spiti valley bike trip

Spiti Valley Itinerary For A Solo Bike Trip: Travel Blog

Planning Spiti Valley bike trip? This blog will help you plan a solo journey the basis of my personaly experiences and learning. 

travel-quotes

Many years ago, my father happened to stay in Lahaul and Spiti. He told me stories about its raw and uninviting nature (and thus helping me in this Spiti Valley itinerary).

It was from him that I knew how disconnected this place can feel. Time has changed though. Daily morning buses now connect Spiti Valley to its neighbours. Private cars and taxis also, at times, are quite visible.

But that doesn’t mean that a road trip to Spiti Valley is any less adventurous now. Compared to Ladakh, this place is still very harsh and desolate.

It takes a certain amount of madness to drive on these uninviting, mesmerizing landscapes. And to plan a solo bike trip to Spiti Valley, you need to be more than just mad.

I remember when I was planning my itinerary, I was a little scared too. But to hell with it, I still decided to go ahead!

[Update in 2023: Since Spiti Valley has grown in popularity over the years and has got crowded if you’re looking for something more adventurous do Shinkula Pass in Zanskar. Connecting Keylong to Kargil, this route was opened only last year in 2019]

Now coming back to…

Spiti Valley

Spiti Valley is accessible by road throughout the year and requires you to travel nearly a distance of 700 to 900 km, depending on all places you want to visit on the way and what route you originally took. I traveled from Shimla to Kaza to Manali.

You can also complete the journey the other way around – by starting from Manali, and following the tribal circuit until you reach Shimla.

But I would personally advise you to start from Shimla. And that is for a couple of reasons…

  1. If you start from Shimla, it would be easy for you to acclimatize to high altitude.
  2. This way you won’t need to obtain a permit to cross Rohtang Pass, which you otherwise do if you are doing Manali-Kaza-Shimla or Manali to Kaza and back. Obtaining the permit means spending the extra money and spending a day in the DC office, in Manali.

Before you leave for the Spiti Valley bike trip, do not forget to check if Kunzum Pass is open.

Though the route will remain open from Shimla, only until Losar. After a few kilometres from Losar (if Kunzum Pass is closed) you will have to turn around and repeat your Spiti Valley itinerary – Losar to Shimla to Delhi (as shown in the map below). Check about the status of the Kunzum Pass on the Himachal Tourism website.

Here’s the Delhi to Spiti Valley route map. It took me 9 days to complete the itinerary:

spiti valley road map

 

Now, before I discuss the itinerary, I want to tell you that this can be the cheapest Spiti Valley tour if you follow all my suggestions and camp throughout the trip, as suggested in the blog below.

For your information, I spent only 5000 Rupees to do the entire journey from Delhi to Spiti Valley, including food, fuel and accommodation costs.

But if you decide to camp, be prepared for the adventure. This place, as I said above, is very inhospitable (see these Spiti Valley pictures to get the idea) and a budget camping trip makes it even more so.

Now let’s start with the itinerary

Delhi to Spiti Valley Road Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Delhi to Chandigarh

Before I left home for this trip, if there was one thing I was sure about, it was – I was going to travel slowly. This was to enjoy the movement and to keep my butt away from getting sore.

Day 1 of my Spiti Valley itinerary started a little early, at 4 in the morning, and I already found myself driving on a perfect highway doing over 100 km per hour. I reached Delhi to Chandigarh (about 250 km) in less than four hours.

Night 1 turned out to be the only night, in the entire journey, when I did not camp.

[I did camping throughout my 9-day Spiti Valley bike trip. Here’s a more detailed article on it: How to do camping In Spiti Valley and save 100% money on accommodation]

Day 2: Chandigarh to Arphu

spiti valley bike trip

Day 2 of my Spiti Valley itinerary took me from Chandratal to a town called Arphu. It takes about one and a half hours to drive from Chandigarh to Shimla (if you end up being lucky and find no traffic on the way).

The road to Shimla, and further ahead, is mostly good in shape and stays good all year round, which assures you a smooth ride.

You might have to ask a few people about the directions before you hit Narkanda, but once you cross Narkanda there is pretty much only one single highway to follow.

People driving from Shimla to Kaza, from New Delhi often spend a night in Shimla. I would suggest they leave Shimla for lousy weekend getaways and drive a little further to stay somewhere in Narkanda or in Rampur. These towns are comparatively scenic and peaceful.

I had, however, found a small establishment near Kingel – a town named ‘Arphu’ where I camped on day 2 of my Spiti Valley bike trip. To my satisfaction, Arphu has no guest house but only local people’s houses. Since I was the only guest in the town, I was invited by a local family to dine at their house. People from Delhi bring new and worldly stories for these people, so getting such invitations in the small towns of Himachal Pradesh is no tough deal. Happens all the time!

And that’s how my camping days began during my Spiti Valley bike trip. From day 2 until the last day, I rode solo and camped solo throughout my 9-day trip.

Day 3: Arphu to Sangla

spiti valley itinerary

Day 3 Started with a light shower. Kinnaur can give you a drizzle at times, so do not forget to bring a rain cover for your luggage and for yourself. Spiti Valley is comparatively dry.

You’ll experience the first-ever “You Don’t Call It A Road” episode of your Spiti Valley itinerary near Wangtu where you drive about 8 km towards Tapri under an angry bright sun. It took me 40 mins to cover this nasty 8 km stretch. I had to stop every 10 minutes to check if my bike was not yet punctured. Tapri, however, awards you with a perfect Hot Spring where you can relax a bit. The hot spring is situated about 2 km away from the town of Tapri. The town also has a petrol pump, in case you’re planning a little detour towards Chitkul – the last Indian town.

Chitkul, in recent times, has gained some interest in the travel community, due to its beautiful surroundings and perfect climate.

Please note that I have added Chiktul to my Spiti Valley itinerary only because I went there. Many solo riders and group tours don’t take you to Chitkul it adds approximately 150 Kilometres to your entire Delhi to Spiti Valley distance.

But those who visit Chitkul never come back dissatisfied.

I camped in Sangla, which was a little less than 20kms before Chitkul.

Day 4: Sangla to Chitkul

Chitkul Monastery

You feel the difference when you enter Sangla Valley [see these Chitkul Pictures to get an idea]. Snow-capped mountains, perfectly beautified with ancient Tibetan architecture – dating back its foundation to the 19th century.

A gentle stream of water can be found running next to the narrow driveway – which, for most of its part, can be found in good condition. The drive, I am sure, at any time of the year feels no less than driving on a ‘road to heaven’.

Chitkul is a tiny Tibetan settlement claiming its small portion of land at the end of the Indian border before Spiti Valley begins.

The town also has a popular 500 years old Mathi temple with images of Shakyamuni Buddha, a wheel of life Mangala and four directional kings on either side of the door.

Chitkul is also believed to be the last point of Kinner Kailash Parikrama. Any pilgrim who does it ends their trip by praying at its Mathi Temple

Often known as the last Indian town, is a perfectly quiet town, with good – though a little expensive – accommodation options, which range from camping – for Rupees 1,500 a night – to comparatively cheaper rooms. I ended up camping, again and bailed out for free.

If you are only doing a Delhi to Chitkul trip, I have written a separate blog post on it with all the details on how to self-drive or take a bus and travel to Chitkul. Read for more details: Delhi to Chitkul blog

Day 5: Chitkul To Nako

Nako spiti valley

Day 5 of my Spiti Valley bike trip itinerary took me from Chitkul to the beautiful Nako Valley.

You can kill the engine between Chitkul and Karccham, as it’s mostly downhill. Karccham to Rekong Peo is a little less than an hour’s drive which can be avoided if you’re Indian, as the town has nothing extraordinary to offer. Foreign nationals, however, are required to obtain a permit in Rekong Peo, which they will have to submit at a couple of check posts in Spiti Valley.

I skipped Rekong Peo and rode straight towards Puh. Do not, however, forget to fill your petrol tank in Rekong Peo, which has the last petrol station until you finally reach Kaza, after a long and dusty ride of more than 200 kilometres.

You’re required to register yourself at your first checkpoint in Puh, which takes 2 minutes for Indians and about 15-20 minutes for non-Indians. The road from Puh soon transforms itself into a driver’s nightmare. Though numerous hairpin bends and close-to-open views of the Spiti Valley will keep you engaged, and a little encouraged too, with its beauty.

It took me about 8 hours to reach Nako, from Chitkul. Nako is a sleepy settlement with beautiful panoramic views of the Himalayas. Cheap accommodation options make Nako a preferred destination among backpackers. Nako Lake was a big disappointment for me, due to its significantly tiny dimensions. What made Nako perfect for me, however, was the 15th-century Nako Monastery which allowed me to camp inside its premises – certainly a highlight throughout my 9-day Spiti Valley bike trip.

Day 6: Nako To Key

Key Monastery spiti valley

Day 6 of my Spiti Valley itinerary finally took me to Kaza, but I stayed in Key and not in Kaza,

Kaza is about 5 km from the town of Kaza. To me, the idea of staying in a small town, which is far less touristy and is close to a 13th-century monastery (perched on a mountaintop) seemed more appealing. Though I was disappointed, for I did not get permission to stay in the monastery, or camp anywhere outside it, the town of Key, to my satisfaction, had quite a few open spaces for camping.

The drive from Nako to Key is beautiful. Big-sized excavators and road-rollers can be found running throughout the year here, trying to remove any debris from the road and change the condition of the road from worse to moderately worse.

Once you cross the town of Tabo, the valley opens itself and keeps expanding until you cross Kunzum Pass. It is after this moment you get the most beautiful landscapes throughout your Spiti Valley bike trip.

Day 7: Key To Losar

spiti valley itineraryKaza is the district headquarters of Spiti Valley and has the only petrol pump in the area – for about a 200-km radius, in either direction – so going to Kaza was inevitable. Day 7 brought me back to Kaza (From Key), which takes about 15 minutes. With my petrol tank full again, I soon found myself enjoying the giant and vainglorious peaks of Spiti Valley, towards Losar. Kaza to Losar was a 3-4 hour ride.

Losar turned out to be a sleepy Shangri-La. Its people, its beauty, and the tranquillity, everything was perfect in every sense. It was in Losar where I was only allowed to camp inside a private property, as according to locals “it would be convenient and safe for me”. There are quite a few accommodation options too, in Losar.

Day 8: Losar To Chandratal

chandratal

As you journey from Losar to Manali, you start moving away from Spiti Valley and enter Lahaul Valley. Brace yourself for the ascent to Kunzum La and for another episode of World’s Worst Roads (which lasts until you reach Gramphu and merge with the traffic of Leh-Manali). Tar will occasionally come and go here.

After crossing Kunzum Pass and driving a few kilometres downhill towards Batal, you will come across a narrow driveway – wide enough for only one car to clear. This is a 12.5km stretch which goes all the way to Chandratal. A traffic signboard, however, will point towards Chandratal, so you’ll have no problem in finding which way to go.

Caution is advised while driving, especially during a solo drive to Chandraral. Keep on the lookout for any vehicle coming from the other side, and if you spot a car in the other direction, look for a wide enough spot and wait there for the other vehicle to pass you by. Share proud looks with the other driver and part your ways.

Despite a challenging drive, Chandratal is a no-miss on any Spiti Valley bike trip. Situated at an altitude of about 4,300m, this is where you’ll find vainglorious mountains overlooking the lake on one side, with a magnificent cirque on the other – if you know what that means. The way to Chandratal is accessible by a motorbike, or a jeep, up to the very end. You would then only be required to scrape your feet and walk for 10 minutes to reach the beautiful Chandratal Lake.

Chandratal has no guest houses but only a few camping sites. For a luxury camping experience, you might need to pay around 2500 Rupees per person, and for a rugged, what-a-night experience you pay 700. I camped on my own, once again, and had a different experience. “Time to get a room,” I thought the next morning.

And that was it, my Spiti Valley road trip was coming to an end. Day 9 was moreover the day when I camped for the last time during this Spiti Valley itinerary.

Day 9: Chandratal to Manali

Leh Laddakh Road

Return the same way that took you to Chandratal until you come back to the diversion and take the highway that goes to Batal.

Make sure you fill your stomach at one of the dhabas in Batal because the next town might be a little far. Though it’s only 18 km away since you’ll be driving at only about 10kms/hour – thanks to a poor road. This 50 km stretch, from Batal to Gramphoo, will eat up good 4-5 hours of your daylight.

After Gramphoo, comes Rohtang Pass, overcrowded by tourists looking for places to visit near Manali. Rohtang Pass is always surrounded by thick fog with rain being a certain possibility on the top, so make sure you cover up with raincoats and plastic bags. This is no Spiti Valley. Rain is now a common story here.

After Rohtang Top, there are many places to eat and rest for a while. A little further ahead lies the beautiful Solang Valley, with better camping spaces. But I decided to take a room in Manali, for I had done enough camping on the way.

From Manali, you can also plan another interesting bike trip to Sach Pass. If you’re interested, here’s the Sach Pass itinerary I followed during my trip in August 2019. Though I did it from Delhi to Sach Pass to Manali, you can repeat the entire journey the other way round, ie Manali to Sach Pass to Delhi.

Also Read: Jammu To Killar Itinerary

Have you ever attempted a solo Spiti Valley bike trip? How was your experience? Also, would you like to add anything in this itinerary? Please share in the comments below!

Categories India

About

I am Dev, and I've been travelling full-time since 2016. I was a journalism student & started my corporate career as a documentary film-maker in England, before moving to India & becoming a full-time nomad. 25+countries. 50+ Brand Partnerships. And the adventure continues...

  1. Wow, you have given me goosebumps and I loved the journey imagining it as you described it so well. I would love to go on this solo trip, thanks for giving me the motivation. I will take help from your blog, it will no less than be a perfect guide for me.

  2. Great blog and informative content. Thanks for sharing such amazing content with us I am flattered by your writing skill. I am going to share this content with everyone who may be interested. It’s a humble request to keep sharing such great information with us.

  3. Hey Dev!
    Hope you are doing great, if you are from India so please make a blog on our bihar so that people can also know about our bihar.

  4. Next week, I am also planning to go on a solo trip – Delhi to Ladakh

  5. Pawan Ranta

    Great post Dev. I could not find the place Arphu. There is a place ‘Urshu’ near Kingal though.
    One can entirely skip Reckong Peo now as there is a new petrol station on NH-5 near Powari village.

    I would love to collaborate with you on our next Spiti valley winter expedition.
    Do let me know.

    Thanks.

    • Hey Pawan, thanks for your message. Arphu is a very small town (no mentions on Google) when you’re there Google shows that you’re on a green space somewhere, lost, lol. Would love to collab. Can you please email or message on https://instagram.com/footloosedev thanks 🙂

  6. Good information

  7. Nitesh E Narayanan

    Hi Dev.
    I need to check what would be the route status in January.
    I am planning to do it from 2nd January to 14th January.

    • we are planning for Spiti Trip in Feb 1st week, will you Join with us?

      This is our first trip pls reply to this number 9985158761 or 7989740650

  8. Hi Dev,
    I am planning to go spiti in July second week,is it a good time to visit and what are conditions of road during monsoon season and what are the problems which can occur during the journey.

  9. Sandesh Dawadi

    This article inspires me to make a trip plan …

  10. Wow !!! The blog is a perfect answer to all the faqs regarding the spiti valley road trip.

  11. Atharva Pandey

    That is a pretty good itinerary. I am planning to explore Spiti valley on a bike in the mid of june. Suoer excited.

  12. Thanks for the tips, i took the 5 bikes on rent from Kashmir biker, they have choices of bikes on affordable price. you can visit them if you want to know more. kashmirbikers.com
    kashmirbikers.com

  13. pushpendra dwivedi

    i am inspired by your articles , most daring full tour post thanks for sharing with with us .

  14. Hi bro. I liked your article. I will also plan for trip.

  15. Arun Sheokand

    Sir, we are two guys with a Honda bike (100cc) and pulsar 150cc planning for kaza(via chitkul) in mid April. Can u please tell if 100 cc will be able to make it. And how much would be cost for accommodation and food. And any other suggestions from your side would be really appreciated. Your blog is very helpful.

  16. Yash gupta

    Hi admin ,

    Thanks for sharing many useful things

    We are planning to go spiti from shimla highway i need your suggestions on following points !

    1. Can we go to spiti in november via shimla highway with bike , is it accessible ? Whether will be ok or not ? Any difficuties we can find during so we can make proper adjustments
    2. Since we are going by air to chandigarh…can we get bikes in chandigarh or in shimla on rent to go spiti ?
    3. How much time it will take to complete the whole trip if we ride whole to cover maximum route ?

    Looking forward for your helpful revert

    Thanks

  17. Rishi (D-Lone Wolf)

    Hi Dev, Greetings Bro…im planning to do this delhi-shimla-kinnaur-spiti-manali-delhi in last week on Oct 2017. means staring from delhi on 23 oct. It’ll be a solo bike trip on my Dominar 400. Any suggestions bro????

    • Hey Rishi, you’d perhaps want to reconsider Manali. The route between Kaza-Kunzum Pass-Manali has got some snowfall recently. Just checked on HRTC (Himachal government buses) Facebook page that they’ve stopped operating their buses too for now on that route because of bad weather.
      Here: https://www.facebook.com/footloosedev/photos/a.1681726485408361.1073741829.1680375892210087/1961351987445808/
      I’d say, call HRTC and get the recent update. You can get their number from their website (just google)

      • Rishi (D-Lone Wolf)

        Thanks a TON Dev for the valuable suggestion. Since its going to be a solo trip, i have to take lot of things into consideration. The bad weather was something i was afraid of and wanted to make this trip last month itself but due to cancellation of my leave i couldn’t manage. Well as per your suggestion i’ll be looking out for HRTC update to get the latest on this and ride accordingly.

  18. very rare online

    This is one of such blog post that inspires you to go on a backpacking adventure today itself. loved your way of writing really pure, blunt and natural and the details you have shared are just umprarrel

  19. Na Prashad

    How it costs the whole trip??

  20. Stargazing in India

    I wish I could join you in the expedition..

  21. take your uncle also guys .

  22. Rajan Sirohi

    Hey Yash,

    i too plan to do this trip solo on motorbike from 7-14 Aug…..If we can tag along, it w/b great. I will join at Manali from Delhi.

  23. Yash Bijalwan

    We are also planning to visit in month of August (8th to 15th).
    Travel plan is below-
    Day-1 (08th August)
    Rishikesh to Shimla or Narkanda (Approx. 261 Km+ 60 Km)
     Local sight Seeing
     Overnight at Shimla or Narkanda
    Day-2 (09th August)
    Shimla to Kalpa or Chitkul (Kinnaur Valley)- Approx 240 Km
     Visit Kamru Fort at Sangla
     Overnight at Sangla
    Day- 03 (10th August)
    Kalpa – Nako – Nako Lake – Geyu Mummy – Tabo (Approx 149 Km)
     Lunch at Nako Lake
     After Sumdo Police Registration, detour towards Geyu Village to visit the 500 Year old Mummy
     Overnight at Tabo
    Day-04 (11th August)
    Tabo to Pin Valley (App. 153 Km)
     Pin Valley I Kungri – Sagnam – Mud – Tailing
     Overnight at Pin Valley
    Day-05 or 06 (12th and 13th August)
    Pin Valley to Kaza to Chandratal (Pin Valley – Kaza – Ki – Kibber – Gette – Tashigang – Kaza- Hikkim – Komik – Langza -Kunzum Pass – Chandratal / Battal
     Kaza local sight seeing
     Statue of the Buddha near Langza
     Tanggyud monastery at Komik
     Will visit Chandratal via Kunzum Pass
     Overnight at Battal or Chandratal Camps on 13th August
    Day 07 (14th August)
    Battal / Chandratal – Kunzum Pass – Rohtang Pass – Manali
     Overnight at Manali
    Day- 08 (Happy Independence Day)
    Manali to Rishikesh

    • Hey if u haven’t already started. I am planning spiti tour on last weekend of Aug. Call 9560079925

  24. Harjeet Singh

    Hi Dev,
    We are planning this trip in 4 days, following is the itinerary. Please let us know its doable or not. Need urgent reply as we are leaving tomorrow.

    Day – 1
    Delhi – Shimla 350km 6hour – Narkanda 60km 2hour
    stoppage – shimla

    Day – 2
    Narkanda – Kinnaur 209km 7hr – spiti valley – 161km 4hr

    Day – 3
    Spiti Valley – Manali 196km 4hr

    Day-4
    Manali – Delhi 550km 11hr

  25. Hey Dev, great write up- Cheers Mate. Below is a snapshot of my plan for Aug’17. Let me know if its up to the Mark. Have copied few things from your Blog

    Day # Departure From To “Distance
    (km)” Details
    Day 1 12/Aug/17 Chandigarh Shimla 120 Reach Chandiragh thru Air and collect bikes drive to Shimla; Stay overnight

    Day 2 13/Aug/17 Shimla Sight Seeing> KUFRI Overnight stay at Kufri

    Day 3 14/Aug/17 Kufri Kalpa 250 Sangla, Rampur Lunch, Overnight stay @ Kalpa

    Day 4 15/Aug/17 Kalpa Kaza 210 TABO, Mount Kinner Sunrise, lunch at Nako Lake, After Chango Spity Valley,Stay @ Kaza

    Day 5 16/Aug/17 Kaza Sight Seeing Dhankar Lake, Pin Valley | Kungri – Sagnam – Mud – Tailing, Kaza,Tashigang , Losar Stay

    Day 6 17/Aug/17 Losar Chandratal 150 Visit Chandratal via Kunzum Pass and enjoy the day there, Overnight at Battal or Chandratal Camps

    Day 7 18/Aug/17 Reach Manali & Sight Seeing Drive through Battal – Chattru – Gramphu towards Rohtang Pass, stay @ Manali

    Day 8 19/Aug/17 Manali Chandigarh 310 Overnight stay at Chandigarh

    • Hey Ramesh, thanks for writing. The itinerary looks good. One thing, I’d like to point out is that Day4 (from Kalpa to Kaza) might be too much of riding, though of course, it is doable, be careful that you leave early morning and ride aggressively throughout the day. Have fun mate!

      • Thanks a lot Dev 🙂 Point noted, we shall not rush through or pressurize our bikes, we will ride through as far possible and rest mid way. Thanks for your time

  26. Bilawal Bir Singh

    Hii !!

    So nicely done Dev.
    We (me and my friend) are planning to go from the same route you went but we don’t have that many days(10 days is what we have) i.e. we have to return to our Jobs.
    There are several things I wanna ask as I haven’t been camping before.

    1) What if we don’t camp? Do we can find accommodation? and secondly how dear are they?
    2) Since we’ll be goig via shimla and return via manali – do ww still need to deal with permit and stuff?
    3) A Pulsar 200AS and Suzuki Gixxer SF, will they do ir not?
    4) All hard cash? Can we find Atms or not? If not, how much should be enough for two that would include our food+accom+petrol+Wear&tear
    5) Clothing! What to carry – how much to carry?

    We’re planning to leave in first of july; June was on the carde but you know it’s quite tough to get leaves done in vacations.
    Thanks in advance Sir.

    • finding atms is a problem, better carry cash, the bikes you mentions woudl do great. you can sure find the accommodation on the way. carry minimum, but carry a very good biking jacket, as you will be riding under harsh weather conditions (it will be too warm and too cold, nothing in between).

  27. Hey Dev, great write up- Cheers Mate. Below is a snapshot of my plan for Aug’17. Let me know if its up to the Mark. Have copied few things from your Blog

    Day # Departure From To “Distance
    (km)” Details
    Day 1 12/Aug/17 Chandigarh Shimla 120 Reach Chandiragh thru Air and collect bikes drive to Shimla; Stay overnight

    Day 2 13/Aug/17 Shimla Sight Seeing> KUFRI Overnight stay at Kufri

    Day 3 14/Aug/17 Kufri Kalpa 250 Sangla, Rampur Lunch, Overnight stay @ Kalpa

    Day 4 15/Aug/17 Kalpa Kaza 210 TABO, Mount Kinner Sunrise, lunch at Nako Lake, After Chango Spity Valley,Stay @ Kaza

    Day 5 16/Aug/17 Kaza Sight Seeing Dhankar Lake, Pin Valley | Kungri – Sagnam – Mud – Tailing, Kaza,Tashigang , Losar Stay

    Day 6 17/Aug/17 Losar Chandratal 150 Visit Chandratal via Kunzum Pass and enjoy the day there, Overnight at Battal or Chandratal Camps

    Day 7 18/Aug/17 Reach Manali & Sight Seeing Drive through Battal – Chattru – Gramphu towards Rohtang Pass, stay @ Manali

    Day 8 19/Aug/17 Manali Chandigarh 310 Overnight stay at Chandigarh

  28. Chirag Yadav

    Hi Dev,

    Thank you for such an inspiring article.
    I have already tried one unsuccessful trip to spiti valley.
    This is my second try.
    My friends and I are planning a trip this week only.
    Can you suggest whether 6 days would be sufficient from Delhi to spiti and back.
    Please suggest the possible route ,the places we should visit and things to carry.
    We have 2 Classic 350’s and one Avenger 220.
    Any other advice would be great for us.

    Thanks
    Chirag Yadav

    • I can’t imagine why your first try was unsuccessful. Perhaps because you have no time. 5 days in Spiti from Delhi to Delhi would be an injustice man, to yourself, your motorbikes, nature, and everything else in between. Anyway, I’d suggest the same route I followed, with fewer stops (particularly avoid visiting Chitkul and Chandratal). And don’t forget to drive forget an extra accelerator wire 😀

  29. Ashok sharma

    HELLO Dev
    I came across your article and it’s really inspiring. I have done some solo trips on my avenger 220 and planning for a solo trip to spiti (17th June onwards) from jaipur. Can you please share your experience about the problems you had with bike (if there were any) and other necessary accessories which one must carry. Your views will help me a lot.

  30. Thanks for the wonderful article.

  31. VIKAS SINGH

    HI DEV HRU I M PLANING A SOLO TRIP FOR SPITI FPR 10 DAYS IN JUNE 2NDWITH CAR BREZZA ENTER FROM SHIMLA & EXIT FROM MANALI PLS TELL ME ITS SAFE TRIP I WANT TO TALK WITH U CAN I SO PLS CALL ME ON 9811276746

  32. Great post. Very useful.

  33. Arjun Asok

    Hi,
    iam planning a Bicycle ride from Spiti valley to Khardhung lah with my friends on Mid August or sep.
    We are from Kochi, kerala.
    We will reach delhi by train with our cycles.
    Our plan is to carry Cycles through bus from delhi to spiti.
    is it possible to get single bus from delhi to spiti?
    is it allowed to carry cycles in bus?
    pls help. (y)

    • hey man, glad to see your willingness to do it on cycle, going ecofriendly is always the best way to travel. Anyway, I can’t say if they allow transporting cycles or not, but i think they do. I’d advise you to conctact HRTC. You can call them or write them on their correspondence number/email provided on their website (they generally reply and advise very well). HRTC has a great service. Other than that, you can get a direct bus from Delhi to Reckong Peo and then Reckong Peo to Kaza.
      Good luck 🙂

  34. Monali Mitra

    Hi Dev,

    A very well documented journey & totally inspiring one. I need some help in planning a similar trip 6th May’17 reaching delhi @ 8am – 13th May’17 dep delhi @ 10:20am. I will be a pilion rider with a friend. Planning to cab it from delhi to shimla/manali since we want to use 6th may & not waste it in delhi. And then rent an Royal Himalayan Enfield or any bike that you can suggest for a comfortable ride. Also did u camp all through the above journey or were you staying at guesthouses/homestays? Pls Share contact nbrs if any. Also this will be my first self camping trip so suggestions on food, places to freshen up at if poss LOL . Also I believe the lower back starts aching & buttocks gets sore on long bike journeys any tips for ensuring high energy levels & good back. sorry for sounding so ignorant but as I have shared earlier this will be my 1st biking & camping trip that too in Himachal 🙂 Basically all advise is welcome. Look forward to hearing from you soo

  35. Can i prefer my car for spiti valley?????

    • yes, cars do fine. I’ve seen people driving their Alto 800s there, but you’ve to be a very trained driver though.

  36. Spiti valley is like a dream destination for me. Its highly daunting and treacherous route makes it more adventurous. Will surely try to visit this place this year.

  37. Aditya Bhardwaj

    hello Dev,

    My name is Aditys. I am from delhi adn planning my spiti trip in 2017. I just completed my LEh trip in sep 2016 on my re classic 350. On some stretches roads were totally messed up. I fall thrice (loss of traction downhill) but other than that it was awesome.
    Kindly advise me which month is best to go, which route, what to see and how to plan.

    Awaiting your expert advise 🙂

    • Hey Aditya, I think the best time is around May and June. Why because this is when Kunzum pass opens (mostly in June, but sometimes in May as well). If Kunzum pass is closed, because of snowfall, you cannot access the valley from Manali – Kaza. Though you can do it from Shimla – Kaza, pretty much throughout the year, but you won’t be able to make a loop. If you read this story, you will get a clear idea what routemap I followed and how to plan. I’m sure if I give you the answer here, it will be exaclty what I’ve written in the story. If you’ve any particular doubt, please let me know.
      About the month, I’d say June is a good month, because the weather is comparatively warm and there’s no scope of rain either (in Kinnaur Valley, which is the gateway to Spiti valley, from Shimla). Good luck!

  38. Wonderful indeed

  39. Hi Dev, nice article, we are planning route kalka – mandi – reckong peo- tabo – spiti, between 10-15 oct, do you think it is doable? we will be on bike, also is there any scenic this time of year or snowfall all around….

    • You’d kill twos day in doing Kalka to Mani and Mandi to Rekong Peo. Perhaps go straight from Kalka to Chandigarh and further on towards Shimla. This route would save you a good 100 Kms. And yea, if you reach Shimla or Rampur in 1 day (from Kalka) I think 5 days should be enough to do Spiti Valley, though you’d have to drive most of the hours in a day. Good luck!

  40. rohit jain

    Thanks Dev for the amazing article, very informative indeed. I am planning to do a bike trip to Spiti this year with couple of my friends, do you think october first two weeks will be a good season?

    thanks,
    Rohit

    • Yea October is a good time to go. But before you leave, and to be on safer side, confirm with a tour operator in Manali about the condition at Kunzum Pass, you need to make sure that it’s still passable.

      • rohit jain

        Thanks Dev,

        Yeah surely I will check about the Kunzum Pass. I have couple of more doubts 🙂

        I am planning to do a bike trip to Spiti with my friend. So we will be two people:
        Both of us have a moderate bike riding experience in the cities, but we have never ridden in mountains. Do you think its a good idea to do it on bike since it will be our first time for riding in mountains?

        What kind of bike is good? As I mentioned, we are not “Hardcore Bikers”, never done a long trip on Bike. We certainly would not want to take Enfield on the dangerous roads since we dont have much experience.

        Do we need to learn basic bike maintenance and repairing and carry the repairing kid as well?

        Thanks,
        Rohit

        • it absolutely is doable even if you’ve never driven in mountains. I also had a few day trips around mountains, but it was my first ever week long solo trip in Himalayas. And I ended up being in Spiti Valley , which is way tougher than Leh, and much isolated too. I had no bad experience, though you can call me a little lucky, but i think if you try to be conscious about your surroundings and be a little careful, you’re going to be okay.

          Skip the Royal Enfield, I’d say go for a Pulsar (200 or 220) or an Avenger. Avenger is more suitable I guess. Try not to go below a 200cc engine , to have some power in your engine.

        • Hi Rohit,

          I too am planning the same route in Oct 2nd week. Is your trip finalized?

          Thanks,
          Kiran MS

        • Hi, I am planning to go first week of Oct as well. May be we should connect?

  41. i want to go spiti by 100cc platina in 10th of September. Please suggest can i complete the circuit by 100cc platina in september.

    • I think a 100 CC platina – if it is fairly new in condition and does not carry much weight – should be good to go. September is perfectly okay to explore Spiti, you should definitely go ahead with it. There are few patches on the way which are really bad and Platina’s slim tyres might be a problem, but if driven with caution, you should do okay.

      • Dev my platina is only 9500 km driven and 1.9 months old . bike is like showroom condition. i am caring mx 10 kg . Because rest will on another 150 cc bajaj V. my weight is 95 kg. am driving from last 20 years.

    • u need more cc bike 100cc platina is not made for these tough roads..u will get disappointed by your bike..so make sure u got a heavy engine bikes such as bullet or pulser 220..

  42. Beautiful places

    I read your website properly. I come to know about Beautiful Places in Sangla Valley by reading your article. I am very happy to read your article. I earn some knowledge about Sangla Vallay. So many thanks for your article. I thought that it help any other peoples to traveling this Sangla Valley.

  43. Anuradha Goyal

    I did the same trip – slow travelling in about 17 days between Shimla & Manali. Not a biker but used a car

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