How to make a budget trip to Chandratal Lake? [Budget Travelers Guide]

Are you looking out to make a budget trip to Chandratal Lake in the upcoming season? Are you wondering if you can make a Chandratal Lake cheaply and have questions around it? If yes, then continue reading this article and plan a budget-friendly trip to Chandratal.

Chandratal Lake also called “The Moon Lake” in Spiti Valley is one of the most enchanting lakes in the Himalayas. And yeah, one of my top 5 favorites Lakes in the Himalayas too. A lot of adventure lovers tread a long, treacherous and yet adventurous path over Rohtang Pass – Gramphu – Batal road every year to see this wonderful offering from nature. Many of them search for the answers about making a budget trip to Chandratal Lake.

As soon as the season begins by opening up of Rohtang Pass and road to Spiti Valley from Manali in June, the pathway to Chandratal Lake gets great attention by Himalayan lovers from all parts of the world. The majority of the people visit Spiti Valley first to see Chandratal Lake, and they ever get lost in the beauty offered by Spiti Valley itself.

Let's quickly dive into the details:

What is special about the Chandratal trip?

Chandratal Lake is also quite famous for its majestic reflections of surrounding Himalayan peaks in its deep blue waters, which, once you witness, will never forget in your entire life. Well, it is only this adventure of Chandratal Lake that changed my life and made me fall in deep love with the Himalayas in 2009. It was the story that gave birth to this wonderful travel blog that we call “Discover with Dheeraj” now.

Having said all that, the biggest question is how do you reach Chandratal Lake? You can find most of the answers on making a successful trip to Chandratal Lake in my Travel Guide to Chandratal Lake but still, you have any, feel free to leave a comment or mail me.

Sunrise at Chandratal on a Spiti Valley Trip

Can I plan a budget trip to Chandratal?

A few years back, I came up with a comment from one of the readers of my blog who got a price quote as a pounding “INR 23000” for the drop to Spiti, and I was like in a shock. Even when I went almost ten years back, I think we paid about 9000-10000 for two days trip to Chandratal Lake by taxi.

This was a big setback for the travelers on budget travel to Chandratal Lake. Hence, I will try to enlist some tips which you can follow to make a trip to Chandratal Lake in the cheapest manner possible. This article will save a decent amount of money for you.

So, the short answer to the question is, “Yes, you can plan a budget trip to Chandratal Lake by following the tips mentioned in this article”.

Dheeraj Sharma

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If interested you can also check, how to make a budget trip to Spiti Valley.

Show some love to nature, don't camp at the Lake — Show some love to nature, don’t camp at the Lake

Two Cheapest Way To Travel to Chandratal Lake on Budget

When traveling to Chandratal or Spiti Valley on a budget, you have to keep aside the luxury of taxis or hotels. Instead, public transport is your friend for making any budget travel trip to the Himalayas.

So, how can you travel to Chandratal Lake by public transport? Well, continue reading to know more.

Manali to Chandratal / Kaza Bus

There are two HRTC buses that run between Manali and Kaza every morning as soon as the road to Spiti Valley via Manali gets open in the season, mostly in June.

These buses run from Kullu to Kaza via Manali and it reaches Manali around 4.45 AM and leaves at 5.00 AM. The ticket to Kaza will cost you only about INR 250 approximately per person. Now, you have two options to travel to Chandratal from Manali by bus or public transport.

Glaciers of Spiti as seen on Chandratal Trek — Glaciers of Spiti as seen on Chandratal Lake Trek

Option One | HRTC Bus – Hitchhiking

The first option is a bit tricky and an inconvenient one as well. But, when you want to plan a budget trip to Chandratal Lake, you need to improvise and adapt. It will surely be an adventure of one of its kind.

This option requires you to travel by daily HRTC bus running between Manali – Kaza and hitchhiking or taking lifts from other fellow travelers. Let us look at a step by step process on making a cheap budget trip to Chandratal Lake.

When the Manali to Kaza bus reaches Batal, you need to get down at Batal on the way to Kaza, which is just before the ascent to Kunzum Pass.
Before getting down, you need to make sure that you tie-up with the Conductor of the bus so that he picks you up the next morning from the same place. Maybe pay a little tip to the Conductor will help you ensure he does not forget you 🙂
At times, the PWD/GREF workers are working on Chandratal diversion road or doing clean-up or repair work on the road from Batal to Chandratal. You need to tie up with some PWD/GREF workers who might be going towards Chandratal Lake and get a hike from them in their jeep or dozer. You can find them at Batal Dhabhas, most likely.
You can pay or offer them about INR 150-200 as a tip for the lift as well. This tip might help to get the same ride back the next day.
Of course, you can do the Chandratal Lake trek from Batal and be back by evening or the next day/evening. However, it depends upon if your body is acclimatized to undertake this high altitude trek that early. I will personally not recommend you to take such a trek to Chandratal without proper acclimatization. It will help you avoid AMS.
Once you have reached, visit the Chandratal Lake and come back to Batal Dhabha for an overnight stay that will cost you about 150 – 200 per person at Chandra Dhabha at Batal. You should be able to get food and meals will also be very cheap at the dhabha.
There is also a PWD Rest House now at Batal, which will prove just too good if you can negotiate with the PWD caretaker or manage the booking for it. Read the article: How to Book HP PWD Rest Houses or FRHs. Again food or meals you can have at the Batal Chandra Dhabha. Please note that there is no electricity at Batal and PWD Rest House as well. So, carry your power bank or battery charger with you.
Next Morning, the same HRTC bus which reached last evening to Kaza will be going back from Kaza to Manali. Since you may have made the prior arrangements with the conductor, so he might keep the seat or space vacant for you on the bus.
It takes about 3.5-4 Hrs of Kaza to Manali bus to reach Batal from Kaza. So, if the bus starts from Kaza at 5 AM, then it will reach Batal at about 8-9 AM. You can hop onto this bus and get back to Manali from Chandratal / Batal.

Total Approximate Cost for Chandratal trip from Manali: 500 (Bus) + 400 (Food + Accommodation) + Rs 300 (Tip for Lift) = INR 1200 per person

Please do note down, using this option you are at a mercy of a lift or hitchhike from PWD/GREF workers or other travelers to reach Chandratal Lake from Batal. Otherwise, at worst a trek to Chandratal Lake from Batal and back on your own may be next evening and catch the Kaza to Manali bus a day after. So, play with this option if you are really game for it.

The Lake of Moon. Are you planning a trip to Spiti Valley from Manali?

Option Two | HRTC Bus – Bike Rental Kaza / Losar

This option involves traveling to Losar or Kaza from Manali and then renting a bike from a local villager by paying him a tip. Given below are detailed steps to travel from Manali to Chandratal on budget.

This option also requires you to travel by public transport from Manali to Kaza. Hence, you will have to use the same HRTC bus for traveling between Kaza – Manali.

You should get down at Losar village after crossing Kunzum Pass on the way to Kaza which is about 57 km before Kaza. You can plan to travel to Kaza and rent bikes in Kaza.
Similar to option 1, before getting down, you need to make sure that you tie-up with the Conductor of the bus so that he picks you up the next morning from the same place. Maybe pay a little tip to the Conductor will help you ensure he does not forget you 🙂
Then lookout or tie-up with some local up there in Losar village who MAY rent (don’t rely on it though) their bikes for a trip to Chandratal Lake at a mere cost of about INR 600 – 700 (fuel extra). It can be possible but unreliable pretty much as sometimes people are afraid to give their bikes.
Make a day trip to Chandratal Lake on the bike over Kunzum Pass and come back to Losar. After coming back to Losar from Chandratal, you may return the bike and stay overnight at Losar.
You can stay with Samson Guest House (Costs about Rs 1000 – 1200 with meals), they might help you get a bike on rent as well OR PWD Rest House (costs about Rs 500-600 with meals) OR some homestay at Losar village (costs about Rs 400-500 with meals).
Next Morning, the same HRTC bus which reached last night to Kaza will be going back to Manali from Kaza. Since you have prior arrangements with the conductor, so he may keep the seat or space vacant for you.
The Kaza to Manali bus will take about 2-2.5 Hrs to reach Losar from Kaza. So, if the bus starts from Kaza at 5 AM, then it will reach Losar at about 7 AM.
You will travel back from Losar to Manali on the same bus.

Total Approximate Cost: 500 (Bus) + 1500 (Food + Accommodation) + Rs 900 (Bike Rent + Fuel) = INR 2900-3200 per person