Backpacking Itinerary to Himachal will be extremely helpful if you have decided to visit Himachal. In fact, my first ever backpacking trip was the famous Parvati valley in Himachal.

Therefore, to help my fellow travelers I have curated not one but five epic backpacking itineraries to Himachal. From famous backpacking destinations like Manali and Parvati valley to lesser unexplored destinations like Lahaul. I have included all.

So you can choose any one of the backpacking Itinerary to Himachal as per your comfort.

Backpacking Itinerary to Himachal

Backpacking Itinerary to Himachal – My Most Recommended Routes

There are many top-notch places where you can go backpacking, in Himachal. The beautiful snow-clad mountains, the pristine rivers, enchanting forests are some of the epic reasons which make Himachal a perfect destination for backpacking.

Therefore, based on my experience traveling to Himachal I have curated ultimate backpacking itinerary to Himachal. Not just one but five of them.

Parvati valley – The Ultimate hippie Destination in Himachal
Manali – The Evergreen Paradise of Himachal
Tirthan valley – The Prettiest valley of Himachal
Lahaul valley – Himachal’s best kept secret now unraveled
Spiti Valley – An Adventure of a Lifetime

Backpacking Itinerary To Parvati Valley – The Ultimate Hippie Destination in Himachal

If you have never been backpacking to Himachal, then Parvati valley is one of the best places to start your  journey. Trust me, you’ll absolutely love it.

Backpacking Itinerary to Parvati Valley

Here is brief Itinerary for an epic backpacking trip to Parvati valley.

Day 1

Overnight bus from Delhi.

Day 2

Reach early to Bhuntar and take a local bus to reach Kasol. Rest and explore the hippie town.

Day 3

Visit the villages of Chalal and Katagla. Overnight stay in Chalal

Day 4

Hike to the beautiful village of Grahan. Overnight at Grahan.

Day 5

Come back to Kasol. Visit Manikaran Sahib and proceed towards Barshaini. Stay at Tosh for the night

Day 6

Hike to Kutla. Can come back to Tosh or Can also spend the night at Kutla.

Day 7

Come back to Barshaini. Head towards Kalga and explore the villages of Pulga and Tulga. Overnight Stay in Kalga.

Day 8

Head towards Kheerganga. Spend the night at Kheerganga.

Day 9

Come back to Barshaini and Head towards Kasol. Spend a night at Kasol

Day 10

Head towards Malana and visit the mysterious village. Stay for the night near Malana Gate

Day 11

Head to Jari. Explore the village of Mateura Jari and board an Overnight bus to Delhi.

Backpacking to Parvati valley was my first ever backpacking trip. It was only later on when I experienced true beauty and hospitality of Himachal in Tirthan and Lahaul, I found Kasol a major town in Parvati valley a bit overrated, to be honest.

Backpacking Itinerary to Parvati Valley

Day 1

To reach Parvati valley you have to board overnight buses going towards Manali from Delhi. There are a lot of private and HRTC run volvos going towards Manali.

There are HRTC run ordinary buses as well in case want to cut down your budget. The Volvo buses usually start in the evening from ISBT Kashmere gate.

Day 2

After the overnight bus journey, you’ll find yourself in the mountains in morning. You will reach Bhuntar early morning and then you can head straight to Kasol by boarding the local bus going to Kasol. There are plenty of them throughout the day.

Check in the hostel or hotel whatever you have booked or will decide on the spot. Relax for the day and explore Kasol and soak in the hippie vibes the Kasol has to offer. And Do not forget to have lip-smacking food at the cafes.

Day 3

Chalal is one of the popular villages near Kasol. The trail to Chalal passes through a beautiful deodar forest and just takes around 30 minutes to reach from Kasol. You can further go to Katagla from Chalal.

I enjoyed quite a bit Chalal away from the crowds of Kasol. I made a half-day trip here but you should really stay here overnight in my opinion. There are a lot of guesthouses here.

By the way, I had visited Kasol in winter and I have complete winter travel guide for Kasol. Feel free to check it out.

Day 4

Grahan is one of the higher villages in the valley and can be reached only on foot. The hike to the village is said to be around 10 km from Kasol but you can confirm with the locals. Spending A night here is highly recommended.

Day 5

Descend back to Kasol and then head towards Manikaran. The Gurdwara here also known as Manikaran Sahib is one of the most religious places for Sikhs. I would really recommend paying homage at the Gurudwara and having the Langar here.

After a quick visit to Manikaran you can head towards Barshaini and then finally reach Tosh. Local buses run all the way to Barshaini via Manikaran except for peak winters. Find a place to stay in Tosh and relax for the night.

Day 6

Today you can hike to Kutla. It is said to be a couple of hours away from Tosh. I really wanted to go here but the trails were buried in deep when I was in Tosh. So, except for peak winters reaching here should not be a problem.

There are few guesthouses and homestays here if you wish to stay else you can return back to Tosh by evening if you start early.

Day 7

Today head to the beautiful village of Kalga. Explore the village along with neighboring villages of Pulga and Tulga.

There are plenty of budget guesthouses and homestays Kalga where you can spend the night.

Day 8

Today you’ll be hiking to probably the most famous beginner trek in Himachal which is Kheerganga. Seasoned trekkers venture even further to Mantalai lake and Pin-Parvati Pass.

Kheerganga is said to take around 5-6 hours to reach. Please note there you can reach Kheerganga from Kalga as well which is the alternate route.

In peak winters, it is not advisable to visit Kheerganga without a guide and proper Gear.

Day 9

Descend from Kheerganga to Barshaini, and then head straight to Kasol. Rest in Kasol and spend the night in Kasol or any of the nearby villages like Chalal, Choj, Katagla

Day 10

Today you’ll be heading to the mysterious Malana villages. Well, there are a lot of myths surrounding most of which are just hyped. To reach Malana you have first Reach Jari and from there you head towards Malana. The village is around 3-4 km away from Malana Gate.

You cannot stay in Malana village, so you have to look for a place near Malana gate. There are plenty of them. I stayed in Himalayan Heritage near Malana Gate. And I could not visit Malana as it is quite risky due to a lot of snowfall.

Day 11

Finally, the beautiful trip comes to an end, but not before making a visit to the pretty village of Mateura near Jari. Once you leave Malana gate and come back to Jari. You can make a quick visit and explore this tiny village of Mateura.

Once you are done exploring the Village, you can head straight to Bhunter and reach there in the evening to board overnight bus back to Delhi.

Backpacking Itinerary To Manali – The Evergreen Paradise of Himachal

Backpacking to Manali is perfect for someone who has never been to Himachal. It is one of the most well developed places in Himachal as far tourism is concerned.

Backpacking Itinerary to Manali

Here is the brief itinerary of backpacking itinerary to Manali. Personally I feel, that this backpacking itinerary of Himachal will be perfect for those who want to get a hang of it As Manali has proper tourism infrastructure.

Day 1

Board overnight bus from Delhi to Manali

Day 2

Reach Manali early morning. Explore the Town and head to Hidimba Temple. Saunter in the woods behind Hidimba temple in Dhungri and Manu Temple just above Old manali.

Day 3

Head to Vashist. Pay your respects at Vashisht temple. Explore the village and hike to Jogini falls.

Day 4

Go village hopping. Visit the nearby villages of Goshal, Shanag, Nasogi, Nehru Kund etc.

Day 5

Go Café Hopping in Old Manali. And Relax for the rest of the day

Day 6

Head to Rohtang pass. Back to Manali in the evening

Day 7

Head to Solang valley. Explore the valley you can also hike to Anjani Mahadev Temple.

OR

Day-hike to Lamadugh.

Day 8

Visit the ancient capital of Naggar during the day and board back to Delhi in the evening.

Manali has a lot of budget hostels along with cool cafes, and is perfect if you want relax and Chill attracts a lot of Solo Travelers and backpackers. In fact, here are 11 reasons why Himachal in general attracts solo travelers.

Backpacking Itinerary to Manali

Day 1

To reach Parvati valley you have to board overnight buses going towards Manali from Delhi. There are a lot of private and HRTC run volvos going to Manali.

There are HRTC run ordinary buses as well in case want to cut down your budget. The volvo buses usually start in the evening from ISBT Kashmere gate.

Day 2

Today hike to the two most popular temples in Manali which is Hidimba Mata Temple and Manu Temple. Even though the road reaches both the places, I’ll recommend you to hike on the road.

Hidimba mata temple is located in Dhungri and if you are staying in old Manali, which by the you should if you are backpacking you can reach the temple by taking the beautiful trail inside nature park Manali.

Day 3

Head to the Vashisht village today. Visit the iconic Vashisht temple and explore beautiful orchards around the village. You’ll get the beautiful view of the Beas valley from this Area.

If you want, you can hike to Jogini falls, one of the most popular places to visit in Manali. The trail starts from Vashisht as well

Day 4

Village hopping around Manali is a must thing to do here. Most of villages like Goshal, Nasogi, Nehru Kund etc. get overshadowed owing to the other popular places but in my opinion, true beauty of Himachal lies in its rustic villages.

So visit as many as of these villages as you can.

Day 5

You can go cafe hopping today. There are several cafes in Manali which serve lipsmacking food and you can just chill at these cafes soak in all the views.

Some of the famous cafes include Cafe 1947, Lazy Dog, etc. But there are many more which you can visit. But you should probably avoid the cafes if you are tight budget. The prices at the cafes here are at par with that in the cities.

Day 6

Today head to the most famous mountain pass in the country, Rohtang La located at around 4000m. The insane views you get from here is mind blowing. You’ll get to witness a lot of Peaks from Rohtang if the weather is clear.

You can hire a private cab or go in HPTDC buses specially meant for Rohtang pass. If you are going by private vehicle or cabs, then you’ll need a prior permit to visit Rohtang La which be availed here.

Rohtang La is closed in winter so you can make a trip there only from May-November. And I’ll also warn you about the notorious Rohtang which certainly should ease out now as the Atal tunnel has become operational.

Day 7

Today you can head to the famous Solang valley. There are tons of adventure activities going on in Solang valley throughout the year. During winters there is lots of the snow in the valley and winter related adventure activities are in full flow.

You can also hike to the Ajani Mahadev Temple. In case, if you want to completely escape the crowd, then you can go on a day hike to Lamadugh near Manali.

Day 8 

Your last day in Manali will end on high note. Today you will visit the ancient capital of Kullu called Naggar. Naggar is quite famous for its castle and temples which include Tripura Sundri, Gauri Shankar, Krishna Temple.

Naggar is situated on the left bank of Beas River and is surrounded by beautiful deodar trees making it quite picturesque. Later in the evening board the overnight bus to Delhi from Kullu.

Backpacking Itinerary To Tirthan Valley – One of The Prettiest Valleys in Himachal

Tirthan valley (A part of Inner Seraj Region) has risen among the ranks in terms of popularity. And backpackers just love it.

Backpacking Itinerary to Tirthan Valley

Here is an epic itinerary to Tirthan valley in brief.

Day 1

Board Overnight bus to Aut from Delhi

Day 2

Reach early morning. Board local bus to Banjar from Aut. Explore the Shringa Rishi Temple and Chehni Kothi Today.

Day 3

Board a local bus to Bahu. Pay a visit to Baloo Nag Temple and back to Banjar in the evening,

Day 4

Head towards Jibhi. Explore Jibhi and spend the night there.

Day 5

Head Towards Jalori Jot. Hike to Serolsar lake back to Jibhi in the evening. Spend the night in Jibhi

Day 6

Leave Jibhi and go to Gushaini. Explore the Ropa village, the last village before GHNP gate Rolla.

Day 7

Head towards Sharchi from Gushaini. Explore the village and spend a night in Sharchi village.

Day 8

Come back to Gushaini from Sharchi and head to the village of Batahad. Explore the village and the nearby villages or Just Relax.

Day 9

Chill at Batahad or Bathad in the morning and head to Aut in the evening to board the overnight bus to Delhi

In case if its your first time backpacking but you want to avoid a popular region, then this backpacking itinerary to Himachal is perfect for you. It is very accessible plus it is still less touristy than the counterpart Parvati valley (Manikaran valley)

Backpacking Itinerary to Tirthan Valley

Day 1

To reach Tirthan valley you have to board overnight buses going to Manali from Delhi. There are a lot of private and HRTC run volvos going towards Manali. And get down at Aut.

There are HRTC run ordinary buses as well in case want to cut down your budget. The volvo buses usually start in the evening from ISBT Kashmere gate.

Day 2

Once you reach Aut early in the morning, head straight to Banjar. There a lot of local buses going to Banjar every hour, so it should fairly easy to reach Banjar.

In Banajr, I would reccommend you to stay in Bluesheep Trithan, one of the best places to stay in the valley. After resting for a while, you should head to the famous Chehni village to witness the mystical Chehni Kothi. the trek to the village starts from Shringa Rishi temple.

Day 3

Board a 10 AM and visit the beautiful hamlet of Bahu. The main attraction of Bahu is the picturesque abode of Baloo Nag Devta. It will hardly take 30 minutes to reach the temple from Bahu. But trust me it is worth the visit

I was stunned to be honest when I saw the beauty of the Place. The place is surrounded with beautiful pine forests with the temple in the middle. You can easily make it back to Banjar before dark.

Bahu is easily one of the best places to visit in Tirthan and is easily one of the best alternatives to crowded and overrated places like Kasol.

Day 4

Today you’ll be leaving Banjar and heading to the picturesque Jibhi. Jibhi is one of the most popular places in Tirthan. There are a lot of hostels(mudhouse, Hosteller, Tree house), guesthouses, cafes in Jibhi.

You can relax, admire the beauty of Jibhi and go for a small hike to the famous Jibhi waterfall later in the day. Stay in Jibhi overnight.

Jibhi is also famous for its Faguli festival which happens around late winter. And festivals like Faguli is one of the 31 promising reasons why you should visit himachal.

Day 5

The famous Jalori pass will be on the agenda today. There are a lot of buses coming from Banjar going towards Jalori which you can board from Jibhi.

Trust me, Jalori pass is extremely picturesque and you have to be there actually and see it with your own eyes to comprehend its beauty. You can take a short and easy hike to Serolsar lake and be back in Jibhi by evening.

Day 6

Today you’ll be say your goodbyes to Jibhi and head to Gushaini. Explore the hamlet of Ropa which is the last village before the GHNP entry gate Rolla.

After exploring Ropa, you can explore the Gushaini and just relax at the bank of River Tirthan.

Day 7

Today you’ll be visiting one of the famous villages of Tirthan called Sharchi which is even beyond Gushaini. The rustic charm of Sharchi will really mesmerize you.

Sharchi being in a rural setting will definitely give a glimpse of harsh lives of Himalayan folks.

Day 8

Leave early from Sharchi, then come back to Gushaini and todays stop will be at another Rustic village of Tirthan known as Bathad or Batahad. You can wander around the village, talk to people and also explore the nearby villages.

Bathad also acts as the base village to Bashleo Jot from which separates Inner Seraj from Outer Seraj. You can spend the night in one of the homestays in Bathad.

Day 9

You can explore any of the nearby village and relax for the day. Leave for Aut in the afternoon and board an overnight bus to Delhi from Aut.

Backpacking Itinerary To Lahaul Valley – Himachal’s Best Kept Secret Now Unraveled 

Lahaul valley, before the Atal Tunnel opened up, was one of the most unexplored destinations in Himachal. And it is still is quite unexplored with visitors mostly exploring the area around which is the north portal.

Backpacking Itinerary to Lahaul Valley

Here is the 10-day itinerary for Lahaul valley in brief. This itinerary is probably my favourite backpacking Itinerary to Himachal out of all.

Day 1

Board an overnight Bus to Manali from Delhi.

Day 2

Reach Manali early and depart towards Lahaul via Atal tunnel. Explore Khwaling (Sissu) a bit and stay there for the night.

Day 3

Explore upper villages around Khwaling (Sissu) or Hike to Palden Lhamo. Stay overnight in Sissu.

Day 4

Head to Kyelang. Pay your obeisance at Shashur and Kardang Gompa.

Day 5

Head to Barlacha La visit Dozmo Tso (Deepak Taal) and Tso Kamtsi (Suraj Tal). You can also visit Khangsar Khar and Gemur Gompa. Stay at Keylong for the night.

Day 6

Head to Miyar valley. You can spend a night in Urgos or Shukto.

Day 7

You can hike to the Thanpattan which is vast meadow situated at around 4000 m. You can camp there overnight.

Day 8

Leave Miyar and move towards Margul (Udaipur) in Pattan valley. Visit Mrikula Mata temple and Phakpa (Trilokinath). Stay overnight at either Udaipur or Trilokinath

Day 9

Head back to Kyelang. Visit the ancient Guru Ghantal Gompa or You can visit Bokar Gompa and Yurdong Gompa

OR

You can make a Day Trip to Tso Chikgma (Chandra Taal). Just make sure to start very early. And you will need to hire a private cab as well.

Day 10

Say goodbye to Lahaul and leave for Manali. Board an overnight bus to Delhi.

There is actually a lot to be seen in Lahaul. With huge peaks, pristine rivers, unique landscapes Lahaul is one of the best destinations for backpacking in Himachal. In fact, I have a complete guide on backpacking to Lahaul.

Backpacking Itinerary to Lahaul Valley

Day 1

To reach Lahaul you have to board overnight buses going to Manali from Delhi. There are a lot of private and HRTC run volvos going towards Manali.

There are HRTC run ordinary buses as well in case want to cut down your budget. The volvo buses usually start in the evening from ISBT Kashmere gate.

Day 2

Reach Manali in the morning and then head towards Khwaling (Sissu) in Lahaul via Atal Tunnel. Please note that buses have started to ply between Manali and Kyelang.

But I am not exactly sure about the timings as I had been to Lahaul via Rohtang La, before the tunnel became operational. Check in to the homestay and relax in Khwaling (Sissu) for the rest of the day. You can explore the Raja Ghepang temple in Shashin if you have the time.

Day 3

Start early for the day. You can explore the upper villages near Khwaling (Sissu) like Jagdang, Labrang, Shurthang etc. Also, pay a visit to the Labrang Gompa. You’ll get insane views of Sissu from these villages.

Later in the day, you can hike to Palden Lhamo Dhara which is visible from everywhere around Khwaling (Sissu). Else you can just relax in Khwaling. You can spend the night in Khwaling or Shurthang.

Day 4

Today you will be heading to the administrative capital of the Lahaul-Spiti district which is Kyelang. On the way Kyelang you can explore the famous Gondhla fort in the village of Gondhla.

Then head straight to Kyelang, check into the hotel and visit Shashur and Kardang Gompa, the two famous monasteries of Lahaul. Peaceful vibes and insane views of high mountains really mesmerized me. Spend the night in Kyelang.

Day 5

Start early and head to the famous Baralacha La. You can cover the magnificent lakes in Lahaul like Dozom Tso (Deepak Tal) and Tso Kamtsi (Suraj Tal), which are on the road to Baralacha La itself. And so you don’t have to take any detours.

Visit the beautiful villages of Jispa, Khangsar and Gemur after returning back from Baralacha La. If you have started early in the morning you can easily cover all these places before it is dark.

Day 6 

Board an early morning bus at 8 and head directly to the pristine valley of Miyar. It almost takes around 5-6 hours to reach Shukto in Miyar valley. You can explore the nearby village of Khanjar. Spend the night in Shukto.

Here is the complete travel guide to Miyar valley in which you will find all the relevant details.

Day 7

Go hiking to high altitude meadows of thanpattan today. Trust me you’ll get to witness some of the most beautiful landscapes in Himachal. Owing to the time constraint I could not go here. But you really should.

Hiking in Miyar valley is one the best reasons to visit incredible Miyar valley 

OR

If you don’t like to hike, then you can head to the village of Urgos from Shukto and stay at this beautiful village of Miyar and relax.

Day 8

Leave Miyar valley by taking a morning bus at around 6.00 AM or an afternoon bus which is at around 2.30 PM and reach Margul (Udaipur). You can then head to the Phakpa (Trilokinath) and wander around this beautiful pilgrimage site and spend a night here.

There are a lot of homestays and guesthouses in Trilokinath along with a temple run Dharamshala.

Day 9

Leave Trilokinath and head towards Kyelang today. If time permits you can visit the ancient Guru Ghantal Gompa today. But you have hike for at least 1.5 hours to reach here. I really wanted to visit here but owing to time constraint I could not.

Else you can visit Yurdong Gompa or Bokar Gompa which only requires a 30-45 minutes of hiking to reach and are very near from Kyelang, with Bokar Gompa being the closest. Spend the night in Kyelang.

Day 10

Head to the Tso Chikgma (Chandrataal) today, just make sure you start very early at around 5.00 AM from Kyelang, Unfortunately, there is no bus going to Tso Chikgma (Chandrataal) from Kyelang, so you have no choice but to hire a private cab.

But if you are in group, then it should not be too expensive for you. Chandrtaal or Tso Chikgma is extremely picturesque and I just could not believe my eyes when I first saw it. Therefore, I’ll highly recommend you to visit Tso Chikgma.

And mind you Tso Chigma is located in Lahaul and not Spiti as it is believed to be.

Day 11

Say goodbye to Lahaul today and head to Manali from Tso Chikgma (Chandrataal). Start very early today and board overnight bus to Delhi from Manali.

Backpacking Itinerary To Spiti Valley – An Adventure of A Lifetime

Spiti valley is one of the most sought-after places currently in India, thanks to some insane otherworldly vistas you get to witness in Spiti.

Here is a 13-day Spiti valley backpacking itinerary in brief. In my opinion, this is most adventurous backpacking itinerary to Himachal out of the five.

Day 1

Overnight bus to Shimla from Delhi

Day 2

Reach Shimla Early Morning. Take bus to Reckong Peo and spend the night there.

Day 3

From Reckong Peo, Head straight to Kaza, Overnight at Kaza.

Day 4

Explore key monastery and Kibber today. Overnight at Kibber.

Day 5

Come back to Kaza and head to the famous villages of Langza, Hikkim, and Komic.

Day 6

Head to Pin valley Today. And spend a night in Mudh village

Day 7

Stay in Pin valley explore the other villages

Day 8

Head to Lhalung Today and Spend a night at Lhalung.

Day 9

Head towards Dhankar Today and Spend a night at Dhankar

Day 10

Head back to Kaza Today and head to Demul. Spend the night in Demul.

Day 11

Come back to Kaza and go to Tabo. Overnight at Kaza.

Day 12

Head towards Tso Chikgma. Spend the night at Chandrtaal

Day 13

Head to Manali from Chandrataal and board overnight bus to Delhi

Such insane landscapes coupled extremely budget-friendly trip makes it perfect for a backpacking trip. In fact, you’ll find a lot of solo travelers and backpackers embarking on trip to Spiti for their fair share of adventure.

Day 1

To reach Shimla you have to board overnight buses going to Shimla from Delhi. There are a lot of private and HRTC run volvos going towards Shimla. A direct bus to Reckong Peo as well from Delhi in the evening. You can book HRTC buses online as well.

There are HRTC run ordinary buses as well in case want to cut down your budget. All the buses usually start in the evening from ISBT Kashmere gate.

Day 2 

In case you took a direct bus to Reckong Peo. You’ll reach only late in the evening. Otherwise, you can board early morning bus Shimla for going towards Reckong Peo.

Spend the night at Reckong Peo.

Day 3

Today head straight to Kaza from Reckong Peo. There are not many buses going from Reckong, but there is an early morning bus daily. You can confirm the exact timings at the bus stand itself.

So you’ll reach Kaza by late afternoon. For the rest of the day explore the town of Kaza, which is the biggest town in Spiti valley.

Day 4

Today you’ll be visiting the famous Key Monastery and Kibber village. There are local buses going to Key and Kibber, but they are only in the evening. So if you are in a group hiring a private cab will make much more sense.

In case you are solo, then you try searching for Shared cabs or local buses will surely go in the evening. Spend the rest of the day either at Kibber or Key wherever you wish to stay.

Day 5 

Spiti is home to some of the highest villages in the world. And today you’ll be visiting such villages at dizzying altitude. You’ll be visiting the villages of Langza, Hikkim, Komic.

Again, if you are a group then hiring private cab would be advisable as buses run in the evening. But you can also avail the services HRTC buses which only run in the evening for these villages.

You can try hitch-hiking or use shared cabs in case you are traveling solo and don’t want to wait for the local bus. Spend the night at any of the villages, all of them certainly have homestays.

Day 6

Head to the magical pin valley today from Kaza. Stay in Mudh village and explore the village for the rest of the day. There is an evening bus to Mud village in Pin valley from Kaza.

In my opinion, pin valley is one of the best places to visit in Spiti. I was literally blown away by the beauty of it. And the valley impressed me so much that I would spend quite a few days here next time around.

Day 7 

Today you’ll spend the day visiting a few other villages of Pin valley. Although only Mudh is quite famous, they are a lot of small villages scattered across the valley like Tangti Yogma, Tangti Kogma, Guling, Sangam, Todnam etc.

Local buses do not go to all the villages. Therefore, you can either hitchhike or ask the locals at Mudh village to help you visit some of these places. You should also visit the Kungri monastery in pin valley.

By the way, if its your first time in Spiti these 27 practical travel tips will help you a lot in my opinion.

Day 8 

Head towards the lesser frequented village of Lhalung today. You don’t have direct bus to Lhalung, but you can get down at Atargo bridge by taking a bus from Mudh village early in the morning which heads to Kaza. The wait for the bus to Lhalung or you can even hitchhike or hire a cab.

But just confirm the route of Bus to Lhalung from Kaza with the locals to be very sure. There is a beautiful monastery in Lhalung which you must certainly visit. Homestays are also available in this tiny village.

Day 9

Today you’ll be heading to one of the famous places in Spiti which is Dhankar, Dhankar used to be the ancient capital of Spiti and is also home to one of the oldest monastery in Spiti.

You should spend the night in one of the homestays or guesthouses in Dhankar village.

Day 10 

Start early today and head back to Kaza. From Kaza, You can visit the beautiful village of Demul. Trust me it is worth the visit. And I kind of regret spending just an hour here on my trip.

There is a bus in the evening to Demul from Kaza.

Day 11

Leave early from Demul by taking a morning bus from Kaza. Reach Tabo make a day trip and return back to Kaza. Overnight stay in Kaza

Day 12

Today you will be heading to the most famous lake of Himachal Tso Chigma or Chandratal located in Lahaul valley via Kunzum La. So you need to start very early. Reach the lake by afternoon spend a few hours witnessing the majestic beauty of the lake.

Overnight stay at the campsites near Tso Chigma (Chandratal). And you’ll to hire private cabs as no bus goes to Chandratal. The nearest settlement to the lake is at Batal which is around 16 km from Tso Chigma (Chandratal).

Day 13 

Today you’ll be leaving for Manali from Tso Chikgma. Start very early and reach Manali by afternoon. Overnight bus from Manali to Delhi.

To conclude, I hope the backpacking itinerary to Himachal will be of great help in planning successful backpacking. Trust me, Backpacking to Himachal will be one of the best experiences you’ll ever have.

For any further queries regarding any of the backpacking itinerary to Himachal, please feel free to reach out in the comments below and I’ll make sure to help you.