One of the most frequent questions I get asked by people planning a trip to Spiti is about the vehicle they are traveling by; whether or not it is good enough for the trip. And if not, then which one can be considered as best car for Spiti trip. The queries are usually from three perspectives; first is if the vehicle is capable enough to travel through; second is about convenience and comfort; and the last question is whether or not the vehicle will survive this trip. Questions are definitely justified; taking one’s car to a terrain like Spiti is bound to get a person thinking. If you too are planning a trip to Spiti valley and wondering the same; then in this article, I will detail some information that can help answer the questions above.
No, by the pics above I am not saying that a Maruti 800 or Alto is the best car for Spiti trip. These pics are just for reference that even these cars travel through Spiti valley and nearby areas on day to day basis. Mostly people tend to consider the engine size when bringing a car to Spiti valley. Thinking that it will involve a lot of driving up steep ascent. A common notion is that stronger the car, better it would be. This is true indeed but not really the complete truth. Let me begin this by first explaining the region you are going to drive on.
Starting from Shimla side; Chandigarh to Narkanda is all uphill. After Narkanda, you climb down to the banks of Satluj River and from there, until Nako; the increase in altitude is so gradual that you will feel like you are driving on a straight road. Just before Nako, there is the steep climb of Kazigs, a series of hairpin bends like those of Gata Loops in Ladakh. After Nako however, you again go downhill to the banks of Spiti River and once again, until Losar, it mostly feels like a flat road.
The ascent of Kunzum Pass starts after Losar and then you descent down to Batal. From there, it is a badly broken road until Gramphoo and then you climb up to Rohtang Pass top. Once you reach there, it is all downhill till Chandigarh via Manali.
If places Sarahan, Reckong Peo, Kalpa, Giu, Kibber, Komik, Langza, Hikkim were part of your itinerary; then you will have to leave the main highway and take a diversion towards all these places. A visit to almost all these villages involves an uphill drive on bad road. Sarahan is about 16 kilometers, Kalpa about 15, Chitkul about 75 from the highway; and a day trip to Kibber, Komik, Langza and Hikkim would be about 100 to 120 kilometers total. You will cross only two high altitude passes on the way, and you will come across a lot of locals driving around in cars like Maruti 800 here. The uphill drive till Narkanda is on a good road and even the climb around Nako is mostly smooth. The drive to Kunzum top from Losar and then Rohtang top from Gramphoo is not that long in distance.
So does it mean that you have nothing to worry about and just about any car will do? The answer is a no. Apart from the engine size, several other factors come into consideration here like conditions of the road, ground clearance, length, boot space and leg room of the vehicle etc. Let me explain further.
Road Conditions
Even though from what I explained above, it may sound like Spiti is easy; it actually is not. Road is just a relative term here and for most part of the journey, you will be driving around on a complete nightmare. Mud, slush, dirt trail, water crossings, boulder and big stones on the road, shooting stones, narrow steep climbs; this is what Spiti has gained notoriety for and quite rightly so.
Ground Clearance
Considering my above statement, your car’s ground clearance will play the most important part while driving through Spiti. You cannot risk the underbelly of your car hitting the ground every time you get across a water stream, or your car getting stuck as you try to take it through a rivulet, mud or slush. Driving through lose gravel will mean stones flying and hitting the belly of your car. You need a car that has good GC and is capable of handling all this beating.
Engine Size
This comes next in the picture. Higher the CC count is, more the power it will be, making the ride hassle free. You will easily be able to handle the rough terrain, take it on any road and not worry about the how many people or luggage you are carrying.
Length of the vehicle
This too plays an important role to some extent. With long cars, the problem will be around those sharp turns. Due to its large turning radius, you will have to engage the reverse at several places. If the sharp turn is at a steep ascent, the problem will double and your driving skills will again come into picture while you maneuver the car through. I know people who have been to Spiti in a Fortuner or Ford Endeavor so it can definitely be done, just need to have a person on the wheel who knows how to drive around well.
Boot Space
A drive to Spiti is not a matter of just a weekend but usually an entire week at the least. Good Boot Space means that you will be able to tuck in that entire luggage without any problem.
Leg Room
Last but not the least; it is going to be a really long drive. You will be sitting in the car more than at the hotel. The entire trip consists of driving around for hours on a daily basis. Good leg space and comfortable seats are a must for a hassle free drive.
Which is the best car for Spiti Valley
With all the above being said, so which car will be perfect to bring it to Spiti? This is really hard if you try to take a look at it from Brand perspective. It should rather be taken a look at from what a car offers from the point of view of what I mentioned above. Any SUV will probably be the best car for Spiti Valley. It doesn’t matter if it is a 2 wheel drive or 4×4 but the good ground clearance an SUV offers will be of great help while traveling through Spiti. You can pretty much take it to any area and it will be able to handle the terrain well.
If you are with a couple of friends out to have fun, an open Mahindra Thar will probably be the best for the trip; however if you are with family then any other 4X4 SUV like Fortuner, Safari, Scorpio will be the best. If you do not have a 4×4, then even a 2×4 SUV will do the job equally well.
Spiti Valley in a Hatchback or Sedan
Planning to bring your hatchback or Sedan to Spiti? It is not really something unusual and a lot of people do it. As a matter of fact, you will find most of the villagers or locals here driving around in a Maruti hatchback. The only thing however is that they are the locals and well know how to handle the tough roads here. For city folks like you and I, Spiti is an entirely different experience. There are certain things that you will need to keep in mind most important of which is the Batal Gramphoo stretch. This road is not at all for a car with low GC because of the numerous water crossings en route; some of which are seriously deep. Below is a pic of an Indica stuck at such a water crossing.
Mentioned below are a few things you should keep in mind.
Itinerary
When traveling in a Sedan or hatchback, best would be to go via Shimla and return the same route. True that the road will be broken but you can still manage it if driving slow. Another challenging road will be from Karchham to Chitkul which is mostly a dirt trail and you will have to be extremely careful here.
Travel Light
Another thing I would recommend is to travel light. Do not stuff in 5-6 people in the car with their luggage. All the additional weight will just make it difficult for the car to go through; and more vulnerable to its belly hitting the ground underneath.
Stay on the Road
While this also means that you do not drive off a cliff; what I meant was to stay on the main road and do not try any shortcuts. At several places, you will come across a dirt path climbing up straight ahead. A lot of people take these shortcuts but you cannot afford to do so. Stay on the road and drive carefully.
Time of Travel
Very important. In months like May, June and July, the melting snow creates a lot of water streams. Come August and monsoon arrives, with a high chance of landslides and slush. If you are in a car with low GC or smaller engine, best would be to avoid these months. Travel in April, September or October; if you however want to cover the Manali route as well then best would be to plan in September or first week of October.
Conclusion
I hope the information above was helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section below or at our Community Forum and I will be glad to answer. If you have traveled to Spiti in your car and have some valuable tips or information to share; I would request you to please do so in order to help others.
100 comments
Hi Vargis Sir, your post are very inspirational. please continue to do what you do! i initially planned a trip to Ladakh. 2 of us . But i didn’t do my reserch properly and found out that some attractions will be closed due to cold weather. so we are now planning Shimla to Spiti from Oct 27 to Nov 3 instead. i’ve read from our post to not go to spiti from manali as the roads will be closed. i’ll heed that advice. thank you. i’m planning to do a self drive. but i’m finding it hard to get a rental company. and recommendations and also what would be the best type of car to take? also would try to go to kheerganga and kasol too
Any SUV with good ground clearance will do fine Shubhan, a Scorpio maybe. I am sorry but I do not have any recommendations for rentals
thank you very much Sir, i’ll probably get a self drive suv from chandigarh. do i need to take note of any permits , car passes driving up to Spiti?
also, i chose between, ford ecosport, duster and scopio and creta?
ecosport is small so i’m leaning towards it. whats your suggestion sir
Scorpio will be the best but you can complete the trip in Ecosport as well if you are more comfortable in that.
No permits needed brother.
thank you so much sir. it is safe to drive at night? what would be your recommendation?
No it is not and I would strongly advise you against it.
Thank you sir. I’ll drive in the day. Will the roads be ice or slippery during end October ?
Between Shimla to Kaza, no. Between Manali and Kaza, yes
and You are welcome !!! 🙂
Sorry sir i didn’t write the name of the place in my query. it’s not about laddakh it’s about kaza(spiti vally) in full snow time so i paste my question again.
Here it is
Hello sir, i m planning a trip in winters(dec-jan). We have ford freestyle 2*4 top varient with 190mm GC,hill hold, traction control, Electronic stability program,ABS,EBD.
Can we do this and sir what are the accessories must be necessary in the trip(like snow chains or anything else).
Can you guide me which is best route and any suggestions we should know about sir
Sorry Mr. Awasthi. I got confused between places. I will not recommend bringing freestyle to Spiti in January. If there was too much snow, your car will get stuck. You can plan this trip in early December though.
Manali route will remain closed so you will have to reach Kaza via Shimla and return the same way.
Thanks sir for telling the right route but i want to see the mesmerising kaza in a fully packed white sheet of snow so can we do this from any other vehicle or any other time.
Sir it depends on the snow. If there is no or little snow like this year, then you can bring your own car as well. If it however snowed like the way it usually does in Spiti, then you will need a 4×4 SUV with snowchains.
Hello sir, i m planning a trip in winters(dec-jan). We have ford freestyle 2*4 top varient with 190mm GC,hill hold, traction control, Electronic stability program,ABS,EBD.
Can we do this and sir what are the accessories must be necessary in the trip(like snow chains or anything else).
Can you guide me which is best route and any suggestions we should know about sir
Yes Mr. Awasthi. You can definitely bring your car to Ladakh. For suggestions on how to prepare and spares to carry, please see the following post.
http://vargiskhan.com/log/how-to-prepare-your-car-for-ladakh-trip/
Hi Vargis
your inputs are very informative and I should say are very helpful
we are a group of three friends planning to go to Spiti Valley via Shimla. we want to start on 1st of October and be back by 8th of October.
can I take Hyundai creta petrol automatic from Shimla to Spiti and back to Shimla
Dear we also plan same days up to 6 oct if u want to join us. We have Tempo Traveller.
Hi Amaresh – Thank you for your kind words. And yes, Shimmla to Kaza and back is definitely doable in a Creta. In fact you can even continue to Manali andd exit that way before 8th October.
Hi, We are planning to visit Spiti via Shimla route(Shimla-chitkul-kaza-manali) from 13th Oct to 20th Oct. Will Innova be a good option ?
It may not be the best car for Kaza – Manali route but yes, you can comfortably complete the journey in it. Just be careful around water crossings.
Can i take honda amaze in september via manali
I wouldn’t recommend an Amaze for Spiti, specially via Manali
hello Vargis,
We are three people with a 9 year old…will it be okay for Shimla-kaza-shimla in Tata Manza diesel.. I have driven in all the major hill stations of India…
Hi Amit – Yes it should be fine if you are not planning to cover Manali route.
Varghis bhai I am planning a trip from bathinda to kaza by swift dzire. We’re 4members. We also plan to go to chandertaal lake. Kindly advise if it is feasible. We’ll be going in the third week of September.
Sushank Bhai – As long as you have some decent enough driving skills then yes, you can travel in your Dzire. Friend of mine has done the same but you must know how to maneuver your car around.
Varghis bhai I am planning a to kaza by swift dzire in the third week of September. We’re 4 members. Kindly advise.
Hello,
can I use duster amt to cover spiti circuit in mid September month ? I hope there are no issues with AMT variant
Yes you can as long as you have some decent enough driving experience in the hills.
Hi Vargis sir,
can I use celerio amt car with 2 men, for shimla- kalpa- tabo- kaza- manali circuit in mid September month ? Celerio is with 165mm GC .
Nitin Bhai you can do it but would have to be extremely careful. I wouldn’t however recommend bringing Celerio on Spiti circuit.
Hi Vargis, I want to inquire about few things related to delhi shimla chandratal manali route.
1. How many days needed to complete this trip?
2. How much ground clearance is required for a car to take on this trip?
3. We are planning to go in last week of August. Is it ok?
Please reply me as early as possible.
Thank you.
Hi Sudhanshu,
1. 6 – 7 days at least. 9 – 10 days if done leisurely.
2. Hard to say but 180MM can be considered good enough
3. Yes it is
Dear Vergis Khan,
I am from Vadodara Gujarat plan to visit spiti Velly with my 7-8 friends in 29 sep to 5 oct 2018. My worries are about , which rental car, for Stay, Food, wether ,and How to plan with minimum effor and lots of journey with fun. And can we carry Photo shoot instrument easily. What about stay we bring out tant with us or any arrangements from Shimla &Manali
Hi Vargis! We are driving Mum-Spiti-Mum (entering Spiti via Shimla) later this month. We will be driving Tata Nexon. What do you think of the car specially for this circuit?
Hi Srishant – Nexon stands tall at 209MM GC so you are OK to go really.
Hi Vargis , I have planned a road trip Delhi – Shimla – kalpa – Kaza – chandtra tal lake– Manail – Delhi from 24 june to 6July by RENAULT DUSTER. Is its good choice to go through duster? I have been there through bike only. Please guide
Hi Sandeep – Yes Duster is definitely capable of the trip. Friend of mine did it last year in his Duster, the entire Shimla Kaza Manali circuit.
Thanks vargis khan. you are doing good job in guiding people
Thanks Sandeep
Hi Vargis, I am planning to take my Maruti Swift Hatchback to spiti in late September or Early October this year. Can you let me know if it would be fine to take Swift for this?
Also suggest a possible itinerary for the trip.
–Thanks Arpit
Hi Arpit – Yes you can take it but will have to be extremely careful and slow between Manali and Kaza. How many days are you traveling for?
Hi Vargis, I have planned my trip to Kaza by Manali this Saturday on my own i20 ACTIVE. Kindly advice is it good to go ahead with i20 ACTIVE. Thanks!
Hi Sunil – I must urge you to not punish your car on Manali – Kaza route. i20 will not stand that stretch without some damage to the underbelly.
Vargis Bhai, I have planned a road trip Delhi – Shimla – Sahran – Kaza – Tabo – Keylong – Manail – Delhi from 02 – 10 June by diesel ecosport…hope will be through..? any advise please …?
Dear Vargis Bhai!
I must appreciate that I have found your portal the most authoritative resource on (driving to) Spiti!
We would be visiting Manali around 20th June for a week, and plan to visit Chandrataal and Kunzum Pass (via the Gramfu-Batal route) for a round-day-trip. My queries in this context are:
1. We’ll be travelling by our private car Honda City 2013. Kindly advise if it would be manageable. We prefer to travel by our own car, and we are counting out an alternative. But if you strictly advise against taking this car, saying that it would be nearly impossible, we may consider hiring a cab. (Having said that, we would really be reassured if you give could give us the confidence to travel by our car).
2. We would be putting up a hotel at Kothi (ahead of Palchan). We intend to start a 5 am, and finish off Rohtang Pass (with a an hour long halt there for snow activities) by 8 am.
Therefrom, we intend to visit Chandrataal (and Kunzum).
Kindly advise when could we expect to reach there.
Also, what would be the time taken to return back to Kothi (allowing for any jams at Rohtang Pass).
Your expert advice is solicited.
Thanks & Regards
Rajat Mehra
Hello Rajat Bhai,
1. If you have even the slightest amount of love for your Honda City, then please do not take it on Manali to Kaza stretch. I strongly advise you against it. You will know what I meant when you reach there.
2. You cannot cross over Rohtang and come back the same day. First of all it is too long a journey to Chandratal for one day, nearly impossible to do. Secondly, once you take the permit to cross over Rohtang to other side, you MUST cross over and come back the next day or you will be fined heavily.
Hi,
I am traveling to spiti after 10 june.i have planned to go up from Shimla and down from Manali. Our car is xuv 500, will it be able to cross the losar -manali route please tell. I have done the Shimla route once in same car but not the Manali one.please help.
Hello – Yes it will definitely be able to complete the Manali – Kaza route as well.
hello ,
we are travelling to spiti from delhi on 21st may .We are 4 person nd 1 children and our car is hyundai verna .please suggest is it good to go ?
Hello – If you are going by Hyundai Verna, then it is best to avoid the Manali route and travel via Shimla only. Even then, be mentally prepared that your car will still hit the ground underneath several and will also get hit by some lose rocks.
Do you know kunzum pass is opened for the first time in may.
It will open in next 2-3 days.
Hi
I’m Anjan from Delhi . I’m going to visit spiti via shimla and coming back via manali in mid-June. My tour operator is providing me Innova for this tour. Is it okay or should I ask for another vehicle?
If yes, which one?
Please, please, please let me know fast.
Innova is OK if it is being provided by a tour guy with a local driver. I do not recommend people to take their own personal Innova because of low GC but with tour operator it is fine.
Hi !!!!
We are 4 persons planning a trip to spiti via Shimla and back via same route by Etios (Liva) or i20 in the month of June. Is it safe to travel ???
Kindly suggest
Thanx in advance….
You can travel but with both these cars, you will have to be extremely careful and be mentally prepared that the belly of your car will definitely hit the ground at several places and there will be lost stones that will jump and hit it throughout the journey.
thank u……
You are welcome !!!
hi, we are planning for spiti from delhi in the last week of may. We are travelling from an ecosport. Kindly suggest which route we should take.
1. Delhi – shimla – sarahan – nako – kaza.
Or
2. Delhi – manali – grampu batal kaza.
Which route will be more easier and in return we have a plan for kasol as well.
Puneet Bhai Shimla to Kaza is easier but if you want to go to Kasol then you will have to exit at Manali and cover both the routes. Going back to Shimla from Kaza and then coming to Kasol will be way too long.
Thanks for your revert vargis. Actually we have less days for travel. We are planning to reach spiti in 15-16 hours direct from delhi. But what i found from the info that spiti is near by 420km from shimla and will be longest route i guess. And from manali its showing just 4 hours.
But the information given by you showing that from manali its quite tough drive and not confirmed yet that manali-spiti route will be open on 23rd may.
Still confuse what to do exactly. Your views will help us.
Thanks
Hi Puneet – Manali Kaza route may actually be open on 23rd. Friend of mine will be traveling tomorrow to Kaza and will update me once he reaches there. I will let you know if he finds the route open.
And yes, Manali to Kaza is the tougher of the two routes but you can manage it in an EcoSport as long as you have decent enough driving skills.
Hey,
I am planning trip in june first week
Will be starting from shimla & return from Manali
Suggest any one of these car :-
CRETA
DUSTER
ECOSPORT
INNOVA
Duster definitely. It has the best ground clearance which you will need for Spiti roads. Avoid Innova.
Hi Vargis Khan
I’m planing manali-Chandertal-kaza and back to manali in Baleno with four member.
Please guide me it is safe in baleno or not.
Regards
Surender Thakur
Hi Surender, You can take your Baleno but be very careful. The low ground clearance of a hatchback can be a bit of a problem specially while crossing the water streams which are in ample amount on Manali – Kaza stretch.
Hi
i’m planing to go to kaza (shimla – nakanda – kalpa – kaza – key gompa) and will come back from the same. i’ve good experience of driving on hills (i’m Basically from shimla). i’ve indica vista….is this a safe car for this trip?
Hi Sourav,
See the pictures I have posted at the link below. It should answer your question. That car stuck in one of the pictures in an Indica.
http://vargiskhan.com/log/spiti-valley-road-conditions-pictures/
If you do Shimla to Kaza to Shimla than you will be OK. For Kaza Manali route an Indica may be a bit of a problem.
Can i take Baleno on this route? Chandigarh to Spiti via Shimla and coming back to Chandigarh via Manali. The only stretch i guess which would be a problem is Batal to Gramphu. Please advise?
Correct. Baleno should be able to manage the circuit. Only major concern will be the numerous water crossings on Batal – Gramphoo stretch. You will have to be extremely careful there.
Correct. You can take Baleno but will have to be extremely careful at water crossings on Batal – Gramphoo stretch.
Hi vargis.
I’ll be going for my trip in may mid, all I’ve planned is for spiti but I’ll be doing my trip on honda brio, suggest me either to go for that or make my trip upto chitkul ? Or is there any beautiful destination to target in himachal ?
Hi Rajat – Low ground clearance of Brio will be a problem both for Spiti and Chitkul. I will suggest that you take to Spiti but do not attempt Manali Kaza route.
Hi Vargis,
We are 4 people and 2 children travelling to spiti valley in May end june this year in ciaz through the shimla route both way…please confirm if it would be fine.
Thanks
Hi Sudipta – I would not really recommend a Ciaz for the trip due to its low ground clearance. If you do travel then be ready for the belly of the car hitting the ground at several palces, lose stones jumping and hitting it etc. Water crossing will be a problem at a whole another level. Do not take your Ciaz there.
Thanks Vargis. But will it be a problem even through the shimla route…if yes then which areas are more problematic.
It depends on your itinerary really. If you want to stick to the Shimla – Kaza highway then the only problematic stretch will be between Reckong Peo and Pooh. If Chitkul is a part of the plan then the entire stretch is mostly a broken dirt trail.
Our itinerary would be Shimla – sarahan – nako – kaza – kalpa – and return. Incase if the roads open from kaza to manali we might return to that road. would you recommend the same. we would travel in last week of May
Shimla – Sarahan – nako-kaza – chandratal – manali
Please suggest.
How are you traveling Neha?
Or you may suggest me a good place to hang around in the Ciaz without hurting it. Im gonna have four to five days to travel around in the end of March like 29th.
For 5 days, why not drive to Srinagar and cover Kashmir. It is beautiful at this time of the year.
Hi there ! I have Maruti Ciaz and i am planning a Trip to Manali from Hisar by the end of March and Is it also doable in the same car with 4 adults and i 5 yrs child to Spiti Valley from Manali side
?
Hello Mr. Dahiya – Manali Kaza road does not open until late May or early June so you cannot reach Spiti valley from Manali in March. The low ground clearance of Ciaz will be a major issue in Spiti valley and I must discourage you from doing so.
I am planning for a road trip to spiti from 17 march to 20 march this year. We are four in number. We are planning to rent a self driven car through zoomcar. These are the options:
Honda jazz
Ford figo
Mahindra Scorpio
Hyundai creta
Which one will be better and is this a good time for a road trip?
Thanks in advance.
Definitely go for a Mahindra Scorpio. It will be much better for this trip than all other cars. Timing is OK. You may find some snow as well in Kaza.
Is that creta 1.6 Diesal will be ok for spiti Valley
Yes it will be
Are ecosport, brezza or nexon suitable for spiti
Yes. They have the sufficient ground clearance to stand the Spiti terrain
Hi Vargis,
We are three friends planning to travel to spiti from Delhi and complete the circuit from 29/9/17 to 07/10/2017 on a creta diesel.. would it be fine or should we hire a 4X4… plus would October be ideal time to travel ??
Hi Aditya – Creta will definitely handle the trip well and your timing too is Ok. Just do not delay it any further than this.
Hi. Vargis,
We are six person with a three year old baby want to go spiti in next june .We want to take a cab like innova ,what you think this car is ok ? as you know family tour means lot of luggage . Please help..
Avijit.
Hi Avijit – Yes Innova will be fine for the trip as long as there is a good experienced person at the wheel.
what will be the appx. cost for innova if i book for 9 days in next year? have you any contact with experience driver, if yes please share the name and contact details with us, which will be big help for us.
It depends really. If you rent from Manali, it will be a bit costly as compared to renting from Shimla or Chandigarh. I am sorry but I do not have any contact with cab rentals.
Ok, thanks for everything.
You are welcome