Kinnaur and Spiti Valley in July

Hii friends,

I'm planning for Kinnaur, Sangla, Kalpa tour in the first week of July (from 7th July). I hv few quiries regarding this:

1. Whether July is a good time to go to Kinnaur Valley?
2. How much time is required to visit those places?
3. How to reach Kinnaur from Delhi and how much time will be required for that?
4. What r they stay options in those places?
5. What should be my travel itinerary? (as I know less about those places)

Friends, pls suggest me as early as possible. (as less time is available)

Hii friends,

In continuation of my previous post I hv one more query regarding rainfall during July in Kinnaur.
Whether Kinnaur and Spiti valley can be covered in one week time? (8 day from Delhi to Kinnaur/Spiti to Delhi)

Any other suggestion regarding travel plan.

Pls suggest.

It seems that you have not read Trip Report - Kinnaur Spiti Lahaul - June 2010.

I hv read your travel description. It is really helpful.
I am planning kannaur valley trip for 8 day. (from delhi to kannaur to delhi)
So effectively I may be having 6 days.

Whether pin valley can be covered by this time?

I am planning nightstay at narkanda/ sarahan, sangla, chitkul, kalpa.

anything can be added or madified?

july first week is a good time to go there?

please reply.

Hi,

I have not traveled yet to those areas, but planning a tour in 3rd week of June. Have gone through lot of sites for the same. If Monsoon reaches Delhi by 1st July, it would surely reach Kinnaur & Spiti in 2nd week of July. (You are leaving Delhi on 7th. Effectively, you are in Himachal in 2nd week of July). & weather in the mountains can be very unpredictable. Remember Leh cloudburst in 1st week of Aug 2010? The roads can get blocked due to landslides for days.. Suggest to check your dates once more.

Happy Journey.
-Ashish

I have visited Kinnaur twice during the monsoon. It is not as rain free as sometimes mentioned in the travel guides. The rain fall is for sure less than in Uttarkand but the nountain vistas are quite covered by the clouds. Behind Rekong Peo further down the Spiti valley it becames much more dry.

Hii friends,

As per the your suggestions, I am shifting my plan one week before.

Now I am leaving from Delhi on 30th June for HP and returning back on 8th July.

My travel plan is for one week and I am having total 7 days time in Himachal.

Whether Spiti Valley can be covered by that time?

I came to know that some portion of Kinnaur Valley use to get affected by monsoon during that time.

So, whether Manali-Spiti Valley route will be better option than Shimla-Narkanda-Chitkul-Kalpa-Spiti route?

Whether Manali-Kunzum Pass-Loser–Kaza-Ki Monastry-Langcha-Tabo-Kungri-Pin Valley-Kaja-Manali will be better plan than Kannuar-Spiti Valley plan?

Whether booking in Hotels needs to be done in advance or it can be done there itself?

Please reply.

Partha - Del-Spiti-Del in 7 days is not suggested - see a similar thread below. Kinnaur is not dry in Monsoons (Spiti is a rain shadow area and thus dry), though could a bit drier than Shimla region.

Sudden plan to spiti - Leaving Tomorrow

I think there is a misunderstanding ... I am having 7 days from Manali-Spiti-Manali. (Delhi journey is excluded)

Also, I need help on choosing a taxi operator. How much should be the ideal price I should be expected to pay for taxi from Manali. It will be great if some one can give me phone number of right contacts.
For me, Indica is also a good option as we are 2 only (but I don't know whether Indica can go to those high altitude passes)

I also want some good travel operators number and also want to know whether travel operators use to arrange group travel. (on sharing basis)

Also I want to know about the safety of this route. (for couples)

Which one will be the better route (considering scenic beauty and weather of first week of July)-
1. Shimla-Kinnaur-Kaja-Keylong-Manali
2. Manali-Kunjum-Kaja-Keylong-Manali

Please give some feedback as soon as possible so that I can continue with booking.

I did the Shimla-Spiti-Manali trip in Late may in extreme snow, before the roads opened. The pictures and details are on jumarring.blogspot.com.

Also if u have any specific questions, i will be more than happy to answer

Moderator Note:

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Thanks docfreak for replying.

I need help on choosing a taxi operator. How much should be the ideal price I should be expected to pay for taxi from Shimla to Kaja to Manali.

And also regarding route, which one preferable (considering scenic beauty and weather of first week of July)-
1. Shimla-Kinnaur-Kaja-Keylong-Manali
2. Manali-Kunjum-Kaja-Keylong-Manali

My tentative itinerary are as follows:
Day 1 - Shimla to Narkanda
Day 2 - Narkanda to Kalpa
Day 3 - Whole day sightseeing at Kalpa and night stay at Kalpa
Day 4 - Kalpa to Tabo via Nako , and night stay at Tabo
Day 5 - Tabo to Kaza via Dhankar monastery and night stay at Kaza / Dhankar
Day 6 - Kaza whole day ( langic,comic.kye kibber) and night stay at Kaza
Day 7 - Kaza to Manali

Whether any other place should be added in the itinerary or any modifications are needed?

Please reply.

Hi Parthab,

I would suggest you go from Shimla side and return from Rohtang, as there is a possibility that Rohtang maybe closed but Shimla axis you can trust more.

From Shimla, make night-halt straight at Kalpa. Stopping enroute is no point, nothing much to see. At Kalpa, see Roghi/Jaka.

From Kalpa you can reach Kaza in 1 day easily, if you leave in time. Make Kaza as your base and travel to Ki, Kibber, Dhankar, Tabo, etc. Nako lake give a miss, its not worth it.

From Kaza to Manali 1 day is oK.

As far as taxi operators are concerned, I got no clue.

Regards,
Sharat

thanks docfreak for replying ...

I have talked to some travel operators and they are telling 7 day is a less time to visit Kinnaur and Kaja.

As you have pointed, my main importance is Spiti and Lahaul. So, better to go to Kalpa straight.

Thanks for suggestion,

My modified tentative itinerary:

Day 1 - Shimla to Kalpa
Day 2 - Whole day sightseeing at Kalpa and night stay at Kalpa
Day 3 - Kalpa to Tabo via Nako , and night stay at Tabo
Day 4 - Tabo to Kaza via Dhankar monastery, Pin Valley and night stay at Kaza / Dhankar / Rangrik
Day 5 - Kaza whole day ( langic,comic.kye kibber) and night stay at Kaza / Rangrik
Day 6 - Kaza / Loser or Kaja to Batal (for Chandrataal Lake)
Day 7 - Batal to Manali

Tell me whether this plan is better.

Please suggest.

Regards,

Partha Nandy

this looks like a good plan

Shimla-Kalpa is 205Km..so it will take around 10 hours of drive time and add to it time for stoppages for food/photography etc.

So, you won't get whole day at kalpa even if you start early morning from shimla.

Next, pin valley route from kaza got washed out some days back and people had to be rescued. So, first enquire from locals about it's status then only go.

I have dropped the plan to pin and will do kye and komic instead.