Spiti Valley Road Trip

You reserve your spot for free and pay nothing to join. Once enough travellers have signed on, usually around 10, we confirm the departure and email you a confirmation with an invoice for the full trip price. You pay by card or bank transfer within 7 days, in US dollars, pounds, euros, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, New Zealand dollars or Indian rupees, and the price shown for each date is what you pay.

Yes, that's who this trip is for. You're paired with a same-gender roommate where rooms allow it, and in some homestays and at the Chandratal camp, rooms or tents are shared with more than one other traveller.

Solo travellers aged 18 to 40, most on their own and some with a friend. The maximum for each departure is shown with its dates, and it's never more than 16.

The Trip Host travels with the group for all 10 days, arranges the permit, sorts out the guesthouses and vehicle, and is the person you go to if anything goes wrong. Local guides lead the monastery visits at Key and Tabo.

It starts at our guesthouse in Shimla on the morning of Day 1, and we send the address when you book. It ends in Manali in the afternoon of Day 10. Spiti has no flights or trains, so fly into Delhi or Chandigarh and take a road transfer or onward flight to Shimla before Day 1. From Manali, fly out of Kullu-Manali airport where flights run, or take an overnight bus to Delhi, which takes about 10 to 12 hours.

Yes, for the protected stretch on the Kinnaur side, around Khab, Nako, Sumdo, Dhankar and Tabo, which this route passes through. Whether foreigners need an Inner Line Permit for Kaza itself is disputed: one official district page says no, another lists Kaza as protected but was last updated in 2018. If you're travelling on your own, confirm with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate's office in Kaza before you go. The two district pages also differ on group size (two or more, or four or more) and the fee is around 200 rupees per person plus the agency's charge. We arrange the permit as part of the trip, and rules can change, so read our Spiti Valley guide for the current position.

In summer, between about mid-June and late September, when the Manali road over Kunzum Pass is normally open. Kunzum is closed by snow from about November to April, and fresh snow can shut it from late September, so we can't promise a pass is open on a given day. The Shimla road through Kinnaur stays open for longer but has landslides and monsoon closures, so delays are normal. We don't run departures in winter.

Yes. Most nationalities need an e-Tourist visa for India (30 days, 1 year or 5 years), applied for only on the official site, indianvisaonline.gov.in, and every foreign visitor must file the e-Arrival card, mandatory since 1 April 2026. An e-visa alone isn't valid in Spiti's protected areas, which is why the separate permit above is needed too. Rules change, so read our India visa guide for your passport before you book flights, and check with a travel health clinic or your doctor about vaccinations at least six weeks before you go.

Guesthouses and homestays in Kalpa, Nako, Tabo and Kaza, and a camp near Chandratal on the last night. Rooms are basic at altitude and bathrooms are sometimes shared. Hot water is usually by bucket or a geyser that takes a few minutes to heat, and rooms rely on blankets rather than central heating, so nights are cold even in summer.

Warm layers for cold nights, a sleeping bag liner for the Chandratal camp, sturdy shoes, sunglasses, high-factor sunscreen, a headlamp and a reusable water bottle. Kaza's ATMs are unreliable and Reckong Peo is the last reliable ATM on the way, so bring enough rupees for the whole trip, including about 250 to 300 rupees a day for meals that aren't included. Phone signal is patchy: BSNL has the widest coverage, Jio 4G works in Kaza and Tabo, and expect none at Chandratal.

Yes, it's a condition of joining, and it must include medical evacuation from altitude, since medical care in Spiti is limited and serious cases need a long drive out. You buy it yourself, and we don't include it.

Averagely fit, with long days in the vehicle and some walking on uneven ground. Altitude matters more than fitness: Kaza is about 3,650 metres, villages such as Langza, Hikkim and Komic are above 4,000 metres, and acute mountain sickness can affect anyone. The route climbs from Shimla rather than jumping straight to Kaza, which is easier on the body. Drink plenty of water, go easy on alcohol in the first days, tell your Trip Host straight away if you feel unwell, and ask your doctor whether Diamox (acetazolamide) is right for you.