimla, Kullu, Manali, etc. Thanks a ton for guidance and sharing your experience.
Regards
Moiz
You can follow below plan:
Day 1 | Delhi/Chandigarh – Shimla
Day 2 | Shimla – Sarahan
Day 3 | Sarahan – Sangla/Chitkul
Day 4 | Sangla/Chitkul
Day 5 | Sangla/Chitkul – Kalpa
Day 6 | Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
Day 7 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Lhalung
— Homestay
Day 8 | Lhalung – Pin Valley
Day 9 | 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 10 | Kaza Local Sightseeing
— Ki, Kibber, Gette, Tashigang
Day 11 | Kaza Local Sightseeing
— Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
Day 12 | Kaza – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal
— Camps if put up there by the local or come back to Losar
Day 13 | Chandratal – Manali
— Many options, my fav. is Johnsons
Day 14 | Manali – Delhi
Day 15 | Buffer day to be kept to either rest or spend one day in Nako
Thanks a lot Dheeraj, I will share the pics and trip details once return. Thanks again for your time, God bless.
Looking forward to it, best wishes for your Spiti trip 🙂
Hi Dheeraj,
I have planned a trip of about 10 days, along with my friends.
I would take the Shimla-Kalpa route, hoping that We could cover Shimla to Kalpa in one day.
My question is is there any chance I could find snow anywhere in and around spiti during 1st and 2nd week of Sept.
Yes Sambit, you can do Shimla to Kalpa in a day, just start by 7 AM from Shimla for sure. Snow will be no where to be found unless snows those very days when you are there in Spiti.
Thanks for replying Dheeraj!
Also thanks to whole devilonwheels community, I have to admit I was benifitted a lot from here.
Last year I had planned to go to Leh from Delhi, initially we had planned to go via Manali, but then after reading articles from this community, I made a better choice of going via Srinagar(Avoiding the hassles of permitsand better acclimatization), though while returning still Pang hit us very badly, but I can only imagine what would have happened if we had gone via Manali and visited Pang at earlier point.
Seems like again this time around, where i initially planned via Manali, but then reading on, I am guessing taking Kalpa route and coming back via Manali will avoid hassles related to permit and also provide a good itinerary) .
I hope it snows, though, we all are anticipating it(though snowing in September is very rare).
Thanks a lot again, I would look to contribute to the community by sharing my experiences once I come back from Spiti.
Sambit, yeah, that’s the way to go to Spiti dear. PS: If possible, do pay a visit to our DoW Spiti Library in Kaza. Who knows you short walk there may help it remain active for the kids up there for much longer time 🙂 :)…
Hi,
Can you please update the current road conditions if available from Shimla to Manali via Spiti Valley. We are going on that circuit on 1st July from Chandigarh.
Thanks in advance.
Regards
Varun
Varun, the road from Kunzum Pass to Gramphu is ain complete mess as aalways, this year water crossings are tamed due to water pipes under them but road is as bad as always. Rest the whole route up to Kaza from Shimla is OK OK
Folks, Had an awesome trip of 2 weeks wandering (on wheels) through Baspa – Kinnaur – Spiti – Pin valleys.
Hope to get everything on blog quickly enough. everything went almost on par with planning largely thanks to Dheeraj & his efforts at DOW website, Mingmar our companion provided by probably the best guy in Spiti, Tsering Bodh & a bit of effort on my own in doing research on places, stays & overall itinerary.
A big thanks to DOW for making this dream trip come true!
PS: Posting our route here in case if anyone wants a leisurely affair.
Chandigarh-Kotgarh(1)-Chitkul(2)-(3)-Nako(4)-Dhankar(5)-Kaza(6)-(7)-Langza(8)-(9)-Mudh(10)-Kalpa(11)-(12)-Narkanda(13)-Chandigarh
Regards,
Yatin
That’s wonderful to know Yatin, if possible, do share your experience as Travel Tale or Photo Tale in DwD Community.
Hi ,
I am planning to visit spiti valley during 10th-18th sepetember. Is it a good time to visit, will it rain during this time. Could you please confirm whether the following tour plan will be too hectic for me and my wife-
Day 1 – Chandigarh to Shimla/Narkanda
Day 2 – Shimla/Narkanda to Sangla
Day 3 – Stay at Sangla
Day 4- Sangla to Kaza
Day 5 – Stay at Kaza
Day 6 – Kaza to Chandratal
Day7- Chandratal to Manali
Day 8- Manali to Chandigarh
Thanks in Advance
Hi Dheeraj,
We are 2 couples planning to rent a Scorpio from Delhi and do the Spiti Valley tour from Shimla and return via Manali. The tentative itinerary is as follows:
Day 1 – 11-08-2016 – Delhi to Shimla – 360 kms, 8 hours – overnite at Shimla
Day 2 – 12-08-2016 – Shimla to Narkanda to Sarahan to Sangla to Chitkul – 200 kms, 8 hours – at Chitkul
Day 3 – 13-08-2016 –Chitkul to Sangla to Kalpa – 110 kms, 5 hours – overnite at Kalpa
Day 4 – 14-08-2016 – Kalpa to Nako to Tabo – 180 kms, 9 hours – overnite at Tabo
Day 5 – 15-08-2016 – Tabo to Dhankar to Pin Valley – 70 kms, 4 hours – overnite at Mudh Village
Day 6 – 16-08-2016 – Pin Valley to Ki & Kibber to Kaza – 80 kms, 4 hours – overnite at Kaza
Day 7 – 17-08-2016 – Kaza to Langza, Hikkim, Komic to Kaza – 70 kms, 3 hours – overnite at Kaza
Day 8 – 18-08-2016 – Kaza to Chandertal – 170 kms, 8 hours – overnite at Chander Taal Lake Camps
Day 9 – 19-08-2016 – Chandertal to Manali – 110 kms, 6 hours – overnite at Manali
Day 10 – 20-08-2016 – Manali to Delhi – 540 kms, 11 hours
Please let me know if the itinerary and the pit stops are at the right places or are we missing out staying at some scenic places. if so, please guide. We can change the internal schedule / itinerary as per better ones provided by you. Please also suggest the right places to stay at each place where we are halting at night … hotel, b&b, homestays, etc. Also suggest if we are missing anything en-route as we are ready to take small detours to see any worthy scenic place. If needed we can reduce a couple of places if not required to be visited or likewise add a couple of places that we have missed out on our itinerary. Would request you to give us a details reply with your valuable inputs as this is our first by road trip and we want to be sure about everything. Thanks a lot.
Hi Dhiraj,
We are a bunch of 6 friends planning to follow the same itinerary in the july end (From July 22).
I do have some queries related to the trip. It would be really helpful if you provide your guidance on these :
1. Since we are planning to travel in July end (July 22 onwards), could rain hamper our plans anywhere in the trip (Kinnaur Valley, Spiti or other places) ?
2. We are bunch of 6 people travelling from Delhi, planning to take a shared cab from one of the drivers mentioned in DOW blog for spiti travel, either from Shimla or may be from Delhi by asking them to pick us from Delhi and then drop to Delhi via Manali. Could you please provide us the rough budget/approximate cost of the trip, if we follow the same above mentioned trip?
Thanks for wonderful work! Way to Go 🙂
Hi Gaurav,
1. Now a days it rains a bit less in July but you never can predict weather now.
2. Well, taxis in general are available around 3000-3500 per day depending upon the lenght of the tour
Dear Dhiraj ji,
As per the guide line & itinerary of Discover with Dheeraj we had taken Srinagar – Leh – Manali 13 Days tour during the year May – 2013. In this tour we covered Kashmir – Kargil – Leh – Nubra Vellery – Pangong Lake (With Night Halt) – Tso Morari Lake (with Night Halt) – Jispa – Manali. This was magnificent tour and still Water colours at Alchi, Confulence of Zanskar & Indus River, Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake, Tsomoriri Lake and beauty of Jispa are playing in our memory and it is our life time experience.
In May – 2017 we are planning to visit Lahaul – Spiti and are strictly following your given itinerary i.e.Most Common Itinerary of Spiti Valley for 11 – 12 Days which includes 2 buffer days. Now, I have some query
(1) Shall I include Suraj Tal in this itinerary? i.e. after coveringChandratal Night Halt at Keylong & then from Keylong to Suraj Tal & Night Halt at Jispa & then Jispa to Manali.
(2) During 1st Week of May all places will be accessible?
(3) Shall I keep 2 buffer day in May?
Please help us with your guideline to finalise our itinerary.
With Best Wishes.
Manoj Shah
Hello Manoj,
The common itinerary of Spiti will not be possible before second week of June because road from Manali to KAza does not open in May in general. So, you will have to go from Shimla side and come back from same side. Regarding Surajtal, you can include so and will need 2 days from Chandratal extra for it like you have mentioned above.
Hi Dheeraj
Thank you for detailed information and itinerary about travel to spiti.
Four of us are planning to do a self driven trip to explore this valley from Ludhiana.
We want to consult you to how to make our itinerary which will be going from Shimla and coming back from Shimla as well for 9-10 days in Late June or Early July.
Thank You
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.
PS: Do pay a visit to our DoW Spiti Library in Kaza. Who knows you short walk there may help it remain active for the kids up there for much longer 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 / 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. You can keep an average of 900-1200 per person per day for food and stay on the tour to Spiti Valley.
Hi Dheeraj Sir
Thank You for prompt response.
So now we have planned a 8 day trip to spiti valley following your itinerary starting on 27th June 16.
Day 1- Going to Rampur from Ludhiana
Day 2- Rampur To Sangla and Staying at Sangla
Day 3- Sangla To Kalpa
Day 4- Kalpa To Tabo
Day 5- Tabo To Kaza
Day 6- Kaza To Chandartaal
Day 7- Chandartaal To Manali
Day 8- Manali To Ludhiana
1. As we are travelling in june end and first week of july How are the road conditions during this period?
2. We are travelling in Innova which is self driven, Please advice on Do’s and Dont’s while travelling in this vehicle. Tyre Conditions? Or any Special Requirement for Vehicle.
3. I also saw some blogs and videos where Innova gets stuck in crossing nallahs and small water bodies.
Thank You
Archit Jain
Hello Archit,
1. Roads are open and fine during this time unless it rains which will create slush in Kinnaur roads and climbing Rohtang Pass. Of course, there is no way out for Manali – Kaza road.
2. You must read: 7 Useful Tips for a Self Drive to Leh – Ladakh
3. Yes, that will be common on Manali – Kaza road, drive with care after crossing Kunzum Pass. Also, please be very careful while driving on Chandratal diversion road as it is very narrow.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks for detailed info about travel to spiti.
I have few queries-
Require your guidance.
I am planning for trip Delhi to Kaza / Spiti (self driving by car with wife and kid / Ertiga),
I am the sole driver.
Queries are-
1. Last week of June, Is it right time to visit this region ?
2. Will be travelling with 6 yr kid. Is it ok to travel with Kids (any issue expected due to high altitude)
3. I am planning to take Shimla – Narkhanda route. I hope this road is reasonable. (as I read much varying opinion about this on internet)
Request for your valuable inputs !!
THanks
Hi Dheeraj,
Thank you for such a detailed itinerary and all the valuable information you have provided. Its a great help to many of us travellers.
Hoping to proceed to Spiti on bikes in October this year. Leaving from Mumbai to Kalka by train and then riding to Simla and thereon to Spiti. Planned dates starting from Simla are between 12-21-Oct. Time is limited due to issues in getting leaves. Since this is short time span we hope to ride longer distances per day.
Request your help with the following information:
1. Would September or October be a good time to travel to Spiti? September would be ideal for us but was given to understand that it rains in September. Is this so?
2. Please advise a suitable itinerary based on our limited no of days
Thanks a lot.
Regards,
Glen
Well the time you are planning gets cold up there and Chandratal is very risky affair as well as crossing Kunzum Pass. Though from last few years Kunzum Pass has not closed for long period in October but you can always not be sure when it comes to weather. It is a risky situation I will say and lot depends upon weather:
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
Thanks a ton Dheeraj. Will re-think on the October plan.
Appreciate your precious guidance. You are a blessing.
Regards,
Glen
Thank you Glen, have a great trip whenever you plan. Feel free to post any queries.
Hi Dheeraj,
Followed your itinerary almost in-toto. For those on this forum who are planning – Took a self driven Figo from Delhi (cost me 15k from SelfDrive.in – but suggest take it from Myles, Pannu Travels who’s the dealer for SelfDrive is a big time cheat). Halted at Shimla, Sarahan (Circuit House), Rakcham (with Naresh Negi-he’s got one log hut also now), Kalpa (Circuit House), Tabo (Tow They) and Kaza (Snow Lion-not recommended-try Deyzor instead) and (Circuit House). We travelled from 23 May-01 Jun. Roads are bad but you won’t feel it so much in a Duster and above. The localites use Alto with gusto !!! Returned through Thanedar (took detour post Jeori). What an experience . It’s mind blowing-will definitely go back. Thanks a ton Dheeraj . You’re a boon.
Regards
Arunava
Great to know that you had a wonderful trip
We had gone with Anil Thakur ( menjtioned in the list) and I would like to let the group know that he has got extremely good driving skills and we are very happy with him. As he once said that ” Aap log maje karo, baki police aye, military aye , army amye – mai dekhlunga” ( You guys enjoy, rest I will take care of police, military or army whatever it is). He has two numbers -9816594411 and 9459915990.
Dheeraj,
Request you to update both of them.
Thank you and njoy!! I had a great time finding myself in Himalays!!
Thank you and I have updated his contact details.
Hi Dheeraj Bhai.
I am planning for a trip to Spiti Valley in month of September with no companion and max 10 days in my hand. I just saw some queries and your answers to them which hints me that this trip is mostly possible by bikes and personal cars only. I am just curios to know,
1) If i can do this trip by Public Transport ?
2) If i have to rent a bike then from where should i rent it ( My starting point is Chandigarh )
3) Is it Feasible/safe for a lonely rider ?
No Aniket, it is totally connected buses of daily basis. Delhi – Shimla, Shimla – reckong peo, Reckong peo to Kaza, Kaza to manali
Thanks for the amazing info. Very useful. I’m probably going there in september, i do have just one important question that i cannot answer despite my research.
IF i want to go via Manali and exit via Kinnaur, where can i make a inner line permit? Can i do that in manali or somewhere in spiti valley (i don’t think so)?
I would like to do this to meet some friend first in Manali and go ti spiti, but would really like to go back via kinnaur to complete the journey. Is that even possible?
thank you again!
I didn’t see the other article about that. Now i know! I will consider it. Thanks anyway
Cool, best wishes for your trip.
I think you got the otehr article now 🙂
hey, Matteo. Me too planning to go there in September ( already have booked air tickets ). I don’t have any companion as of and it seems that a bike is MUST for this trip.. How u planning to do it ? Please leave a reply here or please get me at aniket.b0702@gmail.com
Regards,
Aniket B.
Hello dheeraj,
Ur blog helped us planning our trio to kinaaur valley last year and this year to the spiti valley. Thanks for the invaluable info.
Me n my friends are doing simla- spiti-manali circuit next week. Is there a list of things we need to carry for the route?
Vaani, you can refer: Tips for Carrying Clothes for Ladakh Trip and List of things to carry when you go on trip
Dear Vaani
Please keep us updated on your progress / experience of the route.
We will be getting on same itinerary next week.
Regards
Dhiraj
Hello dheeraj
I am following your itinerary.. I am looking for good accommodation.. good food… cann u suggest me some name of good dhaba…
Thank you..
I am leaving on 10th of June…
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.
Dear Karnesh,
Please keep us update on your progress / experience of the route.
We will be getting on same itinerary next week.
Regards
Dhiraj
HI Dheeraj,
We are two friends will be travelling to Spiti Valley via Manali and exiting by Shimla.
Can you please advice that if we go by Pulsar 180 and Avenger. Would it be a good idea and is it really compulsory to carry mechanical parts and itinerary because we want to travel lite. If possible please guide us that what should be the minimum we could take with us.
Thanks in advance 🙂
Yes, you can go by these bikes to Spiti Valley. If you feel that your bikes are in good shape, you can go ahead without them but it is always recommended to travel.
Hello Dheeraj bhai,
First, thank you for taking time out of your schedule and replying to each comment 🙂 Your website has helped plan many a (successful) trips.
Second, any news on the batal-chandertal road? Is it open now that the kunzum-gramphoo road has been open since a week?
Thanks
Vijay
Vijay, people have started reaching Chandratal. The road is slushy and not yet cleaned but those having will and determination have started reaching up there at Chandratal. There are couple of tents which are up too.
Thank you. Do you think it will be motorable in 2-3 weeks time?
O yes, pretty easily.
Thanks again! Wish you and DOW more success (& page visits :)).
Thank you brother !!
Dhiraj, is Chitkul to Nako Lake in 1 day (about 150km) too ambitious? I’m estimating it to be an 8 hour drive (all things ideal). Is my assessment incorrect?
Also, some phone numbers here (https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/06/List-HP-PWD-Rest-Houses.pdf) are not correct anymore.
I’m collating the correct numbers, will send them to you soon.
Chitkul to Nako is pretty much doable and it will not take that much time, around 6 Hrs rest depends upon blockades. Thanks for updating on the numbers, will update them once I get them.
Hi dheeraj
Is the manali to shimla via spiti Valley circuit open now.
Yes Saurabh, Manali to Kaza road is open now.
How do you travel in spiti itself if you travel there on a bus? Can we rent any bikes there?
No Abhinav, you will need to rely on local shared taxis that run in between the places or you have to hire a taxi
Hi Dheeraj,
I want to try your this itinerary in third week of June (18/6) and few basic queries,
– How will be weather in the entire circuit (wet, cool or warm) and conditions of road.
– As Kunzum pass has just open but with recent rains, do we expect high water in same?
– Is it safe to go on a lone vehicle trip to the circuit (I drive XUV500) with family (2 kids 10Y/13Y)
– How are circuit house accommodations on the circuit – comfortable or should be look for hotels / homestays
– Do we expect more traveler / tourist on this circuit during June end leading to congestion / room shortages
– How can we complete this trip in 9 days instead of budgeted 11 days ?
As always, looking forward for your quick response.
Regards
Dhiraj
Dear Dheeraj,
Looking forward for your guidance.
Regards
Dhiraj, I did reply. Is there anything still pending? Can you please repost?
Dheeraj, I can’t see any response posted on the website, nor I received any email regarding your response post on my query.
Request you to please respond again.
Regards
Dhiraj, I hop you got the reply now.
Yes Dheeraj.
Trying to close on itinerary and confused on two sets to shorten trip duration
1.Dropping Chitkul or Kalpa ?
Option 1 – Stay at Sangla / Chitkul after visiting Chitkul on Day 2 and head towards Tabo dropping stay at Kalpa
Option 2 – Drive upto Sarahan on Day 1 and visit Chitkul to return to Kalpa on Day2 to stay.
2. How to get one day from Kaza section with still covering Mud, Local Kaza etc..
Please suggest.
Regards
1. I will suggest to drop Sangla/Chitkul because it will help you move evenly not that Kalpa is better
2. Option 2 is too much
3. Once you reach there, I will suggest you take a call on it.
Sorry for that, guess was confused. Here is the reply:
– In lower hills it will be warm and upper hills it will be cool to cold at night
– The road from Manali to Kaza is always full of water streams
– In general it is safe, I hope you drive with caution
– They are mostly good and comfortable
– Yes, you will see plenty of them
– Well, you can skip Sangla and one day in Kaza
Thanks Dheeraj.
Let me clean up my itinerary and might reach you again for inputs.
Regards
Sure, feel free to post your updated itinerary.
Dear Dheeraj,
Thanks a ton and we have been able to complete entire circuit with my family and XUV in verbatim to your suggested itinerary. This can be best paced schedule and cover all must see places of this wonderful region.
Only variation we did was to extend trip from Manali and landed at Raju’s guest house in Tirthan to relax for two days and YES this was best experience in homestay ever (not sure why your gave only 9.5 to them)
Some tips / update for people still in planning stage:
– Roads upto Kaza / Losar are generally good and we can see many sedans moving around
– Many camps / homestays are now available at Rakcham / Chitkul and no need to stay at Sangla
– Definitely visit Mudh / Pin valley, even at cost to drop a day in Kaza – views will take your breath away
– Only ATM at Kaza (SBI) has been not working since last week due to fire in wiring – ensure you have sufficient cash for the journey or stack up at Tabo. No one in the region accept credit cards..
– No water at Kunzum pass this year and hence drive is fairly smooth
– Road to Chandrataal is crazy – we saw one vehicle slip down and heard about two more in last two days on track – please be sure on your/ vehicle capability and clearance on this track.
– No road practically exists between Batal and Grampho – do not attempt with sedans – we saw two with broken chambers on road. Also ensure to cover this section early in day to avoid water overflows in nallah – 3~4 of them around Chota Darah are tough in high waters
– No snow at Manali (except some dirty pathches at Rohtang). Drop same from itinerary and head directly towards Tirthan valley to relax.
Thanks again DoW.
Regards
Dhiraj
Awesome update Dhiraj, thank you so much. Glad you had such a wonderful trip to Spiti Valley !!
Hi guys, we are three bikers leaving for spiti from Chandigarh on 4th June2016, any co travellers welcome please get in touch at 9999238555 Sameer
Hi guys, we are three bikers leaving for spiti from Chandigarh on 4th June, any co travellers welcome please get in touch at 9999238555 Sameer
Hey,
I do not remember where I commented last regarding my spiti trip. Still waiting for the reply 🙁
Thanks
Hi Dheeraj,
Although, I have visited Himachal many times and also trekked a lot but that was about 6-7 years before. We are planning to do Biking Tour Delhi to Khardungla back to delhi via spiti valley. Although we have many experienced bikers in the group who have done this many times. But as this is my first time, i just want to ask if it’s safe for June 1st and 2nd week relating to rains and landslides.
Please Advise
Hello Dheeraj,
I want to go to spiti valley. so i will be reaching Manali on 29th on may, 2016 and so 30th i want to start my journey from manali to spiti valley. my quarries regarding the trip ti spiti are as follows;
a. how long it takes from manali to spiti?
b. are there any hotels or home stay available in spiti or nearby accessible areas?
c. are there any buses available in this rout of HRTC?
d. accommodation rates at spiti?
Thank you
Priyanka
Hello Priyanka,
1. It takes one day to reach Spiti from Manali
2. There are plenty of options to stay in Spiti, both in home stays and guest houses
3. Not really now because road is yet to open and will not be open when you reach there
4. Good Hotels or Accommodation options in Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley
HI Dheeraj,
I am planing to go to spiti valley on this 4-5 june with my wife and 2 year old kid, is it safe for travelling with the kid to the spiti valley. Also please let me know the itinerary to complete this circuit in 7 days, as i have already visited upto kalpa. I do not want to visit kalpa.
I also have one query if i plan only for the chandratal lake in first week of june is it possible to visit that place by my own car.
Rahul, with such a young kid i will adivse you to stick to just Kinaur valley
Hi Dheeraj,
I will be travelling to Kaza on the 30th of this month by bus from Dehradun (atleast, thats the plan). Do you have any information on buses to Kaza from Shimla and their timing/frequency etc?
Mary, Shimla to Reckong Peo is connected by daily buses and then there is a daily bus from Reckong Peo to Kaza that starts at 7 AM