Chandra Taal was the last destination in Spiti valley and Lahaul. It was time to begin the second leg of the Spiti valley, Leh and Kashmir tour.

It was the eighth day of the tour. We were staying in Kaza. The plan was to visit Kunzum pass and Chandra Tal before heading to Jispa or Keylong for the night. It was a mistake.

We left Kaza early in the morning and reached Kunzum La at noon. After a photo op, we drove to Chandra Tal. 7-8 km from the Chandra Tal road diversion, the road was blocked. There was a wide water crossing, making driving impossible. So a JCB and some workers were hard at work. It took them 2 hours to dig a trench, put pipes and cover them up.

We reached the lake at 3 pm. It was almost 4 pm when we came to Batal. We should have stayed in Batal, but there were no tents available. So we kept driving. On the way, my cousin’s car got stuck. It took us 40 minutes to push the car uphill. Luckily, there were a few other cars, and they helped us. It was around 10:30 when we reached Keylong. The road was scary after nightfall. But it was a memorable and adventurous night.

Mishaps make the road trip exciting.

ABOUT CHANDRA TAAL

Geographically, Chandra Taal is a lake in Lahaul. Kunzum Pass seperates Spiti valley from Lahaul. Travellers are often mistaken and think Chandra Tal is in Spiti valley. Chandra Tal is 21 km by road from Kunzum La and takes 1-2 hours to reach. It is a high-altitude wetland at 4,300 m on the Samudra Tapu plateau. The Chandra river is near the lake.

Chandra Tal, Chandra Taal or Tso Chigma, the lake, is known by various names. The lake resembles a crescent moon. Therefore, it is named the “Moon Lake”. Chandra means “moon”, and Taal is “lake”.

In this Chandra Tal guide, I’ve covered the following topics—

• THE ROUTE
• HOW TO REACH THE
• THE HIKE
• BEST TIME TO VISIT
• ACCOMMODATIONS
• RESTAURANTS
• HELPFUL TIPS

THE ROUTE TO CHANDRA TAAL

The NH 505 diverges 3.8 km from Batal and 8.3 km from Kunzum Pass. From this diversion, continue for 12 km to the lake’s parking. The lake is a 1 km hike from here.

Visitors from Manali come via Batal, and those from Shimla come from the Kunzum La. The road distance from Manali is shorter than via Shimla.

From Manali, drive through the Atal Tunnel or Rohtang Pass to Batal. From Batal, drive for 3.8 km to the Chandra Taal road diversion. The lake is 13 km from here. Manali is 111 km from Chandra Tal and takes 4-5 hours to reach.

Manali – Atal Tunnel / Rohtang Pass – Batal – Chandra Tal

From Shimla, follow NH 5 through Kinnaur valley and then NH 505 in Spiti valley. The lake is 21 km from Kunzum Pass. The route via Kunzum Pass is scenic but long. I recommend travelling this route only if you want to visit Spiti valley.

Shimla – Rekong Peo – Nako – Tabo – Kaza – Kunzum Pass – Chandra Tal

Are you planning a trip to Spiti valley? If yes, refer to my Spiti valley series for guides and travelogues to various Spitian villages.

HOW TO TRAVEL TO CHANDRA TAAL?

AIR

Chandigarh airport is 127 km from Shimla and 307 km from Manali. Chandigarh airport has better connectivity and cheaper tickets than Bhuntar airport, 50 km from Manali. From both airports, taxis and buses are available for Shimla or Manali.

TRAIN

Chandigarh station is 313 km from Manali and 105 km from Shimla. From here, there are regular buses and taxis to Shimla and Manali. The Kalka station is 22 km from Chandigarh. From here, there are daily toy trains to Shimla.

BUS

There are no direct buses to Chandra Tal.

From Manali, take the bus to Kaza and get off at Batal. You can either walk or hitchhike to the lake from Batal. There are daily two buses to Kaza from Manali. One is at 5 am, and the other is at 5:30 am.

From Shimla, take the evening bus at 6:30 pm to Kaza. This bus stops at Rekong Peo before heading to Kaza. From Kaza, take the 6 am bus to Manali and get off at Batal. Hitchhike or walk to Chandra Taal from here.

ROAD

The road to Chandra Taal is off NH 505. Take the Chandra Tal road diversion and drive for 12 km to the lake. After that, hike for 1 km to the lake.

Refer to the previous section for details.

THE HIKE

The lake is a 1 km hike from the parking lot and takes 20-30 minutes.

There are several trodden paths to the lake. Follow any trail or make your own. The beginning section of the hike is slightly inclined, but it soon smoothes out. Up to the lake, it is a flat path. You can stay where the trail meets the lake or keep walking. You can see the lake from a distance. At first, it appears as a thick blue line. As you move closer, the line broadens until you finally reach the lake.

There is a trail that wraps around the lake. You can continue on this path or stay at one end. It takes 1-1½ hours to circle the lake.

I visited Chandra Tal on 2 June 2022. It was after 3 pm. The sun shone brightly, and the royal blue and emerald lake was calm. You can see the mountains reflected in the lake. It is beautiful.

*TIP:- Wear warm clothes and comfortable shoes when visiting Chandra Tal.

*NOTE:- Bathing and swimming in the lake are banned because it is a sacred lake.

BEST TIME TO VISIT CHANDRA TAAL

Chandra Tal is open only for a few months, from June to mid-October. The road to the lake opens in June. Sometimes it opens early. But this depends on the snow. By 10 June, all roads are open.

June is the best time to visit Chandra Tal, and it is the peak season. The road to the lake is open, and the temperature is warm. But it falls to 0°C at night. The air is chilly near the lake. Also, the camps near the lake are open.

July and August are the monsoon months. Chandra Tal is in the leeward area, but the road to Batal receives heavy rains. The road gets flooded, and vehicles get stuck in the water crossings. Also, sudden landslides block the road. The temperature is 10° C during the day and drops to 0° C at night. The air is chilly, so warm clothes are a necessity.

Travel to Chandra Taal in the monsoon if you are prepared and don’t mind the rain.

September is the onset of winter, and the water crossings are now a trickle. The temperature is 5° C during the day and drops below 0° C at night. It is low season, so tents are available for a lower price.

From October to May, the Manali-Batal road and Kunzum pass receive snow. The camps start closing up. If you visit during winter, there is no place to stay. The temperature is 0° C during the day and drops to the negative at night.

Travelling from October to May should be avoided.

ACCOMMODATIONS AT CHANDRA TAAL

Chandra Tal is in an isolated area, and there are few places to spend the night. There are a few camps, about 5 km from the lake. Or you can head to Batal and spend the night at the dhabas. Another option is self-camping. All the camps near Chandra Tal open in June and close in the first week of October.

• Moonlake Camps
• Rohtang Snow View Camps
• Chandra Taal Camp – UC

These camps are 5 kms from the lake because pitching tents near the lake is prohibited. They have Swiss tents accommodating two to three people and have attached bathrooms. The tariff includes breakfast and dinner.

The washrooms have a basin and a western toilet but no shower. The water is icy, and electricity is unavailable. So finding hot water for bathing is not possible.

The dhabas in Batal provide beds to travellers for Rs. 250-300 per person for a night. Recently, new camps have sprouted in Batal. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available at the dhabas and tents.

The tents are a little costlier than the dhabas. Some of the dhabas are—

• Rang-Yul-Dhaba
• Chacha Chachi Dhaba
• Kangri Dhaba

RESTAURANTS

Chandra Tal is away from civilization, and restaurants and cafes are hard to find. The nearest dhaba is in Batal. For years, the Chacha Chachi Dhaba was the sole dhaba in Batal. There are no restaurants or dhabas near Chandra Tal. After Batal, there are no eateries till Manali or Losar. These dhabas are open from June to the end of September and remain closed from October to May.

An old couple runs the Chacha Chachi dhaba. Over the years, there have been several instances when this old couple saved travellers during winters. It became famous as it was the only dhaba in the vicinity. Now, more dhabas and camps have sprouted up. But the ChaCha Chachi Dhaba is the busiest.

They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here you can get a bread omelette, Maggie, dal rice, chapati and sabji and more.

*TIP:- When travelling to Chandra Taal, carry plenty of water and snacks.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR CHANDRA TAAL

• Add a stay at Chandra Tal when travelling from Manali or Kaza. The road from Batal to Manali is a dirt road and takes 4-5 hours to cross.
• Avoid travelling after 3 pm from Batal to Manali. The road is in poor condition, and there is no help for kms.
• Carry cash when travelling to Chandra Taal. The nearest ATM is in Kaza.
• Fuel up when travelling to the lake. The nearest petrol pump is in Kaza, 96 km away. You can find loose petrol in Batal, but that’s not always guaranteed.
• Electricity is unavailable near the lake. The camps have generators and provide electricity for a few hours only.
• Wear warm clothes because the temperature drops to 0° C or lower at night.
• Jio, BSNL, Idea or Airtel have no network in Batal or Chandra Tal. So Google maps don’t work. Carry map books or download offline maps.

CONCLUSION

Chandra Tal is only 111 km from Manali. You don’t have to go to Spiti valley to visit Chandra Tal. Next time you travel to Manali, plan a trip to Chandra Taal, the Moon Lake.

I have tried to cover all the necessary information for a trip to Chandra Taal. If there’s anything I’ve missed, let me know in the comments.

I hope this ignites your wanderlust because

When you are looking for peace, nature is always the answer.

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