Gujju Diary

Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh

Kalpa, Sangla & Chitkul

Kinnaur is Himachal turned up to eleven: apple orchards on cliff edges, the Kinnaur Kailash range across the valley, and a road that ends at Chitkul, the last Indian village before Tibet.

May 2025

Duration
8 days, 7 nights
Season
May, late spring
Driving
About 900 km by taxi
Getting around
Flights and a taxi
Stays
Narkanda, Kalpa, Sangla, Chandigarh

The route

We flew into Chandigarh and went up by taxi through Narkanda to Kalpa, then down the valley to Sangla, with day trips to Rakcham and Chitkul.

Up into Kinnaur

  1. Chandigarh fly in
  2. Narkanda 1 night
  3. Kalpa 2 nights
  4. Sangla 3 nights
  5. Rakcham short village trek
  6. Chitkul day trip

Back down to Chandigarh

How the trip went

If you only read one part of this page, read this. The full day-by-day table is below it.

Days 1–2
Chandigarh, Narkanda

Up to Kalpa

We flew into Chandigarh around midday and took a taxi straight up to Narkanda, five hours into the hills.

The next morning we hiked up Hatu Peak before the long drive to Kalpa, road after road of apple orchards and the cliff edge at Suicide Point along the way.

Days 3–4
Kalpa, Sangla

Kinnaur Kailash, then the Baspa valley

Kalpa is all about one view: the Kinnaur Kailash range filling the sky across the valley, best seen from the Roghi cliffs and the Kinnaur Kailash viewpoint.

Day four was a short drive down to Sangla on the Baspa river, with nothing planned except rest and a riverside walk.

Draft note for Manan: the first view of Kinnaur Kailash.

Days 5–8
Rakcham, Chitkul, home

The end of the road

We slowed right down in Sangla: an easy three-kilometre trek to Rakcham village and an evening campfire by the river. The big day was the drive to Chitkul, the last Indian village before the Tibet border, with its wooden temples and the river rushing past.

Then came the long drive down to Chandigarh, about ten hours, and the morning flight home.

Draft note for Manan: standing in Chitkul.

Day-by-day itinerary

Distances and drive times are the ones we planned with.

Day Route and travel Sightseeing Stay Distance
Day 1 Fly to Chandigarh (around 11:30 am), taxi to Narkanda (5 h) Narkanda 178 km
Day 2 Narkanda to Kalpa (5 h) Hike up Hatu Peak, apple orchards on the way, Suicide Point Kalpa 180 km
Day 3 Kalpa Roghi cliff point, Kinnaur Kailash viewpoint Kalpa
Day 4 Kalpa to Sangla (2 h) Rest and a riverside walk Sangla 50 km
Day 5 Sangla Easy 3 km trek to Rakcham village, an evening campfire by the Baspa Sangla
Day 6 Sangla to Chitkul and back (1 h each way) The last Indian village before Tibet: river walks and wooden temples Sangla 25 km each way
Day 7 Sangla to Chandigarh (about 10 h) Chandigarh 330 km
Day 8 Fly home from Chandigarh Flight

What has changed since our trip

  • Recent trip: Nothing has changed that we know of. Spotted a change? Tell us in the comments.
  • Roads: Kinnaur roads are prone to landslides, especially in the monsoon. Check road status before driving.

Last checked: November 2026

If you are planning this route

  • Take altitude slowly. Chitkul is high: go easy on the first day there and drink plenty of water.
  • Hire a local driver. Kinnaur roads are narrow and steep; a driver who knows them makes the trip relaxing.
  • Carry warm layers. Even in May, nights are cold.
  • Simple veg food is easy. Dal, rajma, rice and momos are everywhere.
  • Break the drive at Narkanda. It splits the long climb from Chandigarh and gives you Hatu Peak.
  • Leave a buffer day. The drive back to Chandigarh is long and roads can close.