The popularity of traveling to Spiti Valley is increasing day by day. Now more and more travelers want to know about the best time to visit Spiti Valley or travel on the road to Spiti Valley either via Shimla – Kinnaur or Spiti Valley.
The road to Spiti Valley remains open all around the year through Shimla – Kinnaur while the road from Manali side closes in winter as soon as Rohtang Pass and Kunzum Pass close. So, tourists must know about the right time to travel to Spiti Valley.
In this article of the series, “Comprehensive Travel Guide for Spiti Valley”, I will try to share my inputs on the best time or season to travel the road to Spiti Valley or in other words what is the best time to visit Spiti Valley.
Let's quickly dive into the details:
When is the best time for Spiti Valley road trip?
We all know that you can travel to Spiti Valley by two routes. One traverses the roads from Delhi via Manali to Kaza, Spiti Valley as Manali – Rohtang Pass – Gramphu – Chattru – Kunzum Pass – Kaza (Spiti Valley). And, then the other one goes from Delhi to Kaza via Shimla – Kinnaur Valley as Shimla – Kinnaur – Nako – Sumdo (Spiti Valley) – Tabo – Kaza.
Shimla to Kaza Route
The route via Shimla – Kinnaur is also commonly known as Hindustan – Tibet Highway or NH-05. The Hindustan Tibet Road remains open throughout the year via Kinnaur Valley, and you can make a journey to Kaza or Spiti via Shimla – Kinnaur all around the year because there is no high mountain pass that comes on this route which gets heavy snowfall.
It is said to be motorable all around the year; however, traveling to Spiti Valley, especially in the winter months, is not that easy as it reads. The road conditions in winters on the Hindustan – Tibet highway are quite challenging and tough.
Hence, you should avoid traveling to Spiti Valley in winter in case you do not want to try extreme winter cold conditions and live the extreme adventure.
Manali to Kaza Route
Traveling to Spiti Valley via Manali side, by and large, depends first upon the opening of Rohtang Pass and then opening of the route from Gramphu to Kunzum Pass and Kunzum Pass in itself. The snow clearance operations begin in March and continue till May end or June the first half when the road from Manali to Kaza gets open.
This generally takes time and hence, Manali to Kaza route remains closed for almost six-seven months in a year. Rohtang Pass generally opens after April and further, the route to Kaza over Kunzum Pass opens by the second week of June.
So, you have very little time in a year (mid-June to October), in case you are interested in the entire Spiti Valley circuit that is Delhi – Shimla – Kinnaur – Kaza (Spiti Valley) – Kunzum Pass – Rohtang Pass – Manali – Delhi.
But, still, the question is :
When is the best time to visit Spiti Valley?
In the following part of the article, let’s check in detail, how the whole year month-by-month looks like in terms of traveling on the road to Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. After understanding the Spiti Valley weather for these months, you can evaluate which month or season shall work out best for you to plan a Spiti Valley road trip.
Spiti Valley in January – February – March
January, February, and March are called the extreme winter months in Spiti Valley when there is a dense blanket of white snow all around you in Spiti. The road from Manali to Kaza is closed, and most hotels are shut off. You need to rely on limited homestay options in Spiti Valley. Hence, you need to prepare very well for your trip to Spiti in these winter months.
You should not expect much from facilities in Spiti valley in these months. The Spiti Valley temperature in winter can go well below -20 deg C, so you must go well prepared with proper woolen clothing. As snowfall can happen anytime in this period, you should keep buffer days for road closures.
There aren’t any toilets with running water or water available in Spiti Valley in the months from January to March. Hence, you need to use dry pit toilets. You should carry a hand sanitizer with you to best maintain sanitization wherever possible. The food will be pretty basic as available in the homestay. Carry a good temperature rating sleeping bag with you as well to beat the cold in homestays.
Roads within Spiti Valley are open only to an extent. Kaza to Losar is closed, and hence it is not the best time to visit Kunzum Pass because the road is closed. Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Kaza road remains also closed during peak these winter months.
January has the least snow while February and March have snow in abundance in comparison to all other months. In my honest opinion, March is one of the best time to enjoy winter Spiti trip.
Spiti Valley in April to May
When the months of April – May come, the snow starts to melt, and some link roads within Spiti Valley start to open up. These roads including the road to Losar from Kaza and the road to Pin Valley towards Mud, the road to Lhalung – Demul, or the roads to Langza – Hikkim – Komic circuits.
The opening of Kunzum Pass and the further road towards Manali from Kunzum Pass takes more time. Generally, Manali to Kaza via Kunzum Pass gets open in June only.
However, overall, as the temperature in Spiti Valley comes into a positive scale in April – May, the conditions in Spiti Valley become bearable. The road journey to Spiti Valley is not that hard this period of April – May. The season for Spiti starts to open in these two months only when adventurists from various parts of the country start planning their trips to Spiti Valley.
Hotels start to come out of hibernation, and things, including fruits/vegetables, start to arrive in Spiti Valley frequently. If you are interested in watching snow-studded peaks or want to play in the snow at Kunzum Pass, then this is the ideal time to be in Spiti Valley.
If you are one of those who wants to feel the deserted roads, low tourist count, OK with basic facilities and OK to take a chance on giving up a place or two as that link road might not have opened then it is OK for you to travel in this window. But, keep in mind that you will not be able to do the complete circuit from Shimla to Kinnaur to Kaza to Manali as the road from Kaza to Rohtang Pass to Manali does not get open.
Spiti Valley in June to July
June – July is the beginning of the actual main season to travel to Spiti Valley when a large number of tourists make their journey over these. The season eventually takes the rapid move as the road to Kaza from Manali over Kunzum Pass also opens by the second week of June. This time would mean that the road to Chandratal from Manali will also open up in June and Chandratal is one of the most popular places to visit in Spiti Valley.
In June – July, mostly all the link roads to various sightseeing places in Spiti or remote villages in Spiti Valley also get open in this period. So, you can plan your visit to Langza, Hikkim, Komic, Demul, Lhalung, Pin Valley – Mudh Village, Gete, and Tashigang villages.
Hotels in Spiti Valley are all also open with full facilities, and there is quite a lot of hustle-bustle of tourists all around in Spiti Valley, especially Kaza town. Even Chandratal lake becomes accessible in June soon after the Kunzum Pass opens.
Well, it is one of the good times to make a road trip to Spiti Valley and a desperate retreat from the HEAT of northern cities of India. There are many water crossings active during this period as the snow melts, so it is always better to reach the destination well in the afternoon to avoid getting stuck either in one of those water crossings or behind it.
Hence, follow my “Leave Early, Sleep Early” principle very strictly. In the recent past, June appears to have good pre-monsoon showers on the way to Spiti Valley, especially in Kinnaur, and even Spiti experiences one or two spells of snow in June as well, not to forget the (June 2013) tragic flash floods in Kinnaur district. So, even the Spiti Valley weather is somehow becoming unpredictable nowadays. However, this is considered one of the better times to travel over the road to Spiti Valley that is Hindustan Tibet Highway.
Spiti in August
This is the time when the monsoon is in a full flurry in Kinnaur Valley and other parts of Northern India. You MUST understand that Kinnaur is not a place to be in rains with its history of massive landslides and the live landslide zone of Malling Nalla ahead of Nako.
In this period, the roads leading to Spiti Valley are almost in a horrible state as compared to the rest of the year, especially in Kinnaur Valley. In recent years, even the roads from Delhi to Manali have also caused major concerns.
Having said all that, it does not mean that it is not a season to travel to Spiti Valley. The Spiti Valley region falls under the Trans Himalayan region which is generally rain shadowed but in recent past rains have started to reach even Spiti though not that much just frequent drizzles and overcast skies. So, generally, this time shall be avoided, if possible. You may only think about it when you have enough buffer days in hand to face intermittent delays or even cancellation of the trip.
Once you reach Spiti Valley, things remain mostly OK. But do not forget that you have to return via either Manali – Kaza or Kaza – Kinnaur again, which DO experience good monsoon rains, especially Rohtang Pass will be in a big mess, and roads to Mandi may be submerged.
Also, keep in mind that August is also the peak time of apple season and crop transportation, which creates a good amount of traffic jams owing to a high number of trucks that ply on the Kinnaur Valley route. If you happen to be there, then do take one or two cartons of golden apples or red apples from Kinnaur 🙂
You should read my tips on traveling to Kinnaur and Spiti Valley in monsoon time.
Spiti in September to mid-October
This is the time which is my favorite when autumn colors of Spiti are blooming with oranges leaves on the trees enhancing the beauty of magnificent backdrops by many levels. The aqua colors of water in the river add jewels to the pristine beauty all around Spiti Valley.
The Spiti Valley temperature at night and morning is quite cold, in some parts, almost close to 2-3 degrees Celsius. Hence, do carry heavy woolens or thermals at this time of the year with you. You can also get your hands on super delicious Spiti Apples around Tabo or Hurling and even in Kaza at a house of locals. Spiti Valley is famous for its apple. DO NOT miss to taste them or buy them if possible; I am sure you would not have tasted such an apple before 😉 …
If you are a snow lover then you will not like this month as almost all the peaks around you would be naked without any snow on them.
Regarding making the complete circuit, especially after mid of October, yes you can come from the Kinnaur side and go via the Manali side BUT do check the weather updates for few days before making the trip across Kunzum Pass in late October or November when you are at Kaza or Losar.
Kunzum Pass starts getting snowfall by September end and it can be very tricky and risky crossing over it in no man’s land in late October or November. Hence, you need to be very, very sure of the weather, especially in October, when making a move from Kaza to Manali beyond Kunzum Pass. My frank and modest advice will always be to avoid traveling from Manali to Kaza in later October and November.
Spiti Valley in November to December
November – December is generally the winter months in Spiti Valley or at least the beginning of winters. Spiti Valley weather is quite cold during this time, and water starts to freeze in the water pipes. Hence, running water is a luxury at this time of the year.
While traveling to Spiti Valley in November you go through some hardships of ice on the roads, lack of electricity, winter cold conditions with sub-zero temperatures topped with basic facilities as most of the guesthouses get closed.
Kunzum Pass gets closed by November for the next 6-7 months, so one cannot complete the circuit from Shimla – Kinnaur to Manali during this period. You should note that in this winter period, the water in the taps freeze, and people depend on hand pump water at certain places or boiled water in buckets. Kaza especially suffers from a shortage of water in these months and washrooms are big nightmares without tap water.
Do not forget to check what things and clothes to pack for Spiti trip?
So, in all this period, life is not that easy. In December, the link roads to various places like Gyu Mummy, Pin Valley – Mudh, Gete, Komik, Langza, Losar ahead of Kaza, etc. in Spiti Valley start getting closed one by one after snowfall starts.
Hence, you can only make a trip up to Kaza on this route, and there is always a chance of closure of roads for a few days if it continues to snow for some time during winters. So, if you are making a road trip to Spiti Valley in winters, be ready for extreme adventure and delays too!! Go very well prepared at this time of the year concerning mental levels, physical levels, and food to carry along with having some buffer days.
You should also check my article on the best time to visit Ladakh if you are planning a trip to Leh Ladakh and Spiti Valley together.
Still confused??
- When to visit Spiti Valley?
Well, the best time to visit Spiti Valley is, September to mid-October, if you love the vivid colors of nature or you are a photographer looking for natural colors or someone who loves to have fewer tourists around yourself but all at the cost of not having any snow around. Otherwise, if you are one of those who loves to see snow up there in Spiti road trip then make the journey to Spiti Valley in the period of Mid-May to June.
Conclusion
I hope this article will help you decide when to travel to Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley. Feel free to ask any queries or share your valuable inputs on the season to travel on the road to Spiti Valley in the comments section below.
I hope you are not looking for any Spiti Valley tour packages. If yes, before committing do check the guides and article on this website before you shell out that money.
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1,158 Comments
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Hi Dheeraj ,
I have gone through your posts and it seems that you have traveled a lot in the spiti and himachal area. i m planning a trip to himachal . i m planning to leave delhi on 6th oct evening and need to come back on 16 oct night or 17th oct early morning. In this whole trip i have to spent 10th of october morning to noon at dalhousie for urgent work .I have seen dalhousie , khajiyar , shimla, dharamshala and chamba a few times , so i m not interested in those places but i need to be in dalhousie on 10th. Now can u plan me a trip which covers spiti / kinnaur/ lahual/ chandratal in between these days. I have gone through many posts but not able to decide how to plan it .As dalhousie is exactly opposite to spiti and i need to be there in middle of my trip that is on 4th day . Is it possible to plan out anything which can solve my purpose?
It would be great if u can help me out.
Thanks
Regards
Dr Pritesh
Hi Dheeraj, very well explained n so much information collected from your post.But i need your final verdict on my spiti valley trip.We ppl will be traveling in the last week of feb 19 so what will be your opinion. Thank you in advance.
Hello…
I am planning to visit spiti in next week(14-19august)
Is it ok..??means in terms of safety..coming from delhi
Nishu, the roads have just opened from Manali side, Kinnaur side the road is still closed. Please keep an eye on weather before planning to travel to Spiti Valley or Kinnaur Valley in monsoon.
Hi Dheeraj
I along with my 4 friends are planning to visit Spiti from September 15 to 24 doing circuit from shimla side.. my query is:-
1. shall we be able to see the colors of autumn?
2. Chances of overcast skies all through the journey?
Thanks
mps
1. some colours will be there, however October, colours are more prominent.
2. Less chances of overcast skies
Hey. Great post this. Thanks for the detailed information.
Just one question. I am planning to cross the Kunzum pass on the 22nd of September on the way from chandratal to Manali. Is there any possibility of the kunzum pass being closed during that time? Has it even happened in the recent years?
Akshay, very unlikely unless it snows heavily during that time which is rare in recent years. Last year the road was opened all the way up to December 😉
i am planning to visit spiti by the end of july around 22nd july.(9 days trip ) is it safe to travel during monsoon time.Also tell me an alternative plan instead of Kinnaur since you wrote that there are more chances of landslides at that region . (we are interested in doing a full circuit trip from delhi to spiti)
thank you 😉
Well, you should read about 10 Tips for a Trip to Spiti Valley in Monsoons
You can do below for Manali plan
Day 01 : Reach Manali and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
Day 02 : Manali / Solang – Kaza
Day 03 : Kaza – Pin Valley – Tabo
Day 04 : Tabo – Dhangkar – Dhangkar Lake trek – Kaza
Day 05 : Kaza – Ki – Kibber/Kaza
Day 06 : Kibber/Kaza – Langza – Komic – Hikkim – Kaza
Day 07 : Kaza – Chandratal
Day 08 : Chandratal – Manali
Day 09 : Manali – Delhi
WE R PLANNING TO VISIT KAZA,MANALI ON FEB 1 CAN YOU GIVE ME THE TOUR PLAN
You can read: Spiti in Winters – Most Common Itinerary and How to plan a trip to Spiti Valley in Winters
Hi Dheeraj
I am planning to travel spiti in the month of August.
Please suggest me any precautions due to rains and landslides
and which week should i prefer?
It will be monsoon season, you should read: 10 Tips for a Trip to Spiti Valley in Monsoons
we r plaining to visit spiti in mid dec 2018 can we see snow???
Snow starts around that time, but white Spiti or tons of snow can be seen in February – March period
so in mid december which places of himachal Pradesh can we find thick snow???
There are very less places in mid December to find snow in Himachal Pradesh, Rohtang Pass is the best bet but December last year was almost dry and it started snowing in late December only
Hi we are planning to Spiti Valley in 9th June – 16th June or 7th July – 15th July this year. please which time will be best this year for bike trip. if we are going in june will there be snow view? or in july will there be chances of rain/land slide conditions.
I’m planning to complete the spiti circuit from shimla to manali with my Bike Honda Hornet CBS 160cc. should it be good bike option or should i go for some other bike?
Both time windows shall be fine, July will be better as crowd in lower towns will be less because vacation finishes. If you need some snow then June is better. Bike of 160cc should be fine.
Hi,
I am planning to do the Spiti circuit, in mid October. I will get festival holidays during mid October till first week of November. I have read your blog and your advise on the best season to travel to Spiti.
As I wouldn’t get my leave (for 14-15 days at a stretch), I have no other alternative than mid October.
Taking into consideration of my situation, what should be my itinerary? Enetering from Shimla or from Manali?
Kindly suggest me an intinerary.
Thanks in advance
I will suggest that you enter from Manali side so that risk is minimum towards the end of October and do not have to deal with situation of Kunzum Pass getting closed.
Thanks for your prompt response.
Thank you Dheeraj. That answers my question too. Even i am planning Spiti valley tour in mid October from Delhi…
Best wishes for your Spiti Valley trips, have fun and if possible do share the experience on DoW 🙂
Hello Dheeraj ,
Your post is very helpful and thank you for guiding us all through.
I with 2 of my friends planning to start my trip on 23rd June from Shimla and end on 30th June at Manali on bike .
Could you please recommend if the dates are fine , our main concern is the rains . If it would be heavy rainfall during this time then it would be difficult as there could be land slides .
Request your suggestion on our trip and dates.
Dates seem to be OK, if you extend the trip by a couple of days, 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.
Hey sir, i am planning spiti on a solo trip on 1st june right after my exams ends. Planning to complete the entire circuit. This would be my first solo trip of life and anticipatedly i am expecting it to completely chnge my life , free me out of tensions and motivate me to work for myself ahead in life.
Can you tell me what kind of things i can expect during this 1june to 10th june? I mean i love little snow but the greenery medows in between the route is also so wonderful, would i be see both during the route? And where? Also, how much time do i need 9 days enough? And how much should i keep in my pocket, are homestays become costly during this time. It would be an extremely budget travel. Plz guide me sir you have a wonderful guide.thanks
Pranay, I will suggest that you start from reading the article: How to make a budget trip to Spiti Valley by public transport
This will help you go through the commute, plan in detail and overall budget expectation.
hii dhiraj,
we are 4 friends planning for spiti vally around 15th june, 2018.
is it right seascon ? can you share your valuable thoughts on this…
thx
amit desai
Yes, mid June to July end is good time to visit Spiti Valley
Hi Dheeraj,
Cheers for such a wonderful post.
We are four friends looking to travel spiti valley in July 1st week.
Can you please tell the how can we get the rohtang pass permit or is DL very necessary in those areas?
FYI we will be travelling on rented bikes.
Help Appreciated!
Varun you can get the permits for Rohtang Pass by following the details mentioned in the article: Permit for Rohtang Pass – Updates 2017
Thanks for your help Dheeraj.
Is Driving License necessary for the trip or it could be adjusted with any personal ID?
Driving license is necessary to drive/ride
Firstly thanks for your valuable information,
I need your help
Me and 3 friends are planning to go SPITI VALLEY in second week of may 18″,we can’t take other dates because of some personal reasons,so how can we reach SPITI in above mentioned dates
We are from Kerala, we are planning a bike ride. How, where ll’ get bike
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.
Hey Dheeraj,
This was indeed useful! Just had a question. How risky is the drive here on an SUV and what should we keep in mind while driving ?
I will strongly suggest that you go through and read my series on Ladakh/Spiti Self Drive tips at the links below:
7 Useful Tips for a Self Drive to Leh – Ladakh/Spiti
hi, i am planning to go spiti this season. I have some queries please ans this.
I am travelling to Spiti on 1 week of August(is it open via manali?)
Vikas, the roads are open but you should read: 10 Tips for a Trip to Spiti Valley in Monsoons
Hi Dheeraj,
Firstly, thanks a tonne for all the information you continue to provide. This is like an encyclopedia into Spiti. My question was, any info on the possible rumour that due to less snowfall this year around Kunzum, the Manali-Kaza road will be thrown open by April end possibly ? Even the HRTC FB page posted about this and so did the Spiti Valley travels on their FB page. Planning to go via Kinnaur into Spiti and back via Rohtang.
Keep up the awesome work ! Regards.
Thank you Tristan, Manali – Kaza is surely expected to open early this season but personally, I have a feeling it will not open by mid-May to third week of May especially after the two spells of heavy snowfall recently. HRTC FB page is privately run and not govt. run, so I will not 100% rely on the authenticity as if it is coming from GOVT. order. I have talked to locals and they echo my feelings as well. But, BRO definitely is pretty close to Chatru
hi, i am planning to go spiti this season. I have some queries please ans this.
I am travelling to Spiti on 1 week of may( is it open via manali?)
Is it possible to go spiti form manali in 1 day
Is it good itinerary for spiti from delhi via manali
Day 1 Thursday
Board the volvo from delhi
Day 2 Friday
Reach manali and stay
Day 3 Sat
head to spiti from manali on bike reach spiti and rest
day 4 sun
back to manali and rest
day 5 Mon
board the volvo to delhi
Spiti valley will not be open by first week of May from Manali – Kaza side. Also, in order to enjoy Spiti valley, you need about 78- days from Manali side and 10-11 days from Kinnaur – Shimla side.
Hi Dheeraj.
I found your blog lately. Appreciate your efforts for helping fellow travelers on their journey.
I need a help planning whole Spiti and Leh-Ladakh itinerary. Have read your post on separate itinerary. I’m kinda clueless on how to plan both places with single itinerary. Since I’m planning to take hiatus from work after April so number of days and dates won’t be issue. But I want to explore whole beauty of Himachal and Leh-Ladakh. So can you please suggest me when will be good time and what is best mode of transport for whole journey. I will be traveling with my partner so I’m ok with self drive SUV or if it is good to hire bike in respect to road condition.
Sorry for selfish request. I don’t want to get disappointed coming from South, this will my first trip to north. I have backpacked here and there but this is due for very long on bucket list. Thanks.
Hey Nagendran,
The roads of Manali – Leh and Srinagar – Leh and Manali – Kaza will not be open in April. If you want the whole circuit with Spiti and Ladakh, the roads open in June only. In April you can make individual trips to these places like flying into Leh for Ladakh trip and going – coming back form Shimla – Kinnaur side for Spiti Valley trip.
Hi Dheeraj.
Thanks for your comment. Sorry I didn’t mentioned I’ll be completely free for a year precisely. So when will best time of year to travel both together. I was thinking to land Chandigarh and start trip from there.
Cool, in that case best month to travel will be September but if you need adventurous trip then mid June to mid July will be ideal. You can start from: Spiti Valley to Ladakh from Manali – Most Common Itinerary
How many days are you planning?
Really not concerned of number of days. But thinking 25-30 days as of now. If I’m flexible with days what are the places I can add along with your 16 days itinerary considering 30days max. Also can you suggest me best mode of transport for whole journey. I will be traveling with my partner so I’m thinking of taking rented self drive SUV or do you suggest to hire bike in respect to road condition.
Awesome, then, in that case, look no further and plan the trip as defined below to include Zanskar Valley too in the plan. You can take the rented self drive car but once you will reach Leh, you need to park it and cover Ladakh sightseeing places by local LAdakhi taxi or some places like Sham Valley and all can be covered by rented bike from Leh. You can even go to Nubra Valley on rented bike if you have experience with riding. Here is the one dream trip you can take 😀
Day 1 | Delhi – Jammu / Patnitop
— Overnight at Jammu or Patnitop
Day 2 | Jammu / Patnitop – Srinagar
— Enjoy walk around Dal lake and may be Shikara ride as well
— If you have time then check out, floating market, Shalimar Garden.
— Overnight at Srinagar
Day 3 | Srinagar – Zozi La – Drass – Kargil
— Enjoy the vistas enroute
— Have late drunch meal at Drass is you are a vegetarian as sometimes it gets difficult to find veg. food at Kargil
— Overnight at Kargil
Day 4 | Kargil – Padum (Zanskar Valley)
— Head straight to Padum
Day 5 | Padum Local Sightseeing
— Enjoy Zangla, Stongde, Karsha
Day 6 | Padum – Zongkhul Monastery – Penzi La Pass – Rangdum
— Start back and stay at Rangdum
Day 7 | Rangdum – Panikhar – Sankoo – Kargil
— Checkout rock carved statue at Khartse Khar
Day 8 | Kargil – Lamayuru – Leh
— Cover Mulbekh Maitrey, Lamayuru Moanstery, Lunar Landscapes
— On the way you can also see Gurudwara Pather Sahib, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu
— Overnight at Leh
Day 9 | Leh Local Sightseeing + Inner Line Permits
— To know the about the places to visit check the link: Travel Guide for Local Sightseeing of Leh Town in Ladakh
— For more details on inner line permits process and to download application form read the link here
— Overnight at Leh
Day 10 | Leh – Khardung La – Diskit – Hunder – Turtuk
— Head for Nubra Valley and stay overnight at Turtuk
— On the way enjoy a cup of soup at Highest Motorable Pass (as claimed) Khardung La
— enjoy the culture in the Turtuk Village
— do mention Turtuk on the permits
Day 11 | Turtuk – Hunder
— Spend whole day at Turtuk and reach Hunder by evening
— Overnight at Hunder
Day 12 | Hunder – Deskit – Sumur – Panamik – Sumur
— Diskit has monasteries with tallest lord Buddha statue and Hunder has sand dunes and bacterian camel safari
— Enjoy drive upto Panamik, visit Yarab Tso Lake and back to overnight stay at Kyagar or Tiger or Sumur
— Enjoy walks in Hunder, Deskit, Sumur villages for the last 3 days
Day 13 | Sumur/Kyagar – Panamik – Sumur – Khardung La – Leh
— Sumur has a famous monastery to check out and Panamik has hot water springs
— Overnight at Leh
Day 14 | Rest day at Leh to enjoy local culture and some shopping OR Monastery tour
— Monastery tour may include Hemis, Thicksey, Stakna and Shey monasteries. They come on the route of Pangong Tso but as you will be doing day trip, it will be a bit hectic to include them on that day only.
— Overnight at Leh
Day 15 | Leh – Sham Valley – Leh
— Sham Valley include Alchi, Likir, Basgo Palace, Magnetic Hills, Confluence at Nimmu, Gurudwara Pather Sahib
— Overnight at Leh
Day 16 | Leh – Hemis Monastery – Pangong Tso Lake
— Cover either of Hemis, Thicksey and Shey on the go towards Pangong Tso
— Overnight at Pangong Tso (Spangmik)
Day 17 | Pangong Tso Lake – Shey – Thicksey – Leh
— Mention all the places of this route as mentioned above on the permits and Nyoma as well
— Overnight at Hanle
Day 18 | Leh – Chumathang – Mahe – Nyoma – Loma – Hanle
— Overnight at Hanle
Day 19 | Hanle – Loma – Nyoma – Mahe – Korzok / Tso Moriri Lake OR Hanle – Salsal La – Tso Moriri Lake
— Overnight at Tso Moriri lake
Day 20 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring (Manali – Leh Highway starts) – Moore Plains – Pang / Sarchu
— Try to start early in the day so that you reach Sarchu where the accommodation options are better than Pang
— Overnight at Sarchu or Pang
Day 21 | Pang / Sarchu – Baralacha La – Jispa
— On the way cover Suraj Tal, Deepak Tal which are on the road sides only
— Overnight at Jispa
Day 22 | Jispa – Chandratal
Day 23 | Chandratal – Kaza
Day 24 | Kaza (Ki, Kibber, Gette)
Day 25 | Kaza/Langza Homestay (Hikkim, Koumik, Langza)
Day 26 | Kaza – Dhankar – Pin Valley
Day 27 | Pin Valley – Tabo – Nako
Day 28 | Nako – Kalpa
Day 29 | Kalpa – Sangla/Chitkul (if you cannot extend, skip)
Day 30 | Sangla/Chitkul (if you cannot extend, skip)
Day 31 | Sangla/Chitkul – Narkanda
Day 32 | Narkanda – Chail / Shimla – Delhi
Hi Dheeraj.
I’m finding short of words to thank you on helping me with the detailed itinerary. Having read multiple detailed post of you and your selfless comment on repeated questions, initially I bit hesitated to post a question regarding itinerary. But yet whole heartedly you replied with lengthy detailed information. Thanks once again for your generosity. If you plan to come down to South (Tamilnadu), please do call me I’ll be happy to host you. 🙂
My pleasure buddy !! Happy to help with the Himalayas. Thank you for sharing the contact details, will surely let you know whenever in future I will plan a trip. Much appreciated…
Hi Dhiraj,
Last year we completed a superb trip to Ladakh,doing the entire circuit from Srinagar to Manali starting in early June and finishing by mid June. This year we were planning a trip to Spiti valley…Also a full circuit going in via shimla and exiting via Manali….In early June. I am setting aside 15 days for the same. Would it be feasible if we start somewhere around 25thmay from Chandigarh thru kinnaur and exit via kunzum pass somewhere around 8th to 10th june. Also, is it true that the weather is cloudy in Spiti in early June?
Mayoor, it is wonderful to see you back here !! If possible postpone the trip by a week so that there is even higher chance of having the Manali – Kaza road open. Otherwise, it becomes difficult sometimes and the road from Manali – Kaza opens around mid June. Weather wise it shall be fine and like Ladakh Spiti Valley is also a rain shadow region, so it does not rain much there.
Actually due to early school reopening in Mumbai, the latest that i can postpone is by 3-4 days, maybe we can do the Kunzum crossing by 12th june…..should that be ok? I was just going thru the historical data regarding opening of Kunzum Pass. Since last 2 years, it has opened by 2nd June. I am not sure about the state of the road though. I will mostly try to keep a buffer day so that if by chance the pass is closed, I will have to return via Shimla. Is Chandrataal lake journey possible at that time?
The max you can delay, the better. Go ahead with whatever maximum delay you can extend. The state of the road remains bad and it is not just the Kunzum Pass that matters, actually the main problem lies beyond Kunzum Pass between Chatru and Batal where they BRO has to cut off the big giant walls of glaciers. Chandratal lake will most certainly be possible towards mid of June unless there is heavy snowfall this year and the diversion road is still blocked and PWD hasn’t cleaned it yet.
Thanks Dhiraj for your suggestion. I will try to rework & delay as much as possible. Also, wanted to know if there is any Gallery section where we can post some really awesome Photographs along with Captions.
Hello Mayoor,
Sure, feel free to ask any further questions too. Well, you can join our DoW COmmunity Facebook group and shares wonderful photos with us which also gets you a chance to win some cool DoW Goodies: https://www.facebook.com/groups/devilonwheels/
Hi Dhiraj. Sorry for the extremely long Post. I have prepared a tentative Itinerary for Spiti. Pl let me know if any changes or improvement is required
Day 1 : 5th June : Mumbai to Chandigarh via Air. Leave Chandigarh at 12 noon and go to Narkanda via Chail (Is a short visit to Chail Palace possible?). O/n Narkanda.
Day 2 : 6th June : Late sleep-in. Narkanda sightseeing…Hatu Peak, Thanedar, Tanijubbar lake, Ski ground. O/n Narkanda
Day 3 : 7th June : Leave Narkanda early by 8:00 am. Reach Chitkul in evening (Want to avoid staying in Sangla or Kalpa as have already visited both previously) O/n Chitkul. Is this journey possible in a day or is it too long?
Day 4 : 8th June : Relax & then local sightseeing like Batesari village, ITBP camp, walk along Baspa river. O/n Chitkul. How is Samaa Resorts for stay?
Day 5 : 9th June : Leave early…Chitkul to Khab, Nako, Sumdo, Geu, Tabo. O/n Tabo
Day 6 : 10th June : Tabo monastery in morning. Then leave for Pin valley..Kungri, Sangnam, Tailing, Mud village. O/n Mud village. How is Tara Guest house? Does it have an attached toilet?
Day 7 : 11th June : Mud to Laalung to Dhankar to Dhankar lake to Kaza. O/n Kaza
Day 8 : 12th June : Kaza day trip to Langza, Hikkim, Komic & back. O/n Kaza
Day 9 : 13th June : Kaza to Ki, Gette, Tashigong, Kibber & then to Losar. Is it advisable to return back to Kaza or can we stay overnight at Losar to save time the following day.
Day 10 : 14th June : Losar to Chandrataal lake via Kunzum Pass (if Kunzum is open). Can we return to Losar for the night (Is it possible?) or should we stay in the camps there. I have heard that the camps are very basic there.
Day 11 : 15th June : Chandrataal to Manali. O/n Manali
Day 12 : 16th June : Manali local sightseeing
Day 13 : 17th June : Manali to Chandigarh for evening flight to Mumbai
Hey Mayoor, replied you in Q&A section
Sorry Dhiraj, but I couldn’t locate your answer. Should I post the question again in the Q & A section
The only problem sleeping at Chitkul will be AMS as your body may not be acclimatized to sleep at high altitude that early in the trip. I will recommend to sleep at Sangla only.
Try to get a room at Sagnam PWD Rest House, if he does not provide you then go to Tara Guest House for stay. The guest house is more like a home stay with basic amenities. As you plan to stay at Chandratal, I will suggest keeping it simple and stay either at Langza or Kibber. If you stay at Kibber then you can travel to Chichcham and further to Chandratal directly and explore a new route too.
Rest looks good to me.
PS: Sorry I guess I mistook your query with someone else.
Thanks Dhiraj for your reply. Actually I have read rave reviews from people who have stayed at Samaa resorts, Chitkul about the resort and the verdant surroundings. But, I guess you are right about AMS as day 3 would be too early to spend at Chitkul. I can stay at Sangla on Day 3. Can I spend Day 4 night at Chitkul or would you recommend a day trip only to Chitkul and go over to Kalpa to spend the night
Yes Mayoor, I will go with Chitkul on Day 4 but then again it depends if you are really interested to ease out, go for it and skip Kalpa altogether and move on further towards upper Kinnaur and Spiti. Nako will be better than spending night at Kalpa if you are already spending two nights in Sangla and Chitkul.
Hello sir, is it possible to take lancer cedia for the trip. We are planning for September 2018. Group of 3 people. Consider the fact that that cedia gives a mileage of 10kmpl, are there enough fuel stations to complete the circuit. Your help will be highly appreciated.
Omar, fuel should not be a problem. For taking Lancer Cedia to Spiti Valley, Possible = Yes, Difficult = Yes, at quite a few place. For hatchback/sedan taking on Manali – Leh Highway Or Spiti Valley via Manali Or Ladakh, please refer the link: FAQ | Can I do Leh – Ladakh / Spiti / Manali – Leh trip in Hatchback or Sedan? for more details.
Thank you for the information. I appreciate it.
Moreover the car currently has a GC of 175mm. We might increase a bit further to avoid the bad patches and protecting her more. Currently the car has done 1lac kms mostly on highways.
Cool, as long as you are confident of its working, you should be fine.
Hello Dheeraj,
We 5 persons all boys are planning a trip to spiti in 2nd week of December with Fortuner 4*4… Is this possible & also plz suggest where to visit in December..we have been to Leh this June but via Srinagar.
Sourav, it is possible to make Spiti Valley trip in winters but only from Shimla – Kinnaur side. I will recommend that you read: Spiti in Winters – Most Common Itinerary and How to plan a trip to Spiti Valley in Winters
Hi Brother,
When should we travel if we want to avoid more water crossings or bad roads on India-Tibet highway? Especially Malling Nala 😀
Thanks.
In that case you should travel in the month of late September.
Thanks Bro 🙂
By the way, can we do it with a pillion? They say the Roads to spiti are worse than those to Leh
Yes, the roads especially Manali – Kaza is worse than Ladakh roads. Rest mostly similar to Manali – Leh Highway and at places good to average. Regarding riding with pillion, lots of people do it. I do not think there should be any issue besides walking few times specially around Kunzum Pass and Manali – Kaza road.
Thanks a lot Bro.. I appreciate your response 🙂
Hey Brother.. A last question…
I’ve seen a news that due to frequent landslides at malling nala, a new road has been built which connects Nako and Chango other than NH5.. Is that true? Or it’s the same road which I see in those youtube vidoes 😀
AFAIK Yuvraj, there is no new road. What they do is they cut the mountain further deeper and make road from it. The road is same but I can confirm from the locals and update. There was a major landslide this year which washed away the road so they had to cut the mountain more to to make the road again.
Oh.. Thanks a lot bro 🙂
Sir , i am planning to travel spiti this october from 10 to 17 .which route should be taken by us ? Manali to shimla ,? And can u tell me kunzum pass will be open or not ?
Hi Himanshu,
You can enter from Manali side and come back from Shimla side. Route will be open through Kunzum Pass now adays up to mid of October. But, a snowfall can block it for a day or two.
Hi Dheeraj,
Me and and my friends planning for a bike trip to Spiti on 16 oct ,I want to know it will be at that time?
Well PRashad, please read: 5 Reasons to Avoid Manali Kaza Road in October
I wanted to know if I had 4 days to visit spiti, will it be better if I visit only the Shimla side or only the Manali side?
30th September to 3rd October!
In such a case, it will be better to visit from Manali side only. 4 days from Shimla or Manali? Or you want to have travel to Shimla and Manali also included in these 4 days?
Just one side would do… Can I have an itinerary..
Day 1 : Reach Manali and stay overnight at Solang Valley as preferred for acclimatization
Day 2 : Manali / Solang – Kaza
Day 3 : Kaza – Dhangkar – Tabo – Kaza OR Kaza – Langza – Komik – Hikkim – Kaza
Day 4 : Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Gette – Chandratal
Day 5 : Losar – Chandratal – Manali
Day 6 : Manali – Delhi
Assuming 4 days does not include travel to Manali
Hi Dheeraj,
I have been following DoW for a few years now. You are doing a wonderful job! I consulted your blogs in detail for my maiden Ladakh trip last year. Though Ladakh was done in end of August, this year I want to do Spiti but I can make it only in September end. Can you please help me with my planning.
We are two people who will be travelling in a Scorpio, but only one of us can drive. Can you please let me know if a full circuit (i.e.Chandigarh-Shimla-Kinnaur-Spiti-Manali-Chandigarh route) can be done realistically in this time of the year. And we want to mix home stays and camping along the way. Can you suggest places which will be ideal for homestays and which places to pitch our own tent?
Dates: 28th September to 7th October (+1 Day buffer) i.e. 9 days+1 day buffer.
Cheers!
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.
For stay options in Kinnaur and Spiti, check the link: Some Good Options of Stays in Spiti Valley / Kinnaur Valley.
You can keep an average of 900-1200 per person per day for food and stay on the tour to Spiti Valley.
I will request that you please refer the following articles for planning a trip to Spiti Valley: Spiti Valley via Manali | How to Plan Your Journey AND Spiti Valley via Kinnaur | How to Plan Your Journey
They have all the details. Feel free to let me know in case of any doubts
You can also read: Top 10 Tips for Camping in Ladakh & Spiti Valley
Hi Dheeraj,
I am planning to go to spiti from 30th sep-7th Oct in i20 car. Is it a good time to go ? Will i 20 be suitable for the trip ?
I want to do the complete circuit…Can you please suggest the itinerary
Mohak, time is OK to travel to Spiti Valley. It will be cold a bit and windy. Regarding i20, it will struggle on Manali – Kaza road but water will be very less in water crossings by October first week, so one less hurdle. But, the struggle will be there due to low GC and car will surely take a beating.
Thanks for the suggestion…will look out for an alternative car…can you please suggest the itinerary
Opt to go via Manali – Leh Highway and I will suggest that you refer the thread for more details on the route and night halts though it is of 9 days: Manali – Leh – Ladakh – Manali | Itinerary for 9 Days.
Hello and thanks for a wonderful article!
I am planning on a bike trip going from manali to Key gompa and back during end of september – beginning of october. From Google Maps it says it is about 5 hours each way so I guess this whole trip could take around 4 days including some visits in Spiti valley.
Is the Kunzum pass usually open at these times?
Is it usually passable without too many problems?
Thanks in advance!
I should also add that I can start this trip earlier, around 20 September, if it makes conitions more favorable.
Definitely, 20th September, you will be able to enjoy more.
DEan, Google maps and the roads in the Himalayas do not go hand in hand. It will take about 10-11 Hrs to reach Kaza, Key monastery from Manali. Kunzum Pass will be open during that time. With just 4 days, it is possible but like
Manali – Kaza
Kaza/Key
Kaza and around, Langza, Hikkim, Komic
Kaza – Manali
Hi Dheeraj,
We, five couple with children, wants to visit spiti valley during next May, 2018. We want to start our journey via shimla route and return via manali route. We have spared 8 days for same from chandigarh. So please kindly provide us itinerary for same. We have not visited Leh-Ladakh yet, instead we are visiting spiti valley first. Is it good thing ? We want to book tempo-traveller for our journey. Is the road of rohtang pass remain open during end of May. Please kindly provide me your opinion.
Hi Himanshu,
It should be OK to travel in May but the problem is that you cannot do a full circuit of Spiti Valley in May because the road from Manali to Kaza opens in mid-June types.
Regards
Dheeraj
Hi Dheeraj
We are 4 friends from chandigarh planning to go spiti around 22nd of august via shimla by vw polo so what do suggest is safe to go at this time of year and is polo compatible according to the route? Please reply asap becouse its urgent
Hi Sahil,
The road at Nako is closed due to a massive landslide at Malling Nala. It is expected to open in weeks time but nothing certain.
Hi Dheeraj,
Me and my husband are planning to visit spiti in 3rd week of september via manali. Could you please suggest whether it is good time to visit spiti
Yes September is a good time to travel to Spiti Valley.
Hi Dheeraj
We me and my wife 50 and 47 years of age are planning to go Jalandhar-Simla-kaza-kunjum-Rohtang -Manali -jalandhar from 6 October to 13 oct. 2017 by Pajero sports. Is it fine as these are earliest dates we have. We are only couple. Never been to this route however covered Srinagar Leh Manali thrice by this car. Pl suggest with regard to climate and weather on those days.
Regards
Harish sir, It starts to get cold during that time of the year in Spiti valley and there can be occasional snowfall as well. Since you are versed with terrains, it should not be an issue but just don’t any unnecessary risks. Once you reach Kaza, check the weather and then make a call to drive from Kaza to Manali because getting stuck in between Kaza and Manali due to weather will not be pleasant
Thanks for your suggestions. Best as always
Best wishes for the trip sir, if possible keep sharing the updates as it may help others too.