Eleven of us, seven bikes, and one support vehicle carrying the spares, the tired, and the overflow luggage. This is the Manali-in, Kinnaur-out Spiti circuit we ran two months back — the one we always recommend over an out-and-back, because you see twice the country for barely any extra distance.
The gateway to Spiti from the Manali side. Everyone stops at the Kunzum Devi temple — the red stupa at the top — for a photo and a moment to catch their breath before the descent into the valley proper. Thin air, big views, and the first real sense that you've left Kullu behind.
Whitewashed homes, barley fields turned green with the short summer, and prayer flags on every rooftop — this is what makes Spiti worth the ride, not just the passes. We stopped to take it in properly rather than just ride through.
Long, dusty stretches between villages — the Himalayan doing what it's built for. Parked up overnight at a homestay with the whole group's bikes lined up outside, and mornings spent packing panniers before the next leg.
Exiting Spiti through Kinnaur rather than backtracking over Kunzum meant a run of dramatic river crossings — this steel truss bridge strung with prayer flags being the standout. The road narrows into the gorge here, and the whole group rides through single file.
The landscape flips fast on this route — from high-altitude desert to thick pine forest within a day's ride. Another bridge, this one green and forested on both banks, marked the shift back into greener Himachal.
A colourful Tibetan Buddhist monastery broke up the long ride back toward Shimla — a good excuse to get off the bikes, walk the prayer wheels, and let the group regroup before the final stretch home.
A short clip from the ride — the kind of stretch that's ordinary in the moment and the thing you replay for months afterward.
Want to ride this route?
We run this Manali–Spiti–Kinnaur circuit with a support vehicle for exactly this kind of group.