Spiti Adventure: Kinnaur, Kaza, Dhankar Lake & Chandratal, 10 Days
Starting from ₹42,500 per person, twin sharing
- Fully Customisable
- Free to Enquire
- Reply Within Hours
- Duration
- 9 nights / 10 days
- Pickup → drop
- Shimla → Manali
- Best time
- Jun – Sep (Kunzum Pass open)
- Activity level
- 4/4 · Challenging
- Group size
- 2–10
Activity level 4 of 4: Challenging.Altitude up to 4,590 m and 4–6 hour rough drives, plus a 2-hour hike to Dhankar Lake at about 4,100 m.What the levels mean
- 1 · RelaxedSightseeing by car with short walks, under 2 hours on foot a day.All ages and fitness levels, including parents and young children.
- 2 · Light2–4 hours on foot a day, with stairs, uneven ground or some long drives.Anyone in normal health who can walk 30 minutes comfortably.
- 3 · Active4–6 hours of walking or a few long rough drives, some days at altitude.Regular walkers. Start walking 30–45 minutes a day a month before.
- 4 · ChallengingLong days, steep climbs or high altitude (above 4,000 m).Good fitness; check with your doctor if you have heart, lung or blood-pressure conditions.
Quick answer
A 10-day Spiti adventure runs from Shimla to Manali via Kinnaur, Nako, Tabo, Kaza, Kunzum Pass (4,590 m) and a Chandratal camp. It includes a Dhankar Lake hike and gradual acclimatisation, with oxygen and a pulse oximeter in the vehicle. It costs from ₹42,500 per person and runs from June to September, graded Challenging.
Trip Overview
Spiti's classic loop in the safest direction: up through Kinnaur's apple valleys and Nako's lake village, across to Tabo and Dhankar, three nights around Kaza, over the Kunzum Pass to Chandratal and out to Manali.
This version adds a hike to Dhankar Lake, takes extra care over acclimatisation, and carries safety kit in the vehicle.
- Stays included
- Meals included
- Transfers included
- Sightseeing included
Trip highlights
- Sarahan's Bhimakali temple and Kinnaur's Chitkul and Sangla valleys
- Nako's lake village at about 3,600 m
- Tabo monastery, over 1,000 years old, and Dhankar's cliff-top monastery
- A hike to Dhankar Lake at about 4,100 m
- Key Monastery, Kibber, Langza and the Hikkim post office
- A camp at Chandratal after crossing the Kunzum Pass
Day by day
Itinerary
Shimla → Manali · 9N/10D
10 days · tap a day to open or close it
- 1
Day 1Shimla to SarahanShimla → Sarahan · 170 km · 6 hrs+
Beyond Shimla's crowds to Sarahan's Bhimakali temple. Altitude about 2,000 m.
Guesthouse, Sarahan D
- 2
Day 2Sarahan to Sangla and ChitkulSarahan → Chitkul → Sangla · 100 km · 4 hrs+
Into Kinnaur along the Baspa river. An afternoon in Chitkul, the last inhabited village before the Tibet border.
- Chitkul
Homestay, Sangla B · D
- 3
Day 3Sangla to KalpaSangla → Kalpa · 50 km · 2 hrs+
Apple orchards and the Kinner Kailash view. A slow afternoon to acclimatise.
Homestay, Kalpa B · D
- 4
Day 4Kalpa to NakoKalpa → Nako · 105 km · 4 hrs+
A dramatic road along the Sutlej to Nako's lake village at about 3,600 m. A short walk around the lake only, as the first night at altitude.
Homestay, Nako B · D
- 5
Day 5Nako to TaboNako → Tabo · 65 km · 2.5 hrs+
A short drive and a long visit to Tabo monastery and its caves.
- Tabo monastery
Guesthouse, Tabo B · D
- 6
Day 6Tabo to Kaza via DhankarTabo → Dhankar → Kaza · 50 km · 2.5 hrs+
Dhankar's cliff-top monastery, then the hike to Dhankar Lake (about 2–3 km uphill from the village; 2 hours up) as an acclimatisation walk. On to Kaza.
- Dhankar monastery
- Dhankar Lake hike
Homestay, Kaza B · L · D
- 7
Day 7High villages+
Langza's fossils and Buddha statue, the Hikkim post office and Komic.
- Langza
- Hikkim
- Komic
Homestay, Langza or Kaza B · D
- 8
Day 8Key Monastery and Kibber+
Key Monastery at morning prayers, then Kibber and the Chicham bridge. A buffer afternoon in case of road closures.
- Key Monastery
- Kibber
- Chicham bridge
Homestay, Kaza B · D
- 9
Day 9Kaza to ChandratalKaza → Kunzum → Chandratal · 90 km · 4 hrs+
Over the Kunzum Pass (4,590 m) to the crescent lake. Camp near Chandratal at about 4,300 m.
- Kunzum Pass
- Chandratal
Camp, Chandratal B · D
- 10
Day 10Chandratal to Manali, trip endsChandratal → Manali · 125 km · 6 hrs+
The rough Batal road to the Atal Tunnel and down to Manali by evening.
Trip ends B
Meals: B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner. Drive times are typical and exclude stops.
What's included
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included
- 9 nights in homestays, guesthouses and a camp at Chandratal (twin or triple sharing)
- Daily breakfast and dinner; lunch on the Dhankar Lake day
- Private SUV or Tempo Traveller with an experienced Spiti driver
- A local guide for the Dhankar Lake hike
- An oxygen cylinder, pulse oximeter and first-aid kit in the vehicle
- 24×7 trip support on WhatsApp
Not Included
- ✕ Flights or trains to the start point and from the end point
- ✕ Monument, temple-darshan and camera fees unless listed
- ✕ Lunches unless listed, tips, laundry and personal expenses
- ✕ 5% GST (added to the final quote)
- ✕ Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- ✕ Medication for altitude (ask your doctor) and inner line or permit fees where applicable
Before you go
Good to Know
- Altitude reaches 4,590 m at the Kunzum Pass. Drink water, rest, and tell your guide at once if you feel unwell. If you have heart, lung or blood-pressure conditions, check with your doctor before you go.
- Roads can close for landslides or snow. We keep buffer time in the plan, and the route may reverse if needed.
- The Kunzum Pass and Chandratal usually open from around June to September or October.
Packing list
Things to Pack
- Trekking shoes, already broken in
- Trekking poles
- Thermal base layers
- Down jacket
- Headlamp
- 2 L water capacity
- Rain cover for your backpack
- Sunscreen and UV sunglasses (the sun is strong at altitude)
- Lip balm, a moisturiser and a thermal flask
Places on this trip
Destination Guides
Himachal Pradesh
6 packages · from ₹11,500
Explore Himachal Pradesh →Himachal Pradesh
Manali, the Parvati valley, Jibhi and the Spiti desert.
Himachal has a mountain trip for everyone: family-friendly Shimla and Manali, the backpacker cafés of Kasol and the Parvati valley, the wooden villages of Jibhi and Tirthan, and Spiti's high-altitude desert.
- Best time
- March to June and September to November
- Ideal trip
- 6–7 days for Manali–Kasol–Jibhi; 10 days for Spiti
How booking works
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FAQs
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On-trip help
How hard is it?+
Challenging, because of altitude and remote roads rather than distance on foot. There is little walking, apart from the Dhankar Lake hike.
Why go from Shimla to Manali?+
It climbs gradually. Going from Manali to Kaza gains height much faster and raises the chance of altitude sickness.
What if the road closes?+
We keep a buffer day, and the plan can reverse. We will explain the options in writing.
Is mobile coverage available?+
Patchy in Kinnaur and Spiti, and expect little or none at Nako and Chandratal. Tell family your plan beforehand.
When is the best time?+
June to September, when the passes are open.
Can I change the itinerary?+
Yes. Dates, hotels, pace and stops can all be changed; we'll re-quote.
Do I pay anything to enquire?+
No. You'll get a written plan and quote first. Payment only happens after you approve it.
From₹42,500 /person
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