Chandratal: Spiti's Moon Lake and What It Takes to Get There
2 August 2026 · TravelJar
Chandratal — the moon lake — sits in a high bowl of scree and grass, and it is the image most people carry away from Spiti.
It is also seasonal, remote and genuinely cold at night.
Getting there and staying
The lake is reached by a rough mountain track, and the final approach is on foot from the parking area. The road is open for only part of the year and snow closes it for the rest.
Camping is not permitted on the lake shore itself — accommodation is in tented camps a couple of kilometres away. This is a conservation measure and it is enforced.
- Short season — the road is closed much of the year
- Camps sit back from the lake, not on it
- Nights are genuinely cold; a serious sleeping bag matters
- Facilities are basic and there is no reliable connectivity
The altitude question
Chandratal sits high, and sleeping at that altitude is more demanding than visiting it. Coming from Manali rather than through Spiti means a fast gain, which is worth planning around.
As with Ladakh, the right approach is to arrive already acclimatised rather than treating the lake as an early stop.