Chitkul is a small village in Kinnaur district of Himachal.  It lies on the banks of river Baspa.It is situated at a height of 11320 feet above sea level.

Chitkul or what I call it Chit-kool….it really cools you off in every way…For us it was stop on our way to Spiti after first stop at Narkanda….but what a place this was…

It’s a small village near Indo-China border in Sangla valley of Himachal. It is situated at 3450 mt above sea level. This place has a doffenr aura …it was calm quiet and peaceful….River Baspa flows near by and you can clearly listen to the sound…China border is just after this village so you are not allowed much to go everywhere as you will find army at many places..

• Location and climate

As far as location is concerned its around 600 km from Delhi. From Narkanda its about 160km so technically 6-7 hour drive only. If you are going for Spiti circuit this place will be a bit off route but its worth going some 30 km off route. We have done that complete circuit if Spiti from Shimla to Manali but still we went there and after seeing the experience I would say it was a wise decision..

With greenery.. with that water sound…good weather we could have stayed there for a long but we had to continue out trip so we just for 2 days only…our idea was too spend 1 day but managed to increase it by 1 more day…

As far as climate in Chitkul is concerned:

Hahah..you can see your self how was last year there throughout the year…if…if you are planning for Chitkul..just one advise carry winter clothes because you never know how it treats you there…We went in July and it was super chilled for us.. specially in night..

• How to reach
  • Best time to visit
  • Road condition for road trip

Its very cold in Chitkul in winters so unless and until you want to enjoy that chilled winter its advisable to go there in summers only..There are lot many options of reaching Chitkul.

By Air: In case you have enough money you can reach till  Shimla and than from there you via Narkanda you have to take a road transport

By Train: Shimla is nearest station from Chikul.and Shimla is well connected from Delhi and Chandigarh.but again from here you have to take road transport only.Its almost 250km from Shimla  so easily it’s a journey of 8-10 hours.

By Road:As far road is concerned bus is also an option in case you are interested…From Delhi take a bus to Chandigarh ( you have n number of options)..from Chandifarh  take a bus to Reckong Peo. You can check and plan accordingly from this URL: https://online.hrtchp.com/oprs-web/avail/services.do

About half an hour before reaching Recking Peo there is a plce called Karchan  as you have to get down here and take another bus going to Chitkul…you can options from here.

Else there is one more option in which you can take a bus to Shimla from Delhi and than you have a direct bus from Shimla to Chitkul ..so you don’t have to get down and wait for buses..

Now the last option is Saadi gaddi or apni Bike( own car or bike). Now this is the route I followed.

Delhi-Karnal-Chandigarh-Solan-Shimla-Narkanda-Sangla-Chitkul

Its almost 590 km and difficult to cover in 1 day so we took a halt at Narkanda and reached next day from there.

Road conditions:

See apart from minor bad patches over all road conditions was super. If you are going in rainy season which you should avoid it was not much bad…travelling in raining season in mountains is very risky…we have done it in past and realized there are 2 important problems you will face: first overall visibility becomes very poor (no matter if you are in car or bike) and second road becomes super slippery so your brakes doesn’t work much…

• Distance chart:

• Where to stay
  • As I always say I am not going to write about various hotels at any places but would be mentioning homestays at hostels there because as a traveler you get lot more exposure when you stay there.. you meet new people and get new ideas and perspective…

• What to eat/Where to eat:

Chitkul is a very small place but yes there are some joints which you cant miss for some or the other reason:

1. Hindustan ka Aakhiri Dhaba: Its very small place run by uncle and aunty…their food is like home cooked food…cant miss their rajma rice and view from this place is super awesome
2. Café Chitkul: It’s a inhouse café at Zotsel .Simple and tasty food…their coffee is very tasty…food is amazing…just 1 issue at time s they don’t allow outsiders as its inhouse of zostel but taste is super.

• What to buy/where to buy:
  • Chitkul being a very small with very low population howver you can look for its famous wood carving work and other handicrafts such as handmade shawls and caps. Look out for Kinnaur apples which are one of the best in the world. This entire area is known for best quality apples..

• Activities:
  • Sangla Meadows:
    • Another very popular sightseeing attraction near Sangla is the beautiful Sangla Meadows, also known as Sangla Kanda, which is renowned for its spectacular scenery and snow covered mountain ranges. Tourists from all corners of the world visit this wonderful spot to enjoy the exquisite beauty of Sangla Meadows, draped in greenery and surrounded by snow-capped Himalayan mountain ranges.
  • Baspa River: feel the water and take a dip
    • Sit there..and enjoy the breeze….Baspa flows next to city and in most of the cases this river will be at walking distance from anywhere….go there in morning and just enjoy the peace there….There is a reason this place is called city with cleanest air in India.

• Bering Nag Temple:
  • This a one of the main attraction in Chitkul.This temple has been dedicated to Lord Jagas( Lord Shiva).There is fair which is there between Aug-Sep called as Fulaich Fair.
• Kamru Fort: Dive Into The History
• Tibetian Wood Carving Centre: Haven For Shoppers
• Batseri: Admire Apple Orchards
• Brelengi Gompa: Visit The Buddhist Monastery
• Akhri Dhaba: Don’t Miss Out A Lunch Here
• Borasu Pass Trek: Hike With Your Gang