Spiti Valley Travel Guide: How to Reach, Routes, Cost & 7-Day Itinerary

If you have been searching for how to reach Spiti from Delhi, you have probably found blogs that disagree with each other or talk about roads that are shut. That is fair, because Spiti has two very different ways in, and one of them closes every winter. This guide gives you the distance, both routes, how each one changes your altitude, what it costs by car, bus and train, and a 7 day plan you can follow.

In this guide: Distance and routes | Altitude | Best time and road status | By car | By bus | By train | Cost at a glance | 7 day itinerary | Group trip or on your own | Before you leave

Delhi to Spiti Valley distance and routes

The road distance from Delhi to Kaza is about 730 km via Shimla and about 710 to 735 km via Manali. Both routes need 2 to 3 days, because the last 200 km are slow, narrow mountain roads. Total driving time is about 16 to 20 hours.

The table below compares the two routes side by side.

Route 1: Delhi to Spiti via Shimla and Kinnaur

The Shimla route follows NH5 from Delhi through Chandigarh, Shimla, Narkanda, Rampur and Reckong Peo, then climbs through Nako and Tabo to Kaza. It is the route we suggest for first timers because the altitude rises slowly and the road does not depend on a high pass.

On the way you pass the apple orchards of Narkanda and the Sutlej river valley. At Khab Sangam the Sutlej and Spiti rivers meet, and from there the road follows the Spiti river upstream. Reckong Peo is the district headquarters of Kinnaur, and Kalpa sits about 7 km uphill from it.

A relaxed plan is 3 days. Spend night 1 at Shimla or Narkanda, night 2 at Reckong Peo or Kalpa, and reach Kaza on day 3. A faster plan is 2 days with a night at Kalpa or Nako, but the second day is long.

The Shimla route is open most of the year, not every day of the year. Heavy snowfall can close the road beyond Reckong Peo for days, and travellers have been stuck in Kaza waiting for it to reopen.

Route 2: Delhi to Spiti via Manali and Kunzum Pass

The Manali route goes from Delhi through Chandigarh, Mandi and Manali, then through the 9.02 km Atal Tunnel to Gramphu, Chattru, Batal, Kunzum Pass and Losar before it reaches Kaza. The Atal Tunnel opened in October 2020 and lets you skip Rohtang Pass, which saves about 2 to 3 hours.

Delhi to Manali takes about 12 to 14 hours. Manali to Kaza is about 182 km through the tunnel and takes 7 to 10 hours, depending on water crossings and the state of the road. The hardest part is the stretch from Gramphu to Kunzum Pass.

The Manali route is seasonal. It usually opens between mid May and early June, once the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) clears Kunzum Pass, and it shuts by late October. In 2026 the pass was reported open from the second half of May. Check the road status every time you plan this route.

Which route should you pick?

Pick the Shimla route if you travel before mid May or after October, or if it is your first time at altitude. Pick the Manali route only between June and October, and only if you are short on days or want to cross Kunzum Pass. The table below matches common situations to a route.

How the altitude changes on each route

The Shimla route is gentler on your body because you sleep at about 2,300 m in Reckong Peo before reaching Kaza at about 3,800 m. On the Manali route you start at Manali, about 2,050 m, cross Kunzum Pass at about 4,550 m and sleep at Kaza at about 3,800 m, all in one day.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is the illness that high places can cause. Common signs are headache, nausea, dizziness and poor sleep. A common rule in mountain medicine is to avoid raising your sleeping altitude by more than about 500 m a night once you are above 3,000 m, and to take a rest day every few days. If symptoms get worse, do not go higher. Tell your driver or trip captain and go down. Speak to your doctor before the trip about altitude medicines, and do not start any on your own.

Best time to travel and road status

Spiti is reachable all year only from the Shimla side, while the Manali side works from about mid May to late October. Chandratal needs its own check, because Kunzum Pass can be open while the Chandratal road is still blocked.

Winter in Spiti is for people who are ready for the cold. Temperatures can fall to minus 30 degrees Celsius, and the Shimla route is the only way in. If that is your plan, read about our Winter Spiti expedition, which also goes via Shimla and Kinnaur.

Road status changes by the hour in the mountains. Check it the evening before and again on the morning of each driving day.

Delhi to Spiti Valley by car

Going by car is the most popular option because you control the pace and the stops. A 4WD or high clearance SUV such as a Thar, Scorpio, Fortuner, Innova Crysta or Jimny is strongly recommended. Fuel for the whole trip from Delhi and back usually costs about Rs 6,000 to 12,000, depending on the vehicle, its mileage and the route.

Fuel planning matters more than most travellers expect. On the Shimla route, Reckong Peo has the last petrol pump before Kaza, so fill the tank there. The next pump is in Kaza.

For a full circuit, drive in via Shimla and return via Manali. This only works from June to October, when the Manali road is open. Our Spiti with Chandratal trip follows this idea, so you can see the plan before you design your own.

Start early each day and plan to reach your halt before dark. Hill roads are slower than the map suggests, and daylight helps on broken patches.

Delhi to Spiti Valley by bus

No bus runs straight from Delhi to Kaza, so you must break the journey. On the Shimla route the usual chain is a Volvo from Delhi to Shimla, a bus to Reckong Peo, and then a morning bus to Kaza. Plan at least 2 days and a night in Reckong Peo or Kalpa.

On that chain, Delhi to Kaza costs roughly Rs 1,300 to 2,300 one way, depending on whether you take an ordinary or an AC bus for the Delhi leg. The Reckong Peo to Kaza bus leaves early in the morning, around 6:30 to 7:00 AM, so confirm the time at the bus stand. Fares and timings change with the season.

If you go via Manali, a Volvo from Delhi to Manali takes about 12 to 14 hours. From June to October, a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus runs from Manali to Kaza through the Atal Tunnel, and the fare is about Rs 400 to 600. It leaves very early in the morning.

Delhi to Spiti Valley by train

There is no railway line in Spiti and no direct train from Delhi to Spiti Valley. Most travellers take a train from Delhi to Kalka or Chandigarh, then go to Shimla by bus or on the Kalka to Shimla toy train, and carry on by road. Train fares for the Delhi leg range from about Rs 200 to 1,500, depending on the class you book.

Delhi to Spiti Valley cost at a glance

The cheapest way to reach Kaza is by public bus, and the easiest is a group trip. The table below puts the options side by side.

These costs cover getting there and the vehicle only. Stays, food and entry fees are extra when you plan on your own.

A 7 day Spiti Valley itinerary from Shimla

This 7 day plan runs from Shimla to Manali through Kinnaur, Spiti and Chandratal. Reach Shimla first, using the overnight Volvo from Delhi, and add the bus from Manali back to Delhi at the end. Distances and times are approximate.

Do not push Day 6 and Day 7 into a tight schedule. The road beyond Batal to Chandratal can close earlier than Kunzum Pass, so keep a spare day in your plan if you can.

Group trip or on your own?

Going on your own gives you freedom, and a group trip takes away the planning. On your own, you pick every stop and your own pace, but you book stays, handle the vehicle, and check the road each morning. On a group trip, a trip captain and a driver handle the road, the stays and the daily plan, but your dates are fixed.

If you decide on a group, our Spiti Valley page lists all our Spiti trips in one place. The Spiti Half Circuit is a shorter option of 4 nights from Delhi that covers Kunzum Pass, Key Monastery, Hikkim, Langza, Komic, Chicham Bridge and Chandratal, with fixed departures from June to September.

Before you leave: a short checklist

• Permit: Indian nationals do not need a permit for Spiti Valley. Foreign nationals need a permit, which has been issued at Reckong Peo. Rules can change, so confirm before you travel.
• Mobile network: Jio, Airtel and BSNL all work in Spiti, on prepaid and postpaid. Signal drops between villages, so download offline maps.
• Fuel: Fill up at Reckong Peo on the Shimla route. There is no petrol pump between Reckong Peo and Kaza.
• Road status: Check the day before and the morning of each driving day. Ask your hotel in Kaza or Reckong Peo for the latest.
• Spare day: Keep one buffer day in your plan, because snow, landslides or a closed pass can delay you.
• Altitude: Go up slowly, drink water, and do not ignore a headache that keeps getting worse.

Last updated: October 2026. Distances, fares and road dates are approximate and change with the season, so check current road status before you travel.