How to reach Rakchham from Chandigarh – 2023 Updated

Nested in the beautiful  Himalayan mountain ranges, Rakchham is a beautiful village that lies in the remote location of  Himachal Pradesh. This blog will share complete knowledge of how to reach Rakchham from Chandigarh through different modes.  

Where is Rakchham located?

Rakchham is a small village in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It is the second last inhabited village on India – China border after Chitkul. It lies on the bank of the Baspa river which is the tributary of river Satluj. Baspa river meets Satluj at Karcham dam, the location from where there is a diversion for Rakchham. Rakchham is around 15 km from Sangla.

Name of the Place	Rakchham  ( राक्छम )
State	Himachal Pradesh
District	Kinnaur
Elevation	3100 m, 10200 ft
Accessibility	By road
Best time to visit	April – June, September – October
Travel Distance by road	350 Km
Travel Time by road	11:15 Hrs  (approximately)

How to reach Rakchham from Chandigarh

Rakchham is connected by road and accessible throughout the year except during heavy snowfall or during heavy rainfall. The distance between Rakchham from Chandigarh is around 350 Km. There are different modes by which one can reach Rakchham.

How to reach Rakchham from Chandigarh by Road

There are various options to reach Rakchham by road.

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

Sr. No.	Location	Distance (Km)	Elevation (ft)	Elevation (m)	Time  (Hr)	Remarks
1	Chandigarh	0	700	225	00:00
2	Solan	70	5100	1550	02:00
3	Shimla	118	7200	2200	03:30
4	Kufri	134	8500	2600	04:15
5	Narkanda	179	8900	2700	05:45
6	Rampur	239	3300	1000	07:30
7	Bhaba Nagar	289	5100	1550	09:15
8	Tapri	309	5600	1700	09:45
9	Karcham	319	5900	1800	10:00
10	Sangla	334	8500	2600	10:45	Stay – Option
11	Rakchham	350	10200	3100	11:15

How to reach Rakchham 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 Rakchham 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 – Sangla by bus and then Sangla to Rakchham by another bus.

Below are the bus details you can choose 

From Chandigarh to Sangla.

SR. No.	SERVICE NO.	CHANDIGARH	SANGLA	DURATION	DEPOT	TYPE	ORIGIN	DESTINATION	ONLINE BOOKING
1	518	3:15 AM	5:15 PM	14:00 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE	SANGLA	NO

From Sangla to Rakchham

SR. No.	SERVICE NO.	SANGLA	RAKCHHAM	DURATION	DEPOT	TYPE	ORIGIN	DESTINATION	ONLINE BOOKING
1	MND-RMP-CKL	7:45 AM	8:15 AM	0:30 Hrs	MANDI	ORDINARY	MANDI	CHITKUL	NO
2	RPO-CKL-01	12:00 PM	12:30 PM	0:30 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	RECONGPEO	CHITKUL	NO
3	RPO-CKL-002	2:00 PM	2:30 PM	0:30 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	RECONGPEO	CHITKUL	NO

• Pros
  • With this Option, you need to stay at Sangla for One night. This will help you in acclimatization.
• Cons
  • Since there is only one bus which origins from Delhi and there is no online booking, there is a limited chance of a seat on this bus. 
  • You need to travel by ordinary bus which is very much uncomfortable in long-distance hilly.

Option – 2 Chandigarh – Reckong Peo by bus and then Reckong Peo to Rakchham by another bus.

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

From Reckong Peo to Rakchham:

SR. No.	SERVICE NO.	RECONGPEO	RAKSHAM	DURATION	DEPOT	TYPE	ORIGIN	DESTINATION	ONLINE BOOKING
1	RPO-CKL-01	9:30 AM	12:30 PM	3:00 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	RECONGPEO	CHITKUL	NO
2	RPO-CKL-002	12:00 PM	2:30 PM	2:30 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	RECONGPEO	CHITKUL	NO

• Pros
  • There are many buses available on this route.
  • You can also that connecting bus to Rakchham if you reach Reckong Peo on time.
  • You can also take the deluxe bus on this route.
• Cons
  • There is no direct bus from Chandigarh to Rakchham and you have to go to Reckongpeo. This will add a minimum of 2 Hrs to your travel. 

Option – 3  Chandigarh to Shimla, then to  Rakchham.

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 Rakchham Travel you can read this blog with complete details of Buses.

Option – 4 Chandigarh to Tapri, and then to Rakchham. ( Best combination) 

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

1. 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).
2. Take the ticket to Tapri and you will reach Tapri at around 6:00 AM
3. Then take Tapri to Rakchham Bus which departs at @6:45 AM, you will reach Rakchham by around @8:15 AM.

From Chandigarh to Tapri: 

SR. No.	SERVICE NO.	CHANDIGARH	TAPRI	DURATION	DEPOT	TYPE	ORIGIN	DESTINATION	ONLINE BOOKING
1	1511	5:50 PM	6:00 AM	12:10 Hrs	REC PEO	HIMMANI DELUXE 2X2 NON AC	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	YES
2	CHD-SML-RPO	6:00 PM	5:45 AM	11:45 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	CHANDIGARH	RECONGPEO	NO

From Tapri to Rakchham:

SR. No.	SERVICE NO.	TAPRI	Rakchham	DURATION	DEPOT	TYPE	ORIGIN	DESTINATION	ONLINE BOOKING
1	MND-RMP-CKL	6:45 AM	8:15 AM	1:30 Hrs	MANDI	ORDINARY	MANDI	CHITKUL	NO

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

Note: If you 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. 

 How to reach Rakchham 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 Rakchham. Below are Key things to be considered while traveling to Rakchham on your own driving.

1. The travel time is more than 12 hrs so please make sure you start early in the morning so that you reach Rakchham in the evening before it is dark.
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 Rakchham 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 Rakchham 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 Rakchham from Chandigarh 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 Rakchham on the bike would be the dream for every adventure lover. Kindly consider the below points before planning a trip to Rakchham on a bike.

1. Every bike can reach Rakchham but prefer a bike with > 150 cc engine if you are with a pinion 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 Rakchham is considered a dangerous road so driving should be done carefully.
4. Carry rain covers along with as there might be rainy uphill while it is a clear sky on the plains.
5. There are many landside-prone areas that are treacherous during raining 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 Rakchham from Chandigarh on a Taxi

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

1. 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 Rakchham from Chandigarh by Train

The nearest railway station en route to Rakchham 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. 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 Rakchham from Chandigarh by air

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

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

Heli service is available from Chandigarh to Shimla. 

Summary – “How to reach Rakchham from Chandigarh”

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

• Rakchham is a wonderful travel destination located in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh at around 350 KM from Chandigarh.
• You can reach Rakchham in one day from Chandigarh.
• Rakchham can be reached throughout the year but the best time is from April – June and then from September – October.
• Rakchham can be reached by self-driven car, bike, taxi, and by Bus.
• The nearest railway station is  Shimla which is a narrow gauge. The train can be taken from Kalka.
• The nearest airport is Shimla airport but no direct service from Chandigarh.
• The cheapest way to reach Rakchham is by the HRTC bus and many options are available.

We hope you have got a good understanding of “How to reach Rakchham from Chandigarh ”. 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

If you want to know how to reach Rakcham from Delhi, Kindly Click here.