Spiti Valley Full Circuit 9 Days

During the months of June to September the temperature goes to The  20 degrees  Celsius with a minimum of 5-10 degrees Celsius. Some of the places in Spiti Valley are very cold and  chilly including Bataal, Hansa, Chandratal.

During winter months from December to February the  temperature goes to -30 degrees Celsius. As we well know that Spiti valley is a  cold desert so there is no such thing at that time.  

Generally, the best time to visit Spiti Valley in Himachal is between April to October.

• You can explore Winter Spiti from April to June month

• You can attempt the full circuit of Spiti Valley  in July to September  :  Chandigarh–Shimla–Kinnaur–Kaza(Spiti Valley)–Kunzum Pass–Rohtang Pass–Manali–Delhi. 

• The Kunzum and Rohtang Passes are clear of snow and open for transport during late June to October first week. The weather is pleasantly cold and there is still ample snow to be seen all around. 

• Although the December-March window would be preferable if you want to see a completely snow-covered frozen wonderland of Spiti and brave the subarctic cold.

•  Late September and October brings the valley out of hibernation as it starts to display the warm golden colours of Autumn. 

There are 2 routes to visit Spiti located in Himachal:  via Shimla and via Manali. 

The Shimla route, taking the Hindustan-Tibet highway, goes: Shimla–Narkanda–Rampur–Powari–Spillow–Khab Bridge–Nako–Chango–Sumdo–Tabo–Kaza. Spiti Valley starts after Sumdo. This route remains accessible all year. 

The Manali route goes: Manali–Rohtang pass–Gramphu–Chhatru–Chota Dhara–Batal–Kunzum Pass–Losar–Kaza, and is only accessible between June-October First Week.

Starting from Delhi/Chandigarh, a minimum of 7-10 days is needed to explore the mystical Spiti Valley and its offerings. It takes about 3-5 days to reach and come back from Spiti depending on the route. So you can dedicate the remaining days to enjoy the striking and fierce beauty of nature in Spiti. 

While there are many unbeaten paths and unexplored destinations in this jewel of nature, here are few places you can visit to get an essence of Spiti. 

• The Hatu Peak and Bhimakali temple in Shimla
• Karcham Wangtoo Hydroelectric Plant
• Chitkul, the last village on the Hindustan-Tibet road
• Kalpa, Khab Sangam – the confluence of Spiti and Sutlej, Nako
• Gue Mummy, Tabo 
• Mane, the prettiest village in Spiti according to locals
• Dhankar, Pin Valley, Kaza
• Langza, Hikkim, Ki Monastery 
• Tashigang, the highest settlement in Spiti Valley.
• Chicham bridge, Asia’s highest bridge at 13596ft 
• Losar Village
• Kunzum Pass
• Chandratal, popular glacial lake 15 kms away from Kunzum Pass 
• Rohtang Pass, another famous destination about 52 kms before Manali

You should choose your wardrobe depending on when you’re visiting Spiti. The staple items that you’ll need all year round are:

1. Thermal inners and a light fleece jacket
2. Socks, gloves, and a monkey cap or balaclava – all woolen or fleece material
3. Proper shoes with enough insulation for comfortable long journeys
4. Hat, sunglasses, sun protection cream and lotion

Apart from these, choose clothes that can be worn in layers so that they can be removed or added depending on temperature. Light woolens will suffice between June-August. But March-June or September-November will require heavy woolens. Although if you’re travelling in winter between December-April, you need to pack very carefully to protect yourself against the merciless cold and winds.

Being at such high altitudes, ATMs in Spiti are not frequent and mostly non-functioning. Places like Kaza, Tabo, Sangla, and Kalpa have ATMs, they’re likely to be out of cash or disfunctional. It is best to withdraw cash from Shimla or Manali itself as cashflow in ATMs is very stable, or Reckong Peo which has 6-7 ATMs

Permits are generally required for foreign nationals visiting Spiti. A Protected Area Permit(PAP) can be obtained from Shimla or Kaza depending on the route you’re taking. Permits for vehicles are also required for people coming in from Manali to cross Rohtang Pass. For Indian nationals, a government identity proof like passport/voter ID/Aadhar is enough. All permit fees are included in your Spiti Valley package so that you can enjoy a hassle-free trip.

You should know while traveling that only postpaid sims work in some of the places in Spiti.  For good connectivity, there is BSNL, AIRTEL, JIO. Sometimes due to lack of electricity, the phone lines don’t work.  

Homestays are perfectly suited for the phrase ‘home away from home. Homestays are where you can stay with the local family and live with them, experience their culture and practices, share meals with them, help them with their regular activities.  

In Spiti Valley, Homestays are very primarily made up of mud. Mostly people eat vegetarian food,  meat is not accessible in this region. There are eco-friendly toilet facilities in the homes. There is bedding for you to keep you warm during the night. 

In simple words guests at the Homestays are  accommodated in the family house that will provide you with the basic but tasty food.  

It is strongly recommended to adopt and acclimatize yourself before indulging in any physical activities.

No, as a guide we don’t allow you to consume alcohol during the journey.