Chandratal Lake: when can you go?

You can reach Chandratal by road only from about June to early October. The lake sits at about 4,300 m, off the Manali–Kaza road near Batal: a side road takes you to a car park, and you walk the last kilometre. The camps are a few kilometres back, not on the shore. From late October to May the road is snowed in, and from December the lake itself is frozen.

Chandratal is the last stop on our Spiti circuit, and it’s the place guests most often get the timing wrong. Here’s how to get it right.

Chandratal through the year

Month	Road	What you’ll find
December – April	Closed	Frozen lake, deep snow, no access by road
Late May – June	Opening	Snow walls on the road, ice still on the lake, very cold nights
July – August	Open	Green meadows, wildflowers, busy streams in the afternoon
September	Open	Clear skies, the bluest water, fewer people
Early October	Closing	Freezing nights, camps packing up, first snow possible

If you can choose, go in September.

When does the road open and close?

The road to Chandratal depends on two things: Kunzum Pass and the stretch from Gramphu past Chhatru to Batal. Both are cleared of snow each spring, and the date moves by weeks from year to year. In some years the lake road is open by late May; in others, not until mid-June.

The season ends with the first heavy snow, usually some time in October. Camps tend to pack up in the first half of October. If you’re planning a trip in late September or October, check the road status a few days before you go, and have a plan B. Taxi drivers in Manali and Kaza usually know first whether the Batal stretch is passable, so ask them, or ask us on WhatsApp.

How to reach Chandratal

From Manali. Drive through the Atal Tunnel, then along the Chandra river past Gramphu, Chhatru and Batal. A side road leaves the highway about 3 km after Batal and runs about 12 km to a car park. From there it’s an easy walk of about 1 km to the lake. It’s a long half-day from Manali, on a rough road with stream crossings.

From Kaza. Drive up over Kunzum Pass at about 4,550 m, then down towards Batal and turn off for the lake. It’s most of a morning, and if you’ve been in Spiti a few days you’ll already be acclimatised.

On foot from Kunzum Pass. A trail runs from the pass to the lake in about two hours, along the hillside above the valley. It’s a lovely walk if you’re acclimatised and the weather is clear.

For the drive itself, our Manali to Kaza taxi page has the details of the road.

Permits and fees

• e-Aagman e-permit: Himachal’s online system requires an e-permit for each vehicle on the Atal Tunnel–Rohtang–Koksar–Chandratal circuit. Register before leaving Manali.
• Sanctuary entry: Chandratal is inside a protected wildlife area, and the forest department charges an entry fee per person and per vehicle.
• Foreign nationals: you don’t need a permit for the lake itself, but you will for the Spiti valley below Kaza. Our Spiti permits post explains it.

Fees and rules change, so check the current amounts before you go.

Where to stay

The camps sit a few kilometres before the lake, along the approach road, at sites authorised by the forest department. Camping on the lakeshore isn’t allowed, and that’s good: it’s why the lake still looks the way it does.

The camps are basic: a tent with blankets, a shared dining tent and dry toilets. Expect little or no phone signal, and nights below freezing even in August. Bring a warm layer more than you think you need.

Don’t sleep here on your first night

Chandratal is higher than Kaza. If you drive up from Manali (about 2,000 m) and sleep at the lake the same night, you’re asking for a headache, or worse. It’s one of the most common ways people get ill up here.

The kinder ways to do it:

• Visit at the end of a Spiti trip, coming from Kaza over Kunzum, when you’ve already acclimatised. That’s how our Spiti circuit works.
• From Manali, make Chandratal a day visit and sleep lower, or spend a night or two in Manali and Lahaul first.

Our post on altitude sickness in Spiti explains what to watch for.

What you’ll see

Chandratal means “moon lake”, after its crescent shape. It’s about 1.7 km long and changes colour through the day, from deep blue to green to silver. It was declared a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 2005.

The meadows around it are full of wildflowers in July and August, and you might see blue sheep, ibex, red foxes, golden eagles or choughs. In summer, ruddy shelducks nest by the water. A walk around the lake takes an hour or two at an easy pace; go at sunrise, when the water is still and the peaks reflect in it.

Is Chandratal worth the detour?

Yes, if you’re on the Manali side anyway or finishing a Spiti trip over Kunzum. The lake is only a short detour off the main road from Batal, and few places in the Himalaya feel this open and quiet. It’s harder to justify as a separate trip from Kaza if your plan is to go back out through Kinnaur: that’s a long return drive over Kunzum for a few hours at the lake.

If you only have time for one high lake in Himachal, this is the one we’d choose.

What to bring

• A down jacket, warm hat and gloves, even in August
• Sunglasses and strong sunscreen; the light up here is fierce
• Water and snacks for the walk from the car park
• Cash for the camp and the sanctuary fee
• A head torch for the camp at night
• A bag for your rubbish

Day trip or overnight?

• Day visit: enough to walk to the lake, sit, and walk around it. Kinder on the body, and you sleep somewhere warmer.
• Overnight in a camp: worth it for sunset, a sky full of stars and the lake at dawn, if you’re already acclimatised and ready for a cold night.

Mistakes we see every year

• Arriving in late October and finding the road closed.
• Sleeping at the lake on the first night from Manali.
• Driving the Batal stretch in the afternoon, when the streams are highest, or after dark.
• Forgetting cash. There are no ATMs, and card machines need signal.
• Swimming, washing or leaving rubbish. It’s a protected lake. Take everything back with you.

Planning it with us

Our Chandratal and Kunzum short trip runs from Manali in season, and the lake is the last stop on our Spiti circuit, when you’re already acclimatised. If you’re still deciding how to travel, our post on how to reach Spiti compares bus, taxi and self-drive.