One of the major questions to be considered while planning a trip to Spiti valley is of accommodation and availability of other basic amenities. Spiti is of course one of the remotest and least populated areas of our country, one that gets cut off from rest of the world for months during winter. It is important to know what your choices are when it comes to accommodation and other facilities in Spiti valley so that you can plan your trip better. Unlike Ladakh, major part of a trip to Spiti valley runs through several well connected towns and chances of getting stranded are rare, unless you are traveling in winters. Though not so much but availability of public transport, banking, phone and some other services that you need on a daily basis is still available. In this article, I will cover some of the basic information about Spiti like where can you find a petrol station, a mechanic, how far will cell phone services work and which place is best to stay if on budget.
Accommodation and other facilities in Spiti
Accommodation and other facilities in Spiti:
Hotels and guest houses are not really an issue in Spiti valley. Almost every town or village in Spiti has accommodation options in forms of hotels, guest houses or tents that can fit into any budget. At almost all of the towns en-route, you can easily find a hotel for as less as Rs. 500 per day. Places like Kibber and Kaumik where a hotel is not available, the option of paying guest is available where the locals will welcome you to stay in their house for a nominal charge.
- Shimla: Major tourist destination, has end number of hotels, charges as low as Rs. 300 for a day. Quite good hotels in terms of hygiene and services.
- Kufri: Another big tourist destination, several hotels here as well. Charges in summer can be as low as Rs. 500 / day however in winter hotels get a little costly here.
- Narkanda: Has a few hotels. Minimum charge for staying here at any of the hotels would be at least Rs. 600 / day.
- Rampur: Few hotels and a PWD guest house, minimum charge Rs. 500 / day.
- Sarahan: Beautiful small town, has several hotels and you can find a room here for as low as Rs. 300 – 500 / day.
- Karchham: Hotel and guest house available here.
- Sangla: Has a few hotels. Minimum charge could be anywhere between Rs. 600 to Rs. 1000, depending upon how well you negotiate.
- Chitkul: Has a few small hotels, 2 luxurious hotels and a PWD guest house. Depending upon your negotiation skills you can easily get a room here for Rs. 300 – 400 / day. Guest house would charge you about Rs. 600 while the luxurious hotels will cost around Rs. 1200 – Rs. 1500.
- Reckong Peo: Major town on the way and you can easily find a hotel / guest house to stay within budget.
- Kalpa: Has several hotels, minimum charge would be Rs. 600 / day.
- Pooh: There is no hotel or guest house here that I know of but a PWD guest house is available.
- Nako: Has a few hotels and a PWD guest house. Both places would charge you a minimum of around Rs. 700 – 800 / day. Hotel charges can be a bit higher to about Rs. 1000.
- Gue: No option here to stay for the night. If you want to spend a night here, carry your own camping gear or ask one of the villagers for paying guest. If you are camping, please ensure that you ask for permission for that as well.
- Tabo: Several hotels and a monastery owned guest house, minimum charge of Rs. 600 – 800.
- Dhankar: Hotel and guest house available here.
- Kaza: Major town in Spiti. Has several hotels, can easily get a room here for a minimum of Rs. 300.
- Kibber: No hotel or guest house however the locals can take you in as a paying guest.
- Langza: No hotel or guest house however the locals can take you in as a paying guest.
- Kaumik: No hotel or guest house however the locals can take you in as a paying guest.
- Losar: No option here to stay for the night. I believe there is a PWD guest house here but do not count on it. It is not even an ideal place to stay if you asked me.
- Chandrataal: Has several camping sites. Minimum charge would be Rs. 1500 and above per person, including meals, depending on the site.
- Batal: No hotel or guest house however can stay for the night at one of the dhabas for Rs. 200.
- Gramphoo: There is a Dhaba on Manali Leh highway, right at the spot where the road towards Spiti valley bifurcates. You can get a bed in this dhaba to stay for the night, more like a Chadar tent.
- Manali: Major tourist destination, has end number of hotels, charges as low as Rs. 500 for a day.
These are all the places where you can stay for the night. Take a look at the article below for a list of some recommended hotels in Spiti valley.
Please note that I have not stayed in all of these hotels of course. In a few I have and some others came recommended by other readers and friends. A few were added to the list after I read great reviews about them on the web. If you have visited Spiti and have a good or bad feedback about any hotel, please do share it in the comments section below to help others.
Petrol Pump in Spiti valley
Below is a list of places where you can hope to find a petrol pump in Spiti valley. Important thing to note here is that Spiti being a remote area, there is always a chance that the petrol pump may not be functional while you arrive there hence it is always wise to tank up at some of the major towns like Narkanda, Rampur etc rather than taking a chance and continuing.
Below is where a gas station is located on the road from Shimla to Kaza to Manali. I will start from Narkanda as the road from Shimla to Narkanda is a major tourist route and there are several petrol pumps located in between.
- Narkanda: Narkanda filling station, Make sure that you tank up here.
- Kingal: HP Petrol Pump
- Bithal: Petrol Pump
- Badhrash – Two Petrol pumps here, one just before Hotel River Rock and then another a little after Badhrash
- Duttnagar – HP Petrol Pump by the name of Shaheed Dola Ram HP Centre
- Rampur – HP Petrol Pump
- Jeori – A petrol pump just a few kilometers before Jeori
- Saki Charang – Neelkanth Refilling Station Petrol Pump
- Tapri – HP Petrol Pump
- Reckong Peo – Kinfed Filling Station
- Kaza – Indian Oil Fuel Station
- Manali – Several petrol pumps here
Mechanics In Spiti Valley :
Below is a list of places where you can expect to find a mechanic in Spiti.
- Narkanda: Has a petrol pump and mechanic shop.
- Rampur: Has a mechanic shop.
- Jeori: Has a mechanic shop.
- Sarahan: No petrol pumps here. You may find a mechanic though but if not, you will have to get one from Jeori.
- Sangla: No petrol pump but can find a mechanic.
- Reckong Peo: Has a petrol pump and mechanic shop. Next petrol pump after Reckong Peo is not until Kaza.
- Tapri
- Spillo
- Pooh
- Kaza: Has a petrol pump and several mechanics available. Next petrol pump after Kaza is not until Manali.
As a matter of fact, up until Jeori, you will find a mechanic shop almost at every village. They however are only helpful fixing minor problems, not something major. Availability of spare parts at these villages too can be a problem. After Pooh, there is no air filling or mechanic shop until Kaza so if you see any problems with your vehicle, be sure to get it checked here.
ATM in Spiti Valley
Below is a list of places where you can expect to find an ATM. Please however note that these are local remote villages and cash may not be available at the time of your arrival hence it is important that you carry sufficient cash with you and do not rely on next available ATM.
- Kingal – UCO Bank
- Duttnagar – ICICI Bank ATM
- Rampur – ATMs of several major banks like HDFC, PNB, ICICI
- Khaneri Rampur – SBI ATM
- Jhakri – SBI ATM
- Jeori – PNB and SBI ATM
- Sarahan – SBI ATM
- Nigul Sari – PNB ATM
- Karchham – PNB ATM
- Sangla – The HP State Co-operative Bank Ltd
- Powari – SBI ATM
- Reckong Peo – PNB and SBI ATM
- Kalpa – PNB ATM
- Skibba – UCO Bank and The H.P. State Co-operative Bank Ltd.
- Moorang – SBI ATM
- Spello – UCO Bank
- Pooh – SBI ATM
- Nako – Petrol Pump
- Sumdho – SBI ATM
- Tabo – SBI has a branch here but I am not too sure if there is an ATM available
- Kaza – SBI ATM
- Manali – Has ATMs of all major banks
Phone Services In Spiti :
There are pay-phone services available in every town in Spiti valley however cell phone networks will only work until Kalpa. You may lose network on your cellphone in Sangla and Chitkul. After Kalpa as you get closer to Nako your cell phone network will stop working, no matter which connection you have and wont come back to life until you reach Manali. BSNL networks however will work in and around Kaza. So if you want to call back home, you will have to use a land-line phone which you can easily find at every town.
Medical Facilities in Spiti
Almost all towns on the route have chemist shops where you can buy medicines. Major stops like Rampur, Reckong Peo and Kaza have bigger hospitals as well. It is however recommended that you carry some basic medicines for headache, stomach ache, fever with you before starting the journey. If you have any medical condition that may get serious, it is best to avoid traveling to Spiti valley altogether.
I hope this information was helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to comment and ask and I would be glad to answer.
80 comments
Hello Mr. Khan
I found your blogs interesting n worth.
We a group of 7-8 bikers are planning Spiti valley in June 12th rom Chandigarh and won’t come back to Chandigarh but will return Ahmedabad via Uttarkashi-Jaipur. M sharing an itinerary prepared by us only, how do you find this..kindly suggest.
Thanks & Regards
Jaipal SIngh Rathore
Ex. Customs Officer.
12 June
10.00 hrs from Chandigarh to Manali 18.00 hrs 292 Kms.
13 June
07.00 hrs from Manali to Chandratal 12.00 hrs. 111 Kms. Stay in Camp.
14 June
07.00 hrs from Chandratal to Kaza 15.00 hrs 96 Kms., via Chicham Bridge, Kunzum Stupas and Key monestry.
15 June
08.00 hrs from Kaza to Hikkim, Langza and highest motorable village in the world Komic and back to Kaza by evening. 100 Kms.
16 June
07.00 hrs from Kaza to Rampur Bushahr 15.00 hrs 294 Kms.
17 June
07.00 from Rampur Bushahr to Uttarkashi 16.00 hrs 291 Kms.
18 June
08.00 hrs from Uttarkashi to Gartang Gali to Gangotri temple and back to Uttarkashi by evening. 206 Kms.
19 June
06.00 hrs from Uttarkashi to Jaipur 18.00 hrs 688 Kms.
20 June
06.00 hrs from Jaipur to Home(Ahmedabad) 18.00 hrs. 678 Kms.
Hi,
I am planning to go to Spiti in the first week of March. What do you suggest?
[…] Also read: Petrol Pumps on Spiti Circuit […]
Hi Vargis,
I have been reading your website a lot to build up a itinerary for Ride to spiti between 1-5 sept. Delhi – Spiti circuit- Delhi . Would go in via Shimla route and be back via Manali.
I understand its too little time, thats the best i could manage for no. of leaves.
Need your guidance for-
Itinerary for ride from Delhi to Spiti and back in 5 days.
Must visit places that can be covered en-route.
Thanks in Advance,
Rachit
Hi Rachit – The only way to do Spiti in 5 days is as mentioned below. It won’t leave much time for sightseeing though, mostly you would just be riding.
1. Delhi to Narkanda
2. Narkanda to Kalpa
3. Kalpa to Kaza
4. Kaza to Manali via a short detour to Chandratal
5. Manali to Delhi
Your journey on Day 3, 4 is long so you must start by first light of the day.
Dear Vargis bhai,
We are planning a bokb trip to spiti valley – thunderbird 350 cc -2 pillion from 23rd june to 1 july
Itinery will be
Will reach chandigarh airport by7:30 am
D1 – chandigarh to narkand
D2 – narkand – sangla chitkul
D3- chitkul -kalpa- nako
D4- nako – tabo- dhinkar- mud village
D5- mud – kaza-langza- koumik- hikkim- kaza
D6 – kaza – ki – kibber – losar – chandratal
D7 – chandratal – manali
D8 – manali to chandigarh
We are taking one day buffer D9
D10 : flight at 9 am
I have few questions
Is this itinery doable and fine or should any changes be made?
In case of tyre puncture / engine failure, will be be able to get any help?? Although i will go to bike repairing shop and will try to learn a bit. and my Plan will be to start ride the earliest so, in case of brakdown , i colud get some help from riders after me
For accomodation , shall i book PWD guest house in advance wherever if is available??
Doss BSNL Prepaid Sim of any other state apart from himachal also will work across spiti??
Thanking you in advance bhai
Hi, we are two guys following the same route from 24th June to 1st July 2018. We have 2 bikes RE thunderbird 500 and himalyan. please get in touch if we can be travel mates. it will be helpful for us.
9871026080 please contact me on this. thanks.
Hi Dharam – I would recommend posting a thread at the travel partners section so that if anyone is traveling on the same dates as you, they can join you for the trip.
http://roadragas.com/index.php?forums/travel-partners.20/
Hello bro, ur articles r awesome. We are planning to visit spiti from 8th june to 17th june from chandigarh
1. We are only 2 person on a single Bic i.e Avenger 2018 model.should we wear knee or elbow guards? What are things required to carry along with us.
2. What about AMS?Should we take doctor advice before taking dimox tablet?
3. How to protect from rain?should we worry in june month? I mean should we carry special shoes for it?
Thanx
Hi Vipul,
1. I have never used Knee or Elbow guards so not really required as long as you are a confident rider.
2. Go via Shimla and you will not face AMS
3. Just carry your normal sports shoes. There will not be any rain in June anyways.
Thank u sir for ur quick response.I have following questions too.
1. While returning through manali, there will be waterfall too.For this should we buy water proof shoes?like pagal nala is dangerous water fall.
2.we will ride on avenger.we cant have stand for luggage. Should we buy saddle bags or what should we use?
1. No just carry your normal sports shoes. They will work just fine.
2. Just buy bungee cords and nylon rope. Put one bag on each side and tie it. This is how I always travel, have worked each time.
Hello Mr.Khan,
I and some friend of mine were planning to go to Chandratal lake Starting from Delhi-Manali-Gramphoo-Batal-Chandratal.We are 5-6 people, We have a scorpio and I am confused that, Would I require to carry fuel cause as far as i have read that after manali theres only kaza that has a pump so do I need to carry fuel or just topping up the tank from manali will suffice upto chandratal and back to Manali and If i need to carry, Then How much is the amount that can one take as per Government Norms there? And one more question, Our date to start is on 29th Sep,17 to 2nd Oct,17 Just wanted to know whether the roads and all are going to remain open or not, is it worth a try at this time cause we really want to go and dont want to be disappointed to see the road closed and It is our first time to spiti.
Thank you.
Hello Shakti Bhai – Manali to Chandratal and back is hardly 300 kilometers round trip; so no you do not have to worry about carrying spare fuel. Camps at Chandratal will be open until October 10th so you will be able to reach Chandratal and stay there on the dates you mentioned.
Thank you Vargis Bhai ✌️
You are welcome Bhai
We are planning a trip to spiti valley on our bikes from 10th sept to 16th sept
Our route will be
chd-shimla-rampur-chitkul-nako-kaza-chandartal-manali-chd
where should be our stays for each of the day according to you?
what will be the weather conditions on these days so that we can pack our clothes according to that
and any advice or suggestions?
It seems Monsoon is going to last a bit longer this year so please prepare for rain. Pack your luggage in a way that it is completely waterproof. Journey can be in the following manner.
10 – Chandigarh to Sarahan
11 – Sarahan to Chitkul
12 – Chitkul to Nako
13 – Nako to Kaza
14 – Kaza to Kibber / Komik / Langza / Hikkim to Kaza
15 – Kaza to Chandratal
16 – Chandratal to Chandigarh via Manali (start early from Chandratal and you will easily make it back to Chandigarh before midnight, will be a long ride)
Another itinerary can be,
10 – Chandigarh to Sarahan
11 – Sarahan to Chitkul
12 – Chitkul to Nako
13 – Nako to Kaza
14 – Kaza to Chandratal
15 – Chandratal to Manali
16 – Manali to Chandigarh
.
or
.
10 – Chandigarh to Sarahan
11 – Sarahan to Chitkul
12 – Chitkul to Nako
13 – Nako to Mud Village (Pin Valley)
14 – Mud Village to Kaza
15 – Kaza to Chandratal
16 – Chandratal to Manali
Thank you brother
You are welcome Bhai !!!
thanks for the info
You are welcome
Dear Mr Khan. We have planned to visit spiti valley in October 26th from simla. We have 14days in our hand. There are 4members in our group including a 3yrs child. Is there any problem with 3yrs child in October?
If kunjum pass will closed is there any options to visit chandratal?
And one more thing sir. Give a me a approx car hire charge from Simla to Simla in inova.and Simla to Simla total kilometers.
Thank you very much sir.
Warm regards.
K das, Kolkata.
Hello Mr. Das,
Chandratal and Kunzum Pass both will be closed in October so you cannot visit those. Total journey Shimla to Shimla will be about 1300 – 1500 kilometers, depending on places you visit.
It will be extremely cold at that time so you will have to take extra care of your child, protecting him/her from cold weather and extreme sun.
Mr. Khan can we get bike rental shops at reckong peo or kalpa?
Better to get it from Shimla. Motorcycles on rent will be hard to find at Peo and even if you, choices will be limited. You won’t get any at Kalpa.
Hello Vargis Bhai,
I am planning to do delhi – shimla-spiti- manali- Delhi.. strtng on 10th june.. planning a 9 days trip.. wil b following your itenary.. i jus wan knw wl the route al clear by then ? And ya wil sach pass b open by then ?
Hello Anoop Bhai, Sach Pass is expected to open between 10th and 15th June so I will suggest that you start from Shimla so that you at least give it a few more days after 10th.
Thnks Vargis bhai..m planning d same wl b strtng frm.shimla.. wht wl b condition like at sach pass… wl it be too rough ? M gonna take my 4*4.. Any specific thng wch i shld carry..
If you are in a 4X4 then no problem at all. Roads are always badly broken around Sach Pass and narrow too, so just drive carefully and you will be Ok,
Thanks brother.. jus one more thng.. Should i carry a jerrycan for extra fuel.. wl thr b long stretchs whr i won b able to refuel..
You are welcome bhai. What is your itinerary? Let me know and I can tell you if you would need to carry fuel and where.
Delhi – Spiti – Delhi
Day 1. Delhi – Sarahan
2. Sarahan – Chitkul
3. Chitkul – Kalpa
4. Kalpa – Nako
5. Nako – Kaza
6. Kaza – local Kaza
7. Kaza – Chandratal
8. Chandratal – Manali
9. Manali – Delhi.
And if luck favors n sach opens thn..
8. Chandratal – Sissu
9. Sissu – Killar
10. Killar – Chamba
11. Chamba – Delhi.
You won’t need to carry spare fuel then. Just ensure that if you go towards Sach Pass then do tank up at Tandi before proceeding towards Killar.
Thnks Alot brother.. So.nice of u to reply.. Wl bother you again if m confused abt something..
Virgis bhai
Agr hum apna tent and sleeping bags le kr jayen toh kahan kahan night stay kr skte hain hum?Chandertal area mein allowed hain apne tents?
Manpreet Bhai – Chandratal par aap apna tent laga sakte ho par kahin sunsaan jagah par mat lagana .. wildlife hai yahan lake ke aas paas … behtar hoga ke kisi camp site wale se baat karke use thode paise de do and uske badle mein vo aapko kahin aas paas apna tent lagane ke liye jagah de dega, washrooms bhi aap usi camp site ke use kar sakte ho … aur aap Spiti mein kayi jagah par apna tent laga sakte ho par kisi dhaabe ke aas paas hi lagana
Khan Saab, we are planning to visit Spiti and Chandratal around 14th June 2017. Is it good time to come? Are the roads free if snow? We plan to come via the Shimla route.
Khan Saab it’s 12th May instead of 12th June.
Vishal Bhai yes you can go from Shimla to Kaza but will have to come back the same way as Manali to Kaza route is expected to open by late June. Roads are free of snow between Shimla and Kaza but Kunzum Pass is still buried under snow.
Many thanks for your reply Khan Saab, pls excuse my ignorance, does your reply mean that Chandratal should be ruled out this time of the year and yes we intend to come back via the Shimla route only. We are two travellers coming via our own Duster car.
Vishal Bhai – There is a high chance that you can go to Chandratal. I have a contact at Kaza that I can give you the number of. He has a hotel in Kaza and a camp site at Chandratal as well. I can give you his number and you can talk to him. Even if Chandratal remains closed around your dates of travel, he will still be able to arrange your visit.
Khan Saab, we hv left Delhi and are staying at Kasauli tonight, i.e. 12th May. Indeed we are interested to visit Chandratal if the weather Gods permit. Pls provide me with the no. for the camp site facilitator. Many thanks.
08860311916.
Vishal Bhai I tried calling this number but it says out of service. The number for facilitator is 9418200183, his name is Jamaica. Talk to him and see if he is able to arrange your trek to Chandratal. Kunzum Pass is still buried under thick snow so it may be tough but you can check with him.
Khan Saab ..it was a typo..the no is 08860312916. leaving Kasauli at 10 am today, 12th May, shud we halt at Rampur or Chitkul.
Go to Chitkul, nothing worth staying for in Rampur. If you get late somewhere, then halt at Sarahan or make it all the way to Chitkul
How much does tent cost at chandratal?
Depends, various tents have various prices but Rs. 1500 and above minimum per person is safe to assume.
sangla se kibber ghumke 1k din me aa-sakta-hu keya ????
Nahi
Vargis bhai can I go to spiti valley in b/w 15th to 25th October,upto kaza only. Do u think weather will be obstacle, please inform in detail.
Yes you can Bhai …
Weather will not be a problem in October …. it will be cold in Spiti in October but no snow so you will be OK. Kunzum would be probably closed by then so you would have to return from Kaza.
Please advice me the important things to be carried when we are going on bike .(any spare part or tools regarding bike).
Which bike are you traveling on bro? The only must to carry thing is a puncture repair kit. You should also carry a spare clutch wire, accelerator wire, brake wire and a spare bulb for headlamp.
Do u think reckong PEO to kaza can be covered in a single day if we start at 6am & reach there at 7 pm max.
Yeah it can be but will be a very rushed and long journey
Thank you for ur prompt reply ,I will go on apache 160. I have been to badrinath , manali ,nainital with my apache.
Just carry a puncture repair kit, spare clutch and accelerator cables and you will be OK
Do u think that kunzumla willbe open in 2nd week of October.
Chances are that it would be but do not count on it …. it can close anytime after late September
Thank u vargis bhai could you assist me to go solo on bike without any group.
When are you traveling?
I will be travelling in the first week of October.
Please Inform me about the network connectivity and which sim I should carry. From internet only I came to know bsnl work best in comparison to other in those area.(Spiti valley)
After Pooh, your phone will be pretty much dead until Manali. All networks work fine until Reckong Peo / Pooh. If you can manage without phone for a couple of days until Manali, do not worry about changing numbers or Sim.
Can we get std booth in kaza losar or batal
Kaza – Yes
Losar and Batal – No
Vargish bhai you know there is electronic pump which can be easily attached to the bike battery and fill up the air.It is very light also as whole body is made up of plastic in comparison to manual pump.
Please inform me about puncture shop as well as mechanic shop for bike en route blw reckong PEO to kaza in detail please asap.I ll be grateful to you.
Hard to find a puncture repair shop or a mechanic between Peo and Kaza.
You will find a puncture repair shop in towns like Nako, Tabo and Dhankar but you will not find anything in between the towns. If you do not have a repair kit and the tire goes flat, you will be in trouble.
Thanks bro can we find some phone booth landline facilities to call back home in nako kaza losar and batal.
As I mentioned earlier if my friend denie should I continue the tour solo no group nothing only me & my bike.
Yes you can do it, shouldn’t be a problem. Just get your bike serviced properly, replace whatever seems doubtful, make sure nothing would go wrong with it, carry a puncture repair kit and a pump and know how to fix a flat tire.
When are you going btw? I might be on the Spiti circuit myself in first week of October, starting from Delhi.
Its great vargish bhai if possible plz contact me my no is 9971105344 from noida.I am quite impressed by your travelogue.The mountains are calling and I must go.
Sure, I will let you know if my plan materializes.
Kaza and Nako – Yes
Losar and Batal – No