How to reach Chitkul from Delhi – 2023 Updated

Chitkul is a beautiful tourist place with clean air surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It is the remotest destination in Himachal Pradesh bordering China after Spiti. This blog will share complete knowledge of how to reach Chitkul from Delhi through different modes.  

Where is chitkul located?

Chitkul is a small village in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It is the last inhabited village on the India – China border. It lies on the Baspa river’s bank, the tributary of river Satluj. Baspa river meets Satluj at Karcham from where the road diversion for chitkul is. Chitkul is around 240 km from Shimla.

Name of the Place	Chitkul ( छितकुल )
State	Himachal Pradesh
District	Kinnaur
Elevation	3450 m, 11300 ft
Accessibility	By road
Best time to visit	April – June, September – October
Travel Distance by road	585 Km
Travel Time by road	17 Hrs  (approximately)

How to reach Chitkul from Delhi

Chitkul is connected by road and accessible throughout the year except during heavy snowfall or during heavy rainfall. The distance between Chitkul from Delhi is around 600 Km. There are different modes by which one can reach Chitkul.

How to reach Chitkul from Delhi by Road

There are different options to reach Chitkul by road.

 You can refer below table to plan your journey to Chitkul.

Sr. No.	Location	Distance (Km)	Elevation (ft & m)	Time  (Hrs)
1	New Delhi	0	700 ft 225 m	00:00
2	Zirakpur	230	1000 ft 320 m	05:00
3	Solan	295	5100 ft 1550 m	07:00
4	Shimla	345	7200 ft 2200 m	08:30
5	Kufri	360	8500 ft 2600 m	09:15
6	Narkanda	405	8900 ft 2700 m	10:45
7	Rampur	465	3300 ft 1000 m	12:30
8	Bhaba Nagar	515	5100 ft 1550 m	14:15
9	Tapri	535	5600 ft 1700 m	14:45
10	Karcham	545	5900 ft 1800 m	15:00
11	Sangla	560	8500 ft 2600 m	15:45
12	Chitkul	585	11300 ft 3450 m	16:45

How to reach Chitkul from Delhi on a Bus

If you want to travel to Himachal with a limited budget then traveling by Bus would be the best option. Unlike other hilly states, the bus network in Himachal is excellent and night service is also available.

Himachal Pradesh State Owned Buses are called HRTC buses ( Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses). They are usually green/blue in color.   

Reaching  There are multiple options to reach Chitkul by bus. You can take the bus to major bus stands / ISBTs and then a further connecting bus can be taken.

Before moving to the options we need to understand the route map. 

Option – 1 Delhi – Sangla by bus and then Sangla to Chitkul.

Below are the bus details you can choose 

From Delhi to Sangla bus

Bus : 1
Transport Name :HRTC
Service No. / Name: 518
Depot: REC PEO
Bus Type: ORDINARY
Departure Time : 21:58 (24 Hrs Format)
Arrival Time : 17:15 (24 Hrs Format)
Time Taken : 19 Hrs 17 Mins
Route (Time – 24 Hrs Format): DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE (21:58) ➔ CHANDIGARH 43 (3:15) ➔ PANCHKULA (3:30) ➔ PINJORE (3:45) ➔ KALKA (4:00) ➔ PARWANOO (4:05) ➔ SOLAN (5:30) ➔ KANDAGHAT (5:50) ➔ WAKNAGHAT (6:05) ➔ SHIMLA ISBT TUTIKANDI (7:15) ➔ KUFRI (8:15) ➔ THEOG (8:45) ➔ NARKANDA (9:45) ➔ SAINJ (11:15) ➔ RAMPUR (12:30) ➔ JEOURI (13:15) ➔ BHAWANAGAR (13:45) ➔ TAPRI (16:00) ➔ KARCHAM (16:15) ➔ SANGLA (17:15)

From Sangla to Chitkul bus

Bus : 1
Transport Name :HRTC
Service No. / Name: MND-RMP-CKL
Depot: MANDI
Bus Type: ORDINARY
Departure Time : 7:45 (24 Hrs Format)
Arrival Time : 8:45 (24 Hrs Format)
Time Taken : 1 Hrs 0 Mins
Route (Time – 24 Hrs Format): MANDI (18:00) ➔ SUNDER NAGAR (19:00) ➔ KARSOG (23:30) ➔ RAMPUR (4:00) ➔ TAPRI (6:45) ➔ KARCHAM (7:00) ➔ SANGLA (7:45) ➔ RAKSHAM (8:15) ➔ CHITKUL (8:45)

Bus : 2
Transport Name :HRTC
Service No. / Name: RPO-CKL-01
Depot: REC PEO
Bus Type: ORDINARY
Departure Time : 12:00 (24 Hrs Format)
Arrival Time : 13:00 (24 Hrs Format)
Time Taken : 1 Hrs 0 Mins
Route (Time – 24 Hrs Format): RECONGPEO (9:30) ➔ KARCHAM (10:20) ➔ SANGLA (12:00) ➔ RAKSHAM (12:30) ➔ CHITKUL (13:00)

Bus : 3
Transport Name :HRTC
Service No. / Name: RPO-CKL-002
Depot: REC PEO
Bus Type: ORDINARY
Departure Time : 14:00 (24 Hrs Format)
Arrival Time : 15:00 (24 Hrs Format)
Time Taken : 1 Hrs 0 Mins
Route (Time – 24 Hrs Format): RECONGPEO (12:00) ➔ KARCHAM (12:50) ➔ SANGLA (14:00) ➔ RAKSHAM (14:30) ➔ CHITKUL (15:00)

• Pros
  • With this option, you need to stay at Sangla for One night. This will help you in acclimatization.
• Cons
  • You need to travel by ordinary bus which is very much uncomfortable in long-distance hilly.
  • You will reach Chitkul third day if you don’t want to take a taxi from Sangla

Option – 2 Delhi – Reckong Peo by bus and then Reckong Peo to Chitkul by bus.

Below are the bus details you can choose

From Delhi to Reckong Peo:

For reaching Reckong Peo from Delhi you can read this blog post.

From Reckong Peo to Chitkul bus:

Bus : 1
Transport Name :HRTC
Service No. / Name: RPO-CKL-01
Depot: REC PEO
Bus Type: ORDINARY
Departure Time : 9:30 (24 Hrs Format)
Arrival Time : 13:00 (24 Hrs Format)
Time Taken : 3 Hrs 30 Mins
Route (Time – 24 Hrs Format): RECONGPEO (9:30) ➔ KARCHAM (10:20) ➔ SANGLA (12:00) ➔ RAKSHAM (12:30) ➔ CHITKUL (13:00)

Bus : 2
Transport Name :HRTC
Service No. / Name: RPO-CKL-002
Depot: REC PEO
Bus Type: ORDINARY
Departure Time : 12:00 (24 Hrs Format)
Arrival Time : 15:00 (24 Hrs Format)
Time Taken : 3 Hrs 0 Mins
Route (Time – 24 Hrs Format): RECONGPEO (12:00) ➔ KARCHAM (12:50) ➔ SANGLA (14:00) ➔ RAKSHAM (14:30) ➔ CHITKUL (15:00)

• Pros
  • With this option, you need to stay at Reckong Peo for One night. You can stay at Kalpa which is another beautiful hill station
  •  This will help your acclimatization.

• Cons
  • You need to travel by ordinary bus which is very much uncomfortable in long-distance hilly.
  • You will reach Chitkul third day if you don’t want to take a taxi / other services from Reckong Peo.

Option – 3 Delhi to Chandigarh, then to Chitkul.

 If you want comfortable travel then this option is the best one.

From Delhi to Chandigarh:

There are many buses between Delhi and Chandigarh. You can easily get an ordinary/deluxe / Volvo bus very frequently.

From Chandigarh to Chitkul Travel you can read this blog with complete details of Buses. Pros 

• There are many options for the bus available. 
• Cons
  • You have to change many buses.
  • Travel distance is long as you have to go to Reckong Peo and then back to Chitkul.

Option – 4 Delhi to Shimla, then to  Chitkul.

Similar to Chandigarh, bus service from Delhi to Shimla is much more frequent. You can easily reach Shimla based on the connecting bus from Shimla.

From Shimla to Chitkul Travel you can read this blog with complete details of Buses.

• Pros
  • There are many options of bus available. 
• Cons
  • You have to change many buses.
  • Travel distance is long as you have to go to Reckong Peo and then back to Chitkul.

Option – 5 Delhi to Chandigarh, then to Tapri, and then to Chitkul. ( Best combination) 

If you want to reach Chitkul without any halt and not to Reckong Peo then the best combination which I can suggest is to reach 

1. Take a bus to Chandigarh and reach Chandigarh Sec 43 bus stand before @5:30 PM.
2. There are two buses from Chandigarh to Recokong Peo at @5:50 PM (Delux bus with Online Booking) and Other @6:00 PM ( Ordinary bus without Online Booking).
3. Take the ticket to Tapri and you will reach Tapri at around 6:00 AM
4. Then take Tapri to Chitkul Bus which departs at @6:45 AM, you will reach Chitkul by around @9:00 AM.

For online booking of buses on the HRTC website kindly Click here

Note: If you planning to take HRTC bus, kindly re-confirm the timings from the HRTC Depot office before finalization. Click here to know the phone numbers. 

   How to reach Chitkul from Delhi on your own Vehicle

If you have good exposure to driving on mountainous roads and your vehicle is an SUV then this is a perfect option to travel to Chitkul. Below are Key things to be considered while traveling to Chitkul on your own driving.

1. A minimum of two days are required to reach Chitkul from Delhi.
2. Roads till Solan are good ( separate lanes for up and down traffic).   
3. Highway road up to Karcham after that single-lane road.
4. Road near Chitkul is not so okay, so having a high-ground clearance vehicle would be a good option.
5. You don’t require a 4X4 vehicle there as the normal vehicle can reach there.
6. The road from Rampur to Chitkul is considered among the most dangerous road so driving should be done carefully.
7. There would be many landside-prone areas that are treacherous during raining season.
8. In winter there would be high snowfall above Shimla till Narkanda and then in the Kinnaur district so weather updates to be taken before the start of the journey.
9. There are limited petrol pumps the way after Rampur.

How to reach Chitkul from Delhi on a bike

Nowadays traveling into the Himalayas on Bike is getting a trend. Lots of bikers every year travel to remote areas and enjoy the beauty. Reaching Chitkul on the bike would be the dream for every adventure lover. Kindly consider the below points before planning a trip to Chitkul on a bike.

1. A minimum of two days are required to reach Chitkul from Delhi on a bike.
2. Every bike can reach Chitkul but prefer a bike with > 150 cc engine if you are with a pinion rider. 
3. You will feel the major variation in the temperature while traveling on the bike as there is a gain and drop in the altitude. Shimla to Narkanda at a higher altitude than Rampur at a lower altitude.
4. Ride carefully as the road from Rampur to Chitkul is considered a dangerous road so driving should be done carefully.
5. Carry rain covers along with as there might be rainy uphill while it is the clear sky on the plains.
6. There would be many landside-prone areas that are treacherous during raining season.
7. During winters Bike riding is not advisable as there will be snowfall / black ice on roads and bike riding is extremely dangerous..
8. There are limited petrol pumps the way after Rampur so please plan and fill the tank based on the fuel consumption of your bike. 

How to reach Chitkul from Delhi on a Taxi

Taxi can easily be hired for Chikul and there are many options available on the online platforms. Following key things to be considered while taxing taxis to Chitkul.

1. The driver should be experienced in traveling in these areas.
2. Vehicle to be comfortable since travel time would be more than 16 hrs.
3. Ground clearance of the Vehicle is good.
4. Negotiate well before finalization.

How to reach Chitkul from Delhi by Train

The nearest railway station en route to Chitkul is the Shimla railway station. But this station is on the narrow gauge. You need to change the train from Kalka railway station. The Kalka railway station is for both broad gauge and narrow gauge.

• Pros
  • This route is a UNESCO world heritage site.
  • Best train route to see beautiful Himalayan mountains.
• Cons
  • Travel time is much high since the maximum speed of this train is around 30 km/hr
  • The frequency of the trains between Kalka and  Shimla is quite low.

The major train station en route to Chitkul is Chandigarh railway station.

• Pros
  • There are many regular trains between Delhi and Chandigarh.
  • Taxi service, as well as bus service, is available for further journeys.
• Cons
  • Since Chandigarh is only 250 km from Delhi, the rest travel will be covered on road so better travel the whole journey by road.

How to reach Chitkul from Delhi by air

Since Chitkul is located inner in the Himalayas, there is no major airport nearby.

1. The nearest airport en route to Chitkul is Shimla airport.
   • Pros
     • More than half the distance can be covered.
     • Chitkul can be covered in a day if started early from Delhi.
   • Cons
     • The frequency of the flights between Delhi and  Shimla is quite low. 
     • Total travel costs will be much higher.
     • The total distance is not covered.
2. Another airport en route to Chitkul is Chandigarh airport.
   • Pros
     • There are many regular flights between Delhi and Chandigarh.
   • Cons
     • There is not much time saving on flights from Delhi to Chandigarh.
     • It will be difficult to cover Chitkul in a day.
     • The total distance is not covered.

Summary – “How to reach Chitkul from Delhi”

Let’s summarize what we have understood in this blog  “How to reach Chitkul from Delhi ”

• Chitkul is a wonderful travel destination located in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh at around 585 KM from Delhi.
• You can reach Chitkul in 2 days from Delhi
• Chitkul can be reached throughout the year but the best time is from April – June and then from September – October.
• Chitkul can be reached by self-driven car, bike, taxi, and by Bus.
• The nearest railway station is  Shimla which is a narrow gauge. The major railway station is Chandigarh railway station.
• The nearest airport is Shimla airport.
• The cheapest way to reach Chitkul is by the HRTC bus.

We hope you have got a good understanding of “How to reach Chitkul from Delhi ”. If you want to give suggestions on this blog ” please do comment.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions:

If you want to reach Chitkul from Chandigarh kindly click here