Manali to Spiti Valley Bike Trip

Spiti Motorcycle Tour is a journey that is filled with adventure to the Greater Himalayas. Riding a bike in such a challenging scenario is not a task or a hobby, it's a passion. Manali to Spiti Valley Bike Tour is an adventure of a lifetime. Take your keys and start your journey via the Himalayas- high mountains passes including villages, Rohtang & Kunzum, towns, valleys and monasteries. Some of the major attractions are Banjar Valley, Shoja, Kalpa, Nako, Key Monastery and the all-time beautiful Chandra Tal.


The entire Bike Tour begins from Manali and also ends at Manali. Staying in camps with your buddies, thrilling roads, stunning views, challenge & bliss of the amazing Spiti Valley are involved on your 9-Days and 8-Nights Bike tour itinerary.

Trip Highlights

  • Staying in camps.
  • Visit to ChandraTal Lake.
  • Explore the Banjar Valley.
  • Exploring some of the beautiful villages including Shoja, Sangla and Sarhan which is surrounded by Himalayan Peaks.
  • Leisure time at the scenic villages like Tabo, Khab, Loser and Dnakhar etc.
  • Have a look at the very popular Key Monastery which is near Kaza.

Days take to reach Spiti Valley from the Manali side?

Whenever you are traveling to Spiti via Manali, you need at least a couple of days to reach Kaza from Delhi via Manali. On the initial day, you can reach Manali and the next day you can reach Kaza from Manali. And if you plan to travel to Spiti Valley from Delhi over Hindustan Tibet Road, it then takes three days to be at Tabo with night stops at Kalpa and Narkanda. Therefore, traveling to Spiti via Manali will take fewer days compared to the Shimla- Kalpa- Kaza route.

Most travelers who are traveling for the very first time, plan a road trip to Spiti Valley as a full circuit. That is, they will do their entry from the Kinnaur side and exit mostly via Manali. After the making of the initial trip, you can always plan several trips to Spiti from either of the routes to concentrate on remote areas in the Spiti Valley.


Best Time to Visit Spiti Valley via Manali

One of the best times to travel in the month of June to October from Manali to Kaza. In this period, the snow from Gramphu to Batal route is cleared and both Kunzum Pass and Rohtang Pass are also open. So this is the best time for planning your full tour of Spiti Valley trip (Delhi-Kinnaur-Spiti-Manali-Delhi) is from the month i.e. June to September / October period. Around the whole year, the road is open from Shimla to Kaza via Kinnaur except on days of a massive snowfall. You can plan your trip any time during the year to Spiti from Kinnaur.

September is the best month to visit Spiti Valley from the Shimla or Manali side. In the month of September monsoon is gone from the part of Northern India also the parts of Himachal Pradesh such as Manali to Kaza route and Kinnaur Valley. The roads get dry, free from slush and water crossings are less ferocious too.

At the end of September or October is the month when snowfall starts on High Mountain passes such as Kunzum Pass and Rohtang Pass which comes on the route to Spiti Valley via Manali side. So, as winter starts to arrive this route becomes risky to travel. At the end of October and November is the time when the Manali to Kaza route actively goes on hibernation for the next 6 months and it will open in the end of May or June. Hence, the road to Spiti Valley from Manali side will remain closed in the winter month i.e. from November to May.


Modes of Travel: Spiti Valley via Manali

You have so many alternatives to plan your road trip to Spiti Valley. You can plan your Spiti trip by renting a taxi from Manali which will cover the whole area of Spiti Valley. So, you can also rent a car for self-drive from Delhi to Chandigarh and plan the journey to Spiti Valley. If you want to make a bike trip on the route of Spiti Valley, so you can also do that, there is not any restriction.

But in the end, you will know which one is the best mode to make a plan to travel a road trip to Spiti from Manali. In this section, let's take a look at the details one by one.

Private Vehicles i.e. Bikes and Cars / Self Drive or Bike Ride to Spiti Valley.

Self-riding on a bike or self-drive on a car is the most preferable option to make a journey to Spiti Valley. Bike ride or driving a car to Spiti, especially on the route of Manali to Kaza, is an acute adventure. It is a great idea to experience the adventure of the road trip and the natural challenges in its raw form in the Himalayas.

Can I take a rented or my bike or car to the Spiti Valley road trip?

Yes, if you want to go to Spiti Valley from Manali with a rented or your own bike or car, you can go. But in Leh Ladakh, vehicles are banned which come from outside Ladakh for sightseeing, there is no rule like ban outside Himachal vehicles in Spiti Valley.

Having said that, if you are riding or driving the first time from Manali to Kaza you will definitely find it difficult. While riding or driving, you should have to be cautious and careful through the water crossing, slushy road, and snow or nallas especially between the route from Gramphu to Kunzum pass and around up to Losar village.

It is always good to learn about your vehicle litter maintenance tasks, before you start your arduous trip to Spiti Valley from Manali. You should have to know about how to repair a puncture and also other basic stuff to fix your bike or car that will surely help you in a lot of cases of a surprising situation.

What is the best car for a Spiti Valley road trip?

Well, we cannot say which car is the best for a Spiti Valley road trip, it totally depends on your driving skills and the time in which you are traveling on the rough roads of Himalayas. But still, a higher ground clearance vehicle is always best especially in the route from Kaza to Manali and especially 4 X 4 will help you in the water crossings. I have also seen hatchbacks and sedans traveling to Spiti Valley from the rough of Manali side as well. Also, I have taken my sedan on the route of Spiti via Manali and with some underbelly scratches and I was successful, able to complete my road trip.

More Read: How to Reach Spiti Valley From Manali