- Altitude
- 3,450 m
- Distance
- 25 km from Sangla · 250 km from Shimla
- Best time
- April – June, September – November
- Ideal stay
- 1–2 days
About Chitkul
Chitkul sits at the head of the Baspa valley — wooden houses with slate roofs, the 500-year-old Mathi Devi temple and the clear Baspa river running past meadows that turn gold in October.
Chitkul is the last village on the old Hindustan–Tibet road before the border, and the sign "India’s Last Dhaba" has made it one of the most photographed places in Himachal. The village is built in the traditional Kinnauri kath-kuni style, with stone-and-deodar walls and slate roofs.
The Baspa river flows right below the village, flanked by birch and pine forests and snow peaks on every side. In autumn the fields of potatoes and buckwheat turn red and gold, while in winter the village is often under several feet of snow and road access depends on the weather.
Most travellers stay in Sangla or Rakchham and visit Chitkul as a day trip, but a night in Chitkul gives you the star-filled sky and an empty riverbank at sunrise.
Things to see & do
- Mathi Devi temple, the village deity of Chitkul
- Walk along the Baspa riverbank and the ITBP check-post viewpoint
- Hindustan ka Aakhri Dhaba (India’s last dhaba)
- Traditional Kinnauri wooden houses and apple orchards
- Short trek towards Nagasti and the Borasu pass trail head
Suggested itinerary
Day 1
Shimla → Sangla (225 km, 8 hrs)
Drive via Narkanda, Rampur and Karcham along the Sutlej. Turn into the Baspa valley at Karcham and reach Sangla by evening. Night in Sangla.
Day 2
Sangla → Rakchham → Chitkul → Sangla
Morning drive to Rakchham, continue to Chitkul (25 km). Visit Mathi Devi temple, the Baspa riverbank and the last dhaba. Return to Sangla or stay overnight in Chitkul.
Day 3
Sangla → Kamru Fort → Kalpa / Shimla
Visit Kamru Fort in the morning, then continue to Kalpa for Kinnaur Kailash views, or drive back towards Shimla.
Local tips from our drivers
- Carry cash — the nearest ATMs are in Sangla and Reckong Peo.
- Mobile network is limited to BSNL and Jio in the village.
- The road beyond Sangla is narrow; we recommend an Ertiga, Innova or Scorpio in snow season.
Tour packages that include Chitkul
- 5 Nights / 6 DaysComplete Kinnaur TourShimla → Sarahan → Sangla → Chitkul → Kalpa → Shimla
- 9 Nights / 10 DaysKinnaur & Spiti Valley CircuitShimla → Sangla → Chitkul → Kalpa → Nako → Tabo → Kaza → Chandratal → Manali
- 3 Nights / 4 DaysSangla & Chitkul GetawayShimla → Sangla → Chitkul → Rakchham → Shimla
