Continuing on towards laying the foundation of comprehensive Travel Guide for Spiti Valley and as discussed in the last article about Hindustan Tibet Highway, first let’s cover the lower Kinnaur Valley in depth before going further towards upper Kinnaur Valley and Spiti Valley.
The lower part of Kinnaur Valley is also very much visited by many people during summertime due to ease of accessibility from Shimla/Delhi/Chandigarh and less crowded or offbeat location. By lower Kinnaur, I mean that I will be covering Kalpa, Sangla Valley and Chitkul in this travel guide and maybe upper parts like Nako, Chango, Ropa, Hangrang can be covered in time to come, if required.
Let's quickly dive into the details:
Kinnaur Valley Travel Guide
Kinnaur Valley is one of the 12 districts in Himachal Pradesh which is known for its apple orchards, beautiful small hamlets, beautiful meadows surrounded with thick dense woods and not to forget the ever-adventurous roads. One of the roads to Sangla Valley was also got popularly featured by the name Ledge in History Channel as Deadliest Roads in the World 🙂
This adds just the right charm of adventure on the trip. In winters, the presence of snow makes it just a jaw-dropping experience to be in Kinnaur Valley, where the major attraction is the breathtaking view of Kinner Kailash, a mountain sacred to Hindus, close to the Tibetan border.
The beautiful meadows in Sangla or Baspa Valley and Chitkul which is considered the last village in India where one can reach from Kinnaur side, are also covered commonly on a trip to this part of Himalayas.
Location
Kinnaur Valley is located in the Northeast corner of Himachal Pradesh, about 235 KMs from the state capital, Shimla. The distance of Delhi to Kinnaur Valley is about 570 km considering Reckong Peo. It makes Kinnaur Valley not so far from civilization yet so raw and offbeat.
Altitude
Kinnaur Valley has a mountainous area, ranging in altitude from 2,320 Mtrs to 6,816 Mtrs (7,610 ft to 22,362 ft) where Kalpa is located at an altitude of 2,960 Mtrs (9,710 ft) and Sangla Valley is located at an altitude of 2,696 Mtrs (8,900 ft). Chitkul is the highest in the lot at an altitude of about 3,450 Mtrs (11,320 ft).
In general, people face AMS issues if they spend the second night directly at Chitkul. Hence, it is always recommended to spend a night in Sangla or Kalpa before sleeping overnight at Chitkul.
Weather in Kinnaur Valley
The majority of the year Kinnaur weather is mostly cool to cold. Even in the summer months, you can feel the coolness in the breeze especially in the morning and evening. You will find snowfall in Kinnaur in winter months and a few feet of snow being a common phenomenon.
In summer months, the temperature in Kinnaur revolves around 15-25 degrees Celsius. Come July – August, the rain begins to play spoilsport with landslides and road closures getting common.
Kinnaur in December – January – February
When you visit Kinnaur in winter months, you must prepare very well with heavy woolen clothing. Many hotels remain closed in most parts of Kinnaur Valley. The road to Chitkul closes down in January and February. It can open anytime in December.
Roads to Kalpa and Sangla also closes in between intermittently but as soon as bad weather settles, authorities open up the road connectivity to these tourist destinations in Kinnaur Valley.
Kinnaur in March to July
The snow starts to melt in March and the closed roads within Kinnaur Valley, like the road to Chitkul, start to get open to welcome tourists. The heat starts to rise as we approach the summer months after spring in Kinnaur.
There is a heavy tourist rush from April end to June – July period. Once you get into the last week of July, monsoon lashes Northern parts of India. The road journey to Kinnaur becomes problematic.
Kinnaur in August
Monsoon is one of the worst times to visit lower hills in the Himalayas, including Himachal. And then, combining rains with fragile mountains of Kinnaur Valley, it becomes a deadly combination. Hence, I strongly feel that Kinnaur is not the place to be in monsoon. The entire Kinnaur region is very fragile, and road closures are pretty common.
Kinnaur in September to November
Once the rain goes away, the apple harvest season begins in Kinnaur Valley from late August to September. It runs up to the middle of October in the upper parts of Kinnaur Valley. I do feel that it becomes one of the best times to visit Kinnaur because even the roads are dried up and much better in road conditions, including stability. In November, the temperature starts to go toward sub-zero conditions, and water in pipes starts to freeze at night. The winter chill is there to welcome you.
What is the best time to visit Kinnaur Valley?
You can visit this beautiful valley throughout the major part of the year, but in winter things get very tough and heavy snowfall makes it inaccessible sometimes too. But, apart from peak winters in Kinnaur Valley, including Kalpa and Sangla Valley, Kinnaur can be visited throughout the rest of the year without much fuss.
It is important to note that monsoon is not the right time to be in Kinnaur Valley due to common landslides and worse roads, so in any case avoid monsoons My favorite time to visit Kinnaur Valley is Autumn or Fall, when monsoon just resides away and you might still see some apple orchards loaded with apples with clear skies in the background.
Also, please note that Chitkul becomes inaccessible at the time of peak winters, so please avoid going there in late winters without knowing the weather conditions. One snowfall can trap you for months in Chitkul :)…
In case you are going in Apple Season, that is around Late July or August in Kinnaur Valley then be ready for a massive mess of trucks traffic too along with rains and landslides.
Travel Tip: Read my detailed article on best time to travel to Kinnaur Valley.
How to Reach Kinnaur Valley
Below is the most general route to Kinnaur Valley from Delhi that most people usually follow. You can reach Kinnaur on the second day with an overnight halt at Narkanda or anywhere away from Shimla or Chail. However, if you are visiting Manali, then you can travel to Kinnaur Valley from Manali as well via Jalori Pass or the longer Spiti Valley route.
Delhi to Kinnaur from Shimla side by Road
The route to Kinnaur Valley from Delhi via Shimla runs along the Hindustan Tibet Road or NH-05 (previously called NH-22). You will be traveling on one of the most treacherous roads as soon as you enter Kinnaur Valley. The sense of adventure is pure bliss, and in case you drive yourself, you will enjoy the offroading in some sections of Kinnaur.
The route from Delhi along with the distance between the subsequent places is as follows:
![How to tackle water-crossings on Ladakh Bike Trip / Spiti Valley Bike Trip? [20 Important Tips]](https://devilonwheels.com/yt_vid_thumbs/ladakh/82.png)
Delhi – Shimla (360 KMs) – Narkanda (420 KMs) – Rampur (488 KMs) – Karcham (566 KMs) – Reckong Peo (587 KMs) – Kalpa (595 KMs)
At Karcham, the road bifurcates towards Sangla Valley and Chitkul as per below distance between these places.
Delhi – Shimla (360 KMs) – Narkanda (420 KMs) – Rampur (488 KMs) – Karcham (566 KMs) – Sangla (582 KMs) – Rakcham (596 KMs) – Chitkul (610 KMs)
You will reach Kalpa or Sangla on this road trip to Kinnaur Valley in a minimum of 2 days from Delhi. Mostly, Narkanda or somewhere near Shimla / Chail – Narkanda is an ideal overnight halt to distribute the journey evenly. If you are starting from Chandigarh, you can consider taking an overnight halt at Sarahan as well. The road to Sarahan bifurcates from Jeori which is 23 km from Rampur. The distance from Jeori to Sarahan is 12 km only.
Love food on the Kinnaur road trip?
Also, a pit-stop-must is a makeshift dhabha of sorts right after Jeori – Sarahan diversion where an old lady serves lip-smacking Rajma Chawal. Yes, the hygiene is slightly questionable, but it is a dhabha after-all! The taste is unbeatable. Rs 50 for an unlimited plate of Rajma Chawal – sign me up! Apart from that Annapurna dhabha nearby it also is pretty famous for Rajma Chawal too.
Delhi to Kinnaur from Manali side by Road
You can travel to Kinnaur Valley from Manali well. There are two routes that exist. The shorter route that goes from Jalori Pass – Rampur and the longer route in which you travel from Rohtang Pass – Kunzum Pass route while making a Spiti Valley trip from Manali side.
The distance from Manali to Kinnaur via Jalori Pass route is 310 km and will take 12-15 hrs. This route will merge at Rampur on Hindustan – Tibet Highway and then follows the route via Shimla to Kinnaur. I recommend staying overnight at Jalori to break the journey evenly. If you travel from the Spiti side, then it is better to explore Spiti Valley and then travel down to Kinnaur.
By Air
The nearest airport to Kinnaur Valley is at Shimla, about 220 km away. If you are traveling from the Manali side, then you can get down at the Bhuntar Airport which is near Manali. Bhuntar is approximately 245 KMS from Reckong Peo, the center of Kinnaur. However, due to their small size, these airports have limited capacity and connectivity.
Chandigarh Airport lies approximately 340 km. Hence, Chandigarh is the best place to start the journey to Kinnaur Valley if you are flying from any other part of India than Delhi or other Northern states.
By Railways
Shimla is the nearest railway station. However, this would also have limited connectivity. My suggestion would be to have your endpoint of the railway journey as Chandigarh, which is well connected throughout.
By Bus or Public Transport
Reckong Peo is well connected with Chandigarh and Shimla by direct buses run by HRTC, the state bus department of Himachal Pradesh. There is an overnight bus from Chandigarh to Reckong Peo, and one bus leaves Shimla around 11 AM. Once you reach Reckong Peo, you can travel to Kalpa, Sangla, and Chitkul by connecting buses within Kinnaur Valley.
Reckong Peo is also connected by a daily morning bus from Kaza in Spiti Valley as well. So, you can travel from Spiti to Kinnaur as well by public transport.
You should look more details in the article on how to visit Kinnaur by public transport.
Taxis for Kalpa
You can get private taxis for trips to Kinnaur Valley from Shimla taxi stand. These taxis can also come to Chandigarh or New Delhi for a pickup. I always recommend traveling with local drivers or taxis in remote regions of the Himalayas like Kinnaur and Spiti.
You can always get connected with local taxi drivers in this list of taxi drivers in Kinnaur and Spiti Valley. Hiring a private taxi for a Kinnaur road trip may cost you about Rs 25000 for 7-8 days. In general, these local drivers charge from Rs 3200-3500 per day for taxi charges which includes everything including their own stays and food.
The prices will come down if you’re traveling in a group. You can also book self-drive cars from Delhi or Chandigarh to plan a road trip to Kinnaur as well.
Preferred Vehicles
The higher ground clearance vehicles are preferable and 4×4 ones not required. However, quite a few people make a trip to Kinnaur Valley in hatchbacks and sedan cars as well. So, it all depends upon your skills to drive and the road conditions at the time of travel.
You can always refer my list of top 40 things to carry on a self drive trip to Kinnaur.
Suggested Itinerary for Kinnaur Valley
I mostly recommend people to spare at least 7-8 days to plan a relaxing trip to Kinnaur Valley. This much days will help you explore the beautiful places on Hindustan Tibet Road as well as relax in the enchanting and peaceful villages like Kalpa, Sangla, Chitkul, and Sarahan.
If you are not one of those who visit places to tick them off from bucket lists, then you can refer my article on Kinnaur Valley – Most Common Itinerary for a detailed plan. I have highlighted the high-level day by day trip plan from Kinnaur below as well.
- Day 1 | Delhi – Shimla / Narkanda
- Day 2 | Shimla / Narkanda – Sarahan
- Day 3 | Sarahan – Tapri – Reckong Peo – Kalpa
- Day 4 | Rest day at Kalpa
- Day 5 | Kalpa – Karcham – Sangla / Rakcham (Baspa Valley)
- Day 6 | Sangla / Rakcham – Chitkul / Sangla / Rakcham
- Day 7 | Chitkul / Sangla / Rakcham – Rampur – Daranghati / Narkanda / Chail
- Day 8 | Daranghati / Narkanda / Chail – Delhi
Accommodation Options at Kinnaur Valley
There are many accommodation options available at Reckong Peo, Kalpa, as well as Sangla Valley and Chitkul. Many of them are good enough to cater to the varied needs of budgets among people. There are economic guest houses or homestays, which are cheap enough to keep your money saved. But, there are other luxury properties as well which provide the comfort and facilities if you are looking forward to them.
Apart from private accommodation options, you can go ahead and vouch for many PWD Rest Houses in Kinnaur Valley, which are though comfortable and economical but may not suit the needs of every family may be. Also, you require bookings for them, and sometimes, in case of some VIP visit, they may try to push you though not in rights. So, in general, and in case you are OK with average comfort conditions, Quite Recommended!! You can refer: How to Book HP PWD Rest Houses or FRHs
For more details on good hotels to stay in Kinnaur Valley OR good accommodation options to stay in Kinnaur Valley, you can refer the article: Good Hotels or Accommodation options in Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley
Where to eat in Kinnaur
Most of the time you will be eating out in Hotels or Camps or Guest Houses or Homestays you will be staying in Kinnaur. However, there are dhabhas or eating joints on the way to Kalpa or Sangla from Shimla, which you can use for in-between meals. Do not forget that famous “Last Indian Dhabha” in Chitkul.
You should always carry your water bottle and refill it as many times as you need water. It will not only keep you hydrated always, but you will also help in saving the Himalayas from plastic garbage. Remember, every tiny step counts and your step in this direction can help save the Himalayas too !! 🙂 🙂
Places to visit in Kinnaur Valley
Once you enter the gate of Kinnaur Valley, the daunting mountains welcome you, and a kind of adventure begins. The drop around the roads gets higher and higher. The roads start to deteriorate and soon becomes a dirt track. Every tourist attraction places in Kinnaur is much closer to nature than being commercialized towns of lower Himachal.
You can plan a trip to Kinnaur Valley where you can try and explore the following places in or around Reckong Peo.
Sangla Valley
About 120 odd KMs before the Indo-Tibet border, lies one of the most beautiful and romantic valleys in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, Sangla Valley or otherwise also known as Baspa Valley which houses a major village by the name Sangla.
Sangla is about 16 km diversion towards right from Karcham, which is at Hindustan Tibet Highway going towards Kaza from Shimla Sangla Valley is surrounded by thick forest slopes and offers lovely views of the high mountains surrounding it. Recently, various beautiful meadows in this valley (such as Rakcham meadow) have become very popular among shooting various film scenes and advertisements too.
You can read our detailed travel guide of Sangla Valley.
Chitkul Village
About 28 km away from Sangla Valley at an altitude of 3450 Mtrs and on the banks of Baspa river there lies the last inhabited place in India before the Indo-Tibet border named Chitkul. The magical beauty which this village offers is unmatched and incomparable. Chitkul remains closed in winters and is extremely famous for its potatoes in the whole world which are extremely costly as well.
You can read our detailed travel guide of Chitkul Village.
Kamru Fort
About 2-3 km away from Sangla Valley, there is a famous 1000-year-old Kamru Fort considered to be one of the oldest forts in Himachal Pradesh. Do check out when you are in Sangla Valley.
Misc. Trails & Meadows around Sangla
There are loads of trails in these apple orchards that can be hiked around while you stay in Sangla Valley. There are some lovely meadows too (one near Rakcham village as I remember) as well which can be visited or spent the time to bask in the lap of pristine mother nature.
You can also for an easy 3-4 Hrs hike to the Glacier point if you are interested in some snow play. Batseri village to Sangla Village walk of about 12 km through dense Cedar forests is also quite famous among people who love being midst nature and actually feel it.
There is a Trout Fishery Farm on the other side of Baspa River near Sangla Village too which is nice to visit and can be covered in this walk itself. What better having a trout for yourself and later barbecue it over a campfire in the evening 🙂 !!
Kalpa
Kalpa is one of the best places to see sunset and sunrise in the Himalayas over the Kinner Kailash range. Kalpa is about 8 KMs from Reckong Peo, district headquarters of Kinnaur Valley, which in turn is about 7 KMs diversion from a place called Powari on Hindustan Tibet Highway.
The place is just majestic and the views of Kinner Kailash range from almost any of the hotel at Kalpa would make your jaws drop at any day. I never thought that it would be that beautiful what I witnessed after reaching this lovely place. We were fortunate to witness such fantastic weather at such an awesomely beautiful location in Kinnaur Valley.
You can read our detailed travel guide of Kalpa Village.
Roghi Village
It is about 6-7 KMs from Kalpa and is known for its traditional lifestyle of Himachal surrounded by apple orchards. Very nice place to have a short hike or walk across the village from Kalpa. You will almost feel you are in a time machine and somewhere in the past if you spend some time here in this village.
The villagers have a great knowledge of the place, its flora, and fauna and you can get quite a decent knowledge in the village from them in case you are interested to know about Kinnaur Valley and this region
Kothi Village
Just 3 km from Recong Peo, this village has a Chandika Devi temple which has an unusual architectural style and fine sculpture set amidst a picturesque mountains backdrop.
Medical Facilities
In case you need any medical assistance in Kinnaur, there is a one district hospital at Reckong Peo, being the headquarters of Kinnaur Valley. There is a local hospital at Sangla village, too, being the biggest village in Baspa Valley. The next help for anything major will be available in Shimla.
Phone Signals
Most of the mobile phone service connections work in Reckong Peo, Kalpa, as well as Sangla Valley, with best being Airtel. However, as you go ahead towards upper remote parts of Kinnaur like Nako, Puh, Chitkul, etc. then the best option will be to carry an MTNL/BSNL prepaid/postpaid connection. It has maximum coverage in Himachal Pradesh. Vodafone did have issues with some connectivity at times. Lower Kinnaur Valley does not have any major phone connectivity issues.
Petrol Pumps
About 10 km from Kalpa, you can find the nearest petrol pump at Reckong Peo. There was one more fuel pump at Powari, which is on Hindustan – Tibet Highway when you move from Reckong Peo back towards Shimla, which is about 30 km from Sangla Valley.
I am not sure if it is still functional though on my recent trip to Spiti Valley in the first week of May 2013, the Powari fuel pump was not functional. There has been one fuel pump which is fairly new that I saw at Tapri, and it is true as of 2020 as well.
The best thing is to top up your petrol or fuel tank at Narkanda which is fair in terms of quality as well OR the last petrol pump in Rampur that comes on the right side while going from the Shimla side.
ATMs near Kinnaur Valley
There is an ATM as far as I know in Sangla Valley. Otherwise, you will find one for sure at Reckong Peo about 8 km away from Kalpa and 38 km away from Sangla. However, whenever I travel to such remote villages of the Himalayas, you must carry enough cash with you for an emergency without relying on credit or debit cards.
Conclusion
Kinnaur Valley is one of such secluded and untouched places in Himachal Pradesh where people must go over and enjoy raw nature in its purest form. It is a perfect place for a family vacation with lovely views all around and yes, a part of the adventure too with rough roads. It is one of those places where the journey is itself a destination. You might opt for your honeymoon destination in Himachal as well.
Have a travel question?? You can follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my YouTube channel to ask your travel questions in a direct message on Instagram or comment on my YouTube videos.
If you have been to Kinnaur Valley, kindly share your thoughts and other information you might feel will be worth sharing with other fellow travelers and help them travel better.
Finally, in case, If you know your friends or family are planning a road trip to Kinnaur, then do share this article with them to help them make a memorable trip as well.
Are you looking for the CUSTOMIZED TOURS?? Get in touch with our our handpicked & trusted Destination Specialists from the Himalayas who offer SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATES to all the readers/followers of the Devil On Wheels website.
968 Comments
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. :)
Hey dheeraj,
Grt work you are doing!!
We are a group of 4 on two RE planning a round trip starting from Chandigarh to kala kaza mana li mandi and back to Chandigarh.
We have planned a trip starting this Wednesday. The only thing now disturbing is that somebody advised us that roads are not good enough to ride RE.
Could you please advice us on roads keeping in mind the whole route to be covered from Thursday to Sunday (4days)..
This would be just a road trip so not planning much to halt except at night stays.
Kindly guide accordingly
Sorry, for late reply. You must be on your trip , Have a great time.
Hi Dheeraj, wonderful article you have written, knowledgeable.
I am planning to go Kinnaur and near by places in mid of sept. i have few queries pls. suggest
1. is it safe for a couple
2. can i go by my i20
3. how’s the road conditions at this time
4. which route i should prefer as i am planning from delhi
or anything else which i should keep in mind while planning for kinnaur.
Hi Yogi,
Are you on the trip or still looking for the answers to your queries.
1. Totally safe to travel to Kinnaur Valley
2. Should be manageable but do understand that roads will be bad once you enter the Kinnaur Valley
3. Roads are more or less the same. Bad in Kinnaur
4. Delhi – Shimla – Narkanda – Rampur – Kinnaur
Hey Dheeraj
you mentioned Glacier points in the article in Kinnaur vally. Can we get some snow in any small track over there. Also what is the route should we follow.
We are planning to visit from 21st to 26st OCT. IS there any place near sarahan to visit.Will Dharangati be possible by small car.
Thanks
Kapil
Snow will not be present on those glacier points as well as glaciers also melt away from base in summers. I will suggest you to skip Daranghati may be but I am not saying it is not possible. Focus on Sarahan, Sangla, Chitkul and Kalpa only.
Dear Dheeraj,
I need to know few things about Kinnaur valley, I am a great lover of Himalayan region as well.
1. How about the road conditions from Shimla to Sangla Valley, Kalpa & kaza.
2. Could we access that place in month of October, or its chilling cold during that period.
3. Where we, halt in Mid Way, is it Narkanda, Rampur or some other place.
Thanks.
Hi Vinod,
1. Road conditions up to you cross bhawanagar will be fine but then will start getting bad to worse
2. Yes you can access Kinnaur Valley in the month of October and can reach Kaza and come back the same way too. It will certainly be cold more the more you go higher from Kinnaur to Spiti
3. You can do Narkanda to be decent halt mid way to Kalpa.
Dear Dheeraj, I have gone through your blog and found it very interesting and really appreciate the way your responded to all queries. I am also planning to go there in September 2015 for 10 days with one professional traveler group from New Delhi. Best Regards!!! Kudos to your excellent work!!! 🙂
we are five and want to visit kinnaur lahul spiti kunjum pass keylong manali from chandigarh and back to chandigarh .we will reach chandigarh on 01.09.2015 by kalka mail and our return journey at chandigarh on 11.09.15. we want to hire a suv with all front view seats throughout our journey. our probable stay at narkanda/sarahan, sangla,kalpa,tabo,pin village, kaja,kiber,keylong, manali. please arrange a best tour plan for us ,and give us information and contacts regarding hotels or good homestays , car rentals . pl also mention any other beautiful places to visit besides our destinations within our time limit
Kalyani, 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
sir,many many thanks for your suggestion .our plan is like this-
1. starting from chandigarh early morning -01.09.2015
2. night stay at narkanda or sarahan(which one is better)- 01.09.2015.
3.we want to visit sangla, banjara camp,chitkul .where should we stay? which one is better for stay?night stay on 02.09.2015 & 03.09.15.
4.kalpa night stay -04.09.15
5.tabo night stay-05.09.15
6. pin valley night stay-06.09.2015
7.kaja-07.09.15
8. losar-08.09.15
9.battal.09.09.15
10. manali.10.09.15
11.kalka mail at chandigarh..11th night
are all these places we planned to stay is ok . we have the desire to visit and stay at kibber village and keylong . is it possible to arrange the tour plan including these two places? we want to hire xylo or innova from chandigarh and drop at chandigarh. pl advice us how much it costs from chandigarh to chandigarh back. pl give us the contacts of chandigarh vehicle owners.. kindly reply along with your valuable advice.
There is no need to stay at Losar rather it is better that you either stay at Batal or you stay at Chandratal only that day. Rest looks OK. Better stay at Rakcham which is between Chitkul and Sangla. Keylong is not possible but you can surely stay at Kibber from Kaza on Day 8, Day 9 move to Chandratal and Day 10 Manali from Chandratal directly. This is easily doable. I shared the contact in the previous reply, you can get in touch with them as those who are based in Shimla or Kinnaur can come to pick you up from Chandigarh itself.
dheeraj I am planning to go to kinnaur in the first half of november and from your other replies I take it that its not a bad time to travel there. I plan to go upto shimla by train and from there catch a bus to reckong peo and from there please guide me. I will be travelling alone by the local transportation and backpacking. from your reply I think its not possible to travel from kaza to manali due to extreme climate so what do you think I should do to include khir ganga in my plan? I am not time bound and I will be booking my tickets only by sept last.
Premnath, you can travel to Reckong peo by bus and then take a bus to Kalpa. Rest there for couple of days and then take a bus to Sangla from there. Rest there again for couple of days and then move back towards Sarahan. Rest at Sarahan for a day and then get down to Shimla. Better avoid going further to Kaza during that time unless you are way way too adventurous and accustomed to such extreme harsh conditions.
Deeraj! I have been traveling a lot and I have done some good high altitude treks both in India and Nepal so I think with the grace of God I can manage the climate part, but my question is will there be any public transportation at that time of the year and what about Chitkul? will it be possible for me to go there by some public transport? suppose I do this trip in the month of September or October will it be possible to travel to Kaza and to Manali?
Yes, public transport does run all the time up there barring few days of heavy snowfall. Also, in most cases the buses from both places do start and go to the point they can where there is blockage and then exchange the passengers and come back to their places. In case you do this trip upto mid of October it is still pretty safe to travel from Kaza to Manali in a public transport bus. Beyond that risk starts increasing and even bus between Kullu – Manali – Kaza also stops running.
Just started writing my series on Himachal Road trip across Kinnaur, Lahaul & Spiti http://www.inditales.com/first-thoughts-on-himachal-pradesh/
Hallo Dheeraj,
We (me and my wife) are planning to visit Shimla & Kinnaur valley in the month of November from 22nd to 28th November (excluding the journey days from Kolkata). The main destination stops will be Shimla, Sarahan, Sangla, Kalpa, Chitkul.
Can you please suggest an itinerary for the tour which will cover the places??
Also, will the places be accessible (or advisable to go) at that time of the year??
Thanks
Anish
Day 1 | Delhi – Shimla – Narkanda
Day 2 | Narkanda – Sangla Valley
Day 3 | Sangla – Chitkul / Sangla
Day 4 | Chitkul / Sangla – Kalpa
Day 5 | Kalpa – Sarahan
Day 6 | Sarahan – Chail/Shimla
Day 7 | Chail/Shimla – Delhi
Thanks a lot Dheeraj for the help… Is it advisable to visit the area in 3/4th week of November??
Anish, in case you can sustain the cold up there in Kinnaur which is quite freezing, you are fine to travel up there.
Hi,
I am planning to travel from Chandigarh for 8 N/9 D Himachal Trip.
Please find my proposed intinerary as follows:
Day1–Chandigarh to Chail
Day2- Chail to Sarahan
Day3- Sarahan to Sangla
Day4-Sangla
Day5-Sangla to Kalpa
Day6-Kalpa
Day7-Kalpa to Kaza
Day8- Kaza
Day9-Kaza to Manali
Day10- Manali to Chandigarh/Delhi
Is this itinerary OK?
Also, is it OK to travel in November? we are starting on 28th Oct. Will it be too cold ? Will the roads be blocked?
Appreciate your help.
Saheli, I wil advice that instead of spending a day in Kalpa extra, please add that day in Kaza. so, from Kalpa go to Tabo stay there, then next day Tabo – Dhangkar – Pin Valley – Kaza. Next day Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Langza- Hikkim – Komik – Kaza, then come back via same route to Delhi as I saw you going end of October. Well, in that case it is a big big NO to travel beyond Kaza towards Manali as it becomes no mans land and veru risky with chances of getting stuck up there for months in case snows out there. Even local people are afraid of traveling beyond mid of October between Kaza – Manali over Kunzum Pass unless it is some very very badly needed in case of some crisis. I will suggest followin
Day1–Chandigarh to Chail
Day2- Chail to Sarahan
Day3- Sarahan to Sangla
Day4-Sangla – Chitkul – Sangla
Day5-Sangla to Tabo
Day6-Tabo – Dhangkar – Pin Valley – Kaza
Day7-Kaza and around as suggested above
Day8- Kaza – Kalpa
Day9-Kalpa to Shimla/Narkanda
Day10- Shimla/Nakranda to Chandigarh/Delhi
Hi,
Thanks a lot for your inputs. Is it feasible to go Kinnaur Valley in November? Or should I plan for some other places like Dharamshala and all? Will the weather be too harsh? Also, is it advisable to book the hotels in advance, or will get good deals on the spot? I heard the HPTDC hotels are good.
Yes, Kinnaur Valley is fine to travel in November but yes weather will be cold though not too harsh in November.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are group of 9 bikers from Bangalore. We are starting our ride from Shimla on the 21st of July.
Our proposed travel is as under,
JULY
21st – Shimla- Narkanda (Snow trail camps Near Chail)
22n – Narkanda- Sangala ( Kinner Camps Sangla)
23r – Sangla- Chitkul- Nako (Kinner Camps Nako)
24t -Nako- Pin valley- ( Guest House)
25t – Pin – Kaza local – Kye monastery -( Spiti Sarai Kaza)
26th- Kaza – Chandrataal (paramount Camp)
27th- chandrataal- Rohtang- Manali .
Ride ends.
28th manali – chandigarh by car.
We have a a innova which is following us with luggage and two back up people.
* Suggestions Required from you.
* Current Whether/ Road Conditions/ Rain factor- intensity
* Any change in route required.
* AMS precautions for suggested route.
* Accommodation mentioned above ok/ not ok/ better options.
Appreciate your constant effort to guide,
Thnx ,
Ashwin
Ashwin, given the days in hand, plan looks fine to me.
Hi Dheeraj….
We are 6/7 heads planning a trip to Sangla form Delhi. The travel date is 1-8-2015 to start from delhi & have to reach delhi 7-8-2015.
Please advise me about weather & road conditions there. It is ok to go with Toyota Innova. Is it is the right time to visit this place?
Ankit, it is monsoon time and Kinnaur is ideally not really a place to be in monsoons due to fragile roads which are vulnerable to landslides anytime. Please check the weather updates from http://yr.no website and then take a call to go or no go.
Hello Dheeraj,
I am planning to travel Spiti and Kinnaur Valley in 1st week of august along with my wife. I am landing in Chandigarh on 6th August and returning back from Chandigarh on 12th August. We have 6 days and we need to cover Spiti and Kinnaur. Kindly suggest me the Iternary plan where I can cover the max Spiti and Kinnaur Valley and other places arounf those valleys. Alos suggest me if you know any local travels who can guide and help us through out the journey. Also suggest me if it is the right time to travel in August and is it safe if we can trust Cab Drivers as me and my wife is planning the trip. Awaiting for your fond response.
Vamshi, in just 6 days it will be very tough to do Spiti Valley and Kinnaur Valley. Also it will be rains and Kinnaur is not an ideal place to be in rains 🙁
Thanks Deeraj Bhai for your response. I am planning to go to spiti valley in 6 days. One of my friend Sarin went to spiti valley on june 15th 2015. he has hired a scorpio Tenzing – 09418433973 where he got the info from DOW. Even I am planning to hire Tenzing – 09418433973. One query here. Sarin has informed that the road is extremely dangerous from manali to spiti valley. Also the accommodation seems a worry as we have lots of Isreil and germen people around kaza. and hotel will be packed with those people. I also heard they have lots of drugs but for sure they wont disturb anyone. Request your kind help if you can help me with some accomodations around chandratal lake and kaza where we have more Indians. Money is not a problem. Awaiting for your fond response.
Vamshi, regarding accommodation, you can 100% rely upon: Sakya Abode Kaza – An Enriching Experience in Spiti Valley
Get in touch with Tsering bhai and tell him you are an avid reader of DoW and he will help you out for sure.
Hello Dheeraj,
I am planning to visit Chitkul by the end of July or May be early august. First of all is it a good time to visit at this time of year. Also how is the condition of the road and is it safe enough to travel on Bullet. I will be travelling all alone or may be with my Gf. I or we would be travelling by Bullet. I am planning a four days trip from delhi and back. Please suggest are the number or days enough for the trip and is it good time to visit as I think rainfall can create a mess. Would really appreciate that 🙂
Thanks,
Lukesh
Lukesh, it will be monsoons and Kinnaur is not really a good place to be in monsoons unless you are ready to take up the madening challenge.
HI DHEERAJ BRO,
how are u ….i need a help…i and my friend are planning a trip to shimla -reckang peo-kaza on our apache bike from delhi in first week of october….i want to know about the road condition from reckong peo -pooh-tabo-kaza….will it be safe to go on a single bike….plzzz help
Siddharth, it should be fine to travel during that time with respect to road conditions. However, doing Kaza – Manali that late in the season, must ensure that weather is good because Manali – Kaza is a no mans land road and most dhabhas also wind up by October mid october.
i am planning for visit to kalpa / sangla / chitkul from delhi. the travel date is 22.10.15 to start from delhi & have to reach delhi on 28.10.15.
can we travel by train upto chandigarh by train & onward by road or we should plan by road jourbey from delhi itself ??? which is better one ??
Pl. also help us to get a tour plan.
regards,
sanjib
Sanjib, better you go with train to Kalka, then carry on with road journey. Also, Delhi to Shimla has a good volvo service as well which you can avail too.
Hi Dheeraj !!
This site is very useful.
I want to go kinnaur valley between 24 to 30 May from Dehradun with family. Is it OK to go with beat diesel ?? Which are place of interest between shimla & sangla valley? Can we visit kotgarh during this route?
Or Could you help & make plan for us?
Rajesh, you can find all the required details of places and sightseeing in the article above and it also suggest a 6-7 day plan as well. Regarding taking hatch back, if you are a good driver and can tackle a bit rough roads, it is OK to travel.
Hi Rajesh,
I am Rohit from Chandigarh. Many of the facts explained in the article above highlight only the geographical conditions of the vicinity and the points of interest.
As you are traveling with family and hailing from Dehradun, then I believe you will be quite familiar with mountain roads as Dehradun is near mussoorie therefore I think you will be quite experienced to enthrall yourself onto this escapade.
Eitherways, you have to reach Shimla in order to continue further and the road till Shimla is sweet! Will suit your vehicle. On the contrary, i totally agree with Dheeraj that if you are a good driver and can avoid potholes or any other depression on the road then you should be good! Also if your kid is quite comfortable with Mountain drives then you should be perfect, however there can be AMS if care is not taken at the right time. Kothgarh can also be covered however for the same, you would require a day more.
Should you have any concerns regarding your travel plan, please don’t hesitate and contact me
Thank you Rohit for the inputs, the plan in general covers the main aspect of AMS too if followed properly. Also, AMS starts to affect once you are beyond 3000 Mtrs and main problem in Kinnaur in general comes to people going/sleeping at Chitkul. So, as long as you follow Narkanda, Sarahan/Sangla, Kalpa sequence with hydrated bodies you are mostly good to keep up with AMS.
Good day Dheeraj,
I am from Singapore and came across this site as was planning a trip to Kalpa next late May.
Can you advise road condition from Kalpa to Manali via Chango? Can Toyota Alto handle this terrain? How many days would it take if we do it in a leisure manner?
Plan is get a driver from Shimla and drop in Manali. Would you be able to advise what is the current rate for a driver with Toyota Alto per day?
Thanking you in advance and your guidance.
Hello seow,
There is no Toyota Alto in India, we have Maruti Alto. It will struggle a bit up there due to low ground clearance though people do it. Also, in May it will not be possible to do Kalpa to Manali over Kunzum Pass. You will have to hire a big car driver. You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali / Shimla / Delhi / Chandigarh too, of course with a price of pickup as well.
The rates of the taxis are about Rs 3000-3500 per day depending upon the number of days you plan to travel, more the days, less the price.
Otherwise, taxis in general are also available on the spot from Shimla or Manali from respective taxi stands
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi All,
Good Evening…
Have visited Kinnaur – Reckong Peo, Sangla, Kalpa, Chhitkul with family. In family me, wife and 1 year old baby boy….
Went by my TATA Indigo Car, have hired driver for the travel.
Date of Travel from 08.05.2015 to 13.05.2015…
Wil share shortly pics of travel along with experience…
Overall the trip was good…..
Great to know that Gaurav. Looking forward to your experience in DoW – Himalayan Travel Community
This article is a step by step guide to help you post your first travel tale or photo tale: How to Write a Travel Tale or Topic with Attached Images
Regards
Dheeraj
Dear Dheeraj,
We are in plan to travel Sangla – Kalpa – Chitkul from Meerut by Alto (13 June to 21 June). We are husband, wife with 7 years old kid.
1. Please check, if my itinerary is correct? Especially the driving hours.
2. What shall be the average Hotel Tariff (Just want clean toilets + Good bed) in Sangla & Kalpa
3. Which route is better:
SHIMLA – NALDHERA – PANDOA – NANI – KINGAL – RAMPUR – SARAHAN
OR
SHIMLA – KUFRI – THEOG – NARKANDA – BITHAL – RAMPUR – SARAHAN
Our planned itinerary:
Day From To Night Stay Dates in June Km / Day Driving Hrs
Day 1 Meerut Narkanda 1st Night 13 400 km 12 Hrs
Day 2 Narkanda Sangla 2nd Night 14 190 km 7 Hrs
Day 3 Sangla Chitkul – Sangla 3rd Night 15 50 Km 4 Hr
Day 4 Sangla Kalpa 4th Night 16 50 km 2 Hr
Day 5 Kalpa Kalpa 5th Night 17 0 Km 0
Day 6 Kalpa Saharan 6th Night 18 100 Km 4 Hr
Day 7 Saharan Shimla 7th Night 19 170 Km 6 Hr
Day 8 Shimla Shimla 8th Night 20 0 0
Day 9 Shimla Meerut 21 350 km 12 Hrs
Hi Amit,
Please find my replies below:
2. You will get around 1500 per day for hotel on average for on the spot bookings. check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley
3. Kufri – Theog will be better in terms of short distance.
1. Your timings are correct and they will range in these hours only with an hour here and there plus, minus. Also, I will suggest you can come back via Chail route instead of following shimla and stay at Chail on Day 8 in case required.
Regards
Dheeraj
Dheeraj Ji,
Thank You so much for your helpful reply.
Just few more thing to ask…
1. Is it medically safe to travel with 7 year old kid
2. Predicted road conditions in June 3rd week and is it doable with Alto?
3. I drove till Bairagarh (on the way to Sach Pass) ; are roads of Kalpa – Sangla like that or WORST?
4. Considerable Petrol filling points on this route after Shimla.
5. Last ATM location after Shimla
Regards,
amit
Hello Amit,
1. 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 physical health condition. 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!!
2+3. Will be bad and in case it rains it will be further bad. Till Bairagarh, roads are fine in Kinnaur when it rains it becomes more or less much bad.
4. Don’t worry about fuel for just Kinnaur Valley. Top up at Tandi for sure.
5. There is an ATM at Rampur as well beyond that I believe there is one at Reckong Peo too in kinnaur.
Regards
Dheeraj
Dheeraj Ji,
That means we should drop the idea to going to Kalpa Sangla by our ALTO 800 ? (DATES ARE BETWEEN 14 JUNE TO 21 JUNE)
Please suggest so that we can plan accordingly.
2. Is Gangtok – darejeeling is doable with Alto in these dates?
Replied at the link: https://devilonwheels.com/kinnaur-valley-travel-guide-kalpa-sangla-chitkul/comment-page-3/#comment-329367
Dheeraj Ji,
Still in confusion whether to take my Alto LXI to Kalpa Sangla or not
Please answer my query that I asked earlier.
Amit, if you are a good driver and love adventure more than the car, then it is fine to take. Just keep a check on weather, if it says raining then cancel else go with it. But, prime condition is of good driver.
Hi ,
I plan to visit Reckong Peo in Early October this year (2015) . I am having a small kid who would be approx 18 months old in that month. Please advise whether October month would be preferrable or not ?
Also , what would be possibility of having rains or snow during that period ?
Can anyone also please advise the most lavish / costliest hotel in Reckong Peo / Sangla ?
Regards
Anubhav
Anubhav, please read the article: Traveling to Ladakh or High Altitude with Kids or Babies
October is mostly devoid of rain but one cannot predict. Cold settles in the valley by that time of the year.
hi i plan to visit kalpa velly what is the bus route from shimla to kalpa
Lalit, there are buses available to Reckong Peo from Shimla. From there you will get the bus or shared jeep to Kalpa from Reckong peo.
Hi Dhiraj,
I will go kalka on14th may’15 & return troy train ticket 20th 17.40…..then I want to go sarhan,sangla,chikul,kalpa,..two 60 yers aged person with us. please suggest it can be any problem their for high altude.please suggest a plan
No, plan to travel with easy pace with overnight halt at Narkanda, Sarahan, Sangla, Kalpa and then finally Shimla. Avoid staying at Chitkul overnight and rest shall be fine. Read the AMS article: Acute Mountain Sickness and Importance of Acclimatization
Hi, We are 6/8 heads planning to visit Sarahan, sangal and Kalpa on Nov 15 end, could you please advice me about the weather there……….. Is it is fine to travel there that time.
Our trip is like
Day 1 – Chandigarh to Sarahan and stay
Day 2 – Sarhan to Sangla and stay
Day 3 – Sarahan side scene.
Day 4 – Sarahan to Kalpa and stay
Day 5 & 6 – At Kalpa.
Day 7 – Kalpa to Rampur or Narkanda and stay
Day 8 – Narkanda to Chandigarh.
We will start from Kolkata on 21st of Nov and reach Chandigarh on 23rd 0300 hrs (as per schedule).
Please advice……………..
Thanks
Arijit Chakraborty.
Arijit, it will be quite cold up there especially in chitkul during that time of the year. Rest your plan looks fine to me. On Day 3, you meant Sangla including Chitkul I think. Plan is quite relaed.
Thanks Dheeraj Ji, for your prompt reply, Yes we are planning to visit Chitkul on day 3.
Actually my only worry is snow, Is there any chance of snowfall there during my said time? I mean I have a really very bad experience of snowfall in Sikkim. It was on the month of Feb, Me and my wife travelling to east sikkim and suddenly snowfall starts, our car has lost his grip and it skiting badly and we have stay that night in a Army camp. They saved us and next day we have walk around 10/12 kms down.
Is it possible to reach those places during 1st week of December, actually one of my friend has some problem to take leave during month end so now we are planning to start from Kolkata on 28th of Nov.
If you please guide us……………
All depends upon luck. If it is a lucky dayfor you then it might happen else not. December will be very cold and most of the places will be shut down including hotels. In case it snows the road might close too to Sangla.
Hi dheeraj..
I have planned a trip to kinnaur valley.. I have an extra day in hand after visiting sangla, kalpa, chitkul and tirthan valley. Any suggestions for an additional day? I am confused between chail, sarahan, narkanda and kasol. Which is the better place to stay a day?
Thanks in advance
Satya
I will suggest that you spend the day at Daranghati 🙂
Hi Dheeraj.. I tried searching for daranghati in the internet. All I could get is daranghati sanctuary. Is this what you were mentioning?
Also, I will be visiting in June 1st week. Is this a good time?
Yes, Satya, Daranghaati is a mountain pass actually located in sanctuary. There are couple of camping sites up there and yeah it is good time to visit 🙂
Hey satya, im planning a trip up to chitkul on the same first weeek of june. I am travelling alone tho. R u planning to ride there?
hi satya and hi aslam,…. i am also planning for chitkul in first week of june….can i join you guys…?
dear Dheeraj,
i have 5 nights between kalpa and sangla.
pls advice kalpa main 3 nights ka stay aur sangla main 2 nights.or
kalpa main 2 nights aur sangla main 3 nights……..
Personally, I will always spend more time in Sangla + Chitkul than Kalpa. So, my choice will be more for Sangla Chitkul and less time for Kalpa as there is nothing much to do there in comparison.
Hi Dheeraj,
We are planning for a family tour on last week of May,2015. Our plan is to visit sangla/chitkul/kalpa/rekong peo. We have two kids in our team ( 4yrs,5 yrs). I want to know if there will be any problem for high altitude and AMS. we are anxious about the kids. It will be helpful if you kindly guide us.
Sanjib, Kinnaur does not come under that too high altitude region. All you can do is skip the stay at Chitkul and make a day trip from Sangla. Also, keep the ascend gradual to acclimatize better, something as followed under the plan suggested here: https://devilonwheels.com/white-spiti-valley-march-itinerary-road-conditions-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-322526
Thanks Dheeraj for your advice. Your blog is really helpful, love it 🙂
Thank you so much dear 🙂
Hi Sir,
We are two people , planning to visit sangla and chitkul from 26 April onwards. My query is regarding road conditions from narkanda to sangla/kalpa…is the road open now and if u hv any idea r they in good condition or not…as we r going on bikes. So according to u wht precautions we need to take while riding on bikes.
Following is itinerary :
Day 1. chd to narkanda (night stay at narkanda)
Day 2. narkanda to kalpa (night stay at kalpa)
Day 3 . Local kalpa (night stay at kalpa)
Day 4. Narkanda to sangla (night stay at sangla)
Day 5 Sangla to Chitkul and back (night stay at Sangla)
Day 6 Sangla to Sarahan (night stay at Sarahan)
Day7. Sarahan to Chail (night stay at Chail)
Day8 . Back to base
Is it fine or kindly suggest some changes if u think. Moreover we r planning to stay at homestays only.
Thanks and d regards
Tejinder, road has been opened recentlyfor light vehicles. Your itinerary looks fine to me except on Day 4 I think you meant Kalpa to Sangla.
Dear Dhiraj.
I am planning to travel to Kinnaur valley (Shimla, Narkanda, Sangla, Chitkul, Kalpa, Fagu) from 5th to 12 th May. How would the weather be at that time of the year. Is it extremely cold ? Would we require heavy woolens? Does it rain in May? This year there has been lots of rain in March & early April–would this be a problem regarding landslides & condition of roads? Pl advice.
Mayoor, weather will be pleasant mostly during that time of the year. I will suggest that you carry light woolens and just a pair of heavy woolens or probably a jacket which can be taken out on demand basis. Chitkul will be most cold in all three places. Road conditions will settle by May.
Dear Dheeraj,
We are a group of 11 people travelling to Kinnaur. We are planning to hire a tempo-traveller. Would a tempo traveller be safe on these roads. Would it be able to negotiate the narrow roads. Are accidents common in this region. Taking two Innovas is an option but this increases the tour cost way too much. Please advice
Mayoor, many people travel by tempo traveler as well to Spiti and Kinnaur. Even state buses run too including loaded trucks 🙂
Dear Dheeraj.
Thanks for your advice. We will take the tempo traveller only.
Hello Dheeraj,
Your portal is highly informative 🙂
I was planning to travel to kinnaur district(kalpa,spiti and chitkul) from shimla may 17-22 do we get accomodations easily or do we need to book in advance?
I also plan to cover dharamshala and Mac L in the said dates,kindly suggest an appropriate order?
p.s I will be travelling alone and this my first 🙂 your guidance will be of great help!
Rahul you will be able to get accommodation on the spot in the month of May with some search here and there. With 6 days in hand, you will only be able to cover Kinnaur Valley so you will have to drop Dharamshala and Mcleod Ganj. I will suggest to check out the itinerary suggested in the article above.
Hi Dhiraj,
I m planning for tour of shimla/kalpa/sangla valley during 20th may to 27 th may for 7n/8days. Pls suggest me is it convenient time to visit this place with my wife & 1&half year old child? Also help me to design iternery from shimla / to shimla return by car/hptdc Luxary bus by visiting these places. Also provide me information abt Pwd rest house/home stay /budget guest house at kalpa/sangla/ kinnaur. Thanks.
Yagnesh, you can refer the article above which has a detailed plan link for 6-7 days for Kinnaur Valley. You can add a rest day in between.
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 too.
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
Check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley
Hi Dheeraj
I am planning a road trip from Chandigarh – Kinnaur – Spiti – Manali – Chandigarh during later half of may (2-3 weeks). I am keen on traveling on a two-wheeler but well versed with driving only a gearless scooter (Honda Activa) and not geared once (Bike). Let me know if it would work and any precautions that needs to be taken.
Many people say that it won’t be possible but i still fell that at 110 cc, engine is enough powerful to complete the journey successfully. I am from Himachal only (lower hills) but have never traveled to Kinnaur.
Ashish, I have known people who have taken Activa to Ladakh as well. So, with efforts you can for sure do. However, the progress per day will be slow and at times you may need to push the vehicle in case of slush or water crossings. Also, in case you want to travel from Manali side THEN better plan in mid of June as road from Manali to Kaza opens in mid of June.
Thank you Dheeraj for your insights.
It would be great if you can provide me contact info (email id, phone no.) of few people who have carried their journeys on Activa so that i can plan better.
Also, i would like to know if we are two people, then we need to carry 2 vehicles or one Activa would suffice considering luggage weight as well.
Ashish, you will get a mail as I reply over it. Just reply me back on it and I Will share the details with you. One activa with luggage and pillion will be too much to ask for. Carry two vehicles.
Hiii,
Dheeraj we r playning a trip to himachal by the end of this month, we r adventure loving ppl, we have visited almost all famous places in himachal twice r thrice, plzzz plan a trip fr me of 4 days frm chandigarh by car, we want to visit offbeat places we would like to enjoy forestbresorts and adventure journey
PRashant, in just 4 days, you can make a trip to Pabbar Valley and Chansal Pass about 95 KM ahead of Shimla.
Hi Dheeraj,
What is the best time to visit Spiti valley with family. I think after May, it is rainy season and there is slush all around. I would prefer going via Narkanda and return via Manali doing the Chandrataal lake as well. pls. suggest the best time to visit this place considering I would be going with a 8 yr old kid. I have not yet decided on the number of days, but it will be a leisure trip. I would be driving all the way from Mumbai.
Regards,
Rahul K
Rahul, you can get your doubts cleared by reading the article: Best Season to Travel on Road to Spiti Valley
Hello Dheeraj,
I am planning a quick escape to Chitkul from Delhi in first week of April. All I have is 4 days. If you can suggest best itinerary for this short trip..
0400hrs Leaving Delhi >>>>
1. What should be my destination for the day? Narkanda/Sarhan or may be little further (I can manage long non-stop drive at a stretch)
2. Where to stay on Day2 Sangla, Chitkul or Rakcham?
3. Can I also manage RecongPeo, Kalpa?
4. Which place would be suggested among those to spend much time?
Thanks
Pancham
Hi Pancham,
4 days to Chitkul trip means being on the road only. May be you can try something like below:
Day 1: Delhi – Narkanda
Day 2: Narkanda – Sangla/Rakcham
Day 3: Sangla/Rakcham – chitkul – Sangla – Sarahan / Rampur
Day 4: Rampur – Delhi
Adding anything else beyond it will be too much to ask in 4 days 🙂
Hello Dheeraj. Planning to go to Sangla Valley on from 5-10 April 2015. Will road condition be fine at same date and what about the weather
It is snowing / raining up there in Kinnaur at present and forecast for coming week is also snow / rain up there in Kinnaur Valley. Hence, you will find some bad roads with slush stretches and weather might be overcast/rainy too as per the IMD/Accuweather sites.
Dear Dheeraj, first of all thanks for this wonderful information. I am also planning a trip to kinner valley by last week of May. I want to trek to kinner kailash in this trip. Could u pls help me un this regard.
1) Is it necessary to hire a guide for this trek. Or can we identify the trek route easily?
2) will there be any accommodation option in-between the trek route to kinner kailash
3) will there be snow in kinner valley in general during this time.(may last)
Thanks in advance..
Hi Dinu,
1. May might be a bit early due to the presence of snow up there on the trek though I am not 100% sure. I would prefer that you take one local with you for sure.
2. Sorry, never did this trek so do not have much idea on it.
3. May last will have some snow
Regards
Dheeraj
Dear Dheeraj,
Planning trip to Kalpa with family 20-06-15 onwards. Will highly appreciate your inputs on the following questions:
1. Is the time of year OK.
2. Can I do The trip in my Wagon R. Have done a lot of driving in this car but are the roads OK.
3. Plan to base at Kalpa for 3-4 nights and then come to Simla. Have already seen Sarahan.
4. What all to do in Kalpa on foot?
3. Will a days trip be Ok for Chitkul and Sangla Valley. What vehcles are available for hire and what will it cost.
While answering my queries please keep in mind that the motto of the trip is leisure combined with adventure.
Look forward to receive your valued advice ASAP so that I could book my accommodation. Always prefer to stay with HTDC.
Regards,
Amar
Hi Amar,
1. Time is OK but at times in June it does rain which can play spoil sport in terms of road conditions. Please keep a check on the weather conditions when you reach closer to dates.
2. Roads are just manageable beyond Bhawanagar. Hatchback with low GC will face some issues and you have to be very careful.
3+4. Better to have base in Sangla. Visit Chitkul and roam around there. Have one night in Kalpa.
Regards
Dheeraj
Dear Dheeraj,
Thanks for the reply from which I assume that it is doable but with caution. How much driving time would it take from Rampur to Kalpa
What exactly is meant when you say spoilsport. Does one get stuck. Are there landslides. If so how long does it take to clear.Also one just can not go without any advance hotel bookings which, in the eleventh hour would not be available.HAs anyone done the route recently?
So, what do you suggest. Is Sangla doable in my car. What accommodation is available there? Shall be grateful for an update ASAP.
Also, can we do Kalpa-Khab-Kalpa as a day trip to see the Spiti-Sutlej confluence. Will the roads be open in June?
Hi Amar,
Rampur to Kalpa shall be around 4.5-5 Hrs of drive. Yes, there can be landslides when it rains, there will be slush that makes driving difficult as car skids, sometimes car gets stuck. Road opening depends on the extent of damage done. You can surely go over and book on the spot by searching here and there. There are plenty of stay options in Kinnaur. Kalpa – Khab – Kalpa can be done in a day but road conditions further deteriorates on this route and completely broken. The roads will be open in case there is no landslide.
You can read the most recent experience from last week at the link here: https://devilonwheels.com/white-spiti-valley-march-itinerary-road-conditions-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-317066
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi dheeraj,
We are 4 to 5 people and planning a trip to Spiti in june end. Here is my itenary and want your comments and suggetions. We will land Chandigarh at 11 am morning. And our return flight will be at 7pm in eve in return.
1) Day 1 – chandigarh to Sarahan. Or narkanda if sarahan is long
2) Day 2 – Narkanda/Sarahan to Sangla ( stay at kinner camp)
3) Day 3 – sangla to Kalpa ( Visit to Chitkul village)
4) Day 4 – Kalpa to Tabo
5) Day 5- Tabo to Dhankar/mud village. Stay at mud village or phukchong village
6) Day 6 – Mud village/ phukchong village to Demul
7) Day 7 – Demul to komic
8) Day 8 – komic to kibber
9) Day 9- Kibber to kaza
10) Day 10 – Kaza to Chandratal
11) Day 11 – Chandratal to Manali
12) Day 12 – Manali to Chandigarh. Flight from chandigarh at 7 pm.
Want your comments for the above itenary and will each and everything is getting cover in this?
Dharman, it looks decent to me. While going to Demul, you can take a detour and visit Lhalung first and then come back and stay overnight at Demul. From Komik, you can also visit Hikkim and while going to Kibber, visit Langza on the way.
Thanks bro. Will surely add those places in itenary.
Hi Dheeraj, we are planning a trip to kinnaur on 10th may for 10days. 2nights at chail.1 day chail-narkanda-rampur o/n.1day rampur to sarahan o/n at Sarahan.Sarahan to kalpa 3days.kalpa to rohru o/n.rohru to naldera o/n.naldera to Chandigarh. Pls suggest me whether the iternary is correct or any other good place we could be to.can we travel to nako during that period of time than may be we can change the iternary.pls help me in this. Thanks,beena
Hello Beena,
Make Chail to Sarahan directly. From Sarahan go over to Sangla and stay up there for 2 days, may be one night at Chitkul. Then from Sangla, go over to Kalpa for a day. Finally, Kalpa to Rohru (it will be long, so break at Narkanda may be) Use the saved day above.
Hope this helps, still any doubt, feel free to post the query.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi dheeraj,thanks for your fast reply and thanks for the suggestions I will surely bring down the changes. Can you pls clear my querrie about kaza can we travel on those dates will the roads be clear without any issues
Beena, you can for sure travel to Kaza in the month of May but you will have to come the same path that is from Kinnaur Valley because the road from Kaza to Manali will not be open by that time.
Also, the amount of travel will increase and hence, the trip will not remain as relaxed as it is as of now.
Dear Dheeraj,
We plan a family trip from shimla to kalpa,peo,sangla,chitkul and theog in first week of April 2015.Please advice me the rout ,weather condition and stay facility.
Hi Vijay,
The route and itinerary is suggested in the article above along with stay options suggestions. Please let me know in case you have any queries or doubts left after going through the article above.
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks Dheeraj. Now please give me the suggetion about road condition at that time of our trip i.e. 3rd April to 9th April 2015.
Dear Deeraj,
This is my plan from Shimla to Kalpa,peo ,sangla and chitkul in first week(3rd to 9th) of April 2015.Detalis of trip as follows:
1.Day one-Chandigarh to Shimla(N/S)
2. Day two-Shimla to Sangla (N/S)
3. Day three- Sangla visit and rest
4. Day four-Sangla to Chitkul and return
5. Day five- Sangla to Kalpa via peo and return
6. Day six- Sangla to Theog
7. Day seven-Theog visit
8. Day eight-Theog to Kalka
Please give me the road condition reprot and weather condition during my trip.Is my plan ok or not.
Thanking you.
Hi Vijay,
Here are my comments:
1. Better go over to Narkanda and stay there instead of Shimla on Day 1
2. Day 4: You can stay at Chitkul too if you like.
3. Day 5: There is no need to return from Kalpa, better stay in Kalpa
4. Day 6: Do Kalpa to Sarahan, there isn’t much to see anything in Theog
5. Day 7: Sarahan – Theog – Narkanda / Shimla / Chail
Regards
Dheeraj
Vijay, it shall be OK during that time of the year. As of now roads are not open but it may not take much time once the weather settles. Stay tuned here and we will update the status.
Dear Dheeraj,
Thanks for information .Please update me the more information regarding weather and road condition till my trip date.
Again thanks….
Vijay, as per the updates from this Monday, the roads to Kinnaur were closed.
Dear Dheeraj Bhai,
Thanks for the update.Please keep in touch with me..
Hiii Dheeraj,
Thanks for your suggestions, we complet our trip and return on 10th April.Realy it is a nice and enjoyable trip in our life.Road conditions are good before Tapri.After Tapri is not so good.Some landslide are found in between Tapri and Sangla.Sangla to Chitkul road is quit good.We have not go to chitkul proper due to heavy snow on the road,but before 1.5 km chitkul near rakchham,we found lots of snow.
Again thanks for making our trip so wonderfull .Keep in touch always.
Vijay, it is very nice to know about your trip and yeah the road conditions are always such only around Tapri.
hi Dheeraj,
Thanks a lot for all your help.
Based on all your suggestions earlier, this is what I have planned finally.
Sunday : Day – 0 (April 12)
Chandigarh to Shimla (3 hours – 131 kms)
Night stay – Shimla
Monday : Day – 1 (April 13)
Shimla sight seeing (Daytime)
Shimla to Sarahan (afternoon time) (6 hours – 170 kms)
Night stay – Sarahan
Tuesday : Day – 2 (April 14)
Sarahan to Sangla (3 hours – 90 kms)
Night stay – Sangla
(Hotel prakash regency – Rs. 2000)
Wednesday : Day – 3 (April 15)
Sangla – Chitkul (50 mins – 25 kms) – Kamru Fort – Sangla
Night stay – Sangla (same)
Thursday : Day -4 (April 16)
Sangla – Kalpa (1 hour – 40 kms) – Roghi Village – Kalpa
Night stay – Kalpa
(Options – The MOnk resort)
Friday : Day – 5 (April 17)
Kalpa to Narkanda ( 4.5 hours – 170 kms)
Night stay – Narkanda
Saturday : Day – 6 (April 18)
Narkanda – Delhi (9 hours – 450 kms) via chandigarh
Does it sound good as per you? We will be having enough time to cover the places wherever we staying right?
Deepak
Deepak, your plan for Kinnaur seems fine now and to quite an extent relaxed. You will have enough time to explore these places in relaxed manner.
thanks again Dheeraj.
Grt article Dheeraj. I want to go to a quiet place preferably with river or streams. It’ll be a 3 days trip. This Fri, sat, sun. When I looked up weekend trips to Himachal there were a few names that came up, including Manali and Kinnaur. But here it’s written that one needs 7 days for Kinnaur.
Another place that comes to my mind is Mcleodganj. I’ve been there once. At this time it will have crowd I guess but there is the waterfall bhagsu there.
Which place would u recommend? And if Kinnaur, is OK then which part of Kinnaur?
Shail, may be you need to check Barot Or Tirthan Valley for the same. You can get all the info. at the links:
Delhi to Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh – Travel Guide and Delhi to Barot Village, Himachal – Travel Guide
Hi Dheeraj,
We are two persons from Bangalore, planning to visit Kinnaur, spiti and Lahaul between 28th April and 9th may (Shimla to Shimla). Please clarify on following things:
1) is this the right time to visit all above places?
2) will it be feasible to travel through all these places in 12days? If yes, then could you please suggest a travel itinerary? if not then also kindly suggest the best possible travel option.
Thanks,
Gopi,
Hi Gopi,
1. It should be OK time to travel up there in Spiti in May. Though it will be a bit cold not that much though.
2. Yes, 12 days is good enough time period to travel. You can follow a plan 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
Day 5 | Pin Valley – Kaza Local Sightseeing
— For stay check Sakya Abode or snow lion are two good options at Kaza apart from PWD Guest houses. Get in touch with Tsering, the guy who runs it. He is a very good friend of mine and you can refer my name.
Day 6 | Kaza Local Sightseeing
— Ki, Kibber, Gette, Tashigang
Day 7 | Kaza Local Sightseeing and go back to Tabo
— Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
Day 8 | Tabo – Rakcham/Sangla
Day 9 & 10 – Rakcham – Sangla – Chitkul
Day 11 | Chitkul – Sarahan/Narkanda/Daranghati
Day 12 | Sarahan/Narkanda/Daranghati – Delhi
Lahaul Valley will be closed and will not be possible during that time.
Regards
Dheeraj
Shimla – Kaza, Spiti Road Update by a friend Bhaskar who is stuck there at Nako – Puh for last 8-10 days. He writes
“Kinnaur is in really bad shape still stuck at poo ..bro just opened malling bt vry risky nd bro still cudnt clear recking peo -poo steach frm 10 days nd the amount of snow is huje aftr 6 days cud pass nako to poo nd it ws vry cold,freezing cold..only vehicle tht crossed frm nako to poo ws mee nd vry vry risky evn with 4×4 nd all tyres chained….so plz guz dont attempt dis tym wub b vry nasty in spiti….still hopin to cum bck delhi…”
Hi Dheeraj
We are going to sangla valley at the end of this month. 22/3 chail, 23/3 sarahan, 24/3 sangla, 25/3 26/3 kalpa, 27/3 shoja 28/3 29/3 manali 30/3 chandigarh.Is it fine? How will be the weather in kalpa sangla? The road to chitkul- will it be opened? The night stay at Raja Guest House at Shoja- is it safe? Regarding veihle (innova or tavera) if you have any contact? What will be the per day charge? We have 1 child and 2 sr citizen along with us. Pl help.
Dear Dheeraj
How will be to stay at jibhi at latoda hut instead of shoja. Pl send contact no if you have.
Dr. Tonmoy, Jibhi shall be fine too but Shoja is more cold. Here are the details I have for Latoda hut as per official tourism website of Himachal Pradesh
Lato Da Hut Home Stay, Bhallagaon (Jibhi).
Address : Prop. Sh. Kishan Singh, Village Bhallagaon, P.O Jibhi, Tehsil Banjar, Distt Kullu.
Tariff per day : Rs 800/- & Rs. 1000/- per room.
Contacts : Ph.: 094186-91868.
Dear Dheeraj
The contact no of latoda hut is wrong. pl try to send the correct one
I suggested it from HP Tourism site, do not have any other one.
Hi dheeraj..we are planning to go kinnaur vally..like kalpa, roghi,sangla n chitkul vally on our RE bikes from 15th april from chandigarh n want back on 19th april..cn u plz guide us about weather conditions road conditions n the route and where we plan our night haults because we dont want to ride after sun set….
Hi Surya,
15th April shall be fine to travel and roads will be open for all these places. You can follow a plan like below:
15: Chandigarh – Sarahan
16: Sarahan – Kalpa, visit roghi in the evening
17: Kalpa – Sangla – Chitkul
18: Chitkul – Chail / Shimla / Nakranda
19: Chail / Shimla / Nakranda – Chandigarh
Dr. Tanmoy, I will suggest to swap a bit here. There are more things in Sangla – Chitkul and around and shall be done later to shorten the distance to Shoja. So, you should do like below:
22: Chail
23: Sarahan
24: Kalpa
25,26: Sangla – Chitkul
27: Shoja over Jalori Pass
Raja Guest House, I have stayed and was quite nice. Like in other comment, you can stay at Jibhi too. I will suggest to have Innova and regarding Chitkul, it may or may not open. Usually it opens by that time. You can get connected directly to some drivers in Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley at the link: List of Taxi Drivers for Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley. These drivers can come and pick you up from Manali & Shimla too.
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
Dear Dheeraj
Is it safe to go to kalpa sangla on 24/3- 26/3 in the present weather forecast ?we will be in Himachal from 22/3 to 30/3. pl suggest.chail-sarahan- kalpa- sangla -jibhi- manali -chandigarh or chail -manali-rampur-kalpa -sangla-sarahan-chandigarh —which option will be better in this situation?
Dr Tanmoy, Chail to Manali is way apart, not sure if you miss typed or you meant it. Regarding considering present conditions, wait for this week to get more clear understanding as snowfall is predicted in this week and will clear the facts if roads to Kalpa/Sangla will be open or not or safe to travel up there or not.
Hi Dhiraj,
We are a group of 4-5 friends and are looking to plan a trip to lower kinnaur valley for from 2nd April(evening after office) and be back on 6th April night. Few questions:
1. Will this be a good season to visit there?
2. I know we dont have enough days to work with so we might need to alter this a bit. Please suggest a good itenerary without tiring us too much.
3. Please suggest an alternative trip on the Manali circuit if you this this is un-doable.
Regards,
Harpreet
Harpreet, it shall be OK time to travel. Just see there aren’t any heavy rain predictions during that time. Since, you do not have too much days in hand so there will certainly be tiring days. best you can do is
3: Reach Shimla by overnight Volvo and carry on towards Sarahan for this day
4: Sarahan – Kalpa
5: Kalpa – Sangla / Chitkul – Jeori – Rampur
6: Rampur to Delhi
Hi Dheeraj,
planning to visit Kinnaur in the last week of May with family of six members for 6/7 days (from Shimla/Kalka and back), Please plan me a budget trip in a non AC car.
Swarup, what query do you have for Kinnaur Valley trip? DoW is an travel information portal where we provide info. on traveling to Himalayas and are in no way involved in providing any tours to anyone. In case you looking for info. feel free to post any queries and in case you need to get in touch with any travel agent for travel services, you may get in touch with [email protected] for travel related services. They might be able to help you.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning this tour from 1st June to 10 th June, 2015
In this case you can check:
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
— Sakya abode or snow lion are two best options at Kaza. Get in touch with Tsering at 09418208987, he is more than a friend to me. Will offer you best price. Both are run by him only. He has home stays too.
Day 6 | Kaza Local Sightseeing (Hikkim, Koumik) – Tabo
— Hikkim, Komik, Langza circuit
Day 7 | Tabo – Sangla
Day 8 | Sangla – Chitkul – Shimla / Narkanda
Day 9 | Shimla / Narkanda – Delhi
Thank U Dheeraj. I Just want to know whether roads will be open ?? As I heard roads are closed sometimes pls.confrim
Yes, roads from Shimla to Kaza remains open all round the year except few days of heavy snowfall OR major landslides which no one can predict. The rroad only closes in these cases only. Regarding Kaza to Manali, it opens by late June or mid June only and remain open upto mid of October.
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning for a tour to Kinnaur with 10 members for 9 days. I want to cover Kinnaur, Kalpa, Sangla, Chitkul, Nako, Puh, Ribba, Chango & Kaza. Can u suggest me the itinerary for the same alongwith stay option.
Best Regards,
Madhavi Surti.
Madhavi, in which month are you planning this trip to Kinnaur and Spiti Valley?
Hi,
As you suggested, we are planning a weeks’s trip to kinnaur valley from chandigarh starting 11th april 2015.
I have a question, how is self-drive in this region, we are planning to get zoomcar for this trip from delhi?
I have driven many hill stations in south-india, so with that experience, do you suggest us to go ahead with self-drive there?
Thanks
Deepak
Deepak, get a higher ground clearance vehicle from them and that should be fine enough. Here I wrote an article on them: How to hire a Self Drive Car on Rent for Ladakh or Himalayas
Thanks Dheeraj,
So you mean to say this https://devilonwheels.com/kinnaur-valley-sample-itinerary-kalpa-sangla-sarahan/
is do-able self-drive on a ford eco-sport type of a vehicle, trip starting from 12th april 2015 ?
I will look more into link provided by you.
Thanks again Dheeraj,
Yes, Deepak, that shall be fine for a self drive trip to Kinnaur Valley.
Thanks Dheeraj.
I m planning to go kaza via kinnaur
Is it safe place wd family???
Jay, when are you planning to take this journey? If upto May, then better be off it as it is not a place to be with family before mid April – May due to arduous journey and harsh weather up there in Spiti.
Hi! Dheeraj
I am planning to visit kinnaur valley some time in the March 1st week for 5 days. Could you pl. suggest me the best places to visit in kinnaur.
We are looking for budget trip. pl. guide.
Regards
Hi Vikash,
You can refer the above article which details out all the places that can be visiting around Kalpa, Sangla, Sarahan. Place like Chitkul will be closed due to presence of snow up there but Sangla will be open. Also, refer the itinerary as well to draft a plan for yourself. Feel free to post any queries you have.
Regards
Dheeraj
Thanks Dheeraj. I think your modified version is probably ideal as it includes all places that we want to visit. Only query is whether it would be too hectic or is it doable comfortably.
Mayoor, I believe with amount of days in hand this is the optimum comfort you can achieve. It is more or less comfortable I will say with no day going beyond more than 5-6 Hrs of drive.
Thanks Dheeraj. You are a great help. Your blog is awesome. Keep up the good work. Your journeys inspires people like us to explore these secluded places.
Mayoor, Best wishes for the trip and if in case you happen to be happy to spread smiles, please execute our initiatives of DoW Causes on your own when you travel there, in order to help the local community up there in remote Himalayas. You can check more details about them at: DoW – Causes | A Step Towards Responsible Travel and can execute them on your own.
Dear Dhiraj
We are planning to visit Shimla & Kinnaur valley in the month of May from 6th May to 12th May. We are a family of four & we would be leaving from Mumbai on 5th May by air & reach Chandigarh where we plan to stay overnight. The next day we plan to start our tour. Can you please suggest an itinerary for the tour which will cover Shimla, Kufri, Fagu, Narkanda, Sarahan, Sangla valley & back to Chandigarh by 12th May to catch flight back to Mumbai.
Also, at which places would be find decent accomadation to spend the night. We are Vegetarians. Would finding good vegetarian food be a problem there. If so, we would then carry some food with us. Also can we do the journey by means of a rented Sedan Car or would we require a SUV.
Thanks in advance.
Mayoor
Hi Mayoor,
6th | Chandigarh – Shimla – Narkanda via Kufri
7th | Narkanda – Sangla Valley
8th | Sangla Valley – Chitkul / Sangla
9th | Sangla – Kalpa
10th | Kalpa – Sarahan
11th | Sarahan – Shimla / Solan / Barog / Chandigarh, where ever you prefer.
12th | Back Home from Chandigarh
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 too.
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
Dear Dheeraj
Thanks for your kind advice. I tried charting an itinerary which includes Nako lake. Please give me your advice as to to whether it is feasible or would it be too tiring..
6 th may….chandigarh to shimla to kufri to narkanda
7th may…..narkanda to sarahan
8 th may….sarahan to sangla
9th may…..sangla to chitkul to kalpa
10th may…kalpa..nako..kalpa
11th may…kalpa to narkanda or fagu
12 th may..return to chandigarh by 2 pm
Also does altitude sickness play a role here and do we need acclimatisation?
Pl suggest good hotels at above places and whether sedan would be okay or suv is required.
Thanks a lot
Dear Dheeraj,
I plan to visit Spiti valley some time in the future but maybe via the Kunzum pass. Will I be able to visit Nako lake along with Spiti valley or it would be better to club it with kinnaur. Pl advice.
Mayoor, are you planning Kinnaur or Spiti? The number of days in hand is not sufficient for Spiti as I replied to other comment. Best is to keep Kinnaur this time or extend the days further. Nako comes while going from Shimla – Kinnaur side BUT not from Kunzum Pass side in case you plan to return from Manali side only.
Hi Mayur,
Here is a little modified version:
6 th may… Chandigarh to Shimla to Kufri to Narkanda
7th may…. Narkanda to Kalpa
8 th may… Kalpa to nako to kalpa
9th may… Kalpa to Sangla or Chitkul
10th may… Sangla or Chitkul – Sarahan
11th may… Sarahan to narkanda to Fagu or Shimla or Shogi
12 th may return to chandigarh by 2 pm
This will help you in acclimatization as well and you need not worry much about it.
Regarding hotels, check: Good Hotels or Accommodation options in Spiti Valley & Kinnaur Valley
You can take the sedan too but it will get a bit lashing on the roads to Kinnaur. So, if you have any option of SUV take that only.
Regards
Dheeraj