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 🙂 …

How to plan a road trip to Spiti Valley from Shimla in 10 days? [2 Best Spiti Valley Itinerary]

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.

Spiti Valley Most Common Itinerary
Spiti Valley Most Common Itinerary

Download your FREE high-resolution version pdf copy of this Spiti Valley day-by-day trip Plan infographic guide. If, you liked it and found it helpful, please feel free to share it with your family and friends to help them too.

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.

Looking for a detailed Spiti Valley Itinerary?
Looking for a detailed Spiti Valley Itinerary?

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.

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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.

More frozen views near Kaza
More frozen views near Kaza

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
Ki Monastery, as seen from the road to Chandratal from Kaza
Ki Monastery, as seen from the road to Chandratal from Kaza

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.

How to tackle water-crossings on Ladakh Bike Trip / Spiti Valley Bike Trip? [20 Important Tips]

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.

Can you suggest a Chandigarh to Spiti Valley Itinerary?

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.

How much does a Spiti Valley tour cost?

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.

Is it possible to make a trip to Spiti Valley in 5 days?

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.

How many days are required to make a Spiti Valley trip?

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.

Frozen views of Spiti Valley in winters
Frozen views of Spiti Valley in winters

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.

Have a travel question?? You can follow me on Instagram and ask your travel questions in a direct message on Instagram too. I also conduct a weekly Q&A session every Saturday evening on Instagram, so see you there.

Do share your valuable thoughts or questions or doubts that you may have and we can discuss more your upcoming travel plans for Spiti Valley 🙂

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If you know your friends or family are planning a trip to Spiti Valley, do share this article with them to help them make a memorable Spiti Valley trip.

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I am Dheeraj Sharma - a traveler, techie, and Himalayan lover. Since 2009, I have been helping thousands of travelers every year plan memorable & budget-friendly trips to the Himalayas - Smartly, Safely, and responsibly.

1,633 Comments

  1. Comments section gets closed in 90 days. To ask your travel questions, you can follow my YouTube Channel for a faster reply or for a much slower reply follow me on Instagram. :)

  2. Hi, Can you please suggest the best itinerary for 11-19 August from Delhi Via Shimla route? We need to be back in Delhi by 19th evening.

    • Suggesting the plan for both the routes

      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

      Day 01 : Reach Manali and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
      Day 02 : Manali / Solang – Kaza
      Day 03 : Kaza – Pin Valley – Tabo
      Day 04 : Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake trek – Kaza
      Day 05 : Kaza – Ki – Kibber/Kaza
      Day 06 : Kibber/Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Kaza
      Day 07 : Kaza – Chandratal
      Day 08 : Chandratal – Manali
      Day 09 : Manali – Delhi

      • Thanks buddy! Appreciate the prompt reply!!
        Just one more query!

        Do we need beyond Rohtang Pass permit or any other permit if taking the route Delhi-Narkanda-Kaza-Manali-Delhi?
        PS: No Foreigner is with us.

  3. please tell me whether the following itinerary is doable in mid june?
    all distances and timings are from Google map…
    whether I ll get snow anywhere or not.. please tell me…

    day 1 kol to chandigarh – night
    day 2 chandi to sarahan 275 km 8-9 hrs /night
    day 3 sarahan to nako 175 km 5.30 hrs
    day 4 nako to tabo 64 km 1 hr
    day 5 tabo to pin valley 65 hm 2.30 hrs
    day 6 pin to kaza 50 km 1 hrs
    day 7 kaza to losar 58 km 1 hr
    day 8 losar to batal/chandratal 31 km / 1/2 hr
    day 9 chandratal to manali 115 km/ 3 hrs (we have to cross Rohtang pass right? is it doable?)
    day 10 Manali to Chandigarh
    day 11 chandigarh to kolkata

      • actually I want to skip the kinnaur part as much as possible… that is why I made this plan based on your suggested itinerary…

        • I was suggesting because you were missing Kinnaur and rushing through it but you want to avoid Kinnaur. Then better do opt for one of the below:

          Day 01 : Reach Manali and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
          Day 02 : Manali / Solang – Kaza
          Day 03 : Kaza – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake trek – Tabo
          Day 04 : Tabo – Lingti Valley (Lallung) – Pin Valley
          Day 05 : Pin Valley(Mud) – Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Kaza
          Day 06 : Village trek/trip – Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Demul – Kaza (Stay at Langza at homestay)
          Day 07: Village trek/trip – Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Demul – Kaza (Stay at Komic at homestay)
          Day 08: Village trek/trip – Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Demul – Kaza (Stay at Demul at homestay)
          Day 09 : Kaza – Chandratal
          Day 10 : Chandratal – Manali
          Day 11 : Manali – Delhi

          OR

          Day 1 | Chandigarh – Sarahan
          Day 2 | Sarahan – Nako / Chango
          Day 3 | Nako / Chango – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
          Day 4 | Tabo – Dhankar – Dhankar Lake – Lallung
          Day 5 | Lallung – Demul – Pin Valley
          Day 6 | Pin Valley – Kaza
          Day 7 | Kaza Local Sightseeing (Ki, Kibber, Tashigang, Gette)
          Day 8 | Kaza Local (Hikkim, Komik, Langza)
          Day 9 | Kaza – Chandratal
          Day 10 | Chandratal – Manali

  4. Pranay Mohapatra on

    Hello Dheeraj,
    What places can one visit in 4-5 days excluding the 2 days to and from Delhi?
    Chandratal is mandatory.
    Will there be acclimatisation issues if I opt to travel by bus, since they reach Kaza in 12hours? I am fairly fit and have completed Delhi-Leh (thanks to DOW) on my bike.
    I have limited time , so I wanted to visit only the most scenic areas in the shortest amount of time.
    Please let me know.
    Thanks a lot

    • Pranay, you can plan like below:

      Manali – Kaza
      Kaza – Tabo covering Pin Valley
      Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Kaza, do Langza, Hikkim, Komic in second half
      Kaza – Ki Kibber – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal
      Chandratal – Manali.

      As you are traveling from Manali side, you may face AMS issues.

      • Pranay Mohapatra on

        What about entering from Shimla side? There wont be any issues with permit, plus no risk of AMS. What would be the best plan from shimla?

        • Yes, that is true but with just 5 days in hand, I will not suggest that. You will need minium 7 days to make some sense of Spiti Valley trip while traveling from Shimla – Kinnaur side.

  5. mailtjshah on

    Hi Dheeraj,

    Need Your advice, if I can plan a trip to Spiti in July end-Early August. If yes; we are couple travelling from Mumbai and would love to seek your advice in planning out our itinerary including mode of transport and hotels/homestays and the route which is preferable!!Thanks a ton on all your articles!

        • You can do something like

          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 Delhi by overnight Volvo from Manali

  6. I m planning a Spitti valley with 4 families on Tempoo Traveller. My innitiary is as follows.
    17 June- Chandigarh to Narkanda
    18 June- Narkanda to Chitkul
    19 June- Chitkul to Nako via Recong Peo
    20 June- Nako to Kaza
    21 June- Local Kaza including Langza, Koumik, Hikkim n Chandratal Lake
    22 June- Kaza to Manali
    23 June- Manali to Chandigarh.
    Is anything required to b improved in innitiary?
    N wht abt weather conditions n good hotel stays at every nite hault as I m travelling with family

    • You should sleep at Sangla instead of Chitkul and skip Reckong Peo next day to reach Nako after covering Chitkul from Sangla. Do Chandratal Lake while going to Manali from Kaza. If you add one or two more days, it will make more sense with family else it is tiring. Rest, given the days at hand look OK to me but as said hectic for family.

  7. Rishi Gopalakrishnan on

    Hello Dheeraj bhai,
    Im currently in ladakh now. I just extended my vacation for a few days more to include Spiti valley. I’ll be finishing the Ladakh circuit by 9th and I have to reach Manali by 15th morning. I’ll be traveling solo. As it was a last minute detour didn’t get time to work out the specifics. Can you give me an itinerary covering must visit places?

    • Hey Rishi,

      Depending on the days at hand and transport you get, you can do like:

      10: Leh – Keylong
      11: Keylong – Kaza
      12: Kaza and around (Ki, kibber)
      13: Kaza and around (Langza, Hikkim, Komic)
      14: Kaza – Chandratal
      15: Chandratal – Manali

  8. SUBOL ANUP on

    Hi Dheeraj.
    A very simple question. If traveling from Shimla side on day 1, which one would be a better option of stay among Sangla and Chitkul if natural surrounding beauty is concerned ?

  9. Hello Dheeraj,

    We are bunch of friends (girls included) planning bike tour to SPITI during Sep 2018. I saw your itinerary “A Trip to Spiti Valley from Shimla – Kinnaur Side in 10 Days”. Few questions:

    (1) Will the same itinerary hold good for a bike trip also, requiring same number of days?
    (2) We plan to start and end at Chandigarh, and want to hire bikes. Any suggestions for reliable vendors?
    (3) If its a solo rider, would any bike lesser than RE 350 CC work well considering given oxygen levels and altitude?

    Looking forward to hearing from you! Thanks much!

    Regards,
    Shashi
    Bangalore

    • Hi Shashi,

      If you have been doing bike trips, then well that itinerary is fine. It will have about 6 Hrs of ride on average every day. Sorry on bike rental front. You should be fine with 150cc bikes too. Lot of people do it.

  10. hemantsaini on

    Hello Dheeraj,

    Thankyou for helping me on leh tour in 2016. now i am planning for spiti tour and again i need your help.

    My itinerary is as below

    17 june| Chandigarh – Narkanda
    18 june | Narkanda – Chitkul or (kalpa/Sangla)
    19 june| Chitkul (kalpa/Sangla) – Nako
    20 june | Nako – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
    21 june | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley(Mud viallage) – Kaza
    22 june | Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Kaza
    23 june | Kaza – Ki, Kibber – Rangrik – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal
    24 june| Chandratal – manali
    25 june | Buffer day

    1. First tell me is this tavel plan ok or any change needed
    2. Is this time of travel ok.(All passes may be opened i think)
    2. We are only two friends so it is ok to travel with sedan or SUV is must (if yes which innova/xylo) & what are the approx day charges for innova right now.
    3. On 18 june where should i stay in chitkul or sangla.
    4. Tell me which place or route is most beautiful in entire circuit, so that i can spend extra time at that place.

    • You should sleep at Sangla instead of Chitkul, you will not be acclimatized for sleeping at Chitkul on second day. Then after it, Sangla, you should head to Kalpa covering Chitkul. From Kalpa go to Tabo and then follow the plan as you have written above post Tabo. You will use your buffer day in this case.

      Roads are open between Shimla – Kaza and Kaza – Manali. Well, SUV is always better on these roads, hatchbacks suffer and unless you are used to such roads, better stay away from it. You can get connected directly to some drivers in Himachal or 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 the pickup as well.

      The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3200-3500 per day depending on the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price. If you are 2-3 in the group, you can opt for sedan taxi cars as well which charges around Rs 2200 per day.

      Otherwise, taxis, in general, are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands. These drivers can help you with finding local stay options too.

      For stay options in Kinnaur and Spiti, check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley.

      You must do Langza – Hikkim – Komic route after reaching Kaza.

  11. Harish chander on

    Hi Dheeraj
    It is a great help to all travellers you r providing. We are planning to do Jalandhar -Simla-Kaza -chandertal-Kunzum pass -Killar-Sach pass – Chamba and back to Jalandhar from 31 May 2018. We have Pajero. Minimum how many days and best itenery. Pl. suggest.

    • Well, you have the itinerary till Chandratal in the above article and pretty much you can follow below afterwards for Pangi Valley:

      Chandratal – Keylong/Sissu
      Keylong – Udaipur – Killar
      Killar – Sach Pass – Bairagarh/Chamba
      Back home.

  12. Hi Dheeraj,
    We are planning a trip to Spiti Valley from Shimla side starting 25 May on couple of bikes and a backup car. I wanted to know that will the roads be open for entire circuit by that time or do we need to wait for some more time in order to enjoy the complete circuit.

    • Saurabh, the roads from Manali to Kaza via Rohtang Pass is open now for light vehicles and Shimla – Kinnaur – Kaza is already long open for the season. So, you can surely travel the whole circuit on your dates.

  13. Hi Dheeraj,

    I am planning to do a trip for spiti in last week of July, still nothing is planned but I want to clear some initial queries Which I have as mentioned below.

    1. This season is suitable for bike trip as I don’t have any prior experience of mountain biking.
    2. If it’s suitable then which route is better, Manali or Shimla.

    • Keyur, before the monsoon begins in North India in later July, it is fine to travel to Spiti Valley in early July period. You should follow the plan as mentioned in the article above.

  14. Hi Dheeraj,

    Great article, you are helping out a lot of people. A couple of questions for you, will be great if you can share your views.

    How\’s the first week of June for travel to spiti, in your experience will the Kunzum pass would have opened by that time.

    I plan to enter from the Shimla side and exit from Manali side, are there any specific stretches of roads which are more prone to landslides or falling stone that one needs to be extra cautios of and if there are any recent updates on the conditions at malling nalla.

    Thanks once again for the great article.

    Regards

    • Hey Dhiraj,

      I believe in this year route from Manali to Kaza will open by first week of June. You can follow the plan as stated in the article above. The moment you enter Kinnaur Valley, you enter in the landslide-prone zone till Spiti Valley. So, you should be cautious at most places on that route.

  15. Hardik Nagda on

    Hi Dheeraj, great job heplping us all. I am planning to go in May 2nd or 3rd week. Do you expect Kunzum – Manali to open by then? Also do you know any place where we can get affordable bikes either in Chandigarh or in Shimla? What kind of bikes should we look at?
    Thinking of planning a 8 day Chandigarh – Shimla – Manali – Chandigarh circuit. Is it enough to complete the circuit without missing anything?

    • Hardik, I do not expect Manali – Kunzum Pass – Kaza road to be open before end of May or early June. You should look at bikes which are comfortable riding and you can control/ride them with comfort. I will suggest to keep about 10 days for a comfortable trip of Spiti Valley circuit.

  16. Hi Dheeraj,

    There is a Spiti tour which is being conducted by the Spiti Ecospehere group. Is it a good trip considering the places which they cover and the places of stay. Need an independent view.

    • No idea about them, but the one we suggest is contact@thehimalayanmonk.com (Ranjeet) as most of the readers in the past few years have had very good feedback about both of them and especially their transparent policies along with being there with you all the time in need. So, we trust them the most. You can refer my name or DoW to them as both of them knows us very well and should be able to offer some special rates being a DoW Member. You can just refer them the DwD Community Member Username in such a case or screenshot/link of this reply here.

  17. Kindly plan me a innitiary to Spitti Valley for 7-8 days. I m planning the tour in Mid June. Will it b the correct time for the tour or their r chances for rain n landslides?
    I’ll having 2 small childrens with me, so I prefer proper hotel stays during nite!
    Route………..Ambala-Shimla-Spitti-Manali-Ambala

    • I will suggest something like below:

      Day 1 | Delhi – Narkanda
      Day 2 | Narkanda – Kalpa
      Day 3 | Kalpa – Nako – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
      Day 4 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
      Day 5 | Kaza Rest and Local Sightseeing
      — Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
      Day 6 | Kaza – Ki, Kibber – Rangrik – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal
      Day 7 | Chandratal – Manali
      Day 8 | Manali – Delhi

      If you are looking for a competitive and customized tour and packages, you can connect with contact@thehimalayanmonk.com (Ranjeet) as most of the readers in the past few years have had very good feedback about both of them and especially their transparent policies along with being there with you all the time in need. So, we trust them the most. You can refer my name or DoW to them as both of them knows us very well and should be able to offer some special rates being a DoW Member. You can just refer them the DwD Community Member Username in such a case or screenshot/link of this reply here.

  18. Hi Dheeraj,
    Planning a trip to Spiti in the month of June from 8th to 21st 2018 .I will be travelling with 6-8 mates on bike … My travel plan is:

    Day 1 | Bangalore – Chandigarh filght and collect bike
    Day 2 | Chandigarh – Narkanda
    Day 3 | Narkanda – Chitkul/Batseri or(kalpa/Sangla)
    Day 4 | Chitkul/Batseri (kalpa/Sangla) – Nako (lake)
    Day 5 | Nako – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
    Day 6 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley(Mud viallage) – Kaza
    Day 7 | Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Kaza
    Day 8 | Kaza – Ki, Kibber – Chicham bridge – Losar – Chandratal
    OR
    Day 8 | Kaza – Ki, Kibber – Rangrik – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal
    Day 9 | Chandratal – manali
    Day 10-13 | manali – kheerganga trek – Chandigarh
    Day 14| Chandigarh – Bangalore

    Kindly let us know what other places we can miss & other must visit places to be included ,and also if there is anything else to be kept in mind. I have few more doubts to be cleared :

    1. Bike rentals in chandigarh ,,Any Suggestions ?
    2. Can we complete the circuit , will the Kunzum pass be open in June first week or what is the expected open date this year and current condition ??
    3. How about spending night at Chitkul/Batseri instead kalpa/Sangla ?
    4. For day6 is it better to stay in Mud or return back to kaza ?
    5. For day7 heard that Hikkim is bad road and steep hike so is it better to take Langza road and return via downhill Hikkim ?
    6. For day8 heard that there is a newly built road from Ki to Kibber via Chicham bridge, no need to come back to Kaza is it true and which route to select out of two ??
    7. Is it okay to carry tents and camp around all the places or any specific permission required .

  19. SIR I M PLANNING A TRIP TO SPITTI VALLEY BY JUNE END, 2018.
    I HAVE 5-6 DAYS IN HAND. KINDLY PLAN ME A INNTIEARY.
    I’LL B STARTING FROM AMBALA TO KINNAUR N EXITING FROM MANALI SIDE BACK TO AMBALA.
    I’LL B WITH FAMILY WITH 2 KIDS

  20. Ravindra Mehendale on

    I hi, we i am planning for spiti valley with my family. I.ee. my wief and son 10 years old by may first week for about 9 to 10 days total. Is it safe to go with family there and will it be good to go in that season of early may? We can plan to hire a vehicle may be sumo/ bolero etc …pls advice.

    • Hello Ravindra,

      Early May is fine to travel Spiti Valley but keep in mind it will be a bit cold and hotels just start to open up. You will not be able to complete the full circuit and will have to travel from Kinnaur Valley and return back from Kinnaur Valley side only. Manali – Kaza opens up later.

      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

      You can get connected directly to some drivers in Himachal or 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 the pickup as well.

      The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3200-3500 per day depending on the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price. If you are 2-3 in the group, you can opt for sedan taxi cars as well which charges around Rs 2200 per day.

      Otherwise, taxis, in general, are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands. These drivers can help you with finding local stay options too.

      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.

      I will request that you please refer the following articles for planning a trip to Spiti Valley: Spiti Valley via Manali | How to Plan Your Journey AND Spiti Valley via Kinnaur | How to Plan Your Journey

      They have all the details. Feel free to let me know in case of any doubts

      • Thanks a lot for your quick and very important and informative reply. Very much grateful to you..!!

  21. Hello Dheeraj,

    I followed your itinerary for Ladakh and it was super successful this year. We also want to do the Spiti valley trip in 2018. Which is the best time to do so? Is August a good time?

    For this trip, can we rent bikes at Delhi? Can you help us modify the above itinerary for 8-9 days, including 2 buffer days. We will fly in and out of Delhi.

    • Hello Ranga,

      You can refer: Best Season to Travel on Road to Spiti Valley

      I will recommend to make it in September. You can rent the bikes in Delhi and can travel to Spiti Valley without any issues. With just 8-9 days in hand, you can do below:

      Day 1 | Delhi – Narkanda
      Day 2 | Narkanda – Kalpa
      Day 3 | Kalpa – Nako – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
      Day 4 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
      Day 5 | Kaza Rest and Local Sightseeing
      — Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
      Day 6 | Kaza – Ki, Kibber – Rangrik – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal
      Day 7 | Chandratal – Manali
      Day 8 | Manali – Delhi
      Day 9 | Buffer day

  22. Hi Dheeraj,
    I planned a trip to spiti in the month of June from 8th to 24th.I will be travelling wit my wife and My travel plan is:

    june 8th – flight from bangalore to delhi and overnight bus to shimla
    june 9th – shimla to rampur/sarahan
    june 10th – sarahan to sangla (overnight)
    june 11th – sangla to chitkul (overnight)
    june 12th – chitkul to kafnu(overnight)
    june 13th to 18th – pin bhaba pass trek till mudh
    june 19th – mudh -tabo – dhanskar – kaza
    june 20th kaza to langza(overnight)
    june 21th langza-koumik-hikkim-kaza
    june 22nd kaza to battal and reach chandra taal(overnight)
    june 23rd chandrataal to manali and overnight bus to delhi
    june 24th night 8PM flight to banglore.

    I am really stuck at below two points:
    1)There are no buffer days here but i can decrease number of days to be spent in either kinnuar or spiti valley.
    Can you suggest which is better : to spend more days in spiti or in kannuar?.As I am doing trek from kafnu to mudh can I altogether skip kinnuar valley?

    2)please suggest if on any day journey is bit more hectic(I feel after overnight journey from delhi on first day,should we take rest(on june 9th) in shimla/close by place(if so which one will be good)? or continuing till rampur/sarahan is fine?) – need your help to plan this part.

    /Manoj

    • Hello Manoj,

      I will recommend following changes considering your doubts which will take care for both of them:

      june 8th – flight from bangalore to delhi and overnight bus to shimla and go further to stay overnight at Narkanda, much cooler and better than Shimla
      june 9th – Narkanda to Sangla and rest
      june 10th – sangla to chitkul (overnight)
      june 11th – chitkul to kafnu(overnight)
      june 12th to 17th – pin bhaba pass trek till mudh
      june 18th – Mud Village to Dhangkar to Tabo and rest
      june 19th – Tabo – Kaza in morning and visit Ki, Kibber in the evening
      june 20th – Day trip to Langza, Komic, Hikkim or if you want to stay then stay there using buffer day
      june 21th – kaza to battal and reach chandra taal(overnight)
      june 22nd – Chandratal to Manali
      june 23rd – Rest in Manali or use it as buffer day and then take overnight Volvo back to Delhi from Manali
      june 24th night 8PM flight to banglore.

  23. Bhavesh shah on

    Can we enjoy snow at April end ?
    Can we go up to kaza and further up to losar in April end _may start.?

    • Yes Bhavesh, there will be snow further ahead of Kaza in Spiti Valley during April end. Plenty of snow. You can try to go towards Losar – Kunzum Pass road from Kaza up to the point it will be open.

  24. mohammadasif on

    Myself and two of my colleagues had a self drive road trip to Spiti Valley from 22nd Sep – 29th Sep 2017. We hired a Scorpio from Zoom Car Noida, here are few suggestions and route we followed.

    22/9 (04:30 AM) : Delhi to Narkanda (12 hours with few breaks for Breakfast, lunch etc), overnight at Narkanda. Overall very good road with the exception Shimla by pass which is in pathetic condition
    23/9 (07:00 AM) : Narkanda to Chitkul (suggest to avoid night stay in Sangla or Kalpa, instead spend night in more picturesque village Chitkul or Batseri. Sama resort is best option in Chitkul. We bought potatoes and Ogla (Kuttu) atta, Kinnauri Rajma. Also bought apples from one of the road side factory in Sangla village.
    Very scenic and nice roads till Chitkul, with few minor exceptions.
    24/9 (09:00 AM) : Chitkul to Nako Lake. There are some bad patches from Pooh onwards, but very nice drive with full tar road from Khab till Nako
    25/9 (07:00 AM) : Nako to Tabo (Geyu Mummy) to Dhankar – PIN (Mud village) – Kaza

    Dont forget to check out two of the working water mills (Pan Chakki, we ate some sattu here in Tabo).
    We avoided Dhankar lake due to very tough 2 hours hike. Also avoided staying in Mud, instead returned to Kaza on same day.
    Very good roads from Nako till Tabo. PIN valley roads are only dirt.

    26/9 : Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Kaza gate – Ki – Kibber – Chicham bridge – Losar

    Tips: From Kaza, mostly people go to Hikkim which is bad road and steep hike, instead go directly to Langza (instead of taking right towards Hikkim, go straight on left side towards Langza – Komic – Hikkim, This way you will save around 1 hour and instead of going steep hike on Kaza Hikkim road, will come back on this road which will be down hill and easy drive.
    Moreover there is a newly built road from Ki to Kibber via Chicham bridge, no need to come back to Kaza.
    Very good road except last 30 km stretch before Losar.
    27/9 (10:30 AM) – Losar to Chandratal
    Very narrow road (last 20 km before Chandratal)
    28/9 – Chandratal – Battal – Manali (7 Hours)
    29/9 – Manali – Delhi (12 Hours)

  25. Dear Dhiraj

    I have also inquired earlier but due to some issues I could not able to visit the Spiti Valley but I am planning the Spiti valley self driving trip in Diwali with my family , will there be any big issues for travelling in this time. I just want to follow the itinerary which is mentioned here.

  26. Ahmad khan on

    Hie dheeraj,
    Well we are planning a trip to spiti but confused wether to go with mahindra kuv or arrange some bikes on rent. So, firstly please guide me is it good to go with a car… ND if not then which way is more fun and adventurous on bikes … Via manali or Shimla.

    • Best will be to go with High GC vehicle if you are not used to riding bikes in such a terrain. You can follow the above plan for itinerary.

  27. Hello Mr. Dheeraj,

    We are 4 of us, planning to do Spiti Valley in the first week if October. The itinerary is as follows, would like your suggestive / advice on the same & if the weather is going to be suitable.

    Day 1 – 30th Sep – Arrive in Delhi. Overnight Bus to Manali.
    Day 2 – 1st Oct – Hire Bikes in Manali. Depart to Kaza. Overnight at Kaza.
    Day 3 – 2nd Oct – Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Komic – Kaza. Overnight at Kaza.
    Day 4 – 3rd Oct – Kaza – Dhankar – Tabo. Overnight at Tabo.
    Day 5 – 4th Oct – Tabo – Mud Village – PIN Valley. Overnight at Mud Village.
    Day 6 – 5th Oct – Mud Village – Demul – Komic – Hikkim – Langza. Overnight at Langza.
    Day 7 – 6th Oct – Langza – Chandratal Lake. Overnight at Chandratal lake.
    Day 8 – 7th Oct – Chandratal lake – kunzum pass – Manali. Overnight bus to Delhi.
    Day 9 – 8th Oct – Delhi. Departure.

    Kindly let us know what else places amongst this we can give a miss & other must visit places to be included. And if anything else important is to be kept in mind.

    Regards,

    Akash

    • Hi Akash,

      I will recommend that you do Ki – Kibber after returning from Tabo overnight. Also, you are trying to do it twice, do just Ki – Kibber and Komic with Langza route.

      Rest it is balanced well.

      • Thank you Mr. Dheeraj for your advice. So look’s like i have another day in my hand to try / do something else. Any place or activity i could add.

        Thanks a ton though 🙂

        • This is what I will suggest

          Day 1 – 30th Sep – Arrive in Delhi. Overnight Bus to Manali.
          Day 2 – 1st Oct – Hire Bikes in Manali. Depart to Kaza. Overnight at Kaza.
          Day 3 – 2nd Oct – Kaza – Dhankar – Tabo. Overnight at Tabo.
          Day 4 – 3rd Oct – Tabo – Mud Village – PIN Valley. Overnight at Mud Village.
          Day 5 – 4th Oct – Mud Village – Lhalung – Demul – Komic – Hikkim – Langza. Overnight at Langza.
          Day 6 – 5th Oct – Langza – Ki – Kibber – Kaza. Overnight at Kaza.
          Day 7 – 6th Oct – Kaza – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal Lake. Overnight at Chandratal lake.
          Day 8 – 7th Oct – Chandratal lake – Rohtang pass – Manali. Overnight bus to Delhi.
          Day 9 – 8th Oct – Delhi. Departure.

    • Possible = Yes, Difficult = Yes, at quite a few place. 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.

  28. Subhadip Das on

    shilma ,kullu , manali can i going to spiti valley with covering this palace ?? we have mostly 12 days in hand . please given a best tour plane for us . actually i m professional photographer please suggest me best for photography places .

  29. Madhuri Dugar on

    Hi Dheeraj,
    I will be travelling to Spiti valley with a friend of mine next month.
    Saw your beautiful and best replies on this site and want you to guide me too..
    I am planning to leave from Delhi on 22nd September and i will be back to Delhi on 30th.
    I don’t want to miss any important points as I am a professional Photographer but I have only this much time in my hand for the trip.
    We can hire cab for max three days and prefer to go by bus or any other local cheap conveyance available.
    Kindly suggest me the best route plan.
    Kindly reply here or it will be best if you could mail it to me – madhuridgr8@gmail.com
    Thanks,
    Madhuri.

    • Hi Madhuri,

      I will suggest you to go through Manali route and come back from Manali route so that you can spend more time in Spiti Valley. You can take the bus from Delhi to Manali Volvo and upon reaching Manali, you can take Manali – KAza bus. Within Kaza, you can hire private taxi to roam around places and then come back to Delhi by buses. Following is the plan I will suggest:

      23 : Reach Manali and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
       24 : Manali / Solang – Kaza
       25 : Kaza – Lingti Valley (Lhalung) – Tabo
       26 : Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
       27 : Kaza – Langza – Hikkim – Komik – Kaza
       28 : Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Chandratal
       29 : Chandratal – Rohtang Pass – Manali
       30 : Manali – Delhi

  30. Dr. Jayant Barve on

    Hi Dheeraj,

    We plan a family holiday to visit Spiti Valley with a self driven car.
    I am told Innova Cresta is a good car. Is it possible to get this car from Zoomcars?
    Depending on the availabilty of car we can start our journey either from Chandigarh or Delhi. We would drop the car in Chandigarh.

    Following is a tentative plan:
    Day 1. Chandigarh – Pick up the car – Drive to Thanedar
    day 2. – Thanedar to Kalpa
    day 3- Kalpa Sangla sight seeing
    day 4 – kalpa to Tabo
    Day 5 – Tabo
    Day 6 – Tabo to Kaza
    Day 7 – Kaza to Manali
    Day 8 – Manali
    Day 9 – Manali to Chandigarh – return car.

    Does this plan seem ok? You may suggest if anything needs to be added. We may add a day in Spiti and reduce the day in Manali.

    • Hello Dr Jayant,

      You should consider spending a couple of days more in Spiti Valley. Rest seems fine to me. Regarding the car, better to take from Chandigarh and yes Innova is good and comfortable but Scorpio will be better.

      Regards
      Dheeraj

  31. Anubhav Raikar on

    Hi Dheeraj,

    We had a plan of Spiti valley on bike in Sep 1st week.. Sep 2-10 .. starting and ending to-from Chandigarh

    I read in your forum link, the road near Kalpa or somewhere in between Nako -> Tabo is closed due to landslide till 25th Aug.

    Also, I checked accuweather.. which shows precipitation (60-80%) in Kinnaur valley towns in this week Sep 2-10

    Based on your experience, do you think we should go ahead with our plan? or will it be too risky and prone to landslides ?

    • Anubhav, September, in general, is a very good time to travel to Spiti Valley. Since you have about 9 days, keep both of your options. That is traveling from Manali side both ways or traveling from Shimla side and coming back from Manali side.

      • Anubhav Raikar on

        yeah.. I came up with planning in Sep based on your Info here.. will keep both plans ready.. thanks 🙂

        • Ankur Gupta on

          Planned for the same dates. If you feel like joining, please feel free to reach me out at 8800653222.

  32. Akshaye Bishnoi on

    Hi Dheeraj,

    We, a group of 7-8 friends including girls, are planning for a winter spiti ride in coming December or January next year.
    We will be riding 3 KTM bikes ( 1 Duke200, 1Duke390 & 1 RC200) and one SUV. We have done this circuit (Delhi-Shimla-Sarahan-Chitkul-kalpa-Kaza-Manali-Delhi) in July 2015, so little familiar with the roads But in December/January, it will be altogether a different story. As kunzum pass will be closed so we will be coming back by same route i.e. Delhi-Shimla-Sarahan-kalpa-kaza-sarahan-shimla-Delhi.
    So apart from basics, my questions are-
    1.) At which places we can have night stay (Home Stay/guest houses).
    2.) How many days it will take to reach back to delhi, keeping in mind the unexpected land slide or avalanche?
    3.) What extra measures we can use for better traction on snow covered roads?
    4.) Can we get a basic mechanic shop accessible during that time?
    5.) I read, temperature dips down to -30 degree C° during winter nights, So how it can affects engines/Fuel/coolants?

    Thanks in Advance

  33. Hi DHeeraj,

    We have travelled upto rohtang couple of times and now want to explore Spiti valley at best 2 places from 27th august sunday reaching chandigarh at noon and have to be back to chandigrah on Friday or latest saturday ….

    We are 3 of us and all can drive ….please advice if it is possible to visit 2 of the below places atleast or atleast 1in this short trip.

    1) Dhankar village
    2) Chandratal Lake
    3) Nubra Valley

    thank you
    moin

    • Nubra Valley is in Ladakh not in Spiti Valley. Rest with 6 days in hand follow below

      Day 1 | Chandigarh – Narkanda by evening.
      Day 2 | Narkanda – Kalpa
      Day 3 | Kalpa – Nako – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
      Day 4 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
      Day 5 | Kaza Rest and Local Sightseeing
      — Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
      Day 6 | Kaza – Ki, Kibber – Chandratal
      Day 7 | Chandratal – Manali

      • thank you dheeraj. is it possible to do the reverse and go to Manali 1st and then come outnfrom shimla to chnadigarh ?

        • Dear Dheeraj & all on this forum…

          if anyone can put some light and advice that the current issue in Punjab, haryana n chandigarh if this will causr any issue with our travel from chandigarh airport out towards manali pls ?

          we will reach chandigarh on sunday 27th august….

          thank you

  34. Abhishek Singh on

    Hi dheeraj

    we are planning a trip in the month of september from 23rd. i want to ask you about the weather conditions in september.

    Another question is that route from kunzum pass to manali via rohtang will be available in sep or not ?

    And how about this ? If it needs changes please do.

    Day 1 – Chandigarh to shimla 113 kms

    Day 2 – shimla to sangla

    Day 3 – Sangla to chitkul( last inhabited village before Tibet ) via kufri

    Day 4 – chitkul to nako 150kms – tabo 63kms ( nako lake , tabo monastery )

    Day 5 – tabo to dhankar 24 kms – kaza 48 kms – losar 58 kms

    Day 6 – losar to kunzum pass 15kms – chandratal lake – manali

    • Yes the route from Manali to Kaza will be open by that time of the year. It seems you are not doing much in Spiti Valley and just exiting it through Chandratal. If that is the intention the itinerary is doable. Nights will be cold and so as mornings in September. Carry woollen clothing.

  35. Siddhartha Guchait on

    Hi Dheeraj,
    I’m planning a solo trip by my classic 350, to lahul & spiti valley (from shimla to manali) starting from kolkata on 27th of August 2017. But, regarding the rain I’m really worried….as many of my friends are stopping me to go at this time. Another thing is there…All are saying that the nallah are in full force at this time, so it would b impossible to cross those nallah by bike & that is also solo… I’m really confused! Please help!

    • Siddhartha, in general, the monsoon reside away by end of the August. So, it should be OK to travel. Just keep an eye on weather updates.

      • Siddhartha Guchait on

        Thanks a lot Dheeraj, for this quick reply. I will surely keep an eye on the weather forecast…..Thanks again.☺

        • Shivasankar on

          Hi, Siddhartha,

          Please Do carry Good quality Rain Coat, and Do not miss the Thrill of Biking in Himalayas. Avoid Half clutch driving, Bullet is comfortable & capable machine in all terrain.

          Plus, Ahead of you and behind lots of tourist will travel, and follow the one suits your speed & Frequency. People in Himalayas are very friendly with helping nature.

          You can do it. All the best.

  36. Hi Dheeraj,
    Planning a solo trip, itinerary as below. Want to travel in local transport (bus/ shared taxis etc). Does it look achievable? Please also provide details of availability of local transport for these routs if its available.

    1. Shimla – Sarahan
    2. Sarahan – Chitkul
    3. Chitkul – Kalpa
    4. Kalpa – Nako – Mane
    5. Mane – Tabo
    6. Tabo – Dhankar – Mudh
    7. Mudh – Kibber – Chicham – Ki
    8. Ki – Langza – Hikkim – Komic – Kaza
    9. Kaza – Losar – Kunzum La – Chandratal Lake
    10. Chandratal Lake – Rohtang Pass – Manali
    11. Manali – Chandigarh – Delhi

    Thanks,

    Regards,
    Shruti

  37. Sonu purohit on

    Hi

    Need help in getting an innova booked from chandigar for a 9 day spiti tour . Do you guys arrange this. Also help with details if I hire bike.. how would that cost work … plz guide (purohit.sonu84@gmail.com)

    • You can get connected directly to some drivers in Himachal or 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 the pickup as well.

      The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3500 per day depending on the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price. If you are 2-3 in the group, you can opt for sedan taxi cars as well which charges around Rs 2200 per day.

      Otherwise, taxis, in general, are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands. These drivers can help you with finding local stay options too.

  38. Shivasankar G on

    Hi Dheeraj,

    Planning for Spitivalley trip for this year with group of 4 Adults and 2 Kids of 12 &14 years Respectively.

    Kindly advice the Below Itinerary (derived from DOW Site), current Road Condition and Probable climate/Whether during Sep 23rd week till Oct 2nd (I mean will it be too cold or rainy… )

    Planning to Hire a SUV from Chandigarh, Please advice (if possible) with few contacts for economical Rates at preferably Chandigarh (If flight tickets cost too high, being loooong week end, might drop at Delhi, yet to decide on this)

    Day 1 Chandigarh — Shimla — Rampur – Narkand
    Day 2 Rampur — Sangla — Chitkul– Kalpa
    Day 3 Kalpa –Nako –Gue Village — Tabo
    Day 4 Tabo-Dhankar-Kaza -Hikkim- Komic-Langza – Loasr/Kaza
    Day 5 Kaza-Losar-Kunzum Pass-Chandertal (pl advice the Road Condition here and accommodation)
    Day 6 Chandertal-Rohtang Pass- Manali
    Day 7 Manali — Chandigarh

    Is the Tandi-Udaipur-Killar-Sach-Chamba-Phatankot Route is good this Year? kindly advice.

    • Hey Shiva,

      Good to see you back here !! Following are the tweaks:

      Day 1 Chandigarh — Shimla – Narkanda/Rampur
      Day 2 Narkanda/Rampur — Sangla — Chitkul– Kalpa
      Day 3 Kalpa –Nako –Gue Village — Tabo
      Day 4 Tabo-Dhankar-Kaza -Hikkim- Komic-Langza – Kaza
      Day 5 Kaza – Losar-Kunzum Pass-Chandertal (roads in general are always bad but much better towards end of season)
      Day 6 Chandertal-Rohtang Pass- Manali
      Day 7 Manali — Chandigarh

      You can get connected directly to some drivers in Himachal or 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 the pickup as well.

      The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3500 per day depending on the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price. If you are 2-3 in the group, you can opt for sedan taxi cars as well which charges around Rs 2200 per day.

      Otherwise, taxis, in general, are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands. These drivers can help you with finding local stay options too.

      • shivasankar G on

        Hi, Dheeraj,

        Thanks for your Input,

        – We are planning to Hire One SUV and Sedan (Myles) from Chandigarh. Will Sedan cross over the Places.
        – Kindly advice on Is the “Tandi-Udaipur-Killar-Sach-Chamba-Phatankot Route is good this Year? ” Elsewhere i read you did this route in Scorpio, Will Seadon Cross over here too..
        – Looking for Budget accommodation in en-route, appreciate if you could share the link of Hotels (En-route as mentioned).
        – What will be whether condition (will it be too Cold as it is end of Season).
        – Like in Leh, will there be AMS. you advice on this please.

        Kindly advice.

        G.SS

        • 1. Sedans can do it in late month but again, difficult especially on Manali – Kaza
          2. I will not recommend to do Sach Pass on sedan though I have known people who have done it. However, being known to these routes and having done mostly majority of these routes on my dZires, I will not take it personally ever to Sach Pass.
          3. For stay options in Kinnaur and Spiti, check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley.
          4. Nights will be cold with winds, days pleasant.
          5. Yes, AMS will be there. So, follow the same rules as that of Leh.

  39. Hi Dheeraj,

    We are planning Spiti Valley in August Last Week, below is the planned itinerary please advise if any changes to be made or we can proceed with the below plan :

    Day 1 Chandigarh — Shimla — Rampur
    Day 2 Rampur — Sangla — Chitkul– Kalpa
    Day 3 Kalpa –Nako –Gue Village — Tabo
    Day 4 Tabo-Dhankar-Kibber-Tashigang-Kaza
    Day 5 Kaza-Hikkim-Komic-Langza-Kaza
    Day 6 Kaza-Losar-Kunzum Pass-Chandertal
    Day 7 Chandertal-Rohtang Pass- Manali
    Day 8 Manali — Chandigarh

    Thanks in Advance

  40. Sampat Ghosh on

    Dear Dheeraj,

    I am searching for some sedan cars which ply from shimla- kalpa-kaza-manali route, or spiti valley from 4sep to 13sep. I have called some drivers from your blog — “discoverwithdheeraj.com/india/himalayan-travel-guides/taxi-drivers-spiti-valley-kinnaur-valley-t849.html”, but they have said that in this route, no sedan cars can ply from kaza to manali.

    I am very confused as I have seen in your blog it is possible for sedans, and the drivers are saying it’s not possible. Can you please help me out?

    Thanks,
    Sampat Ghosh

      • SAMPAT GHOSH on

        Dear Dheeraj,

        I am planning to hire a sedan taxi for Spiti Valley from Shimla To Manali. So, I have called some of them from your blog and they said that it is not possible for sedans, book 4*4 cars.

        We are 3 people in our group, so it would be very costly for us to book 4*4 cars.

        Thanks,
        Sampat

        • SAMPAT GHOSH on

          Dear Dheeraj,

          I have contacted with Mr. Khem Raj Verma who owns the Etios, he have told me that from kaza to manali is off route and a sedan car can not go on that road, he also advised me to book for Innova.

          Do you have any other contacts who ply sedans in the route?

          Thanks,
          Sampat

        • Sorry Sampat, I do not have other contacts. May be due the present conditions no taxi guy is ready to take the Manali – KAza route, check the videos posted on DoW Facebook Wall or Page to know what they might be fearing.

        • Sampat Ghosh on

          Dear Dheeraj,

          Thanks for your help to complete my trip to Spiti valley on September, 2017.
          I had booked one Tavera, as no sedan drivers were ready to do the Shimla-Kaza-Manali circle. I had come across a very good driver and I request you to add his number in your website.

          Name: Kailash Thakur
          Phone No: 9459864215 / 9816542715
          He has one Tavera.

          Thanks,
          Sampat Ghosh

  41. Hi Dheeraj,

    Are there any stay options in Losar apart from Nomadic Cottage? That is sold out for the day we are looking for.

    Thanks
    Rajni

  42. Hi Dheeraj ,

    Are there any tourist operator to take for sight seeing in spiti ? .I’m planning for first week of september .

  43. Hardik Taunk on

    hi Dheeraj,
    We are planning a Month long trip in the month of May end or June 2018,
    We want to cover Kashmir,Ladakh,Spiti Valley and nearby Hill stations we do have a basic itinerary of spiti. and we had done ladakh a year ago from delhi- manali-leh-srinagar-Amritsar-Delhi we want your suggestions for some new routes and places to explore.
    we dont have any issues with the vehicle’s capability vehicles used will be – Mitsubishi Montero & Audi Q7 along with it a Bike – BMW R1200 GS.
    Eagerly waiting for your suggestions and itinerary.
    Thank You.

  44. Abhishek Savalia on

    Hi there, am planning a trip to spiti in first week of September … how will the roads be at that time?

    > kuv100 car
    1 yr old kid n wife

    N i plan to go through kinnaur n return also through the same route….

    Any suggestions ??

    • Hi Abhishek,

      Your time of travel should be fine but regarding traveling with such a small kid, I personally will not go over to Spiti Valley with such a small kid.

  45. Amit pathania on

    Hi,
    We group of 4 planning to go around Spiti valley tour entering from Shimla and existing from Manali starting on 15th July 2017 for 8 nights and 9 days.Is it the right time to go with self drive car.please suggest.

    Regards

  46. Will travel to spiti via kinnaur 2nd week of July… How is weather and road condition at that time? Now a days there is heavy rain in HP, can it affect our travel plan?

    • Hi Milan,

      Keep an eye on weather updates. Usually the rains will go away in a week and there could be a dry spell for 2-3 weeks before they come again in end of July or August. But yes it is for sure that in case it says heavy rains 2-3 days in advance of the trip in Kinnaur, I will not go with the trip and plan in September.

  47. Apurva Bhatnagar on

    Hi, we are planning to go through this itinerary in the 1st week of August. Please let me know if it is safe to travel then from a rainy season perspective. Thanks.

  48. we are planning to do your itinerary ..
    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

    Can we do this trip in Dzire or Etios … we are 4 travellers with a driver from delhi

    • Suman, well I have done the Spiti trip many times in my dZire but I love adventure more than my car. It does take a beating and I am used to such road conditions. I will say, if you fall in the same boat, it is OK else will suggest to take a high GC vehicle. The road from Kunzum PAss to Batal to Gramphu ahead of Kaza towards Manali will be challenging with river bed like road and gushing water streams.

  49. Nitesh Shah on

    Hi Dheeraj,
    I am planning for a road trip with my wife to Spiti..Would you advise me to start from Shimla? I plan to do one trip on bike/car and return via public transport. Is it possible? I have 8 days in hand. Also, I have never taken a bike ride on mountains..This will be my first experience ever…

    • Hi Nitesh,

      Going from Shimla – Kinnaur side is always recommended because of increase in altitude gradually and body gets adjusted to the high altitude. With 8 days in hand, it becomes hectic a bit though. Do you have 8 days from Shimla to Manali? or Delhi to Delhi?

  50. Hey Dheeraj
    Could you provide me a list of bike repair shops along with contact number from Shimla-Spiti

    • Hi Deep,

      Last major shop you will find will be at Reckong Peo, post that there is a mechanic at Puh because Spellow one sometime is open and sometimes closed but Puh one is always open. After Puh, you may find someone at Chango and Tabo if lucky else mechanic will be in Kaza only.

  51. Manish Singh on

    Thank you team, I just completed by spiti valley trip with the help of this blog, it was great help since I was travelling with a 6 year kid 🙂

  52. Yogendra Shidhore on

    Hi Dheeraj!
    Superb article from you about the spiti valley bike ride road map.
    We are planning our ride from 2nd August to 13th August’17.
    Please advise me will it be a good season to visit. I have heard that batal to Gramphu road patch is bit challenging and maybtake longer time to cross.
    Please advise.
    Yogendra

  53. Hi Dheeraj,

    I came to this post here after you suggested to my comment on your other post about being safe rather than unwell on full moon night 🙂
    So your advice is well taken by the group and we have changed the route to start from Shimla now and exit from Manali. Now just two quick queries about the itinerary above:
    1. we have 9 days total instead of 10 mentioned above starting from delhi. please suggest where can we cut short one day from the schedule
    2. shall we stay at Shimla or Narkanda on the first night?

    Thanks so much in advance for the help.

    • That is wonderful to know Apoorv, you guys will enjoy it alot in this direction. in 9 days, you can follow a plan as below:

      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

      • Thanks buddy.

        So we will have to let go Sangla and Chitkul from the plan? Also as per the above itinerary, it would be 3 nights stays in Kaza? Day 4, Day 5, Day 6?

        I was thinking if we can stay Day 4 in Mudh Village.

        Regards

        • Yea, let go Sangla and Chitkul for this time. Make another trip to Chitkul sometime later, maybe in autumn when apples are all around 🙂

          And stay at Mud Village is fine too on Day 4.

  54. Siri Krishna on

    hi dheeraj sharma
    this is siri I wanted to know the itinerary of the trek in the rout of manali to spiti and also from shimla.
    which is a little easier one and how may km is the trek? could you also pitch in the distance break down of the trek. asap
    thank you

  55. Hey, I am planning to travel to Spiti Valley following this exact itenery from around 30th july.
    Now I understand that it is monsoon season however we dont have a choice. I tried looking up the recent whether conditions but cant find any. Can you help me out with that? would it be too risky to go during that time or it can be Manageable.
    Secondly, should i book all the hotels online or i can find them there directly.
    Thirdly, do i just pay the driver per day rate and thats it? What about his stay and food?
    Thanks a lot

  56. How much would it cost starting from Shimla till manali by a private taxi for the same itinerary? Like an approx amount.

    • Ram, You can get connected directly to some drivers in Himachal or 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 the pickup as well.

      The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3200-3500 per day depending on the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price. If you are 2-3 in the group, you can opt for sedan taxi cars as well which charges around Rs 2200 per day.

      Otherwise, taxis, in general, are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands. These drivers can help you with finding local stay options too.

      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.

  57. Hi Dheeraj,

    I am planning a solo backpack to trip to Spiti valley in first week of August. I have 10 to 13 days in hand and also I am thinking of starting from Manali and ending it at Shimla. First of all is this route advisable and secondly could you please provide a good itinerary for 12 days trip. I do not mind even if a day gets added because I want to cover all the best locations.

    Thanks in advance 🙂

  58. Shahil Bheda on

    Hi Dheeraj,

    Below is our itinerary for Spiti trip this month:
    15 June – Chandigarh – Shimla
    16 – Shimla – Sangla
    17 – Sangla – Chitkul – Kalpa
    18 – Kalpa – Nako
    19 – Nako – Gue – Tabo – Pin Valley – Mud
    20 – Mud – Dhankaar – Dhankaar Lake – Kaza
    21 – Kaza – Mane – Kaza
    22 – Kaza – Komik – Hikkim – Langza – Ki Monastery – Gette – Kibber
    23 – Kibber – Kunzum La – Chandratal Lake
    24 – Chandratal Lake – Rohtang Pass – Manali
    25 – Manali – Kullu
    26 – Kullu – Chandigarh

    Is this fine ? Or do you suggest any change ? Also can you tell me if we can find any snow anywhere during above dates ?

    • Hi Sahil,

      Below are my inputs:

      1. Go directly to Tabo and avoid stay at high altitude of Nako, this will save one day as well.
      2. Do Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar lake – Pin Valley, Pin Valley – Lhalung – Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Kaza, next day Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Kaza. Skip Mane villages for some other time.

      • Kashmira shukla on

        Hi,
        Is it possible to do spiti valley, dharamshala,Dalhousie in 10 to 12 days starting from ahemdabad? Can you give iternery for this? Want to travel mostly in Sept

  59. Himanshu Dhakla on

    Can Spiti be done in July end (20th – 31st) on bike? Entering through Shimla and exiting from Manali. Worried about the rains and road conditions. Kindly suggest.

    • Well, Himanshu as far as Spiti Valley is concerned it is fine because Spiti is a rain shadow region. However, in case it rains, Kinnaur Valley and other parts of the lower hills will cause hassles and road blocks get common. I will suggest if you have flexibility, keep a tab on weather updates and make a trip based on weather conditions.

  60. Hi Dheeraj, your article is inspiring and we are planning a trip from 1st July for 8 nights starting Delhi and going via Narkanda (First stop at Narkanda or Thanedar).

    Can you please advise on hotel reservation, do we have to make an advance booking or we can just go random without booking?

      • Thanks Dheeraj, will follow your advise.
        One more question, will the first week of July will be right time or is it late start? We are concern about Manson as well as not sure if we will still find some so now walls while exiting via Manali and kunzum pass.

        • Asif, snow will be difficult to find on the route to Kunzum Pass from Manali. Also, first half of July is still a good time to travel to Spiti Valley

  61. Hi,

    We are planning from 12 June to 25 June from Manali to Kaza and then towards Nubra ..Can u confirm with the route from Manali to Kaza as u said in previous comments that the road is block..

  62. Akshay Agrawal on

    Thanks Dheeraj for the useful info.

    It will be great if you will share the best possible itinerary for manali to spiti (even covering nako) in around 6-7 days. I am planning to take the trip in June End.
    I don’t want to cover spiti via Shimla. I want to start from manali and back to manali via same route.

    Can you please share the best possible stops for minimalistic AMS chances.

    Thanks in advance 🙂

  63. Vishal shah on

    Hello Dheeraj ji

    Firstly, Many thanks to you for all this detailed information.

    We are reaching Shimla on 18th June. Our return flight is on 1 july from Chandigarh. We are not very keen on spending time in Shimla. Please suggest us a good itinerary from 19th june to 28th june ( 10 nights) for kinnaur and spiti. 29th and 30th will be our buffer days in manali or kullu.
    We have already contacted Mr Tsering Bodh for innova and sakya abode.

    Thanks and regards

    • Vishal, you have about 10 days which you can easily follow the plan mentioned in the article above. You will thoroughly enjoy it.

  64. Hi,

    Thanks for the wonderful itinerary. I plan to visit Spiti this year but am flexible with the dates. What according to you would be the best time to visit? Also any idea if I can find jain food during my journey?

    Thanks

  65. Hi Dheeraj,
    Thankyou for the detailed and insightful itinerary. My husband and I are planning to travel to Spiti Valley using this exact same itinerary from 15th August to 25th August. I understand that August is not a good time to travel here. Is it a complete no-no? Would the roads be in a bad condition? Would it be better if we move the plan to last week of August? Please advise. Thanks and Regards.

    • It is a matter of taking a chance with a risk because landslides are common in Kinnaur and lower hills in peak monsoon time. Rivers are in spate, road conditions are bad and slushy. So, if you are OK with this and in case of major blockade trip might get canceled, then you can take on the challenge with calculated risk. I always avoid personally traveling to mountains in August.

  66. Hello Dheeraj sir,
    1. Can I follow your plan (shimla-spiti-manali) n start riding my bike from tomorrow?
    I’m already in Chandigarh.
    2. Will the kunzum la pass be open?
    3. Also any permits needed for Indian national?
    As I want to start from shimla and exit from manali.
    Need your suggestion. Thank you!

    • Aniket, the road from Kaza to Manali is closed for now but may be by 10th June, it might get open else you have to come back from Kinnaur – Shimla route only. No permit is required for Spiti Valley for Indians in case you travel from Shimla side and then come back from Manali side.

  67. Nishant Tanwar on

    hi,

    i am planning to visit spiti via manali…..starting on 4th july…planning take my ritz diesel…please suggest…
    nd also about the permit to cross rohtang pass or any inner line permit required or not and also the timings of issueing permit office.

    Please suggest….

    thanks
    regards Nishant Tanwar

  68. sidharth chopra on

    hi dheeraj

    I am planning to do spiti valley thru Shimla route and back from manali …starting 2nd june 17. I am planning to take Honda brv..pls suggest if this car be able to do kaza to manali route..also suggest for where to stay in tabo and pin valley and losar

    • The road from Manali – Kaza is not yet open and is expected to open by mid of June. Please postpone the trip rest follow the plan mentioned in the article above.

      • Sidharth CHOPRA on

        If manali kaza route is not open..can chandratal lake still be done…pls suggest Honda brv would be ok to make it to chandratal lake

  69. Hello Dheeraj Sir ,
    I am planning a 10 night/11Days trip along with my wife and 4 year old kid. tentative itinerary as follows –
    Day 1– Chandigarh to Shimla .
    Day 2 – Shimla to Sarahan
    Day 3 – Sarahan to sangla.
    Day 4 – Chitkul day visit. Overnight stay in Sangla
    Day 5 – Sangla to Tabo.
    Day 6 – Nako/Tabo to Kaza.
    Day 7 – Kaza sightseeing.
    Day 8 – Chandratal lake visit. ( ?? stay ?? )
    Day 9 – Chandratal to Manali.
    Day 10 – Manali to Chandigarh.
    Day 11 – 4pm flight from Chandigarh. ( buffer day)

    Please help me
    1. 2 kaza + 2 sangla( one day chitkul day trip) or 2 kaza + 1 sangla + 1 mud village or 1 kaza + 1 mud village
    + 2 sangla. Please suggest what you think is better.
    2. Also any suggestion where to stay near Chandratal lake. Couldn’t find any hotel in batal except HPPWD rest house. Is there any other option or we have to come back to LOSAR for night stay.
    3. Do we have to hike to reach Chandratal lake ? how much time it will take to reach there and come back
    from losar.

    Thanks in advance.

    • Hi Prakash,

      1. You plan looks OK but if you had one more day of stay in Spiti valley, it would be much better. I will keep the way it is in case you cannot add that extra day.
      2. Chandratal lake has camps in the season, so you can stay in the camps. Battal only has a dhabha and PWD rest house without electricity in case you want to stay there. I will suggest to stay at Battal or Chandratal as going back that 33 KM on bad roads and then next morning doint it again, feels a pain.
      3. Vehicles do not reach to Chandratal lake, you need to walk about 800 Mtrs.

  70. Atul Tiwari on

    Dheeraj ji can we do this with self owned pulser 200 in mid june? Any suggestions about trip by you will be great help. Thanx in advance

    • Yes, Atul, you can do this trip on a pulsar. I hope you have some experience of driving in hills because of the roads, especially between Kaza and Manali, are quite treacherous with water crossings and river bed like conditions.

  71. Ashutosh Goyal on

    Very Helpful write-up Dheeraj. Many Thanks. I want to do this trip with wife and 8yr old son starting 25th Aug to 3rd sept. What do you think about the chances of rain in that period. Also will my kid be fine sleeping in tent at Chandra taal. Last year we had a Ladakh trip sleeping at Pangong lake and Tso Moriri without any issue but didn’t sleep in tents so want your advice.

    • Rains cannot be predicted but in general it rains during those days. Would be better if you shift the plan in September. Although each trip has lot of factor to count in and is different from the last one in many aspects but in general kids do much better than adults. Also, in case you feel there is an issue, you can descend down to Battal. Also, going from Shimla – Kinnaur side will really help as well.

  72. Thank you धीरज जी,
    One more question. “My younger daughter is 5.7 years old.”
    Can I plan for Delhi – Shimla – Narkanda – Kinnaur Valley – Tabo – Kaza-Manali-Delhi during 10th June to 18th June 2017?

    And please provide me number of a competent driver who can drive my XUV 500 from kaza to manali as you had suggested for extra care for that route.
    Regards

    • In general, it is fine to take the children of such age group because AMS do not matter with respect to age or sex or any fitness level. It can happen to anyone of any age or sex or fitness I shall say :D.. The issue with children is that they tend to exert the body considering it the same kind of place they belong to and this elevates the chances of getting struck with AMS. Secondly, they are not much expressive about their uneasy feelings, so it is parents who need to watch out and take care that the child is not suffering from uneasy feelings, headache or nausea and is behaving properly. With 5+ year child, I think he/she would be able to convey the uneasiness with little efforts. If you notice any such feeling or he/she tells you about such a feeling then please do not ascend anywhere, either descend to lower altitude or stay at the same place to watch things overnight and if symptom increase then start descending immediately. Same is applicable for any adult as well. And yes, do keep the body adequately hydrated!!

      You can get connected directly to some drivers in Himachal or 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 the pickup as well.

      • ravinder jangra on

        hi dheeraj,
        we plan a bike riding to spiti via shimla 17th june to 27th june how we make it easy

        • The roads are treacherous, Manali – Kaza Road would have just opened. So, road conditions will be bad and not in good conditions. Up to Kaza through Kinnaur it will be manageable.

  73. Hi धीरज,
    I am planning for spiti Valley ( Delhi – Shimla – Narkanda – Kinnaur Valley – Tabo – Kaza-Spiti-Manali – Delhi ). I will start it from 10th June and will finish by 18th June 2017.
    My question is that XUV 500 is fit for this route or not??
    Regards

    • Rajeev, XUV is capable enough vehicle to do the Spiti Valley trip. Please take extra care and caution on Manali – Kaza route though, rest should be fine with it.

      • Dear Dhiraj

        As you mention that extra care is to be taken to drive on Manali Kaza road, I want to know that presently I have already drive the vehicle(SUV) for Tawang trip so whether the road from Kaza to Manali is like the same or more dangerous, do I need to hire driver because I will be travelling with my wife and kids.

        Munesh

        • Munesh, Manali – Kaza has numerous water crossings and stones, it feels like driving on the river bed almost dodging the stones as well as water in the nallas. That’s the most challenging part as one mistake can take your engine sump.

        • Dear Sir

          As you mentioned the road condition, whether in that case SUV will be ok I have pajero sport.

  74. Hi Dheeraj,

    We are following the same common Itinerary. And we have 2 extra days, so planning to explore Rama Valley, Lingti Valley and Mane Village. Can these be done in a single day or 2 days? And during which day of the trip can we add this to our itinerary? We are a group of photographers, so we are not in rush.

    Thanks,
    Ravikanth

    • Yes, Ravi these can be done in single day drive easily. You can fit them as below:

      Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar lake trek – Mane Village (stay overnight if you OK with home stays)
      Mane Village – Pin Valley
      Pin Valley – Lingti (Rama Village – Lhalung) – Kaza

  75. MADHUR GAUR on

    Hello Dheeraj,
    We are planning for Lahul and Spiti, and will stick to the conman itinerary u have suggested above, My only question is we are leaving from Delhi on 16 June, so Kunzum pass will be open by then or not, just an idea? i understand road conditions will not be so good as these are just opened. we are going in Mahindra Quanto, with hired driver from Shimla to Manali.

  76. Hi,

    First of all thank you for the wonderful itinerary.

    We are looking forward to follow the same itinerary as above. Just have few queries. Would be very kind if you could solve them:

    1. We will be starting with this trip on 21st June, so will we face any problems wrt to any road closures like Manali Kaza road, and also will be able to go to Chandratal Lake during that time?(Around 27-28th June)

    2. Also we would be hiring a vehicle. So is it advisable to directly contact a tour agency for everything ranging from travel to stay, or can we book everything individually.

    3. We would have a spare day. We were thinking of doing paragliding in Spiti (Solang or any other) or Manali. Can you recommend where can we use this extra buffer day and is paragliding possible at that time? If not, how can I spend the extra buffer day(possibly near Manali)

    Thanks in advance.

    • Below are the responses:

      1. No by 21st June, Manali – Kaza road and road to Chandratal should be open
      2. Not really, best is to book it yourself. Or just book the taxi by contacting driver directly. He will help you with economic stays. You can get connected directly to some drivers in Himachal or 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 the pickup as well.

      The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3200-3500 per day depending on the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price. If you are 2-3 in the group, you can opt for sedan taxi cars as well which charges around Rs 2200 per day.

      Otherwise, taxis, in general, are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands. These drivers can help you with finding local stay options too.

      3. No paragliding is there in Spiti. Best is to enjoy the day either resting in Manali or have it in Spiti only resting and enjoying beautiful locations at more ease.

  77. Hi Dheeraj,

    Me and my friend are planning lahaul spiti bike trip in the last week of june. My main concern is the condition of roads there . Could you give a rough idea as to what the conditions of road is and in which particular areas the road condition is worse. Which bike to prefer while doing the trip and any other suggestions from your end are most welcome.

    • Kavya, the road between Rohtang Pass and Kaza will be most worse and it feels like riding on a river bed with numerous water crossings to dodge. In case of puncture you are on your own, so make sure you do not ride fast on sharp stones or gravel. Prepare for long rides before if you are not used to be on bike for 8-9 hrs in a day. The roads for sure will be one of the worst you may have seen in life in case you have not been to these kind of places before. So, I have no intention to scare you but setting the mental expectations.

  78. Puneet Bajpai on

    Extremely Sorry Dheeraj Ji,

    I have sent below itinerary for 15 Days. Unfortunately, I have just seen that We have only 14 days. apart from below queries can you please suggest which place I should drop from itinerary to match 14 days plan

    My dates are starting from 18th June from Chandigarh ending on 30th June in Chandigarh.

    Please Help

    • Hi Dheeraj,

      Hats off to you man. Really. amazing work being done by you for the travel community.

      I plan to do Chandigarh-kalpa-kaza-manali-chandigarh (Jun 17 till jun 26th)as per your itinerary of Spiti valley. My questions are

      1. Can we do this route on Nissan Micra? (till kaza i think there will be no problem? we are three travellers: me, my wife and my 6 yr old kid.
      2. Can we do kaza to manali in one day with chandrataal? hows the road conditions on this stretch now? as we have done manali-chandertaal-manali in one day last year in a hired cab and it was a 14 hours ordeal.

      Thank you

      • Thank you Mohit !!

        1. 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.

        2. It will be challenging to club both Chandratal and reaching Manali from Kaza in Nissar micra because due to small car, the speed will be slow.

  79. Puneet Bajpai on

    Dheeraj Ji

    Salute to You !!

    I want to combine Leh and spiti together and taken up this plan from other group of riders.

    We are 5 friends , we have back-up vehicle with mechanic (Tavera or Xylo)

    Can you please look into the following itinerary and suggest to go a head with this plan. or any advice

    D1 Chandigarh – Manali
    D2 Manali- Keylong
    D3 Keylong – Leh
    D5 Leh
    D6 Leh-Nubra
    D7 Numbra – Pangong
    D8 Pangong – Leh
    D9 Leh-Keylong
    D10 Keylong – Kaza
    D11 Kaza- Nako
    D12 Nako – Sangla
    D13 Sangla Local
    D14 Sangla – Shimla
    D15 Shimla- Chandigarh

    My Worries
    1 Where to stay in these area, how do i get Hotels ? or any point of contact to book our stay
    2 How to know the route maps in these remote areas ? (MAPS are Not Available)
    3 Is it safe to go, as per above itinerary, with 5 friends on such isolated terrain ?

    Humble Request to please advice quickly so that we can conclude or change/drop our plan for beautiful SPITI and simply pick Leh Ladakh

    Thanks In-Advance.

    You are great and doing noble cause. Keep it up !!

    Regards
    Puneet Bajpai

  80. Sreeparna on

    Hi Dheeraj,

    How is the weather like in September end? Is it a favourable time to visit Spiti?

  81. Ravikanth K on

    Hello Sir,

    We are planning to do this Common Spiti Valley Itinerary starting from Shimla side and exit via manali in 10days. From June 2nd to June 13th. So will the kunkum pass be open during this period around June 11th or 12th? If is it not open, can we still visit Chandratal Lake?

    Thanks,
    Ravikanth

    • Ravi, I will recommend that you postpone the trip by at least a week or two so that Manali – Kaza road gets open by that time.

      • Ravikanth K on

        Thanks for your reply sir. One last query.. can we still visit Chandra Taal Lake if the Kunzum pass is not open?

        • You may have to trek. The road to Kunzum Pass will be open but it will be blocked between Batal and Gramphu. You may have to trek about as much as 14 KMs one side to go to Chandratal lake if the road is not open. Then same length you need to trek back to reach pickup point.

  82. Hello Dheeraj
    I am planning for full circuit with my wife and 8 year old son from 12 june and have 12-13 days from delhi.
    Will that be possible and i want to hire a taxi, in your opinion how much should it cost per day..
    If you could provide some good taxi rentals or driver will be much grateful.

    • You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Spiti Valley followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 10-11 days: Most Common Itinerary for Spiti Valley.

      You can get connected directly to some drivers in Himachal or 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 the pickup as well.

      The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3200-3500 per day depending on the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price. If you are 2-3 in the group, you can opt for sedan taxi cars as well which charges around Rs 2200 per day.

      Otherwise, taxis, in general, are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands. These drivers can help you with finding local stay options too.

  83. Sameer Chavan on

    Hi Dheeraj,

    Thanks for posting a detailed itinerary for Spiti. Its very helpful.

    We are planning a trip to Spiti from 11th Aug to 16th Aug. Unfortunately, we dont have 10-12 days for this trip. So can you please advise whether we can cover the main attractions of Spiti in 6 days. Our main focus is on Spiti Valley only.
    We are planning to start the journey from Mumbai and reaching the Chandigarh Airport at 11:00 AM on 11th Aug and want to reach to Sangala on the same night. Is the same possible?
    While returning we are planning to take the Manali route and want to reach Chandigarh Airport on 16th at 04:00 PM.
    Can you please also advise us on which are the main places (and their order) we can cover in our such short trip.
    Regards,
    Sameer

  84. Hitasha Mehra on

    Hi that’s a great Itinerary for kinnaur-Spiti. I wanted to check that I have 7-8days. Would be nice if you could suggest if it is doable in these no. of days. Also, we are a group of 6-7 people & we don’t Intend to on toad for 7-8 hrs everyday. We will be driving from Delhi-Kinnaur- Spiti-Delhi. We would want to enjoy the places we see. Your revert would be appreciated. Thanks.

    • I am not sure when you are planning to cover Spiti valley but if it is before Manali – Kaza road gets open, go with Option A else Options B

      Day 1 | Delhi – Narkanda
      Day 2 | Narkanda – Kalpa
      Day 3 | Kalpa – Nako – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
      Day 4 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
      Day 5 | Kaza Rest and Local Sightseeing
      — Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
      Day 6 | Kaza – Ki, Kibber – Kaza and then reach Tabo/Nako by evening
      Day 7 | Tabo/Nako – Sarahan/Rampur
      Day 8 | Sarahan/Rampur – Delhi

      OR

      Day 1 | Delhi – Narkanda
      Day 2 | Narkanda – Kalpa
      Day 3 | Kalpa – Nako – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
      Day 4 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
      Day 5 | Kaza Rest and Local Sightseeing
      — Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
      Day 6 | Kaza – Ki, Kibber – Rangrik – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal
      Day 7 | Chandratal – Manali
      Day 8 | Manali – Delhi

  85. Sampat Ghosh on

    I am planning to travel to spiti valley through Shimla to Manali. Can you please tell me whether is it possible to make the trip on November ?

    Also, another question is can we get any shared taxis for the entire journey or any point to pint communication like Ladakh as we are only a group of three people?

    It will be very helpful if you reply back to my question

    • After mid October, it is not ideal to make a trip to Spiti Valley as it gets pretty cold and not at all recommended to follow the route from Manali to Kaza. There are no shared tourist taxis in Spiti but you can get shared local taxis or jeeps.

      • Sampat Ghosh on

        Okay thanks for your advice. Can you please tell me from which locations can i get the shared local taxis? It will be helpful to make my itinerary.

        • SAMPAT GHOSH on

          Dear Dheeraj,

          I am planning to Kalpa-Spiti valley in from 4-14 th September. Can you please tell me from where can I get the cars and how much will it cost for me to book the whole trip from shimla to manali?

          And one additional question, is it possible to travel in normal cars not like 4*4, which is required in Ladakh?

          Thanks,
          Sampat

        • You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Spiti Valley followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 10-11 days: Most Common Itinerary for Spiti Valley.

          You can get connected directly to some drivers in Himachal or 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 the pickup as well.

          The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3200-3500 per day depending on the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price. If you are 2-3 in the group, you can opt for sedan taxi cars as well which charges around Rs 2200 per day.

          Otherwise, taxis, in general, are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands. These drivers can help you with finding local stay options too.

        • SAMPAT GHOSH on

          Dear Dheeraj,

          Thanks for your help. We are three persons in the group. So I shall book sedan taxi cars for sure. I have one doubt, should I need to take any permit to cross Rohtang La? I know that, for any cars that come from kaza or leh side, it is not required, but checking with you to just confirm.

          Thanks,
          Sampat

        • If you are taking taxi, then taxi guy will arrange permit for you. Yes, if you come from Kaza or Leh side, permit is not required. Regarding sedan, if taxi guy is comfortable then you can take it.

  86. Vishal shah on

    Dheeraj Sir, I cannot thank you enough for all the effort you take for all this. Your ladakh most common itinerary was very helpful. All the detailed information that you provide is priceless. Thanks once again for this Spiti itinerary. Will get back to you for my queries. Once again a “BIG THANK YOU”

  87. Kapil Goyal on

    Hi Everyone.. I am planning a trip from Delhi to Leh & Spitii valley. Please suggest the route i should take & the time it will take to complete the trip. Is it possible to cover the entire trip back to delhi in 13 days???

  88. HIREN PATEL on

    sir
    I am hiren , planing to explore Lahol- Spiti – & leh start from 1st June to
    July 1st week – with leh
    On my royal Enfielf Himalayan bike
    We are two person on two bike
    Suggest me full itenery program
    As I will follow you & your suggetation -program —
    In leh I wish to Treking –
    STOCK KANGRI pengog – nubra etc
    Please give me your best advice
    I am 58 yr old
    Regards
    Hiren

      • Manish1971 on

        Hi Dheeraj,

        We are schedule for trip to lahul spiti kinnaur from 17 May to 2 june we will be at losar on 24 may and would like to know if we ca reach kumzum pass from this side we will be going on bike. Can we expect rains during this period &will there be too much snow near kumzum / losar. Information available from this site has helped us a lot in planning our trip really appreciate your efforts.

        Thanks in Advance

        • Manish, if you want to travel to Manali from Kunzum Pass you will not be able to do it by that time of the month. However, in case you are planning just to go beyond Kunzum Pass till the point where road is open, you may give it a try.

        • Manish1971 on

          HI Dheeraj,

          We plan to go up till kumzum & returm back, we are not going to manali. Any chances of rains during this period & will there be too much snow arround kumzum / losar.

          Regards

        • I will suggest going beyond Kunzum Pass to the point of blockade, you will really enjoy the white snow and big snow walls. Rains can be intermittent if there is any. Usually it does not rain during this time.

    • Well, 100s of people take it every year. 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.

  89. ABHISHEK KULESH on

    Hi Dheeraj

    Thank you for your perspective suggestions , what will ( bullet ) cost around if we hire bike from Chandigarh, do they deposit some amount of security money, because we are on shortage of budget ( 30000 to 40000 ) including both the persons. Please suggest some bike rental agencies in Chandigarh. thanks 🙂

    And how about this ? If it needs changes please do.

    Day 1 – Chandigarh to shimla 113 kms

    Day 2 – shimla to chitkul( last inhabited village before Tibet ) 261 kms via kufri

    Day 3 – chitkul to nako 150kms – tabo 63kms ( nako lake , tabo monastery )

    Day 4 – tabo to dhankar 24 kms – kaza 48 kms – losar 58 kms

    Day 5 – losar to kunzum pass 15kms – chandratal lake – manali – Chandigarh

    • Most of them take deposits. I do not have any contacts of bike rentals from Chandigarh. On Day 2, you must plan to stay at Sangla as Chitkul is quite high for Day 2. Then Day 3 looks OK and so as Day 4. However, Day 5 is not possible. You can reach Manali on that day not Chandigarh.

  90. ABHISHEK KULESH on

    Hi Dheeraj,

    We ( 2 person ) are planning a trip to spiti valley ( bike trip ) in first week of June . Planning to hire one bike from Chandigarh. Budget is around ( 30000 ) including both. Can we! Any suggestions please 🙂

  91. Hi Dheeraj, i am planning to visit spiti in last week of June and planning to rent self drive vehicle​. I also want to visit Tso-Moriri lake in Ladakh during this period. Now I know Self drive cars are not allowed in laddakh so can I get any taxi or can i hire bike from spiti to visit Tso-Moriri lake?

    • Hi Alok,

      The problem is that now you need inner line permit/environment fee as well in order to visit inner line areas of Ladakh. So, you will have to manage it as well. It is better that you take a risk in your self drive car to Tso Moriri and in case confronted, come back to stay at Tso Kar for the night after seeing Tso Moriri. Manage the fees and permits in advance through a travel agent in Leh.

      • Thanks for the reply. Can I pay the fees enroute Tso- Moriri from Spit? or It has to be paid in Leh only?

  92. Hi Dheeraj,

    Thank you for providing the detailed tour plan.
    I am planning to start my travel by 1st of June, and as per your responses to the previous queries, you suugest that one should take the Shimla route. Is that right? Or is there an alternate route available around that time?
    I am planning to keep the tour length to 8 days, so where should I end my advance and start returning?

    I was also wondering if you could help me with a budget estimation for 2 riders on a 350cc bike. Starting from Delhi.
    How much fuel and food and stay would cost?

    Thanks in advance.

    • Yes, you should take route from Shimla and come back the same route in case Manali – Kaza route is not open. For travel plan you can also refer any of the below plan:

      Day 1: Delhi – Sarahan
      Day 2: Sarahan – Kalpa
      Day 3: Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Tabo
      Day 4: Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
      Day 5: Kaza – Ki, Kibber, Komik, Langza – Kaza
      Day 6: Kaza – Tabo – Nako – Sangla / Chitkul
      Day 7: Sangla / Chitkul – Narkanda / Shimla
      Day 8: Narkanda / Shimla – Delhi

      OR

      Day 1 | Delhi – Narkanda
      Day 2 | Narkanda – Kalpa
      Day 3 | Kalpa – Nako – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
      Day 4 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
      Day 5 | Kaza Rest and Local Sightseeing
      — Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
      Day 6 | Kaza – Ki, Kibber – Kaza and then reach Tabo/Nako by evening
      Day 7 | Tabo/Nako – Sarahan/Rampur
      Day 8 | Sarahan/Rampur – Delhi

      OR

      Day 1 | Delhi – Narkanda
      Day 2 | Narkanda- Kalpa
      Day 3 | Kalpa – Nako – Tabo
      Day 4 | Tabo – Dangkar – Pin Valley – Kaza
      Day 5 | Kaza and around (Ki, kibber, gette, hikkim, komik, langza – Choose whatever you possibly can)
      Day 6 | Kaza towards Kunzum Pass, if possible Chandratal and back to Kaza OR come back to Tabo for night stay
      Day 7 | Kaza/Tabo – Geyu Mummy – Kalpa/Sangla
      Day 8 | Kalpa/Sangla – Chitkul – Sarahan
      Day 9 | Sarahan – Delhi (long drive but as last day you can rest at home)

      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.

  93. Hi,
    we are planning a bike trip to spiti from chadigarh starting july 8th and planning to cover, sachpass and kishwar road back to chadigarh.

    my question is will it be rainy at that time of the year? can we cover kishtwar road also at that time.

    we have total of 16 days in hand

    • Well, you have good number of days in hand and should be OK to travel during that time. In case it rains, it may be difficult but well, keep a check on weather and then head out.

  94. Gautam Grover on

    Hi – i am planning to go to Spiti Valley on 5 May – is this a good time to execute this trip???

    • Gautam, the road from Manali to Kaza will not be open during that time in May. It is expected that Manali – Kunzum Pass – Kaza road will open by the first week of June.

      • amit anand on

        Hi Dheeraj,

        I am planning my trip from 13th May,2017 to 19th May to Spiti valley. I heard Manali to Kaza is not cleared now , So i have to go via Shimla. Could you please suggest how should i plan my trip. which place to visit. should I take rented bike/ taxi in shimla for the trip. This is my first trip to Himachal so can i ride bike? I can extend 1 or 2 days for my trip.

        • Amit, I see you have about 7-9 days in hand. I will suggest you follow the plan below:

          Day 1: Delhi – Sarahan
          Day 2: Sarahan – Kalpa
          Day 3: Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Tabo
          Day 4: Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
          Day 5: Kaza – Ki, Kibber, Komik, Langza – Kaza
          Day 6: Kaza – Tabo – Nako – Sangla / Chitkul
          Day 7: Sangla / Chitkul – Narkanda / Shimla
          Day 8: Narkanda / Shimla – Delhi

          OR

          Day 1 | Delhi – Narkanda
          Day 2 | Narkanda – Kalpa
          Day 3 | Kalpa – Nako – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
          Day 4 | Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley – Kaza
          Day 5 | Kaza Rest and Local Sightseeing
          — Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
          Day 6 | Kaza – Ki, Kibber – Kaza and then reach Tabo/Nako by evening
          Day 7 | Tabo/Nako – Sarahan/Rampur
          Day 8 | Sarahan/Rampur – Delhi

          OR

          Day 1 | Delhi – Narkanda
          Day 2 | Narkanda- Kalpa
          Day 3 | Kalpa – Nako – Tabo
          Day 4 | Tabo – Dangkar – Pin Valley – Kaza
          Day 5 | Kaza and around (Ki, kibber, gette, hikkim, komik, langza – Choose whatever you possibly can)
          Day 6 | Kaza towards Kunzum Pass, if possible Chandratal and back to Kaza OR come back to Tabo for night stay
          Day 7 | Kaza/Tabo – Geyu Mummy – Kalpa/Sangla
          Day 8 | Kalpa/Sangla – Chitkul – Sarahan
          Day 9 | Sarahan – Delhi (long drive but as last day you can rest at home)

  95. vinay singhal on

    Hi, I am planning a tour to spiti valley by May End. Does the road open by then??
    Please suggest.

    • Vinay, if you go from Shimla side the road will be open from Shimla to Kaza. However, Manali – Kaza road opens around second week of June.

    • Vinay, if you go from Shimla side the road will be open from Shimla to Kaza. However, Manali – Kaza road opens around the second week of June.

      • VINAY SINGHAL on

        CAN WE SEE SNOW COVERED ROADS BY THIS ROUTE DURING 28-5-17 TO 2-6-17

        • No Vinay, the roads may not have any snow cover on roads by that time on the majority of the part of the Spiti route. However, chances are the road from Manali – Kaza may not be open during that time and work may be in progress to open. it. Also, are you planning the above route in just 5 days?

  96. Hi Dheeraj, Myself and my friend, we did the tour of Kaza from Delhi on our Celerio in September. We followed your instructions, they were very helpful. We took the route from Delhi – Shimla -Sangla valley – Kaza -Manali -Delhi. Everything went fine except for the risk we took to do the journey from Kaza to Manali.
    Now, what we miss was Snow. So, we are planning to do it again to have full views of Snow covered peaks. If we go in first week of May, will that be possible, or are we late for that?
    This time we go in a Baleno,and also come back via Shimla.

    • Ravi, the road from Manali to Kaza opens around mid of June, so that should the plan and don’t shy away to keep it flexible may be around the first week of June start from Shimla and by the time you reach Kaza, road might have just opened and you attempt it with snow walls around 🙂

      • Thanks Dheeraj.
        But Dheeraj this time we are not taking the risk to do Kaza -Manali stretch on a hatchback car. We have understood that you should do it on a SUV only.
        Please tell if we will find snow on the route taken as Delhi – Shimla – Sangla Valley ( Chitkul ) – Nako – Sumdo – Kaza – ( KI, Kibber, Gette etc. ) – Sumdo – Kalpa – Shimla -Delhi. We have the option to go from 1st to 10th MAY only.
        Also, if you can give some idea as how is the condition of roads at present ?

        • Hi Ravi,

          The roads mostly were good but there was a major landslide between Nako and Tabo for last two weeks the road was closed. Not sure if opened yet or not. Snow will not be in much on this route. If you go beyond Kaza towards Kunzum Pass you will find plenty of snow.

  97. Hi Dheeraj
    Amazing site! I am using this site as a guide to build my trip
    We are planning a 7 day trip to Spiti-7June to 14 june, from Chandigarh. Shimla- spiti-manali route. Will the manali route open by then?
    We are 4 people (family). What are the options? Our main focus is spiti and chandratal. We don’t wish to squeeze in a lot of places, whatever fits in smoothly will be best, since a hectic schedule won’t work for my mom.

      • Hi Dheeraj,
        Postponing is not an option 🙁 Finally it is 6th June to 14 June, Chandigarh-Chandigarh for us. So, i guess we’ll have to return from Shimla route only.

        Here’s a rough itinerary we have arrived at, from your above itinerary:

        1: (starting at noon) Chandigarh-Narkanda
        2: Narkanda-Kalpa
        (Skipping Sangla- Chitkul)
        3: Kalpa- Nako -Tabo
        4: Tabo – Dhankar -Pin
        5: Pin – Kaza
        6: Kaza
        7: Spare Day
        8-9: Return to Chandigarh

        We are skipping Kinnaur valley, as we plan to do it seperately, later.
        Is this a good trip? Please suggest.

        • Ree, this looks OK to me. You can leave Kaza early morning and reach around Tapri/Jeori by evening on 8th and then 9th easily return to Chandigarh.

  98. Bhaavin Patel on

    Hello
    It’s nice to see detailed information.
    I want to visit full circuit and also don’t want to miss snow.
    Plz guide perfect timing to visit.
    We will be driving from Surat.

    Thank you.

    • Hi Bhaavin, snow and full circuit may not come hand in hand in Spiti Valley. You will have to be very flexible in such a case. Stay tuned to the road updates and as soon as the road opens anytime between 8th June to 20th June, start your trip from Manali side and end in Shimla.

  99. Hi Dheeraj , can you tell me is there a way to do Spiti valley exploration solo and without personal vehicle ? How difficult it will be and where will the real challenges be ?