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Spiti is what Ladakh was before Ladakh became a destination: unpaved, under-serviced, and run almost entirely on homestays and shared taxis. There are two ways in and they are not equivalent — the Shimla side is gradual and open most of the year, the Manali side is a single high pass open roughly June to October. Go up one and down the other if the dates allow; the altitude gain matters more than the scenery.
Compare Spiti Valley with another place →
When to go
June to September is the full season with both roads open. May and October are possible from the Shimla side only. November to April the valley is snowed in and the Manali pass is shut.
Spiti Valley right now and the next 7 days
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Spiti Valley, planned for you
A satellite map for every day with each stop pinned in order, photos of the places, timings, what each part costs, where to sleep and eat, and a checklist. One PDF that works offline: print it, or send it to everyone going.
- Day 1 Arrive in Spiti Valley · Key Monastery
- TravelShared taxi: Manali → Kaza₹1,800
- 11:00Key Monastery₹50
- 14:30Hikkim — world's highest post office₹20
- Day 2 Chandratal lake
- Day 3 Dhankar lake walk
- Day 4 Pin Valley National Park
- Day 5 Day trip: Chicham bridge
- Day 6 A slow day
- Day 7 A slow day
- Day 8 A slow day
₹49 once, 11 pages. Secure payment by Razorpay, instant download. Already bought? Get your download
Spiti Valley on the map
Tap anything in the list: the map zooms straight to it. Tap your starting city to see the way there.
The area
Getting there
Places to see
Day trips
Spiti Valley · Open in Google Maps ↗
Map by Google. Places are found by name, so check the exact spot in Google Maps before you go.
Step 3 of 11Next: Cost↓What your trip costs
Change anything and the numbers update. Every price is what the bus, room or ticket itself costs. We take no commission and sell no packages, so this is what you pay booking each piece yourself.
Ballpark ranges, not live quotes. Prices last updated 17 October 2026. Prices move with season and demand, so check live fares before you book. Spot a wrong price? Tell us and we fix it.
On the ground: stay, food, local travel and tickets. Pick a route above to add the journey.
Spiti Valley in 8 days: a day-by-day plan
Our suggested plan, in a sensible order with times. Move things between days, remove them or add more. It saves on this device, and you can share it.
- 11:00Key Monastery2 h · ₹50 each · The photograph everyone has seen. Stay for the afternoon prayers instead.
- 13:30Lunch break
- 14:30Hikkim — world's highest post office1 h · ₹20 each · Post a card. It takes three weeks and it arrives.
- 08:00Chandratal lakeFull day · ₹1,500 each · 4,300 m. Day trip from Kaza is safer than sleeping there.
- Lunch on the way
- 08:00Dhankar lake walk3 h · free · Steep, short and at altitude. Harder than the distance suggests.
- 11:30Day trip: Tabo monasteryHalf day · ₹80 each · Bus from Kaza (47 km)
- Lunch on the way
- 08:00Pin Valley National ParkFull day · ₹400 each · Snow leopard country. You will not see one in summer.
- Lunch on the way
- 08:00Day trip: Chicham bridgeHalf day · ₹300 each · Shared taxi or bike (18 km)
- 13:00Lunch break
- Free day: rest, or repeat a favourite.
- Free day: rest, or repeat a favourite.
- A slow morning before the journey home.
How to get to Spiti Valley
One-way prices per person. The cheapest sensible option is marked. Each button opens live times and fares for the date you picked above.
Bus via Shimla
₹2,200The gradual route. Break it at Kalpa or Nako for acclimatisation — this is the safe way in.
Bus via Manali
₹2,000Faster and far more dramatic. Open roughly June–October only, and it gains altitude too quickly.
Shared taxi Cheapest
₹1,800Leaves early morning when full. Half the price of the seat on a tour jeep.
Getting around once you're there
HRTC bus
₹120One or two a day between villages. Cheap, reliable, and it is the local social event.
Shared taxi
₹400Fills at the Kaza stand each morning. Ask the night before.
Motorbike hire
₹1,600Hired in Manali, not Kaza. Experienced riders only — this is not a road, it is a suggestion.
Private taxi
₹4,500The only realistic option with children or anyone struggling with altitude.
Where to stay in Spiti Valley
Price per night for the room. The buttons open live availability for your dates.
Homestay
₹900/nightIncludes dinner and breakfast. Almost none are listed online — you arrive and ask.
Guesthouse
₹1,200/nightKaza is the only place with any online inventory at all.
Monastery stay
₹600/nightTabo monastery has guest rooms. Simple, freezing, unforgettable.
Tented camp
₹2,500/nightSeasonal only. The lake is at 4,300 m; do not sleep there on your first night at altitude.
What to eat, and what it costs
Thukpa or thenthuk
₹150Noodle soup. At altitude, in the cold, nothing is better.
Homestay dal-chawal dinner
₹120Usually included in the room rate. Say thank you in Spitian: 'juley'.
Momos, Kaza market
₹80Six of them, steamed, from the stalls behind the bus stand.
Kaza café breakfast
₹250There are two or three proper cafés. They are a lifeline and they know it.
Places to visit and things to do in Spiti Valley
Tap “Add to my plan” and it goes into your day-by-day plan above.
Key Monastery
₹50The photograph everyone has seen. Stay for the afternoon prayers instead.
Hikkim — world's highest post office
₹20Post a card. It takes three weeks and it arrives.
Chandratal lake
₹1,5004,300 m. Day trip from Kaza is safer than sleeping there.
Dhankar lake walk
FreeSteep, short and at altitude. Harder than the distance suggests.
Pin Valley National Park
₹400Snow leopard country. You will not see one in summer.
Village homestay circuit on foot
₹3,500Langza → Komic → Demul → Lhalung, sleeping in a different village each night. The best thing in Spiti.
Day trips and next stops
Kalpa & Kinnaur
₹400HRTC bus toward Reckong Peo
Manali
₹1,800Bus or shared taxi over Kunzum La (seasonal)
Tabo monastery
₹80Bus from Kaza
Chicham bridge
₹300Shared taxi or bike
Know before you go
Mistakes to avoid
- Acute mountain sickness is the real risk, not the roads. Gain altitude over three days via Shimla, not one day via Manali.
- There is no hospital. Kaza has a small clinic; serious cases mean evacuation to Shimla.
- Roads wash out. Build two spare days into any Spiti plan or you will miss your flight home.
Ways to spend less
- Go up via Shimla and down via Manali. Safer acclimatisation and you never repeat a road.
- Homestays are half the price of Kaza guesthouses, include two meals, and are the entire point of the valley.
- Shared taxis at the Kaza stand cost a quarter of what a tour operator charges for the identical vehicle.
Say it in Hindi
A few words go a long way, especially when you ask a price.
The pronunciation is a simple guide, not a native recording. Spot a mistake? Tell us.
Before-you-go checklist
Spiti Valley in pictures
Tap a photo to see it full size.
Step 11 of 11Next: FAQ↓Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Spiti Valley?
On our month-by-month scores, the best months are Jun–Sep. June to September is the full season with both roads open. May and October are possible from the Shimla side only. November to April the valley is snowed in and the Manali pass is shut.
How do I reach Spiti Valley?
Bus via Shimla: Delhi → Shimla → Reckong Peo → Kaza, 2–3 days, about ₹2,200 one way. Bus via Manali: Delhi → Manali → Kunzum La → Kaza, 2 days, about ₹2,000 one way. Flight + road: → Kullu (KUU) or Chandigarh, then road, 1 h + 1–2 days, about ₹13,000 one way. Shared taxi: Manali → Kaza, 10–12 h, about ₹1,800 one way.
How much does a 8-day trip to Spiti Valley cost?
On the ground (stay, food, local travel and tickets), one person spends about ₹11,200 on a shoestring, ₹19,200 mid-range or ₹36,000 in comfort over 8 days. Add the journey: the cheapest sensible option is shared taxi (Manali → Kaza) at about ₹1,800 each way.
How many days do you need in Spiti Valley?
8 days is right for most people. That covers Key Monastery, Hikkim — world's highest post office, Chandratal lake, Dhankar lake walk without rushing.
Is Spiti Valley good for families or solo travellers?
Out of 5 on our scores: solo 5, couples 4, families 2, groups 5. It is harder with young children or older parents. It is easy to do on your own.
Is vegetarian food easy to find in Spiti Valley?
Overwhelmingly vegetarian by default — this is a Buddhist valley and meat is scarce and expensive. Thukpa, momos, dal and the local barley are all veg. Vegans should know that butter tea and curd are in everything unless you ask.
Will my phone and cards work in Spiti Valley?
Phone signal: Only BSNL and Jio work, and only in patches. Kaza has intermittent data. Cards and UPI: Almost nowhere. Cash: Bring all of it from Manali or Reckong Peo. Homestays are cash only, always.
Guides for Spiti Valley
Longer reads from our blog that cover this trip.
Snowfall Places in India: 7 Quieter Places to See Snow This Winter, with CostsWhere to see snowfall in India this winter without the Manali, Mussoorie and Nainital crowds: 7 places and 5 snow…Read the guide →
Places to Visit Near Delhi: 13 Underrated Trips by Distance, with Real CostsUnderrated places to visit near Delhi by road distance, from Chakrata at 294 km to Munsiyari at 619 km, with the…Read the guide →Similar underrated places
Kalpa & Reckong PeoAn old Kinnauri village of wooden temples and apple orchards, looking straight across the Sutlej at the…From ₹1,100/day · May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Tirthan ValleyA trout river, wooden villages and the buffer zone of a UNESCO national park, an hour off the Manali…From ₹1,100/day · May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Sangla & ChitkulWooden villages and apple orchards along a glacier river, ending at Chitkul, the last village on the road…From ₹1,200/day · May–Jun, Sep–Oct
ZanskarA walled-off Buddhist valley at 3,657 m, a twelve-hour shared jeep from Kargil, with cliff monasteries and…From ₹1,000/day · Jul–Sep
ChakrataA quiet army hill station in deodar forest, three hours from Dehradun, with no mall road, few hotels and a…From ₹1,300/day · Mar–May, Oct–Nov
KanatalA pine-and-oak ridge on the Chamba-Mussoorie road, with a hilltop goddess temple above it and the Tehri…From ₹1,600/day · Oct–NovTreks near Spiti Valley
Pin Parvati PassHard · 11 days · Jul–SepFrom ₹24,000 at the base
Hampta PassMedium · 5 days · Jun–SepFrom ₹10,000 at the base
Prashar LakeMedium · 2 days · Mar–Jun, Sep–DecFrom ₹2,200 at the baseSacred places near Spiti Valley
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Make the plan yours
Set your dates and group at the top, shape the days, then book each piece directly.
Back to the planner ↑Costs are indicative ballparks for doing it yourself and change with season and demand. Always check live fares, rates and opening rules before you book. Trip Under is not a travel agency: we don't sell packages or bookings, we take no commission, and we link to maps and official sites, never to booking sites. Every guide is free; our only paid products are optional downloadable trip plans and itineraries. Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; see credits.
By Gokul · Updated 17 October 2026 · Photo: Original: Kulbhushan Singh Suryawanshi ( website ) Derivative work: Aristeas · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves . Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author. I would · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Adarsh Patel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Deepank Ranka · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Timothy Gonsalves · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
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