How To Reach Spiti From Delhi

Delhi to Spiti Valley at a Glance

The single fact that shapes every plan: Spiti has no railway station and no airport, so the last leg is always by road. Here is how the four options compare from Delhi.

Every figure above is approximate and route-dependent; road distances shift a little with detours and diversions. If you want the fastest read: the Shimla-Kinnaur route is the safest for acclimatisation and the only one open in winter, while the Manali route is shorter but shuts once Kunzum Pass takes snow.

Delhi to Spiti by Train (Nearest Railhead, Then Road)

This is the route most people search for, so here is the full picture. No train runs into Spiti. What you do is ride the rails as far into the hills as the network goes, then switch to road for the final climb to Kaza. Three railheads matter, in order of how useful they actually are.

Chandigarh: the practical mainline railhead

Chandigarh is the closest broad-gauge station with frequent, fast Delhi connections, including the Kalka Shatabdi and several mail and express trains that cover the roughly 245 km in about 3.5 hours. From Chandigarh you drive up through Shimla and into Kinnaur. This is the option most Delhi travellers use in practice, because the trains are quick and the onward road via Kinnaur is the all-weather one.

Kalka and the Shimla toy train

Kalka is the end of the mainline and the start of the famous Kalka-Shimla narrow-gauge line, a UNESCO World Heritage railway. The toy train covers about 96 km to Shimla in roughly 5 to 5.5 hours, climbing through 100-odd tunnels. It is slow and it is the point: you gain height gently, which helps your body adjust before Spiti's altitude. From Shimla you continue by shared cab or HRTC bus through Kinnaur to Kaza.

Joginder Nagar: the closest railhead on paper

Joginder Nagar, the terminus of the Pathankot narrow-gauge line, is often listed as the nearest railway station to Spiti. On a map it is close, but the onward road runs the long way round via Mandi and Manali, so most travellers skip it in favour of Chandigarh or Shimla. Treat it as trivia rather than a plan.

The train plus road routing, step by step

The cleanest train-first way to reach Kaza from Delhi:

• Board a Delhi train to Kalka or Chandigarh. The Kalka Shatabdi is the fast, popular choice; confirm the current number and timing on IRCTC.

• Switch to the hills. From Kalka take the toy train to Shimla, or from Chandigarh drive straight up to Shimla.

• Overnight at Shimla or Narkanda. This break is not a delay, it is acclimatisation. Sleeping low before you go high matters in Spiti.

• Road through Kinnaur. Shared cab or HRTC bus via Rampur, Reckong Peo, Nako and Tabo. It is roughly 410 km from Shimla to Kaza, usually split over two days with a night around Kalpa or Nako.

• Arrive Kaza. From here Key Monastery, Kibber, Dhankar and Pin Valley are all short drives.

Delhi to Spiti by train works out to about 250 km on rail plus roughly 460 km on road. Budget two to three days door to door, and never try to do it in one push. The high point of the Kinnaur road is the stretch beyond Nako, and if you carry on to the Manali side you will eventually be crossing Kunzum Pass, which has its own season and rules.

Delhi to Spiti by Road (Two Routes)

A road trip is how a lot of people do Spiti, and the choice of route decides your whole trip. There are two, and they are not interchangeable.

The Shimla-Kinnaur route (the safe, all-weather one)

Delhi to Kaza via Shimla runs about 760 km and takes two full days of driving. You climb slowly through Shimla, Narkanda, Rampur, Reckong Peo, Nako and Tabo, gaining altitude over many hours rather than in one jump. That gradual gain is why this route is the one to pick if it is your first time at altitude, and it is the route that stays open through winter, weather and landslides permitting. Most guided trips enter Spiti this way and exit via Manali.

The Manali route (shorter, summer only)

Delhi to Kaza via Manali is shorter at roughly 720 km, but you pay for it in altitude gain and road quality. After Manali you pass through the 9.02 km Atal Tunnel, which since 2020 has bypassed the old Rohtang Pass jam, then drop to Gramphu and Batal before climbing over Kunzum Pass at 4,590 m into Spiti. Kunzum only opens for snow-free months, so this route is a summer option. It throws you to high altitude fast, so it suits travellers already acclimatised, not those straight off a Delhi train.

The classic itinerary combines the two: in via Shimla and Kinnaur to acclimatise, out via Kunzum Pass and Manali once you are used to the height. If you drive your own vehicle, take a high-clearance one with good tyres; the road past Nako and around Batal is rough, and river crossings on the Manali side are real.

Delhi to Spiti by Bus (HRTC and Volvo from ISBT)

Public buses reach Spiti, and they are cheaper and more reliable than most people expect, though never fast. There is no single direct Delhi-to-Kaza bus, so you go in two hops.

• Delhi to Shimla or Reckong Peo. HRTC and HPTDC run overnight Volvo and ordinary buses from ISBT Kashmere Gate in Delhi. Volvo services to Shimla are the comfortable overnight choice.

• Onward to Kaza. In season, HRTC runs hill buses from Shimla and from Reckong Peo to Kaza through Kinnaur. These are basic ordinary buses on a long mountain road, so carry water, layers and patience.

Book the Delhi leg in advance on the HRTC portal, and treat the onward Kaza bus as seasonal and weather-dependent. Confirm current timings and fares at the counter or on HRTC online before you commit a date.

Delhi to Spiti by Air (Fly, Then Drive)

Flying saves a day but does not get you close. The aerial distance from Delhi is about 412 km, and there is no airport in Spiti, so you land and drive.

• Bhuntar (Kullu-Manali Airport). The nearest airport, near Kullu, with limited and weather-sensitive flights. From Bhuntar you continue to Kaza via Manali and the Atal Tunnel, a route that is summer only over Kunzum Pass.

• Chandigarh Airport. Better connected and more reliable than Bhuntar. From Chandigarh you drive the all-weather Shimla-Kinnaur road to Kaza, which also works in winter.

For most travellers Chandigarh is the smarter air gateway: the flights actually run, and the onward Kinnaur road is open far more of the year than the Manali side.

When Is the Road to Spiti Open? (2026)

Spiti's access is a tale of two gateways, and getting the season wrong is the most common Delhi-planning mistake.

• Shimla-Kinnaur route: broadly all year. This all-weather road is how you reach Kaza in winter, subject to temporary closures after heavy snow or landslides near Nako and Malling. If you want Spiti between November and May, this is your only way in.

• Kunzum Pass (Manali route): about June to October. Kunzum, at 4,590 m, shuts under snow for much of the year. When it closes, the direct Manali-to-Kaza road closes with it.

• Atal Tunnel: year-round, weather permitting. The tunnel keeps Manali-Gramphu open through winter, but that only helps as far as the Kunzum gate, which still closes seasonally.

So a rough rule for 2026: for a summer loop (roughly June to October) you can enter via Shimla and exit via Manali over Kunzum Pass. Outside those months, plan an in-and-out trip on the Shimla-Kinnaur road only. Confirm the current-season status before you lock dates, since first snow and clearing dates shift year to year.

Which Route Should You Choose?

Pick by how you are travelling and when, not by which looks shortest on a map.

• First trip to high altitude: go in via the Shimla-Kinnaur route. The slow climb through Kinnaur is the single best thing you can do to avoid altitude sickness in Spiti.

• Travelling by train: Chandigarh or Kalka railhead, then the Shimla-Kinnaur road. The toy train from Kalka doubles as gentle acclimatisation.

• Short on time and already acclimatised: the Manali route over Kunzum Pass is faster, but only from June to October.

• Winter or shoulder season: there is no choice, the Shimla-Kinnaur road is the only one open. Plan in and out the same way.

What Our Team Sees on the Ground

"From Delhi, take the train to Chandigarh and start the Kinnaur road early. The stretch beyond Nako closes fast after snow, and the last HRTC bus to Kaza does not wait."

Across the 200,000+ Himachal trips our team has planned, Delhi travellers who enter Spiti via Kinnaur and exit via Manali report the smoothest trips, because the route matches how the body adjusts to altitude.

Spiti Tour Packages from Delhi

If you would rather not arrange trains, permits and mountain drivers yourself, a packaged trip handles the logistics end to end. Our Spiti Valley tour packages from Delhi start from about Rs 17,000 per person and run from short 6-night circuits to 10-night grand loops, most built around the safe Shimla-in, Manali-out routing described above. You can also browse the full range of Spiti tour packages, and every itinerary is customisable to your dates and pace. Travelling from a different city, or want the from-anywhere version of this guide? See how to reach Spiti Valley from any city.