How to reach Spiti: bus, taxi or self-drive?

There are only two roads into Spiti Valley: from Shimla through Kinnaur, open most of the year, and from Manali over Kunzum Pass, open from about mid-June to mid-October. You travel them by HRTC bus (cheapest and slowest), shared or private taxi (easiest), or your own car or motorcycle. For a first visit we’d say: in from Shimla by taxi, and out over Kunzum to Manali.

Our guests and drivers use these roads all season, on the way up to our hotel near Key Monastery, so here’s how each option actually works.

Ways to reach Spiti at a glance

Option	Best for	What it’s like
HRTC bus	Budget, solo, no rush	One early bus a day, long and bumpy, very cheap
Shared taxi	Solo travellers in summer	Manali–Kaza in season, faster than the bus
Private taxi	First-timers, families	Door to door, stops when you want
Self-drive car	Confident mountain drivers	Freedom, but you need the right car
Motorcycle	Experienced riders	Spiti’s classic trip, hard work

The two roads in

Shimla – Kinnaur – Kaza, about 420 km. This is the main road, and in winter the only one. It follows the Sutlej through Kinnaur, past Rampur and Reckong Peo, then climbs through Nako and Tabo to Kaza. The district puts it at around 20 hours of driving, so split it over two or three days. That’s good for your body too: the slow climb is the best way to acclimatise.

Manali – Kunzum Pass – Kaza, about 200 km. Shorter, rougher and higher. You go through the Atal Tunnel, then along the Chandra river past Chhatru and Batal, over Kunzum Pass at about 4,550 m, and down to Kaza. It’s a long day of 8 to 10 hours, and it’s only open in summer.

Most of our guests do a loop: in through Kinnaur, out over Kunzum. Each side looks completely different.

Flying or taking the train

There’s no airport or railway in Spiti. The closest options:

• Kullu-Manali Airport (Bhuntar): the nearest airport, then Manali and over Kunzum in summer.
• Shimla Airport: small, with few flights, but right at the start of the Kinnaur road.
• Chandigarh: the most flights and trains; from there it’s about four hours to Shimla.
• Railways: Kalka, Shimla (on the toy train) and Chandigarh for the Kinnaur side; Joginder Nagar for the Manali side.

Most people fly or take the train to Chandigarh, or take an overnight bus from Delhi to Shimla or Manali, and go on by road.

By HRTC bus

The Himachal state buses are the cheapest way in, and for solo travellers on a budget they’re a real adventure.

• From the Kinnaur side, take a bus from Shimla to Reckong Peo, stay the night, then catch the early-morning bus from Reckong Peo to Kaza. It leaves at dawn and takes most of the day.
• From the Manali side, in summer a bus leaves Manali for Kaza very early, around 5 am, and takes 10 to 11 hours.
• Book or check the day before at the bus stand. Timings change, and in winter the Kinnaur bus can be suspended for days after heavy snow.

What it’s like: old seats, a lot of bends, a lot of dust, and some of the best views in India for almost nothing. Keep snacks, water and a warm layer with you; the bus stops for food, but not always when you’re hungry.

By shared taxi

In summer, shared taxis (usually Tata Sumos or similar) run between Manali and Kaza, leaving early in the morning. They’re faster than the bus and cost more, but still far less than a private car. You’ll be sharing with locals, other travellers and plenty of luggage. Ask at the Manali taxi stand the evening before.

On the Kinnaur side, shared taxis run between towns but rarely all the way to Kaza.

By private taxi

The easiest way, and what most families and first-timers choose. A local driver who knows the road, stops wherever you want, and no worrying about ice, fuel or the turn-off to Nako.

A few things to know:

• On the Manali side, you want a high-clearance car (an SUV), not a sedan. The stretch around Chhatru and Batal has stream crossings and big stones.
• Ask about local sightseeing. Check whether your driver stays with you for the days around Kaza, or whether you’ll hire a Kaza taxi for those.
• Plan the whole trip, not just the drive. It’s usually cheaper and simpler to keep one car for the full circuit.

Our Shimla to Kaza and Manali to Kaza taxi pages give distances and what to expect on each road.

Driving yourself

Self-driving Spiti is wonderful if you’re used to mountain roads. If you aren’t, it’s a hard place to learn.

• Your car: a sedan can manage the Kinnaur road in summer if you drive carefully. For the Manali side, take an SUV with good ground clearance. In winter, take a 4x4 with snow chains, and honestly, hire a local driver.
• Fuel: Kaza has the only petrol pump in Spiti. From Manali there’s no fuel for about 200 km, so fill up before you leave.
• Paperwork: register your vehicle on Himachal’s e-Aagman portal before entering Lahaul and Spiti, and expect a state entry tax at the border if your car isn’t registered in Himachal. Our Spiti permits post explains the details.
• Rules of the road: uphill traffic has priority, use your horn on blind bends, and never drive after dark.

By motorcycle

Riding to Spiti is a classic, and the Kinnaur road is a good first big Himalayan ride. The Manali side is harder, with water crossings and gravel. Our post on riding Himachal as a foreign rider covers licences, bikes and fuel.

Getting around once you’re in Kaza

Spiti’s villages are spread out, and buses between them are few. Most visitors hire a Kaza taxi for a day to see Key, Kibber, Langza and Komic, or Dhankar and Tabo. You can walk between some villages if you’re acclimatised, but go slowly: Kaza is at about 3,650 m and the villages are higher. Our post on altitude sickness in Spiti explains why the first day matters.

How long does it take?

• Delhi or Chandigarh to Kaza via Shimla: three days by road, with nights around Sarahan or Sangla and Nako or Tabo.
• Manali to Kaza: one long day in summer, but we’d rather you spent a night in Manali first.
• Reckong Peo to Kaza by bus: most of a day.

Whatever you choose, keep a spare day. Landslides and snow close these roads, sometimes for hours, sometimes for days.

Which should you choose?

• First trip, or with family: a private taxi, in through Kinnaur and out via Manali in summer.
• Solo on a budget: the HRTC bus through Kinnaur, with a night in Reckong Peo.
• Confident driver with an SUV: self-drive in summer, slowly.
• Winter (November to March): Kinnaur only, with a local driver. Read Spiti in winter: is it worth it? first.

If you’d like us to handle it, our Spiti circuit from Shimla to Manali covers the car, the driver and the permits. Or just send us your dates on WhatsApp and we’ll tell you which way makes sense.