Himachal Pradesh · India
Spiti Valley Road
NH505Khab Sangam to Gramphoo
NH505 through Spiti is one of the toughest roads left on earth, a 275 km traverse of a lunar cold-desert gorge crossing the 4,551 m Kunzum La and threading cliff edges above the turquoise Spiti River.
Starting at Khab Sangam where the Spiti meets the Sutlej, the road follows the Spiti River gorge north-west through Nako, Tabo and Kaza before climbing Kunzum La (4,551 m) and descending the Chandra Valley to Gramphoo on the Leh-Manali road. Much of the Kaza-to-Gramphoo section is unpaved; the Kinnaur section is paved but landslide-prone. Closed November to late May.
Scenery
Best seasons
In these collections
In these guides
Spiti Valley Road on the map172.7 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
More hairpins than 9 in 10 roads in the catalogue.
Corners
busiest around mile 162Elevation
approximateunder 4%4–8%over 8%2,520.1 – 4,551.7 mPoints of interest2 stops
- Kunzum LaViewpoint133 mi in
- Nako viewpointViewpoint19 mi in
Hazards
- Landslides at Malling Nala
- River and stream crossings
- Mostly unpaved surface
- Kunzum La closed October to May
- No signal or services for long stretches
- Altitude sickness at Kunzum La (4,551 m)
Is Spiti Valley Road open? Typical season and live summit weather ›
Sources
“Along the road, you will have to forge streams, perhaps even small rivers, negotiate melting glaciers, and drive over piles of sand, rocks, and snow.”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
Driving the Spiti Valley Road: quick answers
How long does it take to drive the Spiti Valley Road?
How difficult is the Spiti Valley Road to drive?
When is the best time to drive the Spiti Valley Road?
Is the Spiti Valley Road fully paved?
Nearby roads
The closest great drives to Spiti Valley Road.
