June through September is the only window when both main routes into Spiti are reliably open. July and August are the most popular months with the best road conditions and all villages accessible. June is colder but beautifully uncrowded — if you want Spiti before it gets busy, this is your month. September brings golden light, thinner crowds, and the monasteries at their most atmospheric before the valley closes again for winter. Do not attempt Spiti outside this window unless you have serious off-road experience and local knowledge.

There are two routes and most travelers do a circuit using both. The Shimla route via Kinnaur and Reckong Peo is longer but gentler — paved roads for most of the way and a gradual altitude gain that helps with acclimatisation. The Manali route via Rohtang Pass and Kunzum Pass is shorter but wilder — higher altitude, rougher roads, and genuinely breathtaking. Coming in from Shimla and exiting via Manali gives you the best of both without backtracking.

Ten to twelve days is the minimum to do Spiti properly from Delhi and back. Factor two days of travel each way just to reach and leave the valley. That leaves you six to eight days inside Spiti itself — enough for Kaza as your base, Key Monastery, Kibber village, Chandratal Lake, and the Pin Valley. Rushing Spiti is genuinely pointless. The altitude slows everything down and the landscape demands that you sit with it rather than tick it off a list.

Spiti is safe but it demands respect for the altitude. Kaza sits at 3,800 metres and several passes exceed 4,500 metres — altitude sickness is real here and affects fit young travelers just as easily as anyone else. Take the first day in Kaza completely easy, drink more water than you think you need, and carry Diamox if your doctor recommends it. Mobile network is almost nonexistent beyond a few spots in Kaza — download offline maps before entering the valley. Carry enough cash as ATMs are unreliable and fuel up whenever you see a pump because the next one may be 100 km away.

Spiti is surprisingly affordable once you get there. Homestays in Kaza and the villages cost ₹500 to ₹1,200 per night including meals — staying with local families is both the cheapest and genuinely the best way to experience the valley. Food is simple and inexpensive at ₹150 to ₹300 per meal. The main cost is getting there — renting a sturdy SUV or Bolero from Manali or Shimla runs ₹3,500 to ₹5,000 per day. A 10 day trip sharing a vehicle across four people works out to roughly ₹8,000 to ₹12,000 per person all in including transport, food, and accommodation.