Below are some pictures of Chandratal Lake in June that were sent to me be a close friend Jamaica; who lives in Kaza and runs a camp site at Chandratal. The route across Kunzum Pass from Kaza to Manali was declared open yesterday and so was the 14 kilometers long stretch to Chandratal. The lake is about half frozen still and has started to melt now.
Chandratal remains open for tourists from June till September. The camp sites get operational here around 10th of June and then get all wrapped up towards September end. Kunzum Pass and the entire area around it, including Chandratal, is among the first few that receive snow each year. Due to this, you can only visit the lake by road in these 4 months.
By trek however, the route remains open for a bit longer, even in peak winters. You must however have some experience in trekking for this trip though and must be accompanied by a local guide.
Chandratal Lake in June
As you can see in the pictures, a huge piece of ice is still floating on the water. This entire lake freezes completely in peak winters and now, with June already here, it is still half frozen. If you want to plan a trip to the lake when it is only you and a handful of other people around, June is the perfect time to do so.
Also read: How to Plan a Trip to Chandratal
Please be advised though, that since the road had just opened, it is usually in its worst condition. Both Rohtang and Kunzum have plenty of snow at top during the month of June. The famed snow walls at these passes exist throughout the month and may cause the road to be slippery. Add to it the fact that the work on these roads continues in early June which may lead to a temporary road block. The upside of going in June however is that there won’t be many water streams around that the Gramphu Losar stretch is famous for since the snow has not yet melted that much yet. And yes, it also means that there will not be a lot of slush as well.
If you were planning a trip to Chandratal in near future; and had some questions; please feel free to ask in the comments section below and I will be glad to answer. Alternatively, you can also post a query at our Community Forum; and either I or any other member would assist in any way that we can.
87 comments
Hii verghese ,
I read many of your travel blogs on spiti valley.I am planning to visit spiti and chandratal via shimla route and want to complete the circuit at manali through kunzum and rohtang pass.I am planning to go on 1 st week of june , 2021. is it ok?
Please give expert suggestions
Respected Sir,
I along with some of my friends planning for a Spiti Bike Ride in June 2020.
So we want to know that Chandratal Lake will be open on 1st and 2nd week of June 2020.
Please let me know
Yes it will be open by 2nd week Mr. Dutta.
Hello , I am planning for shimla-kaza-shimla next week from 10-16 october . I would also like to visit chandratal lake . So , is the road open from kaza to chandratal lake via kunzum pass ?
Depends on the weather but as of now it is. Ask around when u r in Kaza. If the road is open, come via Manali otherwise return to Shimla.
Is chanratal open now for civilians ? Sir…
Yes it is
Hey Vargis, Hope you are doing well. I am planning to go spiti-Chanadartaal via shimla and will return from rohtang pass–> manali on 29th June. Will it be safe?
The road may not open by 29th Shashank. Better confirm the opening before you start. It is still closed.
Hey i am planning to go chandartal via kaza on 19 june via bullet please tell me routes are open or close.
It is expected to open next week sometime but not sure about the date.
Ohh bad news is there ajy cinficonfirm now ? ?
Hi Vargis
I heard that there is a trek route to chandratal from kunzum top… Can you please share the route and guide us if there is any route???
It is a 14 kilometers long road only Anuj. You can either walk on it or drive. The trek that takes you off the road will actually need a guide for you to be able to find your way.
Hey
I am planning to go on 19 it will be open or not going via bullet.
It is expected to open next week sometime but not sure about the date.
I will be going to chandratal lake on 15th of July next week, will the lake be open at that time?
Yes it will be
Hi Vargis
I have got an update that Chandratal Jispa Manali route might not open by 23rd.
We would be planjnh to reach Chabdratal on 23rd from Kaza and then Jispa on 24 and then towards Manali
Would this be possible on given dates?
Hard to say anything right now Roopa, it has been snowing there again since yesterday.
Hi nirav from Ahmedabad, planned spiti-lahul-sach from 14-24 June.
As per my spirit lahul plan I would be traveling from kaza to chandartal on 19th June on bike. 1) What is chance that road gets open by 18th??
Today post guard official at losar told me except kunzumpass top other road to kaza to chandartal and chandartal to kelyong is open and one can travel even today.
2) Is he right??
Kaza to Chandratal will be open in next 3 days but Kaza to Manali cannot yet be gauranteed
Thanks for your valuable information. We are planning to go Chandratal in last week of june (23rd june)…will you please tell the position of roads and camps during this date or period
It should open by your dates of travel
Hello Vargis,
A big thanks for being such a sport and informative for us.
We, group of 4 are planning a short trip to chandrataal on 7-8 June,2019 by our own bikes. I am aware of the fact that it is gonna be very cold there. Still advise us what is the best we can do to have a great time.
Also, camping at chandratal or should come back to batal?
Thanks,
Hi Divik, Sorry for not being able to respond in time but Chandratal is still closed so I guess you did not go as planned.
Hey Vargis,
Yes we ultimately didn’t go as planned. We took a left staying leh highway and end up reaching suraj tal baralacha pass. BRO worker told us manali-batal will closed till next week.
That is awesome. How was Suraj Tal, must be frozen at this time? Do share some pics if possible.
How many days should one dedicate in spiti to completely enjoy it’s beauty?
4 to 5 days should be sufficient
Hi ! Can we plan a trip in July ? To spiti or ladakh ? If yes then what places to cover ? Will we get snow ?
Hi ! Can we plan a trip on July or August for spiti starting from Chandigarh ending at chandratal ?
Yes you can
Can it possible to come back from keylong to Solange after visiting chandratal
On same day? No it cannot be done
can we go to chandratal lake towards the end of may. Actually we were planning to go on 29th may. Does road will be operational at same time. What is exact date of road opening.?
No you cannot. It will not open at least until June 10th.
We are riding from Mumbai to Spit on 1st June. So we should reach Chandratal lake by 7th or 8th June.. Will it be open?
Hi Vargis
Thank you so much for writing and helping us. I am planning to take Spiti Valley trip via Shimla from June 8th and would reach Chandratal on June 14 June 15th, would we have camps available then as I want to go in morning agin before heading towards Rohtang. I am keen on visiting Chandratal on best possible time..m greedy here not to miss the beautifull fully melted lake. Do you think June 14th 15th , lake would be still half frozen? Should we postpone it by 1 week so that we reach here by June 21 22? Please suggest.
I thank you again for detailed blog about places and answering everyone query 🙂
Hi Roopa – It would be great if you can delay it by a week. However Chandratal will be open on 15th June as well if you cannot postpone.
Thank you so much Vargis for the suggestion, We did manage to delay it by 1 week.
You are welcome !!!
Do we need to pre-book camps near chandratal lake or it will be availavailable? If we need to pre book do you have any contact number or website? I m solo traveller and will visit mid June
No need to pre-book. Just reach there, look for a camp site per your liking and negotiate an on the spot deal.
starting date of camp site at chandrataal lake in june.
Thanks
You are welcome !!!
I m travelling solo .. Can u suggest where should I halt so that it would be easy to cover maximum place in spiti.. I will be going from Shimla to Manali. I will reach Shimla on 15th of june morning.
Kaza is where you should be staying
Hi , we are planning for a trip from delhi–shimla–chitkul–nako–kaza–Chandrataal–manali–delhi.
Can u plz tell me which camp will be the most picturesque and fun to stay for 8 people.Also would they accomodate for trekking as well?
They are all located on the same spot, right next to each other so pretty much the same deal in terms of scenery.
Hello Vargis,
I have booked my tickets from 3May, 2019 to 19 May, 2019.
I wanted to take a shot of milkyway on 5 May, 2019 anywhere between kalpa to kaza.
Wanted to take a shot of keylong too.
Will the road be open to complete the circuit by 6 or 7 of May.
I have to visit kangra, kullu, mandi as well.
Let me know about it.
It will be a great help
Thanks in anticipation
Hi Karishma – Manali Kaza stretch will not open until June 1st week. Shimla to Kaza is open already.
Thanks for your reply, quick question is there anyway to travel to barashigri from kaza?
Hi Vargis, I plan on visiting Chandratal this year. We visited Spiti Valley in May, 2017 but during our visit Kunzum Pass and Chandratal were closed, hence we couldn’t go beyond Kaza and had to trace our way back. We are not sure yet how to plan the trip and if Chandratal will be open by then or not. Kindly guide me as to how to go about planning a trip to Chandratal around end of May this year.
Thanks, great blog though.
Hi Muskan, Chandratal will probably not open by early June this year so please postpone your trip. If you go in May, you will have to skip Chandratal again.
Is on 10 June 2019 kunzum pass and chandratal lake open.please give me opening date of kunzum pass and chandratal lake
Yes it will be open
Plannig trip from 16.06.2019 through Simla route and arounf approx 23.06.2019 will be around Chandratal lake in Tent for 1 day , Your advise and opnion and any precaution for Nighit Cold in Tent
You can do it. It should be open by then. Carry a heavy windproof jacket and you should be OK.
Hello Sir , We are planning for chantratal lake trek on 20-24th of March this year ??
Is it possible or which type of difficulty do we face ??
Chandratal remains closed in March Pratimaan. You can’t go there before May at earliest.
Hello sir,
I was planning a trip to spiti valley and chandratal lake in June 2019. Will chandrataal be open in early june or should i plan towards mid-june (around 18-19 june ) for chandratal lake.
Please plan towards Mid June to be on a safer side Bhai. Usually the camps at Chandratal become available only after 10th June.
Hii Vargis bhai i am planning Spiti circuit in october 1st week and will be in chandertaal on 12th oct. Any chances to see snowfall ?
Helo Khan sir …I m planning to visit chandertaal lake after 7july ..it will be safe to be there in second week of july
Hello Seema Ji – It depends on in what terms you are asking. It is the time of monsoon there so the roads will be extremely bad all along.
Hi..We are planning to visit chandratal in October last week. Is it possible? What will be the condition of road at that time… Please reply.
You cannot visit Chandratal in October last week. Road will most probably be closed and there will definitely not be any camp site operational.
i am planning spity tour from 21june to 30th june 2018 with camping at chandratal around 27 june, will you plz give me an idea about road condition in the valley and weathwe at chandratal,is it too cold that time. what do you suggest a halt or a day trip.
Roads between Manali and Chandratal / Kaza are always very bad and yes, it is definitely going to be cold. Friend of mine was there last week and had to sleep under two blankets and keeping his jacket on.
hello Sir, we are planning a trip to spiti valley via chandrataal during 18th June, how to contact Jamaica Sir, will roads be open and will the weather be pleasant to travel. thanking you in advance you your help!
Hello Shubhangi – Yes the roads are all open and Jamaica’s tents are operational too. Just leave him a message on watsappp at 9418200183 and he will call you back.
Hello Vargis Bhai
As per your suggestions i am planning to stay near chandratal lake in June end. I tried contacting Parasol and Jamaica’s camp but phones are always coming switch off> I Also messaged on Whatsapp but still no response. Could you please guide me about how to book camps over there.
Number i tried for Jamaica Camp :- 9418200183
Number tried for Parasol Camp :-9418845817
Could you please help out
Regards,
Rohit
Rohit Bhai just leave a message for Jamaica on watsapp and he will call back. Even if you are not able to reach him on the phone, just go to his camp site and he will accommodate you. Give my reference and you will get a discounted price.
Hi Vargis
We are planning to travel spiti in first week of June . We have hired xylo. For travel . Will xylo be comfortable or should we opt for other vehicle like Innova or some other vehicle . Please suggest.
Hello. We are planning a trip to Spiti Valley from june 9 to june 16. Please help us out with an itenerary for the same. We would like to cover the entire circuit from shimla to manali. Also, please advise if any of spots like chandratal lake, etc would be closed during this period.
Thanks
Hi Vargis,
We are traveling to Manali on 9th June and we are planning to visit ChandraTaal lake on 11th or 12th June. Are we able to reach Chandratal on 11 or 12th june?
we are travelling to spiti in first week of june. Thanks to your blogs..which led me to travel to this part of india, which otherwise i would have not dare to…Where can i stay between my journey from kaza to manali via chandar tal other than the camp site.
Hi, I am regular reader of your blog, i am planning a spiti trip and will travel to chandrataal on 9th june, this is my second trip , i am mainly going for the amazing reflections, what are my chances ? are the accomodation available around the lake this time of the year? How is the road , i have hired a innova. Too many questions but you can understand i am very excited to visit spiti once more.
The roads are all open and yes, by 9th the camp sites will be operational as well so you are good to go 🙂
Vargis Bhai,
Thanks for your quick reply !!!
You are inspiration for us.
Will contact you again for more details.
-Rohit
You are welcome Bhai and thank you for your kind words !!!
Hi Vargis,
I have read your blogs related to ladakh and Chandratal lake. And they are very informative and inspiring.
We are planning 2 trips this year to both Ladakh and Chandratal lake, Could you please help us to plan them in a better way. e.g. when should we plan these 2 trips (this is the main query)
We are thinking of a trip to Chandratal lake and Spiti valley in last week of June. And then In October for Ladakh to have an experience of snow also that time. Does this plan sound ok.?
Thanks and Regards,
Rohit
Rohit Bhai plan is good but try to make Ladakh trip in first 2 weeks of October, possibly before 10th if you want to travel on Manali Leh route as well. Go via Manali and come back via Srinagar, do not delay any further than that.
Vargis Bhai,
Thanks for your quick reply !!!
You are inspiration for us.
Will contact you again for more details.
-Rohit
You are welcome Bhai and thank you for your kind words !!!