Kinnaur & Spiti · Western Himalaya & Trans-Himalaya
How to reach
By air
- Bhuntar Airport, Kullu (KUU) — The nearest airport to Spiti by the Manali approach; flights are weather-dependent and often cancelled.
- Shimla Airport, Jubbarhatti (SLV) — For the Kinnaur approach; a short runway with very limited and unreliable service.
- Chandigarh International Airport (IXC) — The practical air gateway for both approaches, with a long road journey after it.
By rail
- Shimla (SML) — The end of the Kalka–Shimla narrow-gauge line, itself a World Heritage railway. The nearest railhead to Kinnaur, still around 240 km short of Reckong Peo.
- Kalka (KLK) — The break-of-gauge station where the hill line begins.
- Chandigarh (CDG) — The nearest broad-gauge station of any size for both valleys.
By road
NH-5, the old Hindustan–Tibet Road — Shimla to Rampur, up the Sutlej gorge through Wangtu and Reckong Peo to Pooh and Khab, and on towards Shipki LaThe Spiti road from Khab up the Spiti river past Nako and Tabo to Kaza — the only route into Spiti open in winter, and itself frequently blockedThe Manali approach over Rohtang or the Atal Tunnel, then Kunzum La at 4,590 m — shorter, spectacular, and closed roughly November to MayLocal link roads to Sangla and Chitkul, to Kibber and Langza, and into the Pin valley
Getting around
State buses run the Sutlej road daily and reach Kaza in summer; beyond the main valleys it is shared taxis, trucks and walking. Foreign nationals need an inner-line permit for the stretch of upper Kinnaur towards the border, issued at the district offices. Two rules govern all travel here — altitude, which means a night at Kalpa or Nako before Kaza rather than a straight run, and daylight, because the gorge sections are not roads to drive in the dark.
How to reach Kinnaur & Spiti by air, rail, road and water, and how to get around once there. (6)