How to reach Rakchham from Delhi – 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 Delhi 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	Rakcham ( 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	595 Km
Travel Time by road	16:15 Hrs  (approximately)

How to reach Rakchham from Delhi

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

How to reach Rakchham from Delhi by Road

There are different 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)
1	New Delhi	0	700	225	00:00
2	Zirakpur	250	1000	320	05:00
3	Solan	316	5100	1550	07:00
4	Shimla	364	7200	2200	08:30
5	Kufri	380	8500	2600	09:15
6	Narkanda	425	8900	2700	10:45
7	Rampur	485	3300	1000	12:30
8	Bhaba Nagar	535	5100	1550	14:15
9	Tapri	555	5600	1700	14:45
10	Karcham	565	5900	1800	15:00
11	Sangla	580	8500	2600	15:45
12	Rakchham	595	10200	3100	16:15

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

Below are the bus details you can choose 

From Delhi to Sangla.

SR. No.	SERVICE NO.	DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE	SANGLA	DURATION	DEPOT	TYPE	ORIGIN	DESTINATION	ONLINE BOOKING
1	518	9:58 PM	5:15 PM	19:17 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE	SANGLA	YES

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
  • You need to travel by ordinary bus which is very much uncomfortable in long-distance hilly.
  • You will reach Rakchham 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 Rakchham by bus.

Below are the bus details you can choose

From Delhi to Reckong Peo:

SR. No.	SERVICE NO.	DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE	RECONGPEO	DURATION	DEPOT	TYPE	ORIGIN	DESTINATION	ONLINE BOOKING
1	556	8:10 PM	3:00 PM	18:50 Hrs	REC PEO	ORDINARY	DELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATE	RECONGPEO	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
  • 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 Rakchham third day if you don’t want to take a taxi / other services from Reckong Peo.

Option – 3 Delhi to Chandigarh, then to Rakchham.

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

Option – 4 Delhi to Shimla, then to  Rakchham.

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

Option – 5 Delhi to Chandigarh, then 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. 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 Rakchham Bus which departs at @6:45 AM, you will reach Rakchham by around @8:15 AM.

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

1. A minimum of two days is required to reach Rakchham 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 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 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 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. A minimum of two days are required to reach Rakchham from Delhi on a bike.
2. Every bike can reach Rakchham 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 a bike as there is a gain and drop of altitude. Shimla to Narkanda at a higher altitude than Rampur at a lower altitude.
4. Ride carefully as the road from Rampur to Rakchham 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 a 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 upon the fuel consumption of your bike. 

How to reach Rakchham from Delhi on a Taxi

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

1. The driver should be experienced in traveling 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 Rakchham from Delhi 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.

• 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 Rakchham 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 Rakchham from Delhi by air

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

1. The nearest airport en route to Rakchham is Shimla airport.
   • Pros
     • More than half the distance can be covered.
     • Rakchham 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.
     • Total distance is not covered.
2. Another airport en route to Rakchham 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 Rakchham in a day.
     • Total distance is not covered.

Summary – “How to reach Rakchham from Delhi”

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

• Rakchham is a wonderful travel destination located in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh at around 600 KM from Delhi.
• You can reach Rakchham in 2 days from Delhi
• 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 major railway station is Chandigarh railway station.
• The nearest airport is Shimla airport.
• The cheapest way to reach Rakchham is by the HRTC bus.

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

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions: