As per studies by CAS at IIT Delhi, Chitkul has the cleanest air so please keep Chitkul clean. Take back plastics and memories along with you😃
To cut out yourself from the busy schedule of daily life and get some fresh & clean air, sit in the middle of mountains, heal your body and get some peace, head towards India’s last village in Himachal. The place gives beautiful and breathe taking views from your hotel room or even the roads leading to the village that is considered one of the world’s most dangerous roads. The village stays happy and happening without network connectivity, believe me you won’t get bored for a second without network as you have so many things to explore.
This small village is located at an altitude of 11320 Ft and very close to Indo-Tibet border Nearly 60 km from the village) in Kinnaur Valley which is probably a mid-point if you are planning your trip ahead till Spiti valley.
Planning for a trip to Chitkul? Let me help you with your itinerary, stays, essentials needed and important things that should be kept in mind. Don’t worry the whole trip would be at a minimal cost just like I did.
Best Time to Visit Chitkul
Best time to visit Chitkul totally depends on your choice what you want to experience either snow-capped frozen land or the clean and fresh water of Baspa River with greenery all around. Season in Chitkul can be divided in 2 season month wise as there is only 2 season winter of May-September and chilled winter of October-April. Let’s get into more details:
May to September
Even in the month of May, June, July temperature in Chitkul remains between 0-9 and one will have to wear 2-3 layers during their stay. It’s just that during these months Baspa River is not frozen so you can enjoy clean and sea green color of the river in one of the tents just beside the River staying amid mountains, river, sun and snow on few of the peaks.
October to April
Months of October till April the entire village turns into a snow land out of which November to February turns out to be a frozen land for Chitkul. During these months Chitkul experiences extreme cold and most of the villagers move towards Sangla as livelihood during this time becomes really difficult. Even waters in washroom freezes due to cold and River Baspa turns into Ice skating court if you have your gears 😉 Despite the chilled, cold and harsh weather passionate travellers visit this village just to get the feel of frozen land.
Reaching Chitkul from Delhi
Chitkul can be reached via road only since there is no airport or railway station being the location of the village is at higher altitude. Nearest airport and railway track is in Shimla and half way of the journey can be covered via these means, rest via bus or a cab/taxi. If you are taking your own car till Chitkul then it’s well and good just you need to be a pro in driving as the Kinnaur Valley has one of the world’s most dangerous road.
Delhi to Chitkul via Flight
Travellers who want to save time and invest more they can reach Chitkul half way via flight and then further via bus or cab. The nearest airport would be Shimla which would cost somewhere around INR 2000 – 5000 depending upon the season. From Shimla you can get a bus to Chitkul at 6 AM everyday which would cost you INR 470 or you can book a taxi or cab for your further journey and I think it’s not a good option since HRTC bus drivers are more experienced, don’t forget you would be on most dangerous road. Nevertheless, the cab/taxi would cost somewhere around INR 10000-12000 round trip or more.
Delhi to Chitkul via Train
Chitkul can be reached halfway via train and then further half via bus or cab/taxi. However, you can get multiple options if you plan your trip this way. First, the time consuming option: reach Kalka Railway Station from Delhi via train at a minimum cost of INR 320 for general class ticket and INR 800 for 2nd AC, the train would take about 4-5 hour to reach Kalka and from there you can book Toy train costing INR 650 for your rest of the journey that really takes 5-6 hours to cover 85km. Second option is, reach Kalka via train and take a bus till Shimla which would cost you around INR 200 dropping you in Shimla within 3 hours.
From Shimla you can take bus to Chitkul at 6 AM every day at INR 470 and would take about 10 hours to reach.
Delhi to Chitkul via Bus
Reaching Chitkul via bus directly from Delhi is a bit hectic but it saves a lot of time and money. Though there is no direct bus to Chitkul, however from Kashmiri Gate which costs about INR 1045, a HRTC bus leaves at 8 PM and reaches Reckongpeo that is 65 km from Chitkul from where you can take another bus to Chitkul costing you about INR 100 and takes 4 hours to reach Chitkul. But if your main intension is to visit only Chitkul, don’t go till Reckongpeo, there would be a place named Karcham, get down there wait for a bus to Chitkul that usually takes 10-15 minutes (We should learn time management from HRTC bus drivers, always on time) and leave for Chitkul same day.
Stay in Chitkul
In the months of April till September you would get many homestays, hotels, hostels or locals serving the tourists. Budget travellers can opt for Zostel or Wanderer’s Nest with bunk beds and dorm. Hotel Sunny Snow Point would be a good option and there are many homestays as well like Lucky Homestay that you can try at a minimal cost with full facilities. There are certain tents near the Baspa River like, Yogi Bros or Baspa River Camp, one of the best accommodation as it offers epic views of River Baspa and snow-capped mountains.
Where to Eat
In Chitkul, there are few eateries like Thakur, Wanderer’s Nest, Mitthu Da Dhaba and most famous Hindustan ka akhri dhaba that can be given a try. You can try momos, thukpa, Maggie, bread-omelette, parathas, coffee and tea.
Important Points
Network Connectivity in Chitkul
In Chitkul you will only find BSNL network, other networks like Jio and Airtel works till Sangla and Batseri. There is no connectivity of Vodafone once you cross Kinnaur Gate, its better you get a BSNL sim from your place itself that would just cost INR 150 with 1 gb data per day and unlimited calling.
ATMs in Chitkul
In Chitkul, there is no ATMs so estimate your expenses and carry the cash with you. A good news is you can find paytm facility at few of the hotels. Best thing would be to get cash from Sangla or Reckong Peo itself to avoid any untimely issues.
Petrol Pump in Chitkul
Chitkul is so clean that it doesn’t wants to hamper its cleanliness with a petrol pump, there is no petrol pump in Chitkul. If you are driving till Chitkul, fill your tank in Sangla or Reckong Peo it would be really hard to get petrol in Chitkul unless any local helps to get it.
Essentials for the Trip
Before starting your trip to Chitkul, make sure you have all the essentials mentioned below. Believe me you really need them there:
- Thermals: Keep 2 layers of thermals with you, it will keep you warm in the cold weather of Chitkul.
- Fleece: Instead of keeping t-shirts, take fleece with you, it will help in the day to travel nearby villages.
- Down Jacket: Investing in a good quality down jacket is a good idea for the places like Chitkul.
- Hiking Pants: Since you will have thermals as your base layer, try to have a dry fit hiking pants that would be light to carry, easy to dry and comfortable to wear, please avoid jeans.
- Gloves/Muffler/Woolen Cap: Get yourself a good quality waterproof gloves and a woolen cap to beat the cold weather of Chitkul. A Muffler will help you breathe easily and avoid cold winds to block the nostrils.
- Socks: Take 2-3 thick woolen socks, socks should be as per the number of days you are out on trip.
- Trekking Shoes: Travelling becomes easy if you have a right shoe with you that helps in walking easily over the rocks and mountains, carry a trekking shoe with you.
- Slippers: Keep a slipper with you to keep your feet free from shoes for some time, you can’t wear shoes everywhere right?
- Sim: For Chitkul, carry a BSNL sim for sure.
- Power Banks: Take a power bank with you since the journey is long and the views would take all the batteries of your phone or camera.
- Day Pack: For your daily essentials like, shades, lip balm, toiletries, comb, moisturizer take a small day pack with you.
- UV Protection Sun Glasses: Sunglass is a must essential for places like Chitkul, take a good one on your trip.
- Flask: Take a flask with you to carry warm water easily.
- Rain cover or Poncho: This would help save your luggage and electronics during monsoon season.
- Small Towel: Carry a small towel with you, hotels in Chitkul don’t provide towel.
- Moisturiser/Lip Balm: Cold weather and chilled winds will dry your skin, take a good quality of moisturiser and lip balm.
- Brush, paste, soap, shampoo, tissues, etc.
- Sunscreen: High altitude places are prone to extreme sunrays, take a sunscreen with SPF 40 and above.
- Rucksack: Do not take trolley on your trip, take rucksack along with you, it will keep you free and relaxed.
MY Experience
Now comes the time to share my experience of Chitkul during my 2 and half days stay in Chitkul. This time we were 7 people and we got one solo traveller in bus so we became 8. We booked our bus ticket from Delhi to Reckongpeo since there is no direct bus to Chitkul. The bus from Delhi Kashmiri Gate left at 8PM, though online ticket fetched the time as 8:15 but the bus left at 8:20 just because I was late and I told my friends to keep the bus waiting. The bus ticket costed INR 1045 per head, after boarding the bus which was really full and the journey started. After travelling for about 8 hours we reached Shimla in the morning at 6 AM, there were certain stops in the middle for dinner and washroom breaks. Once we reached Shimla the views started and the sunrise of Shimla in the middle of the road was really beautiful. Shimla to Chitkul travel time is exact 10 hours, so our overall journey was of near about 18 hours. Once you leave Shimla the bus only stops at Rampur for 20 minutes and there you can start seeing the Baspa River entering Shimla from Kinnaur Valley. You even get to visit the famous Kinnaur gate that is made out of mountains and the whole way is a sandwich of mountains. Although, our bus ticket was till Reckongpeo but we stopped at Karcham and waited for another bus to Chitkul since same bus once goes to Reckongpeo and comes back to Karcham then goes to Chitkul. At Karcham you will get very beautiful view of mountains and Wangtoo Hydroelectric Plant with Baspa River flowing through it. From Karcham Chitkul is about 3 hour journey, 65 km and costs INR 100 with more beautiful views and peaks with snow over them, you would even spot Kinnaur Kailash once you start from Sangla. Finally at 6:30 we reached Chitkul – India’s last village, the bus will drop you just in front of Hindustan Ka Akhri Dhaba. That day we searched for hotel as we were really tired and got a good deal with Hotel Sunny Snow point in 1000 per room with 2 rooms per day. After having dinner we enjoyed the night view of Chitkul amid mountains and in the night you can actually hear the sound of flowing Baspa River.
Next day in the morning, we went for village tour and capture sunrise. After having breakfast, we went to the monastery that was very near to our hotel although the monastery was closed and as per the locals it only opens during a festival in Chitkul. So, after clicking pictures and talking about the cultures of Chitkul with locals we headed towards the Baspa River and enjoyed in snow, near the river, clicked pictures and sat there rest of the time. At near about 5 we headed back to our hotel had little snacks at Thakur Restaurant and started playing Dumb Charades as we had to get the astro shots in the night. Next day, we went for a trek at a nearby peak which we saw had Indian Flag on it and once you are on top of that hill you would love the view in fact you can see the beautiful valley from the top with a different angle. After having lunch, we headed towards the last village at Indo-Tibet border that is 3km from the village beyond which only trekkers are allowed and they need to get permission from Reckongpeo. When it started to become dark we left the place as we were in the wildlife sanctuary, we went back to the Thakur’s restaurant had something to eat as we were really hungry with this 6 km hike. After reaching hotel we did our packing as we had to leave at 6:30 in the morning with same route and reached Delhi next day in the morning at 6 AM. The best thing was we even got to see the snowfall on our last day, lucky us. What else as traveler need river, mountains, snowfall, road trip and friends all together.
Now, let’s give you few details as per my experience to make your trip easy and smooth.
- For travel, you can first go till Shimla and then to Chitkul to avoid long journey. From Shimla you can get 6 AM bus every day and will cost INR 470.
- Since you are going to Kinnaur valley you can go to the places like Reckong Peo, Batseri, Rakcham, Sangla, Kalpa and Chitklu so try to cover all these places and plan your trip this way.
- Always check the bus timing a day before as there are only 2-3 bus in a day travelling to and fro in a day at the time interval of 3-4 hours.
- The locals in Kinnaur Valley are so helpful try to find one for you for hitchhike and they will guide you with exact info.
- All these villages can be reached in a time interval of 1-2 hour so the best thing would be to hire a bike or scooty to avoid getting bound with bus routine and roam around these villages freely.
- The roads from Delhi till Shimla is at a smooth stretch, after Shimla till Sangla the roads are really good with scary, heighted and is considered one of the most dangerous roads in India as they are carved out of rocks and has many sharp blind turns, ascends and descends.
- To be on a budget trip, you can opt for hotels/homestays for INR 500 or less and bus as means of transport during your whole trip and avoid cab or taxi.
- For breakfast, lunch and dinner there are restaurants like Hindustan ka akhiri dhaba, Wanderer’s Nest and Thakur’s restaurant at a minimal cost of INR 30-100 per day per meal.
- Places to visit in Chitkul – Baspa River side, Indo-Tibet border, the 2 monastery and a trek to the peak with flag (don’t remember the name)
- Places to visit in Sangla – Kamru fort is dedicated to Hindu Goddess Kamakhya Devi with Sangla meadows, Bering Nag Temple devoted to Lord Jagas and Brelengi Gompa a Buddhist monastery.
I hope you like the blog, feel free to contact if you need more information on Chitkul and Kinnaur Valley, I would really love to answer all your questions.
Do watch the video on this travel on the channel below and like, subscribe share comment please.
