How to reach Kinnaur from Chandigarh – 2023 Updated

Do you know, the Prominent place in India with the purest air to breathe is Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh ? It is a remote district of the hill state.  This blog will share complete knowledge of how to reach Kinnaur from Chandigarh through different modes.  

Where is Kinnaur located?

With headquarters at Reckong Peo, Kinnaur is a District of Himachal Pradesh. It lies near the China border and along the banks of Sutlej river or its tributaries. Kinnaur is the place famous for Kinnaur Kailash peak and for its high quality apples.  

Name of the Place	Kinnaur ( किन्नौर )
State	Himachal Pradesh
District	Kinnaur
Elevation of Places	Varies from 1500 m, 3700 m
Accessibility	By road
Best time to visit	April – June, September – October

How to reach Kinnaur from Chandigarh

Reckong Peo, Headquarter of Kinnaur,  is connected by road and accessible throughout the year except during heavy snowfall or during heavy rainfall. The distance between Reckong Peo from Chandigarh is around 335 Km. There are different modes by which one can reach Reckong Peo.

How to reach Kinnaur from Chandigarh by Road

There are various options to reach Reckong Peo by road.

 You can refer to the below table to plan your journey to Reckong Peo.

Sr. No.	Location	Distance (Km)	Elevation (ft)	Elevation (m)	Time  (Hr)
1	Chandigarh	0	700	225	00:00
2	Solan	70	5100	1550	02:00
3	Shimla	120	7200	2200	03:30
4	Kufri	135	8500	2600	04:15
5	Narkanda	180	8900	2700	05:45
6	Rampur	240	3300	1000	07:30
7	Bhaba Nagar	290	5100	1550	09:15
8	Tapri	310	5600	1700	09:45
9	Karcham	320	5900	1800	10:00
10	Reckong Peo	335	7900	2400	10:30

How to reach Kinnaur from Chandigarh 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 very good 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 Reckong Peo 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 Chandigarh – Reckong Peo by bus from ISBT Sec-43.

Below are the bus details you can choose

From Chandigarh to Reckong Peo:

SR. No.	SERVICE NO.	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	DURATION	DEPOT	TYPE	ORIGIN	DESTINATION	ONLINE BOOKING
1	556	1:10 AM	3:00 PM	13:50 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE	RECONGPEO	NO
2	1220	1:30 AM	2:15 PM	12:45 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	HARIDWAR	RECONGPEO	NO
3	1513	4:44 AM	7:00 PM	14:16 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	YES
4	CHD-RPO	6:05 AM	7:00 PM	12:55 Hrs	REC PEO	HIMMANI DELUXE 2X2 NON AC	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	NO
5	1511	5:50 PM	7:00 AM	13:10 Hrs	REC PEO	HIMMANI DELUXE 2X2 NON AC	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	YES
6	CHD-SML-RPO	6:00 PM	7:00 AM	13:00 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	NO
7	1512	7:00 PM	9:00 AM	14:00 Hrs	RAMPUR	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	KALPA	YES

• Pros
  • There are many buses available on this route.
  • You can also take the deluxe bus on this route.
• Cons
  • Long Journey

Option – 2  Chandigarh to Kinnaur, then to  Reckong Peo.

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

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

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

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

Option – 3  Chandigarh to Rampur, then to  Reckong Peo.

From Chandigarh to Rampur:

SR. No.	SERVICE NO.	CHANDIGARH	RAMPUR	DURATION	DEPOT	TYPE	ORIGIN	DESTINATION	ONLINE BOOKING
1	556	1:10 AM	10:40 AM	9:30 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE	RECONGPEO	NO
2	1220	1:25 AM	10:45 AM	9:20 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	HARIDWAR	RECONGPEO	NO
3	538	1:30 AM	9:00 AM	7:30 Hrs	RAMPUR	ORDINARY	DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE	RAMPUR	NO
4	518	3:15 AM	12:30 PM	9:15 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE	SANGLA	NO
5	CHD-KLK-KFN	4:00 AM	1:00 PM	9:00 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	KAFNU	NO
6	1513	4:44 AM	2:45 PM	10:01 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	YES
7	CHD-RPO-2X2	6:05 AM	3:00 PM	8:55 Hrs	REC PEO	HIMMANI DELUXE 2X2 NON AC	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	NO
8	1726	6:36 AM	6:15 PM	11:39 Hrs	RAMPUR	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	SARAHAN	YES
9	1618	8:45 AM	7:15 PM	10:30 Hrs	RAMPUR	ORDINARY	AMBALA CANT	RAMPUR	NO
10	1511	5:50 PM	2:45 AM	8:55 Hrs	REC PEO	HIMMANI DELUXE 2X2 NON AC	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	YES
11	CHD-SML-RPO	6:00 PM	3:00 AM	9:00 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	NO
12	1512	7:00 PM	4:45 AM	9:45 Hrs	RAMPUR	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	KALPA	YES
13	1510	8:00 PM	5:45 AM	9:45 Hrs	RAMPUR	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	RAMPUR	YES

From Rampur to Reckong Peo:

SR. No.	SERVICE NO.	RAMPUR	RECONGPEO	DURATION	DEPOT	TYPE	ORIGIN	DESTINATION	ONLINE BOOKING
1	866	1:15 AM	5:25 AM	4:10 Hrs	KEYLONG	ORDINARY	UDAIPUR	RECONGPEO	NO
2	1511	2:45 AM	7:00 AM	4:15 Hrs	REC PEO	HIMMANI DELUXE 2X2 NON AC	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	NO
3	1512	4:45 AM	9:00 AM	4:15 Hrs	RAMPUR	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	KALPA	NO
4	930	4:55 AM	11:00 AM	6:05 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	DHARAMSHALA	PANGI	NO
5	977	5:00 AM	9:15 AM	4:15 Hrs	DHARAMPUR	ORDINARY	DHARAMPUR MND	RECONGPEO	NO
6	633	8:25 AM	1:30 PM	5:05 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	DHARAMSHALA	THANGI	NO
7	1616	8:30 AM	1:10 PM	4:40 Hrs	RAMPUR	ORDINARY	RAMPUR	KALPA	YES
8	333	9:30 AM	4:00 PM	6:30 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	SHIMLA ISBT TUTIKANDI	POOH VILLAGE	NO
9	1220	10:45 AM	2:15 PM	3:30 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	HARIDWAR	RECONGPEO	NO
10	255	12:15 PM	4:40 PM	4:25 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	SOLAN	RECONGPEO	NO
11	781	1:45 PM	7:00 PM	5:15 Hrs	SUNDERNAGAR	ORDINARY	MANDI	RECONGPEO	NO
12	1513	2:45 PM	7:05 PM	4:20 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	NO
13	CHD-RPO-2X2	3:00 PM	7:10 PM	4:10 Hrs	REC PEO	HIMMANI DELUXE 2X2 NON AC	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	NO
14	273	11:00 PM	3:30 AM	4:30 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	SHIMLA ISBT TUTIKANDI	RECONGPEO	NO
15	CHD-SML-RPO	3:00 AM	6:55 AM	3:55 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	NO

 How to reach Kinnaur from Chandigarh 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 Reckong Peo. Below are Key things to be considered while traveling to Reckong Peo on your own driving.

1. The travel time is more than 10 hrs so please make sure you start early in the morning so that you reach Reckong Peo in the evening before it is dark.
2. Roads till Solan are good ( separate lanes for up and down traffic).   

3. You don’t require a 4X4 vehicle there as the normal vehicle can reach there.
4. The road from Rampur to Reckong Peo is considered among the most dangerous roads so driving should be done carefully.
5. There would be many landslide-prone areas that are treacherous during the rainy season.
6. 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.
7. There are limited petrol pumps the way after Rampur.

How to reach Kinnaur from Chandigarh on a bike

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

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

How to reach Kinnaur from Chandigarh on a Taxi

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

1. The Driver should be experienced in traveling these areas.
2. Vehicle to be comfortable since travel time would be more than 12 hrs.
3. Ground clearance of the Vehicle to be good.
4. Negotiate well before finalization.

How to reach Kinnaur from Chandigarh by Train

The nearest railway station en route to Reckong Peo is the Shimla railway station. But this station is on the narrow gauge. You need to change trains from Kalka railway station. The Kalka railway station is for both broad gauge and narrow gauge. You can easily reach Kalka railway station from Chandigarh which is less than an Hour.

• 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.

How to reach Kinnaur from Chandigarh by air

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

The nearest airport en route to Reckong Peo is Shimla airport but there is no direct service available on the plane from Chandigarh.

Heli service is available from Chandigarh to Shimla. 

Summary – “How to reach Kinnaur from Chandigarh”

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

• Reckong Peo is a wonderful travel destination located in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh at around 335 KM from Chandigarh.
• You can reach Reckong Peo in one day from Chandigarh.
• Reckong Peo can be reached throughout the year but the best time is from April – June and then from September – October.
• Reckong Peo can be reached by self-driven car, bike, taxi, and by Bus.
• Nearest railway station is  Shimla which is narrow gauge. The train can be taken from Kalka.
• Nearest airport is Shimla airport but no direct service from Chandigarh.
• Cheapest way to reach Reckong Peo is by the HRTC bus and many options are available.

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

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions: