Season guide
Best time to visit Spiti Valley
May to October is the season for the full Spiti circuit, because the Kunzum La road from Manali is only open in those months. The Kinnaur approach from Shimla stays open most of the year, so winter Spiti is possible as an in-and-out trip but not as a loop.
- Full circuit
- May to October
- Kunzum La
- Roughly June to October
- Winter access
- Kinnaur side only, in and out
- Warmest
- July and August
Summer circuit
June to September is when both roads are open and the loop works: in from Shimla through Kinnaur, out over Kunzum to Manali. Days are warm, nights still cold, and Chandratal is accessible.
Winter Spiti
January and February bring temperatures well below freezing and a road that comes and goes. It is done — for snow leopard tracking and for the emptiness — but it is an expedition rather than a holiday and needs a longer, more flexible plan.
Questions people ask
Is Spiti open in winter?
Partly. The Kinnaur road from Shimla usually stays open, so Kaza can be reached and returned from the same way. The Manali side over Kunzum La is closed, so the circular route is a summer trip only.
When is Chandratal accessible?
Roughly June to early October, tied to Kunzum La being open. Camps operate only in that window.
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Tours that go there
Every one of these is run by our own team, with the drivers and the permits arranged.
Read next
- Spiti Valley travel guideSpiti is a high cold desert between 3,000 and 4,500 metres, reached either from Shimla through Kinnaur or from Manali over Kunzum La. The Manali road is open roughly June to October; the Kinnaur road stays open most of the year. Eight to ten days does the full circuit properly.
- Kinnaur travel guideKinnaur follows the Sutlej gorge east of Shimla, climbing from apple country at Sarahan to the high villages of Kalpa and Chitkul near the Tibetan border. It is usually travelled as the approach to Spiti and takes three to four days on its own.
- How to reach Spiti ValleySpiti has two road approaches: from Shimla through Kinnaur, about 420 km and open most of the year, or from Manali over Kunzum La, about 200 km and open roughly June to October. The Shimla route gains altitude gradually and is the safer choice for a first visit.
- Altitude sickness in Ladakh and SpitiAltitude sickness typically begins above 2,500 metres and is common in Leh at 3,500 metres, particularly for travellers who fly in. Headache, nausea and breathlessness at rest are the warning signs. The only reliable treatment is descent, which is why itineraries are built to ascend gradually.
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