how to reach Rakchham from Shimla

How to reach Rakchham from Shimla – 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 Shimla 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 PlaceRakchham ( राक्छम ) 
State Himachal Pradesh
District Kinnaur
Elevation 3100 m, 10200 ft
AccessibilityBy road
Best time to visitApril – June, September – October
Travel Distance by road230 Km
Travel Time by road8:00 Hrs (approximately)  

How to reach Rakchham from Shimla

Rakchham is connected by road and accessible throughout the year except during heavy snowfall or during heavy rainfall. The distance between Rakchham from Shimla is around 230 Km. There are different modes by which one can reach Rakchham.

how to reach Rakchham from Shimla
how to reach Rakchham from Shimla

How to reach Rakchham from Shimla 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)
1Shimla07200220000:00
2Kufri168500260000:45
3Narkanda618900270002:15
4Rampur 1213300100004:00
5Bhaba Nagar1715100155005:45
6Tapri1915600170006:15
7Karcham2015900180006:30
8Sangla2168500260007:15
9Rakchham23110200310007:45
How to reach Rakchham from Shimla

How to reach Rakchham from Shimla on a Bus

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.

Option – 1 Shimla – Sangla by bus and then Sangla to Rakchham another by bus.

Below are the bus details you can choose 

From Shimla to Sangla.

SR. No.SERVICE NO.SHIMLA ISBT TUTIKANDISANGLADURATIONDEPOTTYPEORIGINDESTINATIONONLINE BOOKING
15187:15 AM5:15 PM10:00 HrsREC PEOORDINARYDELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATESANGLANO

From Sangla to Rakchham

SR. No.SERVICE NO.SANGLARAKCHHAMDURATIONDEPOTTYPEORIGINDESTINATIONONLINE BOOKING
1MND-RMP-CKL7:45 AM8:15 AM0:30 HrsMANDIORDINARYMANDICHITKULNO
2RPO-CKL-0112:00 PM12:30 PM0:30 HrsREC PEOORDINARYRECONGPEOCHITKULNO
3RPO-CKL-0022:00 PM2:30 PM0:30 HrsREC PEOORDINARYRECONGPEOCHITKULNO
  • 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 Shimla – Reckong Peo by bus and then Reckong Peo to Rakchham by bus.

Below are the bus details you can choose

From Shimla to Reckong Peo:

SR. No.SERVICE NO.SHIMLA ISBT TUTIKANDIRECONGPEODURATIONDEPOTTYPEORIGINDESTINATIONONLINE BOOKING
13333:40 AM4:00 PM12:20 HrsREC PEOORDINARYSHIMLA ISBT TUTIKANDIPOOH VILLAGEYES
26334:30 AM1:30 PM9:00 HrsREC PEOORDINARYDHARAMSHALATHANGINO
312205:00 AM2:15 PM9:15 HrsREC PEOORDINARYHARIDWARRECONGPEONO
45565:45 AM3:00 PM9:15 HrsREC PEOORDINARYDELHI ISBT KASHMIRI GATERECONGPEONO
52556:56 AM4:40 PM9:44 HrsREC PEOORDINARYSOLANRECONGPEONO
615139:00 AM7:00 PM10:00 HrsREC PEOORDINARYCHANDIGARHRECONGPEONO
7CHD-RPO10:30 AM7:00 PM8:30 HrsREC PEOHIMMANI DELUXE 2X2 NON ACCHANDIGARHRECONGPEONO
82736:30 PM3:30 AM9:00 HrsREC PEOORDINARYSHIMLA ISBT TUTIKANDIRECONGPEOYES
9151110:20 PM7:00 AM8:40 HrsREC PEOHIMMANI DELUXE 2X2 NON ACCHANDIGARHRECONGPEONO
10CHD-SML-RPO10:30 PM7:00 AM8:30 HrsREC PEOORDINARYCHANDIGARHRECONGPEONO
11151211:30 PM9:00 AM9:30 HrsRAMPURORDINARYCHANDIGARHKALPANO

From Reckong Peo to Rakchham:

SR. No.SERVICE NO.RECONGPEORAKSHAMDURATIONDEPOTTYPEORIGINDESTINATIONONLINE BOOKING
1RPO-CKL-019:30 AM12:30 PM3:00 HrsREC PEOORDINARYRECONGPEOCHITKULNO
2RPO-CKL-00212:00 PM2:30 PM2:30 HrsREC PEOORDINARYRECONGPEOCHITKULNO
  • 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 Shimla to Rakchham and you have to go to Reckongpeo. This will add a minimum of 2 Hrs to your travel. 
Option – 3 Shimla to Karcham, and then to Rakchham. 

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 is as 

  1. There are two buses from Chandigarh to Reckong Peo at @5:50 PM (Delux) and the Other @6:00 PM ( Ordinary bus) they reach Shimla at around 10:15 PM ( 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 @9:00 AM.

From Shimla to Tapri: 

SR. No.SERVICE NO.SHIMLA ISBT TUTIKANDITAPRIDURATIONDEPOTTYPEORIGINDESTINATIONONLINE BOOKING
10151110:20 PM6:00 AM7:40 HrsREC PEOHIMMANI DELUXE 2X2 NON ACCHANDIGARHRECONGPEONO
11CHD-SML-RPO10:30 PM5:45 AM7:15 HrsREC PEOORDINARYCHANDIGARHRECONGPEONO

From Tapri to Rakchham:

SR. No.SERVICE NO.TAPRIRAKCHHAMDURATIONDEPOTTYPEORIGINDESTINATIONONLINE BOOKING
1MND-RMP-CKL6:45 AM8:15 AM1:30 HrsMANDIORDINARYMANDICHITKULNO
Option – 4 Shimla to Karcham, and then to Rakchham.

Again, if you want to reach Rakchham without going to Reckongpeo, this combination might help you.

Take the Bus from Shimla and reach Karcham before the connecting bus which is coming from Reckong Peo to Rakchham / Mandi to Rakchham

From Shimla to Karcham : 

SR. No.SERVICE NO.SHIMLA ISBT TUTIKANDIKARCHAMDURATIONDEPOTTYPEORIGINDESTINATIONONLINE BOOKING
1151110:20 PM6:30 AM8:10 HrsREC PEOHIMMANI DELUXE 2X2 NON ACCHANDIGARHRECONGPEONO
2151211:30 PM8:45 AM9:15 HrsRAMPURORDINARYCHANDIGARHKALPANO

From Karcham to Rakchham: 

SR. No.SERVICE NO.KARCHAMRAKCHHAMDURATIONDEPOTTYPEORIGINDESTINATIONONLINE BOOKING
1MND-RMP-CKL7:00 AM8:15 AM1:45 HrsMANDIORDINARYMANDICHITKULNO
2RPO-CKL-0110:20 AM12:30 PM2:40 HrsREC PEOORDINARYRECONGPEOCHITKULNO
3RPO-CKL-00212:50 PM2:30 PM2:10 HrsREC PEOORDINARYRECONGPEOCHITKULNO
  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 HRTC Depot office before finalization. Click here to know the phone numbers. 

 How to reach Rakchham from Shimla on your own Vehicle

If you can reach Shimla in your own Vehicle then reaching Rakchham is not too much difficult a task.

  1. The travel time is more than 8 hrs so please make sure you start early in the day so that you reach Rakchham in the evening..
  2. Highway road up to Karcham after that single-lane road.
  3. Road near Rakchham is not so okay, so having a high-ground clearance vehicle would be a good option.
  4. You don’t require a 4X4 vehicle there as the normal vehicle can reach there.
  5. The road from Rampur to Rakchham is considered among the most dangerous road so driving should be done carefully.
  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 Rakchham from Shimla 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 rain at higher reaches.
  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 Shimla 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 Shimla by Train

Rakchham is not connected by train. The last station is at Shimla

How to reach Rakchham from Shimla by air

Since Rakchham is located inner in the Himalayas, there is no airport nearby. The Last airport is at Shimla.

Summary – “How to reach Rakchham from Shimla”

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 230 KM from Shimla.
  • You can reach Rakchham in one day from Shimla.
  • 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 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 Shimla ”. If you want to give suggestions on this blog ” please do comment.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions:

Question – Shimla to Rakchham bus

Answer – There is no direct bus from Shimla to Rakchham. You can change bus at either Sangla or at Reckong Peo.

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

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

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