I will be going to Manali with my family in November. I am thinking about taking them all to Pin Valley National Park as a surprise. I have a few questions regarding the Pin Valley National Park which I would like members to answer for me, so I can know more about the park and also plan the surprise well. 1. What is the distance between Manali and Pin Valley National Park? 2. Which route do I need to take to reach Pin Valley National Park? 3. Is there accommodation available near the park? 4. How many days do you recommend staying at Pin Valley National Park?
Hi there, welcome to the forum! The Pin Valley National Park is located in the Lahaul Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. It is around 204 kilometres and driving this distance can take around 5 to 6 hours. The national park is home to the elusive snow leopard, which takes a lot of luck to be even spotted. However, the national park is also home to the Siberian ibex, which is more commonly spotted than the former. Other animals that you can spot here are the Himalayan brown bears, Tibetan gazelles and Himalayan marmots. These animals might be easier to spot than the other two as they migrate to lower grounds during winter. Indian nationals require a permit to enter the national park while foreigners are restricted access to it. There is only one route from Manali to the Pin Valley National Park, which goes through two passes. This route is open only from July to October and if you're going to Manali beyond these months, you cannot access this route. This is the route: Route via Manali - Manali > Vashisht > Rohtang La > Chhatru > Batal > Kunzum La > Pangmo > Kaza > Mikkim > Pin Valley National Park. So this is the route that can lead you to Pin Valley National Park. From Manali to Rohtang La, road conditions are quite good. You'd encounter traffic mostly during peak tourist season which is inevitable since the pass opens only a few months in a year. As much as possible, leave early from Manali to avoid delays. From Rohtang La to Chhatru, road conditions are average. This is actually the start of the bumpy ride until the national park. But this stretch is actually manageable but it's better to bring a car with higher ground clearance. From Chhatru to Batal, road conditions are average. You'd encounter a stretch from Chhota Dhara until the first few kilometres of Batal with very rough patches so be prepared for that. Drive carefully so you won't encounter much issues. Batal has a number of dhabas you can eat in, so do stop for a while here as there are no other eateries thereafter. From Batal to Kaza, road conditions are okay. You'd pass by the Kunzum La, a high altitude pass so make sure that you drive carefully along this approach. But aside from that, roads can be managed along this stretch. If Kunzum La experiences snow, it can be closed so you might not be able to pass through it. From Kaza to Mikkim, roads are very bad and bumpy. Mikkim is the last village that you can drive into and after that, you need to reach Pin Valley National Park by foot. From Mikkim, you need to trek for about 10 kilometres to reach the Pin Valley National Park. As mentioned, this route is only open from July to October so you might have to reschedule your trip to Pin Valley National Park or reach Shimla and from there, reach the national park. There are no accommodation options near the Pin Valley National Park. In Mikkim, you can find Mudh, the nearest town to Pin Valley National Park where there are some guest houses that you can stay in. During summer though, some trekkers do camp in Pin Valley but you cannot do that in the midst of the winter season. There are two best-rated guest houses in Mudh, but you cannot book them online as internet isn't available there. You can inquire about through phone though, Pin Parvati Guest House and Tara House Home Stay. Here are their contact numbers: Pin Parvati Guest House - 941 857 1167. Tara Guest House - 941 857 1167. You can also opt to stay in Kaza, about 50 kilometres away from Mudh. There are more comfortable options for accommodations there although more costly as well. You can just make the Pin Valley National Park a day trek. You can stay at least two to three days in Mudh and do a day trek to reach Pin Valley National Park. You can also explore the villages during this short time and be on your way back to Manali thereafter. I hope this helps you.
