Getty Images/EyeEm

Chandratal

Top choice in Spiti


This gloriously calm glacial lake presents mirror-perfect reflections of the surrounding white-top peaks and geological colour-swirls. At 4270m, the 20-minute walk from the car park gets most visitors breathless enough that they stop at the nearest (southern) end. But it's well worth the 90-minute stroll to go right around the lake's edge, escaping the crowds and appreciating the reflections from ever new angles.

Be aware that sudden snow falls can catch out visitors, so watch weather forecasts carefully before going, especially at the end of the season. When the Manali–Kaza road is open, daily buses pass the start of the access track (1km north of Batal) at around 9am/12.30pm east-/west-bound, but that leaves over 12km to walk or hitchhike. Note that Batal is a dhaba tent-camp, not a town, so don't expect to find taxis for rent there. Most visitors come in chartered long-distance taxis, paying an extra ₹1500 to a Kaza–Manali fare to make the Chandratal side trip, so don't be surprised if drivers ask a steep ₹500 per person to take hitchhikers to the lake from the turn-off.

From early June to early October you can stay in bedded tent camps around 3km before the end of the approach track. The idea's nice in principle but the tents have no lake views and most of them are marshalled together into a single meadow, giving something of a military camp feel. By late September it's often so cold at night that you can find ice on the tent when you wake up.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Spiti attractions

1. Kunzum La

5.56 MILES

Forming the watershed between Lahaul and Spiti, this 4551m pass, accessed by multiple switchbacks, is topped by a grassy area where stupas are strewn with…

2. Rohtang La

22.76 MILES

A logistical nightmare or a scenic highlight depending on your experience, the Rohtang La (3978m) is, at least physically, the high point of a journey…

3. Ki Gompa

26.13 MILES

Covering a conical hillock with an array of whitewashed monastic buildings, Ki (Kee, Key) is the largest gompa in Spiti. Views of it from the south are…

4. School

28.91 MILES

This school, built over a stream, is a key landmark on the walk from Vashisht to Jogini waterfalls.

5. Rama Temple

28.93 MILES

The sikhara-style Rama temple, up a few steps from the Vashisht Mandir, has old stone carvings on its exterior and a wooden canopy above.

6. Vashisht Mandir

28.94 MILES

Sulphur-laden hot springs are channelled into small public baths inside the compound of Vashisht Mandir. The three-level wood-and-stone temple within…

7. Raja Ghepan Temple

29.02 MILES

Raja Ghepan, the presiding lord of Lahaul, resides on Ghepan (Gepang) mountain, which towers above Sissu, 4km west of the Rohtang Tunnel's northern…

8. Gemur Gompa

29.16 MILES

The masterpiece within this outwardly unremarkable 16th-century temple hides in a chamber at the back of the main idols: walk around to the right and…