Manali to Kaza in nine days, without losing your back to the road
The Spiti loop has become "that thing" — Royal Enfields, drone shots, sunrise reels at Chandratal. We've done it three times in normal Indian sedans (Innovas and Scorpios) and we'd do it that way again. The roads are bad, but they're not Royal-Enfield-only bad. What you actually need is a buffer day for altitude, a driver who's done the loop before, and the discipline to not try to do everything in five days.
The nine-day shape
Day 1: Delhi → Manali (overnight Volvo, 12 hours). Day 2: Acclimatise in Manali, walk Old Manali, sleep early. Day 3: Manali → Sissu (4 hours via Atal Tunnel). Day 4: Sissu → Chandratal → Kaza (8 hours, the long day). Day 5–6: Kaza, day trips to Key Monastery, Hikkim, Komic. Day 7: Kaza → Tabo (3 hours). Day 8: Tabo → Sangla / Chitkul (8 hours, the other long day). Day 9: Sangla → Shimla → Delhi (overnight).
What car, what driver
Innova or Scorpio with a driver who's done Spiti before, sourced from Manali — not Delhi. Delhi drivers don't know the Kunzum La crossover. Local Manali agencies (try Spiti Holiday Adventure or Spiti Ecosphere) charge ₹4,500–6,500 a day all-inclusive, fuel + driver + driver food. Not cheap, but cheaper than a hospital bill from a wrong-side overtaking on a dirt road. Don't drive your own car unless you've driven Himachal before. Don't drive a hatchback at all.
Where to actually sleep
Sissu: Aamod Resort (₹4,200) — clean, hot water, decent food, view of the Chandra River. Kaza: Hotel Deyzor (₹3,800) is the move — owner runs it himself, food is good, kerosene heaters in winter. The "luxury" Spiti homestays are mostly overpriced for what you get; mid-range is the sweet spot. Tabo: Tashi Khangsar Hotel (₹2,400) right next to the 1,000-year-old monastery. Sangla: Banjara Camps Sangla (₹4,800) — the original riverside camp, twenty years old, still good.
The food situation
Real Spiti food is spartan — thukpa, momos, butter tea, tsampa. Don't expect anything else. The best meal we had was at Sol Café in Kaza (German baker who came for a season and stayed), the second-best at a no-name homestay in Komic where the family fed us nettle soup and rye flatbreads at 4,500m. Drink a lot of water. Avoid alcohol the first two nights.
Altitude — the bit nobody mentions
Kaza is 3,800m. Komic is 4,500m. Acute mountain sickness is real and it doesn't care how fit you are. Carry Diamox (250mg, twice daily, start the day before crossing Kunzum) — talk to your doctor first. Drink 4 litres of water a day. If you get a bad headache + nausea, descend immediately, don't sleep through it. We've sent two people back from Kaza in three trips. Treat altitude with respect.
The point of Spiti isn't that it's empty (it's actually quite busy in summer). The point is that the landscape doesn't care about you, and that recalibrates something. Don't rush it. Take an extra day if you can.
When to go
The classical window is mid-June to early September when both ends of the loop (Manali side via Kunzum and Shimla side via Sangla) are open. Late September is the prettiest light but Kunzum closes any day. Don't go in winter unless you really know what you're doing.
Indicative cost for two people, 9 days: ₹85,000 – 1.1L including the Volvo + driver + hotels + food + entries. Cheaper if you do dorm-style; more if you want luxury where it exists (which is rarely).