At-a-glance
- Duration: 9 Days / 8 Nights
- Elevation Peak: 4,551 m (Kunzum La)
- Optimal Season: Mid-June to Mid-October
- Physical Demand: Moderate (High-Altitude Acclimatization Required)
- Starting/Ending Points: Shimla / Manali (or Chandigarh circuit)
- Indicative Tariff: Price on request.
Overview
A comprehensive, field-verified 9-day overland itinerary traversing Kinnaur and Spiti Valley via high passes. This journey follows a strategic counter-clockwise route via Shimla and Kinnaur, allowing for gradual altitude acclimatization before entering Kaza.
Day-by-day itinerary
- Day 1: Shimla to Sarahan (175 km / 6 hrs / 2,165 m): Ascend through apple valleys, visit the 800-year-old wooden Bhimakali Temple.
- Day 2: Sarahan to Sangla & Chitkul (110 km / 4.5 hrs / 3,450 m): Enter the Baspa gorge, walk through Chitkul's last village border settlement. Night halt in Rakchham.
- Day 3: Sangla to Kalpa (40 km / 2 hrs / 2,960 m): Short transit to allow pulmonary adjustment; sunset over the sacred Kinner Kailash massif.
- Day 4: Kalpa to Nako & Tabo (150 km / 5.5 hrs / 3,280 m): Cross Khab confluence into the rain shadow; walk around Nako lake; night halt at Tabo village near the 996 AD UNESCO monastery.
- Day 5: Tabo to Dhankar & Kaza (65 km / 3 hrs / 3,650 m): Explore Dhankar Gompa perched on clay spires; arrive in sub-divisional capital Kaza.
- Day 6: High Spiti Villages Circuit (60 km / 3,800m–4,400 m): Key Gompa morning puja, fossil exploration at Langza (Buddha statue), Kibber wildlife sanctuary, Chicham bridge. Night in Kaza.
- Day 7: Kaza to Chandratal via Kunzum Pass (95 km / 5 hrs / 4,300 m): Traverse Kunzum La (4,551m); hike 1.5 km to crescent-shaped Chandratal lake. Night at vetted fixed campsite.
- Day 8: Chandratal to Manali via Atal Tunnel (120 km / 6 hrs / 2,050 m): Traverse the Batal boulder fields, Gramphu climb, cross under the Pir Panjal range via Atal Tunnel into Kullu valley.
- Day 9: Manali Departure: Morning debrief, transfer to Chandigarh or onward transit.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included: Dedicated high-clearance SUV (Innova/Scorpio) with seasoned mountain driver; all fuel, driver allowance, tolls, and green taxes; 8 nights vetted accommodation (comfortable homestays + fixed camp at Chandratal); breakfast and home-cooked dinner; emergency vehicle oxygen cylinder; Inner Line Permits for foreign nationals.
Excluded: Lunch and personal cafe stops; monument/monastery entry tickets; personal travel insurance; emergency medical evacuation expenses; extra costs due to force majeure road blockages.
Flexibility / Road conditions & Eco-Zone Regulations
Acclimatization requires ascending slowly, drinking 3–4 liters of water daily, and avoiding alcohol during initial altitude staging. Carry sufficient cash as ATMs in Kaza are frequently offline. Kunzum Pass transit is seasonal (typically late June to mid-October depending on annual BRO snow clearance). In compliance with Ramsar wetland conservation directives, overnight camping is strictly restricted to designated fixed eco-campsites 2–3 km before Chandratal lake.
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