Lahaul Spiti Kinnaur Tour Plan

The district of lahaul spiti kinnaur is a cold desert area as it hardly gets any rain. Mountain ranges here are bare, bereft of any vegetation. As you drive up and down the Trans-Himalayan range, you see the region’s stunning landscape. Snow is a common feature here and some peaks never let it go, no matter what season it is. The rivers swiftly flow at the base of these mountains, carrying the water formed by melted snow. The sky here has a special shade of blue that you don’t get to see elsewhere, especially in the cities. Complementing the blue sky well are small, beautiful meadows of the valley. Colourful Buddhist flags can be seen fluttering in the breeze, indicating the culture of the land. Large prayer wheels and stones carved with the Buddhist mantra ‘Oṃ maṇi padme hum’ can be seen at the entrance of many villages. When you reach a village, you might wonder how these communities live in such isolation. Nonetheless, there are many places to visit in lahaul spiti kinnaur.
Spiti Valley Itinerary
Day 1 – Delhi to Shimla / Narkanda
Day 2 – Shimla / Narkanda to Sarahan
Day 3 – Sarahan to Chitkul
Day 4 – Chitkul to Kalpa
Day 5 – Kalpa to Nako
Day 6 – Nako to Kaza
Day 7 – Kaza to Kibber, Komik, Tashigang, Kaza
Day 8 – Kaza to Chandratal
Day 9 – Chandratal to Manali
Day 10 – Manali to Delhi
This itinerary is more from the point of view of a person who is visiting here for the very first time. The way I have laid it out is keeping in mind that you neither travel too less nor too much on any given day while covering all the major tourist areas on the circuit. Below is a more detailed explanation of the above mentioned Spiti Valley Itinerary. I will start the journey from Shimla and exit at Manali which in my opinion is better for a first visit to high altitude regions.
For a complete list of accommodation at all these places, please read the article at the link below. I have mentioned here a few recommended hotels and guest houses here with their contact information.
Also read: Accommodation in Spiti Valley: Recommended hotels and guest houses
Day 1 – Delhi to Shimla / Narkanda
Nothing much to really write about this except for a long day of journey. Start early from Delhi, take NH1 towards Chandigarh. Just before Chandigarh, take the Himalayan Expressway towards Shimla. Once at Shimla, you can either chose to stay here or if you still have some time left, continue towards Narkanda. Personally, I prefer staying at Narkanda as compared to the crowded city of Shimla. It is about a 2-3 hours’ drive from Shimla.
If you are staying at Shimla, then you can talk a walk through the market, mall road, Ridge etc. Narkanda is just a small village but with tons of scenic beauty.
If you have time, you can also break this journey in two parts. Reach Shimla on Day 1 and go to Narkanda on Day 2. Hatu Peak in Narkanda is well worth a visit. It is the highest peak in the region and a steep climb of about 10 kilometers. There is a narrow road that goes all the way to the top that you can take your car or motorcycle on.
About 8-9 hours’ drive until Shimla and 10-11 hours for Narkanda. Both Narkanda and Shimla have several hotels and finding one for about Rs. 600 – 700 should be easy. Road conditions are mostly good all the way till Narkanda.
Day 2 – Shimla / Narkanda to Sarahan
Start early if you stayed at Shimla. If you stayed at Narkanda on Day 1, you have plenty of time to reach Sarahan which is about 6 hours from Narkanda. Visit Hatu Peak early in the morning and return to Narkanda. Have breakfast, check out of your hotel and be on your way towards Sarahan. A little after Narkanda you will get your first view of Sutlej river which you will be traveling right next to for rest of the day. Continue towards Rampur where you may have your lunch as well. Once you reach Jeori, turn on the 16 kilometers long road that goes towards Sarahan.
Bhimkali temple and a bird sanctuary in Sarahan is well worth a visit. It will take you about 7-8 hours from Shimla and about 5-6 hours from Narkanda to reach Sarahan. Road conditions will mostly be good. There are several hotels here and you can easily find one within budget, for as low as Rs. 500.
Day 3 – Sarahan to Chitkul
From Sarahan, travel back to Jeori and continue towards Karchham. There is a huge dam built over Sutlej at Karchham which you will cross as you drive by. From Karchham, leave the highway again and take the diversion towards Sangla. Have lunch at Sangla and from there it is another couple of hours drive to Chitkul which is the last village on this road.
Sangla is famous for Nages god temple and Kamru Fort. Chitkul is a beautiful small village located right next to Baspa river. There is also an ATM at Sangla if you need to withdraw cash. Some people prefer chose to stay at Sangla but I would recommend going all the way to Chitkul. You can also break this journey in 2 days if you have enough time. Reach Sangla from Sarahan and then go to Chitkul the next day.
A total of about 6-7 hours of travel from Sarahan to Chitkul.
Both Sangla and Chitkul have several hotels and you will be able to find one for price between Rs.700 – Rs.100.
Road will start to deteriorate after Jeori and you should prepare yourself for traveling on bad roads from here on. Karchham to Chitkul is mostly an untarred dirt trail all the way.
Day 4 – Chitkul to Kalpa
From Chitkul, come all the way back to the highway at Karchham and from there continue towards Powari. At Powari, leave the highway once again and turn on the road going uphill towards Reckong Peo. From Peo, keep going further up until you reach Kalpa.
Reckong Peo is an Army base and foreign nationals have to obtain a pass here to continue further towards Spiti. Kalpa is a small town famous for its apple orchards. Primary attraction of Kalpa is that it presents a magnificent view of Kinner Kailash. Public smoking is banned in Kapla so do not lit a cigarette out in public. You should also buy your smokes from somewhere on the way as you may not find any cigarettes here on sale.
Road will continue to be bad mostly. A total of 4-5 hours journey. You may have to do a bit of hotel hunting but will easily find a hotel within budget, price ranging between Rs. 700 – Rs. 1000
Day 5 – Kalpa to Nako
Reckong Peo has the last petrol pump until Kaza so ensure that you tank up here. Once again, do a bit of backtracking and drive all the way to Powari. Continue on NH1 towards Pooh where you will need to register yourself at the check post. After Pooh, road conditions will improve and will remain so all the way till Nako. You will also cross Kazigs on your way, numerous hair-pin bends just like the gata loops of Ladakh.
There are a couple of hotels at Nako and also a PWD guest house right next to Nako Lake. Expect the price to be around Rs. 1000 here.
Road conditions until Pooh will be bad but after that it is a good tarred road. Total of 6-7 hours of journey for the day.
Nako also has a small man-made lake but I found nothing too great about it really. You can also do a bit of trekking to a nearby hilltop to get a panoramic view of the village.
Day 6 – Nako to Kaza
From Nako, its a smooth drive to Tabo. Road conditions will mostly remain good with a few bad patches here and there.
A few kilometers before Tabo, you will come across a cemented gate on your right and road heading towards Gue village. This site is famous for a 650 year old Mummy located here and is worth a visit. From the gate, it is an 8 kms drive to the village. The temple where the Mummy is placed is on a hilltop and is hard to miss once you have reached the village. You can also ask any of the locals and they can point you in the right direction. After visiting the temple, drive back 8 kms to the highway and continue towards Tabo.
Primary attraction at Tabo is the Tabo Monastery which is said to be over a thousand years old. In case you want to stay at Tabo for the night, there are a few hotels here, of which the Banjara Camps retreat is the most luxurious. There are other hotels and hostels like Tashi Gangsar, Menthok Dumra at Tabo, including the monastery’s own guest houses.
Next after Tabo will be the small village of Dhankar, which is famous for its two (old and new) monasteries. There is also a lake near Dhankar, known as Dhankar Lake. You will have to trek on foot for a few kilometers to reach the lake. Dhankar does not have any hotels, nearest accommodation available is either at Kaza or Tabo.
After Dhankar, it is a straight run to Kaza. Some of the major tourist attractions in and around Kaza are Tangyud Monastery, Key Monastery, Kibber village,Gette Village, Langza village famous for presents of marine fossils, and the Pin Valley National Park, a protected area for Himalayan high altitude wildlife. There are multiple hotels in Kaza so finding an accommodation is not a problem.
Road conditions will be a mix of good, average and bad. A total of 6-7 hours of journey for the day.
Day 7: Kaza – Tashigong – Langza – Kaumik – Kaza
Start early the next day from Kaza to visit the nearby villages of Gette, Tashigang, Kibber, Kaumik and Langza. Leave your luggage at the hotel and you will be returning to Kaza by evening unless you plan to stay at either of these small villages. Langza is famous for very old fossils found here which you can even buy if interested. It also has a small restaurant where you can eat and also see some fossils.
spiti valley itinerary
Spiti Valley Itinerary
Day 8: Kaza to Chandratal
Tank up at Kaza as the next fuel station is at Manali. Head towards Losar and from there, take the ascent towards Kunzum Pass. As you start on your descent from the top towards Batal, there is a small road that goes towards Chandratal. This is the one you will need to turn on from where the lake is about 10 kilometers. It is a very narrow dirt trail so caution is advised while driving on it.
It will take about 5-6 hours to reach the lake from Kaza. Road conditions will be bad throughout. Chandratal has several campsites where the price will range between Rs. 1500 to Rs. 3000 per person including meals.
Day 9: Chandratal to Manali
From Chandratal, drive back towards Kunzum pass and head to Batal. After Batal, you will come across the worst stretch of road you have seen in your life. The distance is short however it will take you good 5-6 hours just to cross this small patch. From Gramphoo, take the turn towards Rohtang Pass and then descent into Manali.
Road conditions are worst until Gramphoo and after that it will be a mix of good and bad until Manali.
Total of 7-8 hours of journey for the day. Manali has several hotels and you will easily find one within any budget.
Day 10 – Manali to Delhi
Nothing but a long 12-14 hours of long monotonous journey back home.
This will sum up your 10 days journey to Spiti valley, the land mystic. No matter how many time you return here now, your first time will always be your most memorable. Drive back home with memories to cherish and tales to tell.
*********** Plan no 2 :- ************
Day 1 | Delhi – Shimla / Narkanda
Shimla sightseeing includes Famous Ridge, Mall Road, Lakkar Bazaar, Jakhu Temple
Narkanda is about 60 KMs from Shimla takes about 2 Hrs
About 8 Hrs drive to Shimla
Overnight at Shimla or Narkanda, which ever suits your timings
Day 2 | Shimla / Narkanda – Sangla / Chitkul (Kinnaur Valley)
Leave early, if from Shimla and enjoy the vistas en route
You can plan for lunch at Rampur
About 8 – 9 Hrs of beautiful drive through Kinnaur Valley
Overnight at Sangla
Day 3 | Sangla – Chitkul – Sangla – Kalpa
Leave early to spend some time at beautiful Chitkul Village
Visit Kamru Fort at Sangla as well before going back to Kalpa
Watch the lovely sunset and sunrise (next day) at Kalpa over Mount Kinner Kailash
About 4 – 5 Hrs of total drive on this day
Overnight at Kalpa
Day 4 | Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Geyu Mummy – Tabo
Start your day early and watch the vistas en route over Hindustan Tibet Highway
Check Out Khab, Confluence of Spiti and Satluj Rivers
See the Leo Purygal Peak from Khab Bridge
Have your lunch at Nako Lake
Meet the dreaded Malling Nalla ahead of Nako
After Chango – Sumdo you will enter Spiti Valley.
After Sumdo police registration, detour towards Geyu Village to visit the 500 Year old Mummy
About 8 – 9 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Overnight at Tabo
Day 5 | Tabo – Dhankar – Dhankar Lake – Pin Valley (Mud Village)
Visit Dhankar Monastery and Dhankar Lake and leave after early lunch
Enjoy the magnificent vistas all day
Traverse the Pin Valley | Kungri – Sagnam – Mud – Tailing
About 4 – 5 Hrs of drive in the day
Overnight at Mud Village in Pin Valley
Day 6 | Pin Valley – Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang – Kaza
Head for Kaza, headquarters of Spiti Valley
Have lunch at Kaza and check in to Hotel
Visit Ki – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang in the second half of the day
Ki is a famous monastery and others are places to explore as a lovely drive
Tashigang is where the road ends but again beautiful drive
About 4 – 5 Hrs of drive in the day
Overnight at Kaza
Day 7 | Kaza – Hikkim – Komik – Langza – Kaza / Losar
Today visit the road less travelled or off beat places near Kaza
Great view of Chau Chau Kang Nelda peak from Langza
Statue of the Buddha near Langza looking down the valley
Tanggyud monastery at Komik, is one of the most important and the highest monastery in the Spiti Valley
You can move to Losar if you would like to stay away from hustle bustle of Kaza
About 2 – 3 Hrs of drive in the day excluding Losar
If planning to go to Losar, Enjoy the most scenic drive of entire Spiti Valley between Losar and Kaza at an easy pace
About 2 – 2.5 Hrs drive between Losar and Kaza, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Overnight at Kaza or Losar
Day 8 | Kaza / Losar – Kunzum Pass – Chandratal / Battal
Visit Chandratal via Kunzum Pass and enjoy the day there
Camps are about 2.5 KMs from the lake, either stay there or back to Battal where there is a PWD rest house now though without electricity. But, no point going back a painful ride to Losar over Kunzum Pass unless you want to stay in guest house with electricity. Better stay at Battal and save time as well as energy for next day.
About 4 – 5 Hrs drive minimum
Overnight at Battal or Chandratal Camps
Day 9 | Battal / Chandratal – Kunzum Pass – Rohtang Pass – Manali
Head back to Manali via Rohtang Pass
Drive through Battal – Chattru – Gramphu towards Rohtang Pass is out of the world
About 7 – 8 Hrs drive easily if you do not get messed up Rohtang Pass
Overnight at Manali
Day 10 | Manali – Delhi
If there is time explore Manali, that is if going by overnight Volvo which starts around 5.30 PM
Manali Local sightseeing which includes Hadimba Temple, Manu Temple, Mall Road, Local Monastery, Old Manali, Vashisth Hot Water Springs (never found it interesting) etc.
About 12-14 Hrs drive, depending upon the breaks you take in between
Back Home
*********** Plan no 3 :- ************
Day 1: Chandigarh – Shimla – Sarahan
We will start from Chandigarh early morning and stop in Shimla for a brunch. From Shimla, we’ll drive past Wangtu bridge and reach Sarhan to stay for the night. If we reach there in evening, we can visit the bird park or visit Bhim Kali temple. If needed, we can also begin from Shimla or New Delhi.
Day 2: Sarahan – Reckong Peo – Kalpa
We’ll drive to Kalpa village and spend some time in meadows and apple orchards. Reckong Peo is district headquarter of Kinnaur district and the launching pad for most expeditions to Spiti. Out hotel over there is nestled between beautiful orchards of apple and cherry trees in a very quaint and romantic location.
Day 3: Kalpa – Puh – Nako – Sumdo – Tabo
From this point, you’ll notice a change in the terrain as the barren cold desert landscape of Spiti becomes visible. Driving through, we’ll reach Nako village and stay there for night. We’ll visit the Nako lake and monastery in village to observe rituals of local Buddhist monks. The walk in near by areas will provide some great views of mountainous scenery.
Day 4: Tabo
Tabo Monastery is more than 1000 years old and contains many priceless Thanka paintings and artifacts including Pillar of a Thousand Buddhas. This monastery is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The entry to monastery which is spread over 6300 square meters is made of earthen walls and covered with beautiful frescoes. These paintings depict various lives of Buddha and stories from Jataka tales painted in typical Tibetan style. You can also visit nearby caves which are used by monks to meditate in solitude and introspection.
Day 5: Tabo – Dhankar – Lalung
Dhankar is about 3 hours drive away from Kaza and is also the ancient capital of Spiti and seat of Spitian Kings. There are ruins of an ancient castle and a monastery constructed in 16th century. It’s situated on top of a steep mountain ridge overlooking the valley. A walk to Dhankar lake takes about 90 minutes, We’ll then drive to Lalung village which is a small picturesque village inhabited by friendly and helpful villagers. Lalung monastery is famous for it’s statue of Three Cornered Buddha made with 3 sides to symblise Buddha looking in every direction. It is believed that Rinchen Zangpo, founder of major monasteries in Spiti planted a willow tree and instructed the locals to construct a monastery of the tree survives. Today, an ancient willow tree stands in front of the monastery constructed in 10th century.
Day 6: Lalung – Kaza – Langcha
Langcha village hangs over Kaza town at an altitude of 4250 meters. The road leading to Langcha village is among the highest motorable roads anywhere in the world. Traveling along this road, the travellers get spectacular views of valley and sparkling waters of Spiti river flowing through it. The route eventually leads to Shilla valley on plateau above which has grazing grounds for local livestock. Langcha village is divided in to Upper and Lower village. We’ll have lunch there in a local house and enjoy authentic delicious cuisine of Spiti . We’ll visit a 900 years old Buddhist temple and then visit Komik. We will then hunt for millions of years old fossils in Langthis Natural Fossil Center. After that, we can visit Komic monastery, which is one of highest monasteries anywhere in world as well as another ancient monastery near Hikkim village which was destroyed in an earthquake in 1975.
Day 8: Langcha – Kaza – Ki Monastry – Kibber
We’ll travel on road to Kibber and visit world famous Ki Monastery located at an altitude of 4120 meters. We’ll walk around it and see vast collection of ancient paintings and manuscripts contained in the large complex. Ki monastery belongs to Gelugpa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. After monastery, we’ll move towards Kibber village which is among the biggest villages in Lahaul Spiti region and situated at an altitude of 4250 meters. The surroundings offer a good spot for wildlife sightings. We’ll spend the night in our hotel there.
Day 9: Kibber – Chicham
Next day, we’ll trek to Chicham village which is located on other side of a sharp and precipitous canyon. We can also go there by a thrilling ropeway ride (called jhoola in local dialect). It’s not uncommon to spot the elusive snow leopard here. It’s also a good place to spot other wildlife like ibex, blue sheep, golden cock, pika, Himalayan wolf and more.
Day 10: Chicham – Kunzum La – Chandrataal Lake
We’ll leave early next morning and drive up to Kunzum La for a short break. Kunzum La is a vital pass in the region at an altitude of 4550 meters. There’s also a temple dedicated to Goddess Kunzum. We can either trek to Chandrataal Lake ( 8 km) from there or drive via Batal. Chandrataal Lake is one of the major attractions of Spiti valley famous for it’s crystal clear water and stunning views. We’ll spend the night in our campsite about 1 km from the lake.
Day 11: Chandrataal Lake – Batal – Chatru
Next morning, we’ll drive to Batal, a popular resting stop for vehicles on this route and have tea in hospitable Chandra dhaba. We’ll get close to Chandra river and spend some time soaking in the views. After that we’ll reach Chatru and camp there for the night near river. We’ll see the fields, spend sometime with local Gaddi shephards and enjoy the views of dozens of small streams flowing through mountains and joining Chandra river as it gains more volume.
Day 12: Chatru – Rohtang Pass – Manali
Next morning, we’ll leave for Manali. The drive normally takes between 6 to 7 hours. As we leave valley, the desert landscape of the valley is left behind replaces by greenery all over. We’ll reach Rohtang Pass by noon and visit Beas Kund. After having a cup of tea, we’ll reach Manali in evening. Check in the hotel and walk around Old Manali town for sightseeing.
Day 13: Manali
Visit Vashishta Temple and soak in hot water springs to relax the tired limbs. After that visit Hidimba Temple and Manu’s Temple , the sole temple in world dedicated to first human being according to Hindu mythology. After lunch we’ll walk through wooded area of Manali to relax and have dinner in a local restaurant to end this amazing journey through Lahaul Spiti.
Day 14: Manali - Delhi

Tour plan prepared by :: Krishanu Maity   

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