Sometimes it gets difficult to choose between Leh Ladakh and Spiti Valley. So, nowadays, many people are making a trip to Spiti Valley and Ladakh together. The most common route adventurists plan for this mega-adventure goes through Spiti Valley to Ladakh from Manali side.
However, some people do want to cover the whole circuit covering Hindustan Tibet Highway, Manali Leh Highway, and Srinagar Leh Highway. In between, they prefer to visit local sightseeing places in Leh Ladakh and Spiti Valley.
Today, in this article, I will be sharing the details of how to plan a trip from Spiti Valley to Ladakh from Manali side. I will answer some of the common doubts/questions of travelers who are interested in making such an adventurous yet heavenly road trip to Leh Ladakh in J&K and Spiti Valley in a remote corner of Himachal Pradesh.
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Let's quickly dive into the details:
What all places do this common itinerary for Leh Ladakh and Spiti covers?
The day by day detailed itinerary of Spiti to Ladakh tour covers Srinagar – Leh Highway as well as Manali – Leh Highway. Hence, it is apt for those looking forward to covering the entire circuit of Ladakh and having enough time to do the Spiti Valley tour as well with it.
In this plan, I have started the trip from Manali – Spiti Valley side because most of the questions from the past ask about making Spiti Valley trip from Manali side and less from the Kinnaur Valley side. I believe this is mostly due to the less number of days in hand.
However, my personal preference will always be to start from the Kinnaur side and go over to Manali – Leh Highway from there to avoid any AMS issues either in Spiti Valley or at Manali – Leh. In the next article, I will also share an itinerary to travel to Spiti Valley and Ladakh together from Kinnaur side as well.
FAQs on Ladakh and Spiti Tour
Let us look at some of the most frequently asked questions on planning a trip from Spiti to Leh Ladakh from Manali or Kinnaur side. These questions will help you plan your road trip to these places appropriately.
Yes, you can make a trip to Spiti and Ladakh together. However, you need to have a sufficient number of days in hand to make some sense of such a trip to both Ladakh and Spiti. Both Spiti Valley, as well as Ladakh, requires a decent number of days to make a memorable road trip. When you make a trip to both Ladakh and Spiti together, it means you need more days at hand.
You can travel to Spiti and Ladakh together by various modes as well as many different routes. You can plan to travel to Spiti via Manali and then move towards Ladakh from Manali Leh Highway. Or you can travel to Spiti via Kinnaur side and exit to Ladakh from Manali Leh Highway. Similarly, when in Ladakh, you can come back either from Leh to Manali route or exit via Srinagar Leh Highway. Finally, you can altogether reverse the route visiting Leh Ladakh from Srinagar side and then coming down to Manali – Spiti – Kinnaur – Shimla route.
When choosing between Spiti or Ladakh, the choice is not easy and depends upon a lot of factors. Both these places have amazing beauty of nature on offer, the down to earth culture and warmth of hospitality. In the end, it becomes a personal preference along with other factors like time of travel, budget at hand, group size, number of days, etc.. It is not an easy question to answer in few words. It requires a dedicated article on when to choose Leh Ladakh over Spiti Valley and when to plan the Spiti Valley tour over Ladakh. Mixing them will surely going to make some fabulous Ladakh Spiti adventures.
You can take the HRTC bus from Leh to Keylong, Lahaul Valley, and then there is a direct bus from Keylong to Kaza, Spiti Valley that runs daily early morning when the road from Keylong to Kaza is open. The Lahaul – Spiti to Leh distance can be covered in one day and then further from Lahaul (Keylong) to Spiti (Kaza), it will take another day.
16 Day Itinerary for doing Spiti Valley to Ladakh from Manali side
You can find below a 16 Day trip plan for traveling Spiti Valley and Ladakh together. I am sure you should have some questions which I will be happy to answer, but more or less, the whole plan is self-explanatory and will help you make a memorable trip from Spiti Valley to Leh Ladakh. In case you are interested only in Spiti, then you can refer my most common Spiti Valley itinerary.
Day 1 | Delhi – Manali/Solang Valley
- Better stay at Solang Valley and avoid Manali as sleeping at Solang Valley does help in acclimatization
- If going by own car, get the permit made in advance to drive on Manali – Rohtang Pass road through by checking: How to get Rohtang Pass Permits Online
- Overnight at Manali/Solang Valley
- About 13-14 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 2 | Manali / Solang Valley – Rohtang Pass – Kunzum Pass – Kaza
![What is the best bike or best motorcycle for Leh Ladakh bike trip? [4 Things to Consider]](https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/yt_vid_thumbs/ladakh/81.png)
- Head early morning to Kaza via Rohtang Pass, headquarters of Spiti Valley
- Visit Kunzum Pass and enjoy the moment there
- Drive through Batal – Chattru – Gramphu is out of the world
- There may be some headache or AMS this night, but enjoy this magical drive over Kunzum Pass to enter the middle land called Spiti Valley. You will enjoy the drive to Kaza greatly.
- About 10 – 11 Hrs drive easily if you do not get messed up Rohtang Pass or stuck in water crossing
- Overnight at Kaza
Day 3 | Kaza – Pin Valley (Mud Village) – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Tabo
- Traverse the Pin Valley | Kungri – Sagnam – Mud – Tailing
- Visit Dhangkar Monastery and Dhangkar Lake and leave after early lunch
- Enjoy the magnificent vistas all-day
- About 5 – 6 Hrs of drive in the day
- Overnight at Tabo
Day 4 | Tabo to Kaza and then Ki – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang – Kaza
- Travel back the 47 KMs to Kaza from Tabo and in the second half of the days do sightseeing
- Visit Ki – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang and for more details, you can read: Key – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang – Local Sightseeing in Kaza
- About 5 – 6 Hrs of drive in the day
- Overnight at Kaza
Day 5 | Kaza – Hikkim – Komik – Langza – Rangrik – Losar – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal / Battal
- 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 Chandratal if you are short on time else go over to Chandratal next day
- About 2 – 3 Hrs of drive in the day and in case you go over to Chandratal, add about 4 more Hrs
- Kaza – Losar – Kunzum Pass is the most scenic drive of entire Spiti Valley
- Camps are about 2.5 KMs from the lake, either stay there or back to Batal 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 Batal and save time as well as energy for the next day.
- Overnight at Batal or Chandratal Camps
Day 6 | Battal / Chandratal – Gramphu – Keylong/Jispa
- Head towards Keylong / Jispa in the direction of Leh
- About 9-10 Hrs drive easily if you do not get stuck between Batal – Gramphu
- Overnight at Keylong/Jispa
Day 7 | Keylong/Jispa – Baralacha La – Leh
- Leave Keylong/Jispa early next morning, say by 4/5 AM types, so that you reach Leh in the evening
- You will witness the beauty of Manali – Leh Highway, with a couple of small lakes like Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal
- You will cross over Baralacha La, Lachuchulung La, Nakee La, Taglang La passes
- Overnight at Leh
- About 11-12 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 8 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Rest & Inner Line Permits
- To know the about the places to visit in/around Leh, check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
- Get the inner line permits for Leh Ladakh sightseeing
- Overnight at Leh
Day 9 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
- Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
- On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
- Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
- About 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between and at Khardung La
Day 10 | Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
- Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
- Overnight at Leh
- About 7-9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 11 | Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
- Cover either of Hemis, Thiksey, and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
- Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung)
- About 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 12 | Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
- Cover either of Hemis, Thiksey, and Shey on return to Leh
- Overnight at Leh
- About 5-6 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 13 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
- Cover Karzok Monastery
- Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri
- About 7-8 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 14 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Moore Plains – Pang / Sarchu
- Try to start early in the day so that you reach Sarchu where the accommodation options are better than Pang
- Overnight at Sarchu or Pang
- About 11-12 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 15 | Pang / Sarchu – Baralacha La – Keylong – Rohtang Pass – Manali
- On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the roadsides only
- Overnight at Manali
- About 11-12 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between and of course the mess at Rohtang Pass
Day 16 | Manali – Delhi
- Return Home
- About 13-14 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 17 + 18 | Buffer Days
- Keep some buffer day in case of road closure due to landslides or snowfall or perhaps you want to enjoy more in these remote corners of the Himalayas.
Additional Points
- Instead of coming back to Leh from Nubra Valley, you can head towards Pangong Tso via Wari La route. This will give you an additional day that can be spent in Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso or Leh. If you are riding then you need to carry sufficient fuel for it. However, do read the article: Tips for Nubra Valley to Pangong Tso Direct Route
- You can also make a three day trip to Nubra Valley so that you can spend one night a beautiful village Turtuk and remove rest day at 9 or add one day to the above plan to visit Tutruk. I bet, you will not regret it at all.
- For cheap and moderate budget accommodation or hotels in Leh – Ladakh you can refer the links cheap hotels in Leh and moderate budget hotels in Ladakh respectively.
- Any doubts related to the budget of the trip?? Don’t worry, check: How to calculate cost or budget for Leh – Ladakh trip.
Ladakh from Spiti Valley side and come back from Srinagar side
The other option is that you do not come back the same Manali – Leh Highway but go over Srinagar – Leh Highway to return back home from that route and complete the whole circuit. In this case, you can go back to Leh from Tso Moriri on Day 14 and start towards Srinagar – Leh Highway on Day 15 as mentioned below:
Day 14 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh
- Come back via Tso Kar and Manali – Leh Highway to Leh
- Overnight at Leh
- About 10-11 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 15 | Leh – Sham Valley – Lamayuru – Kargil
- Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib
- Cover Mulbekh Maitreya, Lamayuru Monastery, Lunar Landscapes
- Overnight at Kargil
- About 8-9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 16 | Kargil – Drass – Zozi La – Sonamarg – Srinagar
- Enjoy the vistas en route and cross Zojila
- Have late lunch meal at Sonamarg, Overnight at Srinagar
- About 7-8 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 17 | Srinagar – Patnitop – Jammu
- Enjoy the vistas en route
- Overnight at Jammu
- About 8-9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 18 | Jammu – Pathankot – Ambala – Delhi
- Back Home
- About 11-12 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Day 19 + 20 | Buffer days
- Keep some buffer day in case of road closure due to landslides or snowfall or perhaps you want to enjoy more.
Conclusion
I hope this itinerary for Spiti Valley & Leh Ladakh together will be useful for travelers planning their journey at least for the first time. I will look forward to any queries or doubts or valuable suggestions and inputs you have and would love to discuss your custom plan as well in the comments section. If you plan to make this trip by public transport like HRTC buses or shared taxis, you should plan for some more buffer days or may need to skip some places.
Have a travel question?? You can subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a comment to ask your travel questions about traveling to the Himalayas.
If you want any customization or deviation from the above plan, feel free to ask any queries, and in case you know a friend who is interested in such a plan, feel free to share the article with them.
![What to pack for Ladakh Bike Ride or Spiti Bike Ride? [Clothes, Spares, Gear & Accessories]](https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/yt_vid_thumbs/ladakh/88.png)
If you know your friends or family are planning a trip from Spiti Valley to Ladakh, do share this article with them to help them make a memorable adventure road trip.
84 Comments
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Hi Deeraj,
The itenary suggested by you is wonderful, am totally excited about a completing circuit trip of Chandigarh to Chandigarh, going via a manali and coming back via Jammu. I am planning a trip for 10-12 days. And this is what I had planned as following.
Day 1 – Chandigarh to manali
Day 2- manali to spiti valley
Day 2-3 : wanna spend in spiti valley,
Day 4: hoping to drive from spiti to leh, planned as google says 540km 13hrs drive. So planning to spend the night at leh
Day 5: travel to neubra valley
Day 6: neubra to pangong lake
Day 7: pangong to leh
Day 8: leh to Srinagar
Day 9: Srinagar to Jammu
Day 10: Jammu to Chandigarh.
Have kept 2 day’s buffer just in case required.
My main concern is how safe it would be to drive from spiti to leh considering that it would be only 2 of us, me and my mother.
Would be very kind of you if you can guide us and suggest if any changes needs to be made.
Actually I am coming from bangalore on 22 by flight and land in Chandigarh at 7.40am and planning to fly back on 2nd sept.
Planning to take zoom car from Chandigarh. Hope that should not be a hindrance for me to execute this road trip.
Hi dheeraj, great info here….i just wanted to ask . ..which is better..to do spiti valley first or. Leh ladakh first and then spiti…plan is to cover leh and spiti both through public transport mainly….
I am confused between covering spiti valley first or leh ladakh ..with entry from manali side..TIA
Nitin, I will suggest that you start with Spiti Valley first and then cover Ladakh. It will help you keep motivated and see bigger things like bigger mountains, bigger lakes later 😀
Hi Dheeraj,
I’m planning a trip to Ladakh in first week of October starting from Delhi then going to Jammu-Srinagar-Leh-Keylong-Manali and back to Delhi but I also want to cover Spiti Valley in this trip itself so coming from Leh side which route should I take exactly.
And after seeing Spiti Valley can I cover Shimla, Kullu and Kufri too, I’ve 1 month of time in hand.
Hi Talha,
I will suggest you to start from Manali side so that Manali – Leh can be done early in the OCtober as possible. Then come from Srinagar side to Manali and go to Spiti Valley and exit from Shimla side.
Thanks for your valuable suggestion and I really appreciate your informative articles.
Actually I’ve been to Ladakh in October 2015 but this time I wanted to complete the full circuit including Spiti Valley but I have also read your other article in which you suggested not to visit Spiti Valley in October so even this time I’m going to skip Spiti and will look forward to complete the circuit starting from Srinagar side as I’ve to take my friends from there.
Regarding Spiti Valley I’ll try covering it in my future trip to Dalhousie and Khajjar and then from there going to Manali then Spiti Valley and returning from Shimla side, one advantage I’ll get in returning from Shimla side is that rather than going to Delhi I’ll head towards Paonta Sahib and then from there to Mussoorie and Dehradun and via Haridwar-Najibabad to finally my home in Moradabad.
Sounds like a plan Talha, do you want to consider including Pangi Valley in it? Like Dalhousie – Sach Pass – Killar – Keylong – Spiti Valley – Kinnaur Valley – Shimla?
hi, Dheeraj it is possible to make our trip from
BHILWARA -CHANDIGARH–MANALI-SPITI-LEH-KARGIL-SRINAGAR-JAMMU-DEHLI
IN 10 DAYS
mr. Dheeraj…i am from bhilwara rajasthan wants to go to manali to leh via spiti and leh to kargil -sri nagar-jammu-dehli bhilwara………….is possible to make it on enfield 350cc in 10 day…..?/
It will take 3 days to reach Leh from Delhi via Manali side with stopovers at Jispa, Manali and 4 days to come back to Delhi from Leh via Srinagar side with stop overs at Jammu, Srinagar, Kargil . This makes it 7 days. 1 Day is required in Leh for acclimatization. You have about 10 days. 1 Day can be used as Day trip to Pangong Tso and other day can be used as day trip to Nubra Valley or just Khardung La pass.
hey bro it is great to know all about it before we start our trip from Bhilwara to Manali………1000km
from Manali to Qaza …………
from Qaza to Leh….without coming back to manali side
from Leh to SRinagar………..
fron Srinagar to jammu
from jammu to Dehli……………
from dehli to bhilwara
how many day at list we must have for this trip bro…?????
may you have any contact to make it
we are about to leave from bhilwara within two days please
guide or way to do it Mr. Dheerij……..
also i need to know the way from Manali to kaza to leh in map if you may prowide us it will be great to know………………….
thanking you for your great response on my curiosity..
we are looking forward your going to start it…………..
pawan parashar and team
Hi Pawan
You cannot do such a trip and is not possible. Extend the days to 9 days and Opt to go via Manali – Leh Highway and I will suggest that you refer the thread for more details on the route and night halts though it is of 9 days: Manali – Leh – Ladakh – Manali | Itinerary for 9 Days.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for such an amazing and detailed itinerary. I have a question related to self driven cars ban in ladakh.
1. Can we use self driven cars (zoom car) to visit spiti valley from Shimla or Manali both?
2. In ladakh till what location can we take self driven cars without any issues I. E. Interference of locals?
Also we are planning to start our trip on 28th July or 4th August, so will there be any problems at this time travelling to spiti valley and ladakh?
We will be bringing our tents with us and will camp near villages, any tips that you want to give us?
Thanks a lot !!!
Majid Ansari
Hi Majid,
1. Yes, self driven rental cars can be used in Spiti Valley
2. You can take self driven rental car to Leh and come back from Leh. After reaching Leh, you have to rent a local taxi for further sightseeing in Ladakh
Regarding camping, please read: Top 10 Tips for Camping in Ladakh & Spiti Valley
Thanks a lot Dheeraj..
About the dates, will there be any problems if we travel at that time?
Thanks
Well, It is monsoon time in general up there in North and at some parts of Manali – Leh Highway (like before Baralacha La) and Srinagar – Leh Highway (like before Kargil) you might need to face monsoon hassles but once you get closer to Ladakh, then Ladakh being rain shadow region is least affected by monsoon rains, though rains does reach Ladakh now but to minimum and mostly it might remains overcast conditions. There is no thumb rule of certainty about weather conditions but above is generally common pictures seen over last few years except ugly 2010 …
Please refer the link in our community: FAQ | Is Monsoon season good time to travel to Ladakh? for more details.
Hi Dheeraj,
Thanks Dheeraj for the awesome itineraries. Even though I havent been on any one yet, I still like to read it for the love of Himalayas and India as I have been living outside India for last 4 years. I was looking to do this whole route & I came across this luckily.
Being Outside, I am not able to gather much info or form any groups to travel. I may find bike trips online from
Chandigarh- Srinagar-Leh-Manali-Chnadigarh but none of offer Chandigarh-Srinagar-Leh-Spiti-Lahaul-Chandigarh or whole circuit as you suggested.
Are there any tour operators that provide a bike trip to this route.
Thank You for the awesome work and the knowledge you provide for the Mecca of riders.
-Rikin
Thank you for kind words Rikin !!
Well, nowadays I am partially in your boat only, read more and less travel being in US for about a year 😉 … You will not find any tour operators doing this whole trip. How about riding solo and tag along in the groups? Also, you can find some people entries in Travel Calendar from the main menu to look for them.
Hi, Dheeraj.
So I was thinking to travel in reverse manner i.e, from Srinagar-Leh-Manali including spiti so could you please suggest me an itinerary for this trip I’m so confused.
Thank you.
Rahul, you can easily reverse the above plan and fit the same. You can post it here and I will be happy to review it. If you still are unable to do it, I will help you out.
Hi
This is the present road status –
Shimla Kaza Road Status 2017 : Open
Manali Kaza Road Status 2017 : Closed
Manali Keylong Road Status 2017: Closed
Rohtang Pass Status 2017: Open
Sach Pass Status 2017: Closed
Kunzum Pass Status 2017: Closed
Chandratal Status 2017: Closed
Expected Manali to Kaza road Opening time 2017: June End
Expected Chandratal opening time 2017: June End
Expected Sach Pass opening time 2017 – June second week
Expected Rohtang Pass Opening date 2017 – Open
Expected Manali Leh Highway opening time 2017 – May 25th
Expected Srinagar Leh Highway Opening Date 2017 – May 15th
Update May 1st: A fresh snowfall around Manali saw the snow clearing work coming to a stand still. Rohtang pass received around 30 cm of snow and locals were turned back from both Manali and Kokhsar side to avoid any incidents. Kunzum Pass this year received way more snow than usual. As per a latest report from BRO, snow at some places is over 70 ft deep. The Batal Gramphoo stretch is badly damaged and the entire Manali to Kaza stretch is not expected to open any sooner than June end.
Thank you Sachin for posting the updates. Rohtang Pass is only open for locals, not for tourists. We will change the status once it opens for tourists.
Hi,
Is it possible to consider doing this or reverse during those 15-16 days..?
Will this itinerary solve the problem of closure of manali – kaza road ?
21st may – 4th June 2017
Day 1. Delhi – Narkanda
Day 2. Narkanda – Sangla
Day 3. Sangla – Tabo
Day 4. Tabo- Kaza
Day 5. Kaza
Day 6. Kaza – Batal
Day 7. Batal- Keylong
Day 8. Keylong – Sarchu
Day 9. Sarchu – Pangong
Day 10. Pangong – Nubra
Day 11. Nubra – Leh
Day 12. Leh
Day 13. Leh – Kargil
Day 14. Kargil – Srinagar
Day 15. Srinagar – Jammu
Day 16. Jammu- Delhi
Depending on present road conditions on sx4 ( ground clearance 180) ?
Well, reversing the plan may give a slight hope at least that Manali – Leh Highway gets open by the time you hit Manali – Leh Highway. However, the opening of Manali – Kaza road is very optimistic in end of May or early June.
Thank you for your suggestions, vl reconsider my plans.
Hi dheeraj, congratulations and thanks for such wonderful work.
Pls suggest a 15 days (21st may – 4th June 2017) self drive day wise trip plan from delhi, covering lahaul spiti and leh ladakh combined,preferably starting from kinnaur side, not missing out on the list of must sees.
Delhi – shimla – lahaul spiti – leh ladakh – manali – delhi.
Hi Dr. Sachin,
The roads to Ladakh will not be open during that time or may have just opened through Manali – Leh Highway by the time you reach there. However, the road from Kaza to Manali – Leh Highway will not be open as it will open in June. In case you wish to travel by road to these places, you will have to postpone the trip by at least couple of weeks if not three weeks and hope Manali – Kaza road gets open by that time.
Dear
Should I include sach pass here or d route u mentioned is enough??? Is it worth enough to add sach pass??? And what will be the approximate budget required for whole circuit of Spiti and Leh for 15 days which includes average stay ( not too bad or not too expensive) .
I will says with just 15 days in hand, exclude Sach Pass for now. You should keep about 900-1200 per day for food + stay on an average in the entire route with average stays. Rest is your fuel.
Thank you Dheeraj. You being a real admirer for all of us who’s looking to explore the himalayas. Hope once in life time looking forward to meet u up in person mostly some where around in himalayas itself Cheers and thank you so much once again. Will get back to you for any other expertise advice.
Thank you Firaz, sure, gods will we may meet on the highway in Himalayas !! Feel free to post any question you may have for your trip to Ladakh or Spiti.
Hi Dheeraj
Would like it know that is this litinery is safe for a solo drive?? I mean if I plan a drive on my own car to spiti and Leh alone will it be safe or will I land up in trouble??? What’s ur expertise view???
Firaz, well, there will be 1000s of other fellow travellers too on those routes and you may wish to join or tag along with them in any case I will say. Having said that, every year 1000s of people do the solo ride or drive to Ladakh and Spiti Valley, so I don’t think there shall be any issues.
Thanks for the prompt reply. As I asked u earlier July 2nd week will be a gud time do d whole circuit alone by drive??? Whether manali will have snow on those time ???
Yes July is a good time to travel to Manali, Spiti Valley and Ladakh. Regarding snow, you will only find that on high mountains passes including Baralacha La pass.
Dear
I would like to follow up this plan to visit Spity and Leh by own car as am accompanied with one of my friend. But got some doubts as 1. July 10 to July 25th is the planned date Can we find good amount of snow at rothang pass and places we travel. Other option for this trip is May 5th to May 20th. Is it possible???? As we can’t make in the month of June as it is ramzan month for us. Please give us your valuable suggestions
Firaz, I replied to your other comment.
Hi Dheeraj,
Respect and thankfulness from the traveller community, this site had become my Bhagwad Gita for my trips to the Cold Deserts in 2015.
With the same belief, support from the Gita, this time though, in May 2017, We plan to sel drive from Mumbai with family (Brother, wife and a 12 year old), while including Zanskar & Dha Valleys as well as doing Spiti Valley, all which I missed last time, due to time crunch.
We are 2 drivers and plan to enjoy every bit of the circuit to the fullest, God forbidding, leaving none (except Chumathang) for the next time.
Please suggest of this itinerary if doable / to cut short / to give time, at places.
(A day is separated by #*#).
#*# Srinagar – Kargil #*# Kargil – Zanskar #*# Zanskar #*# Zanskar – Kargil #*# Kargil – Dha – Lamayuru #*# Lamayuru – Leh #*# Leh #*# Leh Local + Permit #*# Leh Monastery tour #*# Leh – Turtuk (Tyakshi) #*# Turtuk – Panamik #*# Panamik – Spangmik (Via Agham) #*# Spangmik – Chushul – Hanle #*# Hanle – Korzok #*# Korzok – Debring – Leh (Wife and Child depart) #*# Leh – Jispa #*# ONWARDS REQUIRE HELP –>> Jispa – Gramphu – Chandratal #*# Chandratal – Kunzum – Losar – Kaza #*# Kaza – Kibber – Tabo #*# Tabo – Pin Valley – Kaza #*# Kaza – Rohtang – Manali
Thanks in Advance… CHEERS !!
Hello Himanshu,
Well, the plan is doable but hectic I will say. I will highly recommend that you add one day in Zanskar Valley and do Kargil – Padum, Padum Rest Day, Padum – Rangdum, Rangdum – Kargil. Rest is OK.
Add one day in Kaza as well to do Langza, Hikkim, Komik. Must do. Rest is fine.
Regards
Dheeraj Sharma
N wht abt finding snow on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway? Which route opens early N blocks later?
Snow is available only at Zojila pass on Srinagar – Kargil – Leh Highway and that too when the highway opens up in late April or early May. This is the route that opens early and remains open almost up to November.
Which is the best time to visit Leh via Manali side…. so that I can enjoy full snow on the route. I visited Leh in September this year but did’nt find snow on roadsides. I wanna see ice walls on roadsides.
That will be late May or early June as soon as the road to Ladakh opens. You have to be flexible with your leave plan.
Hi Dheeraj,
Guide me with the below Itinerary and guide me with the approximate total expense of the travel as per you.
14TH September – 29TH September SPITI LADAKH TRIP
14TH SEPT / DAY 1 / MUMBAI – CHANDIGARH – KAZA
MUMBAI TO CHANDIGARH
REACH CHANDIGARH AT 11.30
CHANDIGARH TO SPITI CAR RENTAL / 13 HRS JOURNEY
NIGHT AT HOTEL IN KAZA
15TH SEPT / DAY 2 / KAZA – PIN VALLEY – DHANGKAR LAKE – TABO – KAZA
KAZA TO TABO 49KM ***** TOTAL 100KM RUN *****
Traverse the Pin Valley | Kungri – Sagnam – Mud – Tailing
Visit Dhangkar Monastery and Dhangkar Lake and leave after early lunch
Enjoy the magnificent vistas all day
About 5 – 6 Hrs of drive in the day
Overnight at KAZA
16TH SEPT / DAY 3 / KAZA – KEY – KIBBER – GETTE – TASHIGANG – KAZA
KAZA TO KEY – 12KM
KEY TO KIBBER – 8KM
KIBBER TO GETTE – 11KM
GETTE TO KEE TO TASHIGONG – 6KM
TASHIGONG TO KAZA – 32KM
• OVERNIGHT AT KAZA
17TH SEPT / DAY 4 / KAZA – HIKKIM – KOMIC – LANGZA – RANGRIK – LOSAR
KAZA TO HIKKIM – 15.5KM
HIKKIM TO KOMIC – 3.5KM
KOMIC TO LANGZA – 10KM
LANGZA – RANGRIK – 18KM
RANGRIK TO LOSAR NOMADS COTTAGE – 50KM
Great view of Chau Chau Kang Nelda peak from Langza
Statue of the Buddha near Langza looking down the valley
Tanggyud monastery at Komik, is one of the most important and the highest monastery in the Spiti Valley
NIGHT AT LOSAR , NOMADS COTTAGE
18TH SEPT / DAY 5 / LOSAR – KUNZUM PASS – CHANDRATAAL / BATAL – GRAMPHU – KEYLONG – JISPA
LOSAR TO KUNZUM PASS 18KM
KUMNZUM TO BATAL 12.6KM
BATAL TO GRAMPHU – 49KM
GRAMPHU TO KEYLONG – 50KM
KEYLONG TO JISPA – 23KM
Head towards Keylong / Jispa in the direction of Leh
About 9-10 Hrs drive easily if you do not get messed up Rohtang Pass
Overnight at JISPA Hotel Ibex / Hotel Jispa
19TH SEPT / DAY 6 / JISPA – BARALACHA-LA – LEH
JISPA TO BARALACHA–LA – 53KM
BARALACHA-LA TO KARZOK – 251KM
• Overnight at KARZOK
20TH SEPT / DAY 7 / TSO MORIRI – KARZOK
KARZOK TO TSO MORIRI – 30KM
• OVER NIGHT AT KARZOK
21ST SEPT / DAY 8 / KARZOK -TSO KAR – DEBRING – SPANGMIK
KARZOK TO TSO KAR – 88KM
TSO KAR TO DEBRING – 31KM
DEBRING TO SPANGMIK – 212 KM (VIA KEYLONG – LEH ROAD )
• OVER NIGHT AT SPANGMIK
22ND SEPT / DAY 9 / SPANGMIK – LUKUNG
LEISURE TIME AT PANGONG LAKE AND EXPLORE NEAR BY PLACES
• OVER NIGHT AT SPANGMIK
23RD SEPT / DAY 10 / SPANGIK – HEMIS – THIKSEY – SHEY – LEH
SPANGMIK TO HEMIS – 132KM
HEMIS TO THIKSEY – 26KM
THIKSEY TO SHEY – 10KM
SHEY – LEH 15 KM
• OVER NIGHT AT LEH
24TH SEPT / DAY 11 / LEH – NUBRA VALLEY
LEH TO NUBRA VALLEY – 160KM
PANAMIK TO HUNDER – 65KM
• KHARDUNG – SUMUR – PANAMIK – NUBRA
• OVER NIGHT AT HUNDER
25TH SEPT / DAY 12 / HUNDER – TURTUK
HUNDER TO TURTUK – 83KM
• OVERNIGHT AT TURTUK
26TH SEPT / DAY 13 / TURTUK TO LEH
TURTUK TO LEH – 204 KM
• LEH TO SPITUK
• OVERNIGHT AT LEH
27TH SEPT / DAY 14 / LEH TO LAMAYURU MONASTERY
LEH TO LAMAYURU MONASTERY 108KM
• OVERNIGHT STAY AT LAMAYURU MONASTERY
28TH SEPT / DAY 15 / LAMAYURU TO SURU VALLEY
LAMAYURU MONASTERY TO SURU VALLEY – 194 KM
• OVERNIGHT STAY AT SURU VALLEY
29TH SEPT / DAY 16 / SURU VALLEY – SRINAGAR
SURU VALLEY TO SRINAGAR – 291KM
• OVERNIGHT STAY AT SRINAGAR
30TH SEPT / DAY 17 / SRINAGAR – MUMBAI
FLIGHT FROM SRINAGAR AT 3:30 PM REACH MUMBAI AT 6:30 PM
Hi Soni,
Your itinerary is a bit impractical and since you have 16-17 days in hand, I will suggest you refer: Spiti Valley to Ladakh from Manali – Most Common Itinerary
Hi Dheeraj ,
Please suggest me if the below plan looks good to go . How much will this trip cost approximately as I do not want any packages? Also if anywhere you think that the trip will get stressful then please suggest alternative. Also please share your email address.
14TH September – 29TH September SPITI LADAKH TRIP
14TH SEPT / DAY 1 / MUMBAI – CHANDIGARH – KAZA
MUMBAI TO CHANDIGARH / 6500
REACH CHANDIGARH AT 11.30
CHANDIGARH TO SPITI CAR RENTAL 10500 / 13 HRS JOURNEY
NIGHT AT HOTEL IN KAZA
15TH SEPT / DAY 2 / KAZA – PIN VALLEY – DHANGKAR LAKE – TABO – KAZA
KAZA TO TABO 49KM ***** TOTAL 100KM RUN *****
Traverse the Pin Valley | Kungri – Sagnam – Mud – Tailing
Visit Dhangkar Monastery and Dhangkar Lake and leave after early lunch
Enjoy the magnificent vistas all day
About 5 – 6 Hrs of drive in the day
Overnight at KAZA
16TH SEPT / DAY 3 / KAZA – KEY – KIBBER – GETTE – TASHIGANG – KAZA
KAZA TO KEY – 12KM
KEY TO KIBBER – 8KM
KIBBER TO GETTE – 11KM
GETTE TO KEE TO TASHIGONG – 6KM
TASHIGONG TO KAZA – 32KM
• OVERNIGHT AT KAZA
17TH SEPT / DAY 4 / KAZA – HIKKIM – KOMIC – LANGZA – RANGRIK – LOSAR
KAZA TO HIKKIM – 15.5KM
HIKKIM TO KOMIC – 3.5KM
KOMIC TO LANGZA – 10KM
LANGZA – RANGRIK – 18KM
RANGRIK TO LOSAR NOMADS COTTAGE – 50KM
Great view of Chau Chau Kang Nelda peak from Langza
Statue of the Buddha near Langza looking down the valley
Tanggyud monastery at Komik, is one of the most important and the highest monastery in the Spiti Valley
NIGHT AT LOSAR , NOMADS COTTAGE
18TH SEPT / DAY 5 / LOSAR – KUNZUM PASS – CHANDRATAAL / BATAL – GRAMPHU – KEYLONG – JISPA
LOSAR TO KUNZUM PASS 18KM
KUMNZUM TO BATAL 12.6KM
BATAL TO GRAMPHU – 49KM
GRAMPHU TO KEYLONG – 50KM
KEYLONG TO JISPA – 23KM
Head towards Keylong / Jispa in the direction of Leh
About 9-10 Hrs drive easily if you do not get messed up Rohtang Pass
Overnight at JISPA Hotel Ibex / Hotel Jispa
19TH SEPT / DAY 6 / JISPA – BARALACHA-LA – LEH
JISPA TO BARALACHA–LA – 53KM
BARALACHA-LA TO TSO MORIRI – 261KM
• Overnight at TSO MORIRI
20TH SEPT / DAY 7 / TSO MORIRI – KARZOK – TSOKAR – DEBRING – TSO KAR
TSO MORIRI TO KARZOK – 30KM
KARZOK TO TSO KAR – 88KM
• OVER NIGHT AT TSO KAR
21ST SEPT / DAY 8 / TSO KAR – DEBRING – SPANGMIK
TSO KAR TO DEBRING – 31KM
DEBRING TO SPANGMIK – 212 KM (VIA KEYLONG – LEH ROAD )
• OVER NIGHT AT SPANGMIK
22ND SEPT / DAY 9 / SPANGMIK – LUKUNG
LEISURE TIME AT PANGONG LAKE AND EXPLORE NEAR BY PLACES
23RD SEPT / DAY 10 / SPANGIK – HEMIS – THIKSEY – SHEY – LEH
SPANGMIK TO HEMIS – 132KM
HEMIS TO THIKSEY – 26KM
THIKSEY TO SHEY – 10KM
SHEY – LEH 15 KM
• OVER NIGHT AT LEH
24TH SEPT / DAY 11 / LEH – NUBRA VALLEY
LEH TO NUBRA VALLEY – 160KM
PANAMIK TO HUNDER – 65KM
• KHARDUNG – SUMUR – PANAMIK – NUBRA
• OVER NIGHT AT HUNDER
25TH SEPT / DAY 12 / HUNDER – TURTUK
HUNDER TO TURTUK – 83KM
• OVERNIGHT AT TURTUK
26TH SEPT / DAY 13 / TURTUK TO LEH
TURTUK TO LEH – 204 KM
• LEH TO SPITUK
• OVERNIGHT AT LEH
27TH SEPT / DAY 14 / LEH TO LAMAYURU MONASTERY
LEH TO LAMAYURU MONASTERY 108KM
• OVERNIGHT STAY AT LAMAYURU MONASTERY
28TH SEPT / DAY 15 / LAMAYURU TO SURU VALLEY
LAMAYURU MONASTERY TO SURU VALLEY – 194 KM
• OVERNIGHT STAY AT SURU VALLEY
29TH SEPT / DAY 16 / SURU VALLEY – SRINAGAR
SURU VALLEY TO SRINAGAR – 291KM
• OVERNIGHT STAY AT SRINAGAR
30TH SEPT / DAY 17 / SRINAGAR – MUMBAI
FLIGHT FROM SRINAGAR AT 3:30 PM REACH MUMBAI AT 6:30 PM
???????????????
Replied to your other comment.
Hi Dheeraj, Could you tell me if it would be comfortable to travel to Spiti Valley in September, between 17-27 / 2016 !?
I plan to go from Delhi – Manali and back from same route.
Could you guide on the Itinerary to follow !!!
Hi Renu,
Yes, that will be a great time to visit Spiti Valley. Fabulous vivid colors of nature along with ultra delicious apples all around in Spiti 🙂
Day 01 : Reach Manali and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
Day 02 : Manali / Solang – Kaza
Day 03 : Kaza – Lingti Valley (Lhalung) – Tabo
Day 04 : Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Pin Valley
Day 05 : Pin Valley(Mud) – Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Kaza
— Start a trekking tour in Spiti for its most beautiful villages, it is motorable so you can go up there by car and then start day treks in between these villages. Awesome way to soak in the beauty of trans Himalayas.
Day 06 : Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Demul – Kaza | Villages trek (Stay at Langza)
Day 07 : Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Demul – Kaza | Villages trek (Stay at Komic)
Day 08 : Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Demul – Kaza | Villages trek (Stay at Demul)
— End tour
Day 09 : Kaza – Chandratal
Day 10 : Chandratal – Manali
Day 11 : Manali – Delhi
Thank you so much Dheeraj. Do you think I could cover up in 9 days as well. In that case, what should I skip.
And would you be able to tell me decent accomodations and transport contacts if any.
I would be travelling solo.
Any other tips that you could give, I would really appreciate !!
And do you organize tours as well by yourself !?
Renu we do not organize and tours and beware of people who are doing with our name or similar name like us. You can check a very balanced and most common itinerary for Spiti Valley followed by many travellers including me at the link here for 10-11 days: Most Common Itinerary for Spiti Valley.
You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali / Shimla / Delhi / Chandigarh too, of course with a price of pickup as well.
The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3000-3500 per day depending upon the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price.
Otherwise, taxis in general are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands
For stay options in Kinnaur and Spiti, check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley. You can keep an average of 900-1200 per person per day for food and stay on the tour to Spiti Valley.
Hi Dheeraj,
First of all, your blog is a gem and I cannot thank you enough for compiling and putting this together for fellow travelers. I am planning to undertake the Manali -> Spiti -> Leh journey as suggested on this page. I have some questions regarding stays and transport options, which will be really helpful if answered. Here is my plan:
I plan to start the trip from Delhi on Monday/Aug 1 from Delhi and we are two guys/students on a shoestring budget. We would love wherever things can be done on shared taxis or public buses, as we are only 2 guys and we dont prefer not to book a full taxi for ourselves. I have marked my questions with **.
> Day 1: Aug 2| Delhi – Manali/Solang Valley
Overnight at Manali on Aug 2
> Day 2: Aug 3| Manali / Solang Valley – Rohtang Pass – Kunzum Pass – Kaza
Overnight at Kaza on Aug 3
** What are the stay options at Kaza? Could you please share any contact details of some cheap and good hotels/homestays/guest houses? Is prior booking needed for this coming week or we can just drop by at Kaza?
** What are the transport options from Manali to Kaza? Are there buses or options for shared taxis which will drop us at Kaza (and then we book another mode for rest of the days?) or maybe take a taxi for the Spiti trip only [till Day 7 till dropping us at Leh OR till Day 6 till dropping us at Keylong/Jispa]? What will be the cheapest option to pursue?
> Day 3: Aug 4 | Kaza – Pin Valley (Mud Village) – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake – Tabo
Overnight at Tabo on Aug 4
** What are the stay options at Tabo? Could you please share any contact details of some cheap and good hotels/homestays/guest houses? Is prior booking needed for this coming week or we can just drop by at Tabo?
** Again, what are the best options for travel if we don’t have our own cars/transport?
> Day 4: Aug 5 | Tabo to Kaza and then Ki – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang – Kaza
Travel back the 47 KMs to Kaza from Tabo and in second half do sightseeing
Overnight at Kaza on Aug 5
> Day 5: Aug 6 | Kaza – Hikkim – Komik – Langza – Rangrik – Losar – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal / Battal
We plan to stay at Chandratal
** Again, what will be the best travel options from Kaza to Chandratal and back?
** Could you please share any contact details of the camp organizers at Chandratal? Is prior booking needed?
Overnight at Battal or Chandratal Camps on Aug 6
> Day 6: Aug 7 | Battal / Chandratal – Gramphu – Keylong/Jispa
Head towards Keylong / Jispa in the direction of Leh
Overnight at Keylong/Jispa on Aug 7
Possible options:
• Nalwa Guest House, Keylong
• Jispa Journeys, Jispa
• Padma Lodge, Jispa
** Could you please suggest whether to stay in Keylong or Jispa, based on the mode of transport you suggest for the Spiti Valley journey since we will come from Chandratal?
** Is there option for shared taxis dropping us at Keylong after Spiti and we taking public transport from Keylong to Leh?
> Day 7: Aug 8 | Keylong/Jispa – Baralacha La – Leh
Leave Keylong/Jispa early next morning, say by 4/5 AM types, so that we reach Leh in the evening
Overnight at Leh on Aug 8
> Day 8: Aug 9 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Rest
Overnight at Leh on Aug 9
> Day 9: Aug 10 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder
Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Hunder / Diskit
Overnight at Hunder / Diskit / Sumur / Turtuk on Aug 10
** Among the villages of Diskit, Hunder, Sumur and Turtuk, which will be the most scenic, less touristy, offbeat as well as cheap? We would prefer a less crowded place (Diskit?), however a more scenic and beautiful place to stay?
** Depending on the village you suggest, which guesthouse/stay option will you suggest? We will be fine with anything Day 10: Aug 11 | Hunder / Diskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
Overnight at Leh on Aug 11
> Day 11: Aug 12 | Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik or Lukung) on Aug 12
Possible options:
• Padma / Gongma / Sasoma Guest House – Home Stays at Spangmik
• Tangste (Rs 1000 – 1500): Dothguling Guest house or Yakmik Changla Guest House
** We would love to stay next to the lake and will be ok with cheaper tents if not luxury ones, if nothing works, maybe we will work out a home stay. The tents listed by you are most 3-4K, are there options to have cheap tents next to the lake? Are we allowed to put our own tents there?
** If we stay in the Home Stays at Spangmik, how far is the lake from there?
** If we stay in Tangste, how far is the lake from there?
> Day 12: Aug 13 | Pangong Tso Lake – Thicksey Monastery – Shey Palace – Leh
Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on return to Leh
Overnight at Leh on Aug 13
> Day 13: Aug 14 | Leh – Tso Moriri via Chumathang
Overnight at Karzok or Tso Moriri on Aug 14
• Tsomoriri Camp and Resort Tso Moriri, Korzok (2.5-3K)
• Goose Homestay Tso Moriri Lake (Rs 700 – 1000) – Korzok Village
• Lake View Guest House – Tso Moriri, Korzok – 01982-264867
** Could you please suggest if we should pre-book one of the camps or drop by there and see?
** What is your suggestion to balance the price and view (next to the lake)? Are the views from tents worth the extra money? Or is better to spend more for tents in Pangong Tso than here?
** How far is the Goose Homestay from the lake? Is the lake clearly visible?
> Day 14: Aug 15 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Taglang La – Upshi – Leh
Overnight at Leh on Aug 15
> Day 15: Aug 16 | Leh – Sham Valley (Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib)
Overnight at at Leh on Aug 16
> Day 16: Aug 17 | Leh
Overnight at at Leh/Rest/Buffer
> Day 17: Aug 18 | Flight to New Delhi
I would be extremely grateful if you answer my questions, specifically about the travel options we can pursue to minimize cost for the Spiti portion and the stay options.
Also, please fell free to suggest any changes where you feel its getting too hectic or too dangerous.
Hi Biswaraj,
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.
You can check the nice, preferred list of accommodation options in entire Leh – Ladakh (Leh, Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri) including moderate (cheap budget hotels as well) in the series of articles starting on the link here
Then you can read: How to make a budget Ladakh trip by public transport
The shared taxis are available all through in Spiti and also Spiti is well connected all through the circuit from Manali to Kaza, Kaza to Keylong. Keylong to Leh and rest of Ladakh I have covered in the article linked above
Hi Dheeraj,
Good Morning…
Thanks for the Itinerary on Spiti Valley..
Two Queries:-
1. Do you have a ready-made Lahaul & Spiti combined itinerary with entry from Shimla and Exit from Manali.
2. Can you suggest a Car-Owner/driver “at-par of Rigzin of Leh” ( I travelled with Rigzin for 14 days in Ladakh last year) on whom i can launch my aspiration of Lahaul & Spiti Travel ?
Thanks in advance for your time to respond on my queries.
Best Regards,
Kuntal
Hi Kuntal,
1. Here you go: Spiti Valley | Most Common Itinerary
2. Personally I have never used taxi in Spiti and has always driven myself. But, You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali / Shimla / Delhi / Chandigarh too, of course with a price of pickup as well.
The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3000-3500 per day depending upon the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price.
Otherwise, taxis in general are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands
Hi
Hi,
With the help of your post, I have prepared for following plan for Spiti – Leh.
Travel Mode : EcoSport
30.7.2016 – Start from Mumbai
31.7.2016 Mumbai – Shimla journey
1.8.2016 Reach Shimla
2.8.2016 Narkanda – Chitkul – Approx. 200 km (Google map)
• lunch at Rampur
• About 8 – 9 Hrs of beautiful drive through Kinnaur Valley
• Overnight at Chitkul
3.8.2016 Chitkul – Tabo – Approx. 200 km
• Visit Kamru Fort at Sangla
• 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
4.8.2016 Tabo – Pin valley – Kaza – Approx. 150 kms
• Visit Dhankar Monastery and Dhankar Lake
• Traverse the Pin Valley
• Visit Ki – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang
5.8.2016 Kaza – Hikkim – Komik – Langza – Losar
• Great view of Chau Chau Kang Nelda peak from Langza
• Statue of the Buddha near Langza looking down the valley
• Tanggyud monastery at Komik, is one of the most important and the highest monastery in the Spiti Valley
6.8.2016 Losar – Chandra Taal – Batal – Keylong
• Visit Chandratal via Kunzum Pass
7.8.2016 Leh Journey
Is this doable?
Am I missing anything?
Regards,
Aditya
It is doable Aditya, the only challenge I see is sleeping at Chitkul that early in the trip. You may get hit with AMS, so better plan to stay at Rakcham on that day
Thank you Dheeraj for your quick reply.
I will change my plan to stay at Chitkul.
Best wishes for the trip Aditya !!
Hello Dheeraj,
Brilliant site and write ups. I had read your (5 Reasons to choose Srinagar – Leh Road over Manali – Leh Road) and then this / has actually put me in dilemma. I have only 7-8 days. Me and 2 -3 of my friends were planning for a road trip (Bike / SUV) from Manali to Leh. Since its only a Weeks time. I believe we can make it only 1 Trip Either Srinagar – Leh or Manali – Leh or Leh – Manali. Which one according to you is the best and must do (Apart from Acclimitization factors 😉 ) We will flying in and out of the starting and ending point.
Just wanted to add. We are planning the trip for 2nd Week of September. We are 30 years old and travelling without our wives and So we dont have to ponder much over stay and travel and can take a bit of risk. We will be definitely coming back with our wives for a more leisurely trip. We just want to do the harder/must do part now.
I suppose a peg or 2/smoke wont matter as well 😉 https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/top-9-mistakes-people-commit-ladakh-trip/
Just suggested the plan in other comment. Since, you have already ready the Top 9 mistakes, for other part will leave it at your wisdom to decide 🙂
Thanks Dheeraj. Your points are well noted. I guess taking the Manali to Leh will be better for Acclimatization as well.
But the major problem right now is Hiring a self drive SUV from Manali.
I read your link.
https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/how-to-hire-self-drive-car-on-rent-for-ladakh-himalayas/
But i believe this can be done only from Delhi. We are looking for a Self Drive car to be picked up from Manali. I Googled the hell out and didnt find any feasible Solution in this regard 🙁 . Do let me know if you have a solution.
No Arjun, you can only get a self drive vehicle from Delhi only. Also, Manali to LEh is not better for acclimatization, where did you get that impression?
Read somewhere that …if you land in Leh directly…you would need atleast 2 days to get acclimatized …where as if you are travellling from Manali it would be “better” due to the gradual increase in height during the 2-3 days travel.
If this is wrong then you can enlighten me and add this to your mythbuster list 🙂
Manali – Leh is a highway that runs over ~14000 feet in almost 300 KMs of length. In order to be acclimatized to 14000 feet, you need at least three nights as per rule books. Hence, when anyone travel over Manali – Lhe Highway, he is bound to hit with AMS no matter what, those who claim they dont get hit, well, except those less than 1% god gifted people, others mostly either are not aware of it or they just dont want to accept. So, the worst way of making a trip to Ladakh as per recommendations is going by Manali – Leh, followed by directly flying to Leh where you dont reach such height and with ample of rest it can be controlled, best being traveling from Srinagar and returning from Manali.
Dheeraj appreciate it. Your patience and passion in replying to all the queries over here is…..just……unbelievable…..Keep up the good work. Will follow ur inputs as best as we can :-). Thanks and Godspeed…. :-). See u in d himalayas sometime ind future brother. Cheeerzzzzz
Best wishes for the trip Arjun, have fun !! If possible do share the experience with DwD Community !!
Still searching for a self drive SUV Option….. what ever it is……will update..and try to contribute to this community. 🙂
Opt to go via Manali – Leh Highway and I will suggest that you refer the thread for more details on the route and night halts though it is of 9 days: Manali – Leh – Ladakh – Manali | Itinerary for 9 Days.
Hi Dheeraj,
Reading your posts itself feels i have traveled the places..:)
Small suggestion is it advice able to go to leh during the dates 13th aug’16 to 28th aug’16??
Will i be able to see snow,since i am too much excited for seeing snow 🙂
Roshni
Roshni, there will not be any snow during that time of the year.
Thanks Dheeraj for your reply!
Just need your help in helping me design plan
1.14th Aug’16-Stay in Manali
15th Aug – Manali to Sarchu
16th Aug – Sarchu – leh
17th Aug – leh
18th Aug – leh – numbra
19th Aug – numbra – Pangong Tso
20th Aug – Pangong Tso – tso moriri
21st Aug – tso moriri – leh
22nd Aug – leh – Kargil
23rd Aug – largil-sonmarg-srinagar
24th Aug – leave to desitination from Srinagr
2.14th Aug’16-Stay in Manali
15th Aug – Manali to tabo/kaza
16th Aug – kaza to sarchu (while covering the important monasatries at max 2)
17th Aug – sarchu – leh
18th Aug – leh
19th Aug – leh – numbra
20th Aug – numbra – Pangong Tso
21st Aug – Pangong Tso – tso moriri
22nd Aug – tso moriri – leh
23rd Aug – leh – Kargil
24th Aug – kargil-sonmarg-srinagar
25th Aug – leave to desitination from Srinagr
Small queries:
1. Which plan is adviceable since we are willing to see spiti valley as well? If not full atleast the important places around spiti valley!
2. We are planning to take the direct routes to ply from numbra-pangong Tso – tso moriri like you had mentioned in your articles
Is it safe to travel in bike(renting it from leh) in those routes during august?
3. In case yes, do we need to get any special permissions for the same?
Thanks in Advance!
Roshni
Awaiting your reply 🙂
Hi.. Nithin here, photographer based out of bangalore. Got to know about DOW while googling. Am having my trip planned from July 10th till 28th in Srinagar. The report is just amazing. I like to ask if we (me n friend) can get a cab from Manali with an experienced driver who knows all the photography- not to miss- places ?
Nithin, you can refer: https://discoverwithdheeraj.com/india/ladakh-zanskar-travel-guides/listof-taxi-drivers-for-ladakh-srinagar-leh-manali-t353.html
It has feedback of people who were patient but finding someone with all photography places might be difficult all you can find one is patient driver who does not get frustrated with frequent stops.
Thanks alot for the quick reply Dheeraj Sharma. Will share my pics and experience with DOW soon after the trip…!
Cheers,
Nidhin GP
Looking forward to it !!
Dear Dheeraj
I am planning to undertake a trip from Chandigarh to Leh in my Honda Jazz in mid JUlY 2016. However, i have but 9 days. is it prudent/possible ?
Thanks
Aadhaar
It will take 3 days to reach Leh from Delhi via Manali side with stopovers at Jispa, Manali and 4 days to come back to Delhi from Leh via Srinagar side with stop overs at Jammu, Srinagar, Kargil . This makes it 7 days. 1 Day is required in Leh for acclimatization. You have just 9 days. Opt to go via Manali – Leh Highway and I will suggest that you refer the thread for more details on the route and night halts though it is of 9 days: Manali – Leh – Ladakh – Manali | Itinerary for 9 Days. You can fit in plan I suggested in above para in this plan
Thanks a lot Dheeraj
Dear Dheeraj, reading about your suggestions as how to take a trip by car from Srinagar to Leh was very exciting. I am a senior citizen and your blog has helped me to make up my mind to make the trip with my wife and another couple in 2017.
I hope to take your advice at that time. Thank you.
Dilip
Sure sir, feel free to post any queries you may have for your trip