{"id":6922,"date":"2017-02-26T12:19:55","date_gmt":"2017-02-26T12:19:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vargiskhan.com\/log\/?p=6922"},"modified":"2020-02-09T23:26:15","modified_gmt":"2020-02-09T23:26:15","slug":"best-time-to-visit-spiti-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vargiskhan.com\/log\/best-time-to-visit-spiti-valley\/","title":{"rendered":"When is the Best Time to Visit Spiti Valley?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When to visit Spiti valley? This will definitely be the first question on your mind when you plan to visit a place like Spiti. This is definitely not your usual weekend getaway and a trip to Spiti means that you will have to take some time out, plan meticulously and try to make the best out of your time and money. You got to make sure that the time of your trip is the best time to visit Spiti Valley so that your trip can remain enjoyable, safe and hassle-free.<\/p>\n

Hopefully, after reading through the article below, you will have a clear answer to this question.<\/p>\n

The majority of the tourism to Spiti valley happens in the months of summer. However, a lot of people travel there in dead of winter as well. Contrary to common belief, Spiti valley actually remains accessible by road throughout the year.<\/p>\n

When is the best time to visit Spiti valley depends on your preference, places you wanted to include in your itinerary and which route did you intend on taking. Several other factors like mode of travel and budget etc too come into play, but mostly it will depend on what exactly are you looking for and how you plan to travel through the valley. In this article, I will give a month by month breakdown explaining what you can expect in a particular month.<\/p>\n

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The most common way of a journey to Lahaul and Spiti valleys is to complete it in form of a circuit; meaning you start from one place and exit at another. This particular circuit lies between Shimla and Manali so you can enter Spiti from either of these two places.<\/p>\n

From Shimla:<\/strong><\/span> Shimla \u2013 Narkanda \u2013 Rampur \u2013 Jeori \u2013 Reckong Peo \u2013 Nako \u2013 Tabo \u2013 Dhankar – Kaza<\/strong><\/p>\n

From Manali:<\/strong><\/span> Manali \u2013 Rohtang Pass \u2013 Gramphoo \u2013 Batal \u2013 Losar – Kaza<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spiti valley is accessible from Shimla side<\/a><\/strong> throughout the year however from Manali; it is accessible only for 5 months, from June till September. So if you are planning from Shimla, from June till September, you can complete the circuit by exiting from Manali. However from late October till early May; you can only drive up to Kaza from Shimla and will have to return the same way. There is no high altitude pass between Shimla and Kaza however when it comes to Manali; you will cross two high altitude passes, Rohtang and Kunzum Pass. Both these passes remain close from anytime in October till May (depending on the weather) so a journey from Manali to Spiti valley can only be done from June till September.<\/p>\n

Also read: How to Plan a Trip to Spiti Valley – A Complete Travel Guide<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Please note that even though you can travel to Spiti from Shimla throughout the year, in peak winter the entire valley remains under a thick sheet of snow so a road journey will not be only difficult but also very challenging.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned above, the best time to visit Spiti valley depends on what your preference is. If it is snow you are after, then the best time would be to go sometime in February or March otherwise July till September would be an ideal time to visit Lahaul & Spiti.<\/p>\n

Spiti Valley In January<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Not a good time to go at all. Winter is at its full swing and there is heavy snow all around, starting right from near Shimla until Kaza. Chances of catching a live snowfall, roads being closed and getting stranded somewhere are highest during this time. The road from Manali to Kaza remains closed at this time so the only way to get into the valley is to travel from Shimla however the road goes through some regions that experience heavy snowfall due to which it is best to avoid traveling at this time. There is not much of accommodation options available too in January.<\/p>\n

Also read: Clothes for Spiti Trip – What to Pack?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Spiti Valley in\u00a0 February & March<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

If it is snow that you are after, then the best time would be to go from sometime mid Feb till March. There is a high chance of catching snow near Shimla, Narkanda, Kufri, Sarahan, Nako and Kaza at this time. Please do carefully plan your accommodation though because this is not really the tourist season and most of the hotels at this time remain closed.<\/p>\n

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Best Time to Visit Spiti Valley<\/p><\/div>\n

Spiti Valley In April & May<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Snow starts to melt away by Late March or early April. Hotels and guest houses too start to open up by this time however tourists are still few in numbers. If it is solitude you seek with not a lot of people around, then this is the best time to go. Chances of catching snow will be very less however the weather will still be extremely cold. Accommodation will still be limited and you will not be able to complete the circuit as well. You can hope to find whatever is left of the snow in the months of April and May but it is also the time when roads are in worst condition.<\/p>\n

Spiti Valley In June till September<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

The complete Spiti circuit<\/a><\/strong> remains open at this time. You can start your journey from Shimla and end at Manali or vice versa. While Spiti does not experience much rain, almost next to none for that matter; roads leading to the valley can still close due to landslides in monsoon. Kunzum pass opens in late June and it takes some time for BRO and PWD to improve the road conditions from Kokhsar till Kaza. The entire patch from Kokhsar to Kunzum, especially till Batal is a nightmare to drive on. Add monsoon to this and you will get the idea.<\/p>\n