Not much to write about this day except that it will be a long journey. The total distance covered will be about 400 kilometers in 9 to 10 hours. I will recommend staying at Narkanda rather than crowded Shimla because it will also reduce your travel time on Day 2. Road conditions will be mostly OK all the way will Narkanda. If you were staying in Shimla, you can visit the local market in the evening.

Take an early morning drive to Hatu Peak before starting for Sarahan. After visiting Hatu, have breakfast, check out of the hotel, and start on your way to Sarahan. You will first reach Rampur and then Jeori. From Jeori, turn right on the 16 kilometers long road to Sarahan. Depending on what time you arrived here, you can also visit the Bhimakali temple and the bird sanctuary in Sarahan on the same day.

Distance traveled will be about 100 kilometers in 4 to 5 hours. Road conditions will be mostly OK except for the final stretch to Sarahan that can be in bad condition. If you were able to start latest by 10 – 11 AM from Sarahan, it will give you ample time for sightseeing in Sarahan in the evening.

Your next destination will be the beautiful village of Chitkul. This is the last village on this side of the border. To get here, you will first drive 16 kilometers from Sarahan back to Jeori and then continue towards Karcham.

At Karcham, turn on the road that goes towards Sangla Valley and drive about 40 kilometers to arrive at Chitkul while crossing Sangla town on the way. Travel time will be about 5 hours for a total of 110 kilometers.

From Chitkul, drive back to Karcham again and then continue towards Reckong Peo. The journey on this day will be very short, just about 65 kilometers, and can easily be done in 3 hours at most. Road conditions will be mostly OK.

Traveling from Karcham, you will first arrive at Powari. After Powari, you will notice a road to your left going uphill towards Reckong Peo and then Kalpa. This is the road that you will turn on and drive about 16 kilometers on a steep narrow ascent. There are several hotels at Kalpa that you can stay at. The view of Kinner Kailash from Kalpa is definitely worth a visit here.

I will also recommend buying fuel at the gas station in Powari. You can get it from Reckong Peo as well but Powari is more convenient. After Peo, the next gas station is in Kaza only so do not forget this.

The journey from Kalpa to Nako will be about 100 kilometers but will take you through some really bad roads. Travel time can be anywhere between 3 to 6 hours, depending on your breaks and speed. There are some really bad sections of road on this stretch.

From Kalpa, drive down again to the main highway and then continue traveling towards Pooh. After Pooh, you will arrive at Khab Bridge and then climb up Kazigs to reach Nako.

The destination for today will be the beautiful Pin Valley but you will also be visiting several other places en route; hence I will recommend that you get a really early start. Road conditions too from here will continue to deteriorate for the rest of the journey. Nako to Mud is about 135 kilometers but will easily take you 6 to 8 hours considering that you will take a few detours as well.

From Nako, you will first drive to Giu village to see the Mummy of Spiti valley. The road to this village has been marked by a few boards, pictures of the mummy, and a large gate so you will easily spot it. After a short detour to Giu, you will then drive to Tabo and see the Tabo Monastery. The next destination will be Dhankar and after visiting the monastery here, you can also trek to Dhankar lake; but that can take you about 2 hours so plan accordingly.

After Dhankar, you will then take the turn towards Pin Valley from Attargo Bridge and then drive 35 kilometers to reach Mud village; where you will be staying at for the night.

Kaza will be your next destination, the headquarters of Spiti Valley. Distance traveled will be just about 50 kilometers so you are in no rush to start early. From Mudh, drive back to Attargo Bridge, turn left, and then continue 16 kilometers to Kaza. Goes without saying, there is no shortage of hotels in Kaza and no matter what your budget is, you will easily find a place to stay.

I will recommend staying at Hotel Spiti Valley, right opposite Kaza Monastery. It is on the main road itself so you won’t even have to enter the narrow streets of Kaza. The contact person is Tanzin and his number is 9418927312. Give my reference and he will take good care of you at discounted rates.

You will spend this day at Kaza itself and explore the nearby villages of Komik, Kibber, Langza, Hikkim, Tashigong, and Chicham. On the way, you will also visit the famous Kye Monastery which is the largest and oldest monastery in Spiti; and is one of its prime attractions. For more details on how to visit these villages and a road map, please read How to Plan a Trip from Kaza to Kibber, Gette & Tashigong and How to Plan a Trip from Kaza to Komik, Hikkim, and Langza.

While you are in Kaza town, do not forget to visit the beautiful Kaza Monastery. If you were staying at Hotel Spiti Valley, then the monastery will be right in front of the hotel, on the other side of the road. You should also take a walk at the local Kaza market in the evening.

The next destination in the itinerary is the famous Chandratal Lake which is also the star attraction of this entire journey. Spending a night here at the camps is a must for everyone. In my opinion, a journey to Spiti valley is incomplete if Chandratal is not a part of it.

With that being said, after Kaza, you will truly understand the definition of the term “bad roads”. The entire stretch until Manali is a joy ride, but the 14 kilometers long road to Chandratal will have your heart jumping to your mouth if you were in a car. This entire stretch is an extremely bad road barely wide enough for one car.

After Kaza, you will take the road towards Losar and then climb up to Kunzum Pass. After crossing the top, as you climb down and about 2 kilometers before Batal, you will notice a narrow road towards your right. This is the road you need to take to reach Chandratal. There is also a board there marking this road.

Towns of Keylong and Jispa are not really a part of Spiti valley. This part of Himachal actually falls under Lahaul district. But since you are not short on time and have another day to spare, spend this time exploring a little bit of Lahaul valley as well.

From Chandratal, drive back 14 kilometers towards Kunzum Pass, back to the point where you took the turn yesterday. Continue then towards Batal. After Batal, it is one nightmare of the road for the next 60 kilometers, all the way till Gramphu. You will be traveling through a completely broken road; full of boulders and numerous water crossings. The fun will end when you will exit on Manali Leh highway near Gramphu, just after Rohtang top.

From Gramphu, continue on Manali Leh highway towards Keylong. Now in terms of accommodation, Keylong has a far better number of hotels. But when it comes to scenic beauty, Jispa is much more beautiful. There are a couple of hotels and campsites at Jispa where I will recommend that you stay. If you would rather prefer a cemented hotel, you can stay at Keylong.

Today you will reach Manali after crossing Rohtang Pass. But before you do that, I will recommend that you do a bit more exploring and add another pass to your trip. This will be the notorious Baralacha La. While going to the pass, you will also be seeing two more lakes on the way, Deepak and Suraj Taal.

In order to reach Baralacha La, from Jispa you will have to drive towards Sarchu. Drive all the way to the top of Baralacha La. You will see Deepak Tal on the way and Suraj Taal is located at the top of the pass. Spend some time there and then start your return journey.

Once again, there is not much to say about this day of the trip. It will be a long and tiring journey of 14 – 15 hours of driving back to Delhi; unless you are really lucky and live in a closer city like Chandigarh.