The term Spiti means 'The Middle Land', as Spiti Valley separates India from Tibet. It is often proclaimed by those who see it to be world within a world. It has an average height of around 12,500 feet above sea level and scattered with small villages and monasteries. Long winding roads and valleys that present unforgettable glimpses of cold desert and snow-crowned mountains welcome you when you set foot into Spiti Valley.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Spiti largely depends on what kind of experience you wish to take. I categorized the season in three buckets;
1. Best time to visit:
September to mid-October: The autumn season make Spiti the best time for visit with lush green trees, aqua clean waters and snow only at the top. The mornings and evenings are quite cold with temperatures going below 10 degree Celsius while the days are pleasant. If you are a snow-lover, this might not be an ideal time for you. Confirm the weather conditions before you visit as rainy season may spill over or valley starts getting snow as early as September.
April to mid-May: This is an ideal time to admire snow-clad mountains and play in the snow. At this time, the snow starts to melt. A number of roads are open but you won't be able to complete the full circuit as Kunzum to Manali road opens only in June. Thus, you can travel till Kaza / Losar from Shimla and again return to Shimla. You will get low tourist count and it will be cheaper but be ready for lack of basic room facilities and unforeseen road blockages.
2. Peak Season
Mid – May to mid – July: This is the real peak season in Spiti and best to be avoided if you are looking some solitude or on less budget as prices may go up. But if you are travelling with family / kids / old age people this is the time you should visit as hotels / restaurants offers all the facilities and all the roads are open and safe.
3. Time to avoid Spiti
November to March: Winters in Spiti are for daring people only. Spiti receives heavy snow fall during the winter. This results in many villages being completely cut off from the rest of the valley. These are the months in Spiti filled with extreme weather conditions, lack of basic necessities like electricity, several road blockages, water freezing in taps, and almost no hotels offering accommodation. A number of road links at this time on both the routes (Shimla and Manali) are closed. If you still make plans, be sure of you mental and physical fitness as there are possibilities of delays and a lots of risks.
Mid – July to August: These are the monsoon months when monsoon is in full swing and it is better to avoid this time as the area is prone to landslides. However, Spiti valley itself remains fine if it is not raining. Confirm the weather conditions before you visit.
How to Reach:
1. Reaching Starting Point (Shimla):.
Book an early morning flight from Mumbai to Chandigarh and try to reach before 12 pm. If booked in advance flight will cost you less than Rs. 4,000. From Chandigarh Airport, bus and cab are two options available for travelling to Shimla. I advise not to take bus route as you will be wasting a lot of time and end up paying the same. You should book outstation cabs (Ola / Uber). Rough estimate for travel will be Rs. 2,500 for 6 people cab. It will take close to 4 hours to reach plus 1 hour lunch stop. You should reach Shimla before 6 pm.
2. Hiring a vehicle for Shimla – Spiti – Manali
To travel through Spiti Valley you need an experienced driver and a vehicle which is in good condition. Vehicles like Innova, Xylo, Scorpio and Sumo are available. Charges for September month were Rs. 32, 000 for 6 people Innova for 6 days. You should book a vehicle well in advance (at least 1 week before). No permit work to be done by us, driver will take care of these things. Below are the contacts for few reliable drivers;
Ramesh Kumar (Innova) – 9817959127, 9459494864
Nittu (Innova Crysta) – 9418344252
Arvind Negi (Innova Crysta) – 7018198609, 8894611950
Arun Negi (Scorpio)– 82192509660, 8988044493
Budget:
Total budget of the trip will be around Rs. 30,000 per head if you travel in a group of 5/6 people. Detailed breakdown is given below;
Two way flight tickets from Mumbai - Rs. 8,000
Manali - Delhi bus and cab/rickshaw charges - Rs. 2,000
Innova charges for 6 days - Rs. 6,000
Stay charges for 6 days (Rs. 500 per day) - Rs. 4,000
Chandra Taal camping charges - Rs. 2,000
Food and Beverages for 8 days (Rs. 1,000 per day) - Rs. 8,000
Summary of 8-day itinerary:
Day 1 : Mumbai - Chandigarh - Shimla and Stay in Shimla
Day 2 : Shimla - Chitkul and Stay in Chitkul
Day 3 : Chitkul - Nako and Stay in Nako
Day 4 : Nako - Kaza and Stay in Kaza
Day 5 : Kaza Sight Seeing and Stay in Kaza
Day 6 : Kaza - Chandra Taal and Stay at Chandra Taal Camping
Day 7 : Chandra Taal - Manali and Stay in Manali
Day 8 : Manali Sight Seeing and overnight bus to Delhi
Spiti is huge and people stay for months but still not able to cover it. So, if you have additional days in your plan below are the few suggestions;
Narkanda / Rampur stay between Day 1 and 2
Additional stay in Chitkul for doing nearby small hikes
Kalpa stay between Day 2 and 3
Tabo stay between Day 3 and 4
Dhankhar stay and hike to nearby lake between Day 3 and 4
Stay in Langza for amazing night sky view between Day 6 and 7
Stay in Tashigong between Day 6 and 7
There are two more offbeat locations in route but they need more days and can be covered separately;
Treks near Moorang and Charaag villages
Pin Valley (Mud village)
Day 1 : Mumbai - Chandigarh - Shimla and Stay in Shimla
With the mentioned mode of travel in 'How to Reach' section you will be reaching Shimla by 6 pm. Shimla is a commercialized tourist city and the only attraction left is Mall Road which is famous for shopping and eateries. There are three shopping lanes; Ridge, Mall Road and Lower Bazar. Vehicles are not allowed on these roads and they are well maintained and looks like you are in some European countries. You should get your stay in this area so that you can walk around the market at any time. Preferably some OYO room which will cost you less than Rs. 2000 for 6.
Most of the shops start closing by 8-9 pm and restaurants by 10 - 11 pm. Below are the few suggestion to stop by on Mall Road;
City Point Bakery- Chicken burger and sweet puff
Wine shop near City Point Bakery which sells alcohol on MRP
Emerge for quirky stuff
Sher-E-Punjab for North Indian food
Dimsum for Chinese / Tibetan food
Day 2 : Shimla - Chitkul (250 km)
Today is the actual first day of your road trip and the most longest one. Shimla to Chitkul is a 250 km drive and takes around 8-9 hours. You should start early (between 7 - 8 am) so that you can take in between stops and reach Chitkul before sunset. Chitkul is know as the Last Village of India on Indo-Tibet Border at an 11000+ ft altitude.
You travel along side Sutlej River to Narkanda (60 KM) and Rampur Bushahr (120 KM) which are the two booming villages next to Shimla and yet to be commercialized. Rampur is the last place you will get mobile network. Here onward you will get network for BSNL that too in selected areas only. You can get a canister or full box of water bottles in Rampur to avoid paying unnecessary extra through out your journey.
From Narkanda our driver took a detour on the road which was not on Google Maps and left the main road just to visit his home. We got a bag full of fresh apples from his family. This road is not at all crowded like the main road. On both sides of the road there were apple farms. This added 1 hour to our travel time but it was worth it.
Karcham (200 KM) is the next stop where two rivers Sutlej and Baspa confluences in the Karcham Dam. From dam its a 40 KM (one-way) detour for Chitkul village along side Bapsa River. You will get two villages Sangla (220 KM) and Rakchham (235 KM) on the way. If you are late then you can halt at any of the location.
We reached Chitkul (240 KM) at around 6 pm. There are two options for stay; one is a room stay and second one is the tent stay on river banks. As the temperature drops to single digit during night, I suggest to go for room stay. Zostel is one good option. If you need to beat the cold then you can get local apple wine here which can be mixed with local apple juice if tasted too strong.
Day 3 : Chitkul - Nako (150 KM)
If you are an early morning person then you can do lot of things in the village. There is small hike (1 hour total) to India Flag on adjacent hill. After that you can go into river for freshening up with chilled water. You can also visit a check post at 2 KM from village for landscape view. Chitkul is also considered as one of the base village for treks in the mountains but need an additional stay.
Leave from Chitkul by 12 pm. Next stop will be Khab Sangam (125 KM) where Spiti and Sutlej river confluence. There is small hut for tea / coffee at this place. This point is the closets ever (~10 KM) from China/Tibet border. Sutlej river comes from China and from this point onward you will be travelling along side Spiti River.
Tashigang Rong Gompa temple is 16 km (one way) detour from Khab Sangam. Roads are in worst condition and I don't see any tourist going in that direction. Driver will also deny going to that place. You can cover if you have time and going with your personal vehicle. Stay options are available.
Khab Sangam to Nako Village (150 KM) road is wonderful. You would like to take a stop at every turn but try to reach the village before 6 pm. Stay in Nako is cheap (Rs. 1000 per room with 2/3 occupancy). One of the recommendation is Himalayan Paradise. There are 2-3 good cafes in Nako with 4-5 page menu, but don't expect that everything will be served. It is very hard to get Chicken dishes in Spiti Valley. I recommend to take your food in the hotel where you stay than a cafe.
Day 4 : Nako - Kaza (120 KM)
Today is going to be a hectic day and you have to take three major stops in between. Wake up call at 6 am. Have a sun bath on Nako Lake and hike to the bell at the nearby hill top. After freshening up, walk through the village and visit the Monastery. Leave Nako by 9 am.
Take a detour for Giu Mummy (8 KM one way) little ahead from Sumdo Check Post (35 KM) which is the starting point of Spiti disctrict. Giu is also famous for 500-years-old mummy of a Buddhist monk. The unusual fact about the mummy is that the nails, teeth and hair of the mummy appear as if of a living person and has remained in this state without decay and without the use of any chemicals for preservation. The Mummy was found by workers of Indo Tibetan border police working to construct a border surveillance post. There are many theories about how this monk’s body has remained in this state without decay. Whatever might be the truth behind this mysterious mummy, it’s worth visiting Giu to see this wonder.
Next stop is Tabo (60 KM). Have lunch at Tabo Tigers Den restaurant in main chowk. Later, visit a Buddhist monastery which, according to legend, is said to be over a thousand years old. Also, the magnificent Tabo Caves are located just above the Monastery. The Tabo Caves of Spiti Valley overlooks the verdant Spiti River, which flows with exuberance amid the most scenic and serene landscapes of Lahaul and Spiti Valleys. A 15 minute trek to the foothills of the Trans-Himalayas leads one to the Tabo Caves, where the Buddhist lamas meditate.
Dhankar (90 KM) is your next stop. Earlier you had to leave the main road for Dhankar and come back at the same point but now there is new way from Dhankar which will meet main road few KMs ahead. The Dhankar Gompa is built on a 1000 ft high spur overlooking the confluence of the Spiti and Pin Rivers - one of the world's most spectacular settings for a gompa. Dhankar Lake is another attraction which is an hike of 45 min (1.5 KM). It can be completed only if you are planning to stay in Dhankar. Lake is secluded and very few tourist visit it.
Kaza (120 KM) is the final stop for the day. If you skip Dhankar Lake, you will reach Kaza between 6-7 pm. Kaza is the biggest town of Spiti and provides lots of things. Petrol pump and ATMs are available in Kaza.
Lots of stay options are available in Kaza in the range of Rs. 1000-1500-2000 per room with 2/3 occupancy. Below are the three vicinity where you can stay but I will suggest to stay nearby to Main market / Monastery for accessibility to town attractions.
Main market / Monastery - Lots of options
Forest Colony - Hotel Winter White, Hotel Deyzor
Outskirts of city - Zostel, WanderOn Camps, Moustache
Day 5 : Kaza Sight Seeing (50 KM)
Today you can start late as you will be going for visit to 3 nearby villages which is hardly a 50 KM drive and will take maximum 4 -5 hours. You can take lots of stops in between for scenic views and photo session. This road is not maintained and dust all over the place so take proper precautions with you such as nose / hair / face mask to avoid dust allergies.
Have a heavy breakfast and leave Kaza by 11 am. First stop is Langza village, which is primarily dominated by the statue of Lord Buddha, overlooking the valley and an ancient monastery. This place is very rich in fossils of marine animals and plants that were found here millions of years ago. You might see little kids or local shops selling these fossils to you for anything between Rs 10 – 100.
Next stop is Koumik village. It is famous for Lundup Tsemo Gompa Buddhist Monastery and for being the highest motorable Buddhist monastery in the world. You can also do a small hike on adjacent hill top (30 min). There is a small restaurant named as Worlds Highest Restaurant serving snacks and tea / coffee for your hunger.
Hikkim is the last village for the day. This village houses the highest post office in the world. Post cards are available for sale adjacent to post office (Rs. 30 each) or you can buy in Kaza also.
Come back to Kaza by 4 pm and have late lunch. Now you have time to explore Kaza Monastery, market and cafes. Kaza market is open till 8 pm and restaurants take order mostly till 10-10.30 pm. Below are the few recommendations for cafe / restaurants;
The Himalayan Cafe
Sol Cafe
Deyzor Restaurant (for breakfast)
Taste of Spiti
Day 6 : Kaza - Chandra Taal (100 KM)
Today you will be travelling on the roughest road you have ever seen. You need to leave early today between 7-8 am after light breakfast. First stop is Key (or Ki, or, Kye, or Kee) Monastery. The exact age of the founding of the Key Monastery is not known but it is believed to originally date back to 1100 CE. You wont be able to go to the spot from where the famous photo of Key Monastery which is one of the iconic and most used image when you search for Spiti Valley. You need to take a long detour towards Tashigong for that which your driver will deny. You can do the same if you have your personal vehicle.
Next stop is Kibber and Chicham village. You have two options here, one is you can go to both the villages and explore or you just follow the main road and take in-between stop from where you can have the view of both the villages.
Next, Chicham Bridge (20 KM) is the new attraction in the Spiti Valley. It is a newly created bridge (inaugurated in 2017), the highest bridge in Asia, and quite an astounding spectacle at that.
The bridge is at a staggering height of 13596 ft and connects Chicham and Kibber. Previously one used to visit Kee-Kibber villages and come back to Kaza and take the NH 505 route through Rangarik-Pangmo villages to go forward. Now with the help of this bridge you can cover Chicham village and later the road merge with NH 505 just before Kiato village. Next is food break which you can take at Losar (60 KM). Losar is the extreme end of the Spiti Valley and closets village to Kunzum Pass.
Kunzum Pass (75 KM) or Kunzum La is one of India's highest motorable mountain passes. The place is also known for the Goddess Kunjum (Durga/Parvati) temple, which is located on the top of Kunzum and keeps guard over the pass and wards of the evil power. It is believed that the visitors have to stop at the temple of Goddess Kunzum Devi, on their way to the pass, to pay their respect and seek the blessing to travel safely through the rugged terrain safely. The tradition is to take a complete circle of the temple in your vehicle. You can take a halt here to indulge in photography and to view the magnificent Bara-Sigri Glacier, the second largest Glacier in the world.
After crossing the Kunzum Pass, you need to take a turn towards Chandra Taal just before Batal. Roads to Chandra Taal are not shown on the Google Maps. You will be driving alongside Chenab River till you reach campsite (approx by 2-3 pm).
The Chandra Taal Campsite (100 KM) can accommodate around 500 people. Per head cost will be varying from Rs. 1000 to 2000 depending on the tent quality, attached washroom, number of people sharing the tent, etc. The advantage of reaching early is to get a better tent as vehicle comes from Manali side also. One suggestion will be Tenzin Camps which costs Rs. 2000 per head for 2/3 occupancy tent.
After freshening up visit to Chandra Taal / Moon Lake. You need to take 3 km drive and 1 km hike to reach the starting point of lake. Chandratal Lake is often referred to as one of the most beautiful lakes located at an altitude of about 4300 m in the mighty Himalayas. The stunning lake is situated on the Samudra Tapu plateau which overlooks the Chandra River. You can also do a round of lake which is almost 5 km and takes about 1-2 hours. Very few tourist do the same as other will be busy in capturing the beauty of the lake in cameras.
Reach campsite by 6-6.30 pm. It gets really cold in night here. You can spend time in the kitchen tent as fire will be there. The package involves dinner / breakfast but few of the camps provide lunch also. Do not expect more than maggi, dal-chawal and simple veg food during your stay in camp.
Day 7 : Chandra Taal - Manali (130 KM)
Today is the second last day of your trip and if you are planning to catch a bus from Manali to Delhi today then you need to start early like by 5-6 am, just to avoid any unforeseen trouble on the way. Even if you are planning for stay in Manali, your driver will insist you to leave by same time giving reasons like to avoid traffic congestion due to opposite vehicles on single lane mountain road, water level increase, etc which are not true to full extent. Even if you start by 6 am you will reach Manali by 2 pm which is good to explore Manali.
You breakfast stop will be Batal (20 KM) or Chhatru (40 KM) where you can freshen. I prefer to have at Chhatru. Roads till here are so worse that at one point you have to get down from vehicle to save it from any damage.
Next stop is Gramphu (60 KM) which you reach by 12 pm where you join on Manali - Leh highway. You can take in between stops at Rohtang Pass and Ved Vyas Temple. There are multiple view points on the way and take a lunch stop at Kothi.
Reach Manali by 2 pm and get a stay in Old Manali. I will suggest Moustache for its close vicinity to Manu temple and good cafes & shopping. After freshening leave for Manu Temple. The road towards Manu Temple is full of a shopping and cafes. This is way better than Mall Road of Manali which you can visit on next day. Below are the few suggestions for cafes;
Rocky's Cafe
Sunshine Cafe
Cafe Kathmandu
Cafe Melange
River Music Garden Restaurant & German Bakery
Day 8 : Bullet Ride and Manali Sight Seeing
Today is the day you can fulfill your dream of riding on bullet on mountains. There are many shops which gives bike on rent in Old Manali. You can get it arranged from Moustache owner where you can pick up and drop bike there itself and need not go anywhere. Bargained charges for Bullet, Pulsar, Activa are Rs. 800, 600, 400 respectively. You can start by 10 am after breakfast and cover Solang Valley, Rohtang Pass, Hadimba Temple, Mall Road and Vashista Temple by 4 - 5 pm. Catch you bus to Delhi by 6 pm from HRTC Volvo Bus Parking. Rickshaw will charge you Rs. 150 from Old Manali.
Things to take care before you enter Spiti:
Do not pre-book for any of your stay. Spiti Valley lacks mobile networks which will always trouble them to fetch for online bookings so they prefer in-person bookings. Also, you have a chance of getting better deal in -person like Rs. 1000 for one 2–3 sharing room. Spiti does have sufficient stay option in each village and will not let you down.
Always be ready for unexpected delays in the trip varying from hours to days as terrain and weather is rough and you might face some unforeseen issue. This is also one of the reason not to pre-book hotel.
Think twice before you decide to self drive your personal vehicle or zoom car. If you are doing so always carry spare parts, puncture kit and extra 10 lit petrol can. Double check your vehicle at service center before starting the journey.
Download offline Google Maps for the entire area, but do not trust the map blindly as lots of roads will not be shown
Eat when you have chance as less number of options during your travel. Also, carry packed food like energy bars, dry fruits, cookies, etc. You can pack your lunch from hotel just in case required.
Keep basic medicines of cold, fever, indigestion etc. Sometime high altitude sickness may spoil your day. Sunscreen, skin moisturizers, lip balms will come handy to fight with climate.
If you have dust allergies or even not carry the mask. There are lots of places where road construction is going on.
Carry per head at least Rs. 10,000 - 15,000 cash. Last reliable location is Shimla for ATMs. You can see SBI ATMs in Tabo and Kaza, but it will be foolish to rely on them.
Very helpful info...Need to plan soon ... 😀😀 ..