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Kunzum is shut. The valley isn’t.

Winter Spiti expedition

Shimla to Kaza and back on the Kinnaur road. Snow, short days, and the same villages without the summer traffic. Cars do this happily. Bikes, only if you’ve already ridden up here.

Winter Spiti expedition
Shimla
Kalpa
Kaza
Key Monastery

1 / 5

Places covered in this tour

Reviews and ratings

★★★★★ 5 (2)

  • 5 stars ★by 2 people
  • 4 stars ★by 0 people
  • 3 stars ★by 0 people
  • 2 stars ★by 0 people
  • 1 star ★by 0 people

This plan, in short

The days, the nights, and the long one follow the length and the start you picked. Change those and this block changes with them.

8 days, 8 nightsOn this plan. 7 days are a real ride. 1 is quieter.
Shimla to ShimlaWhere you join, and where it finishes.
November to AprilThe winter road. Kunzum is shut.
About 250 kmThe long day, Kaza back toward Kalpa. A pass can still make it longer.

Where you sleep. Shimla · 1 night · Sangla · 1 night · Kalpa · 1 night · Tabo · 1 night · Kaza · 2 nights · Kalpa · 1 night · Shimla · 1 night

SuitsWinter travellers who want Spiti specifically, in a Thar, Jimny, Scorpio, or on a bike they already trust.
Pick another route ifA first bike tour. And anyone who needs Chandratal — the lake road is a summer fact.

What this route is for

  • No Kunzum gamble
  • Kalpa and Kinner Kailash in winter light
  • Kaza without the season
  • A buffer day on the longer plans
  • 4×4 or an experienced bike

Things to know

  • A shared seat does not need a licence. A private car still wants someone in the group who will drive it on a broken afternoon.
  • Guided means the backup, a mechanic, oxygen in that vehicle, the nights on this plan, breakfast and dinner. Lunch is yours. Fuel is extra on a bike. Monastery tickets are yours.
  • Kunzum stays shut, so Chandratal is not on this expedition. A first high road in these months is a car. A bike only if you have already ridden something this serious.
  • Days are short. The longer versions keep a buffer, because a clear morning can still close a section by lunch.
  • Carry cash in small notes. A card machine in Kaza is a rumour on some evenings, and the phone thins out after Kinnaur.
  • The figure on this page is a plan. A person confirms it. Nothing is charged here.

Longer notes, if you want them: What we actually pack · The inner line, and why the order of the road matters · Bike or car, without the speech.

The days

Each day shows the road, the distance, and the night. The line under that is what the day is for. A blocked hour is still an hour.

  1. 1

    Shimla, and the yard

    Road
    Shimla
    Distance
    Arrival
    Night
    Shimla

    A quieter day

    The car is handed over at our Shimla yard, not in a hotel porch. Papers, a short brief, and an honest look at tomorrow’s road. If you land early, the Mall is a walk, not a plan.

  2. 2

    Shimla toward the Baspa

    Road
    Shimla → Sangla
    Distance
    About 220 km
    Night
    Sangla

    Winter daylight is short, so this day starts properly. Chitkul only if the last kilometres aren’t ice. We turn around without a speech when the road says so.

  3. 3

    Sangla to Kalpa

    Road
    Sangla → Kalpa
    Distance
    About 90 km
    Night
    Kalpa

    The Kinnaur ridge in winter light. Kinner Kailash, if the sky is clear, is the whole point of sleeping here. Rooms with a heater that works. We check.

  4. 4

    Kalpa to Tabo

    Road
    Kalpa → Nako → Tabo
    Distance
    About 180 km
    Night
    Tabo

    The cold-desert day. Nako can be frozen at the edges and still the right lunch. Tabo is quiet in winter, which suits it. Kunzum is not part of this plan.

  5. 5

    Tabo to Kaza

    Road
    Tabo → Kaza
    Distance
    About 110 km
    Night
    Kaza

    The valley opens. Kaza in winter is a small town with a large sky and serious cold after four. We are in before dark. That is the whole rule.

  6. 6

    Kaza, as far as the road allows

    Road
    Key & Kaza
    Distance
    Short
    Night
    Kaza

    Key Monastery if the switchbacks are dry. Hikkim and Komic only when they are obviously fine, not when someone is feeling brave. Winter riding is a series of small honest decisions.

  7. 7

    Kaza back toward Kalpa

    Road
    Kaza → Kalpa
    Distance
    About 250 km
    Night
    Kalpa

    The long return on the same Kinnaur road. There is no secret shortcut in winter — Kunzum is shut, and we don’t negotiate with it. Kalpa again, gratefully.

  8. 8

    Kalpa to Shimla

    Road
    Kalpa → Shimla
    Distance
    About 240 km
    Night
    Shimla

    Down to trees, traffic, and a thicker atmosphere. The yard, a cup of something hot, and the car checked back in. Winter done properly feels quiet, not conquered.

On this selection

Guided, in a car, on the Isuzu. Change guided, the keys, the bike, or the car, and these two columns change. The terms under them do not.

Guided, in a car, included

  • The car on your plan, for every day it shows in the price
  • A backup vehicle, even if you are the only guest
  • A crew that has done this road in a bad week, not just a good one
  • A mechanic, and the parts that actually fail up there
  • Oxygen and a basic medical kit in the backup
  • Help with permits and check-posts where the district still asks
  • Stays for every night in the day plan
  • Breakfast and dinner on those nights. Lunch is yours
  • Twin share in the first price. Single and triple are on the same page

Not included

  • Fuel
  • Lunch, chai, bottled water, snacks
  • Monastery tickets and camera fees
  • Flights. A Delhi Volvo is included only when the plan says Delhi
  • A single room, unless you picked one
  • Travel and medical insurance
  • Extra nights or extra vehicle days if a pass closes
  • Alcohol, tips, shopping
  • GST at 5% where it applies, on top of the figure

Terms

The same house rules on every route. Open one to read it.

An enquiry is not a booking

The figure on this site is indicative. Days, the machine, the month, the room, and how many of you there are all move it. We confirm a number in writing after we speak.

Nothing is held — a bike, a Thar, a Kaza room in August — until we say it is, and a token has arrived. The token is usually 30% of the confirmed plan, by UPI or bank transfer. This website does not take cards or wallets.

Licence, age, and honesty

The person riding needs a permanent driving licence with a motorcycle (gear) endorsement. We look at it at the yard. If it doesn’t match the bike, the bike stays here. That feels strict until you’ve seen the alternative.

Pillion riders need a government photo ID. Riders should be 18 or over. Tell us about anything that matters at altitude — asthma, a recent surgery, a pregnancy — before you pay a token, not on the morning of Kunzum.

The plan can move

Spiti is a Border Roads road in a high desert that also snows. Landslides, a closed pass, a local restriction, or a sick guest can change the order of days. On a guided trip we decide, and we explain. The spirit of the trip stays; the Tuesday night might not.

Chandratal nights happen only when the camp and the spur road are open. If they aren’t, you still see the villages, and the camp night becomes a night in Kaza or Manali.

If you cancel

More than 30 days before the start: the token moves to another date in the same season, or we return it minus anything already paid to a stay that won’t refund us.

15 to 30 days: half the confirmed plan is kept.

7 to 14 days: three quarters.

Inside 7 days, or a no-show at the yard: the plan is kept. We have already turned other people away for those bikes and those rooms.

If we cancel because we can’t run the departure safely, you get the money back for the days we didn’t operate. Getting yourself to Shimla is still your journey.

Insurance and conduct

Travel insurance with a high-altitude medical clause is your responsibility. We will remind you and we will not pretend to be the insurer.

Helmets stay on. Drinking and riding ends the trip. So does riding past the marshal into a closed section because the light was nice. We have hosted a lot of good guests. We don’t negotiate this part.

Prices

Quotes are in Indian rupees, before 5% GST where that tax applies. Fuel is extra on bikes. Lunch is extra. A single room is extra unless the plan already says single.

The numbers describe the current season’s way of working. A quote we confirm in writing is the quote, even if this page changes next month.

Your enquiry

The form builds a note and keeps a copy in your browser so you can send it. We don’t run a checkout, and we don’t sell the enquiry to a marketplace. When you message the desk, you get the desk.

Reviews

★★★★★ 5 (2)

★★★★★

Well Maintained Bike

The overall experience was expesional. Bikes were well maintained, staff were friendly and helpful.

Ankit

★★★★★

A short winter

Short days, cold, and no drama about it. The desk had already said Kunzum would be shut. It was.

Meera · Bengaluru · Verified guest

Rate this route

The desk reads it before the stars change. Give it a title, then a few words. Leave a mobile number or an email so we can tell you. A website link is refused.

Questions

Open a question. The first ones follow this route and the selection you have open.

When does Winter Spiti expedition actually run?

This is the winter road, November to April. Kunzum stays shut. The expedition uses the Kinnaur side both ways, and Chandratal is not on it.

What is included on the selection I have open?

Right now the list under the days is guided, in a car. Switch Guided or Just the keys, or the bike and the car, and both columns change with the plan. The terms under that list are the house rules, and they do not change with the machine.

Can this route be a car as well as a bike?

Yes. Pick the machine in the plan. A car changes the wording of the days and the included list. Two bikes and one car in the same week is a normal thing to write in the note.

What changes if I pick fewer days?

The day list, where you sleep, and the long day all follow the length you picked. A shorter plan is a harder week, not a hidden discount. The price moves with the days, the room, and the machine.

What if I have to cancel?

More than 30 days before the start: the token moves to another date in the same season, or we return it minus anything already paid to a stay that won’t refund us. 15 to 30 days: half the confirmed plan is kept. 7 to 14 days: three quarters. Inside 7 days, or a no-show at the yard: the plan is kept. We have already turned other people away for those bikes and those rooms. If we cancel because we can’t run the departure safely, you get the money back for the days we didn’t operate. Getting yourself to Shimla is still your journey.

When is any money taken?

Not on this page. We confirm a number in writing after we read the plan. A token is usually 30% of that confirmed figure, by UPI or bank transfer. Nothing is held until we say it is, and the token has arrived.

Can I ride a bike in winter?

If you have already done Spiti, or something as serious, yes — on a guided plan, with the backup behind you. If this is your first high road, take a car. We would rather lose the booking than a guest.

Is the road open all winter?

The Kinnaur–Spiti road usually is, with ice, slush, and the odd day that isn’t. Kunzum is not. Plans include a buffer on the longer versions because a beautiful morning can still close a section by lunch.

Why is winter not a discounted summer?

Rooms are harder, days are shorter, and the car has to be the right one. The price moves with the machine and the month. November and April are shoulders — we say so on the plan.

Why is there no payment button?

Because a Spiti week is not a hotel night. We read the plan, check the road and the bikes, then tell you the real number. A token — usually 30% — is collected by UPI or transfer after that, not on this page. You should be able to ask a question before money moves.

What’s the difference between guided, a fixed date, and just the bike?

Guided means our marshal, mechanic, backup, stays, and the permits paperwork. A fixed date is that same ride, leaving on a published morning so a solo guest can join other people. Independent means we hand you a checked bike or car in Shimla. You handle the beds, the food, and the pace. Roadside assistance can be added. It is not a disguised tour.

Can I start in Delhi?

Yes. The mountain plan doesn’t change. You add an overnight Volvo, or a flight plus a taxi, to Shimla, Manali, or Chandigarh — whichever city that route actually starts from. The Volvo pair is in the estimate. Flights stay yours to book, because prices move around more than the pass does.

Policies

Written from the same terms. A note from this page is not a booking, and this website does not take a payment.

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