Kalpa

Kalpa is a bustling little mountain transit town in Eastern Himachal Pradesh, India. It sits at around 2800 metres.

Get in

A sunset view of Sarong from Kalpa

Kalpa is linked with Reckong Peo by several buses daily, first one at 6AM. Otherwise it's a 45-minute walk downhill or a ₹250 taxi ride (if you arrange a taxi from Reckong Peo to pick you up).

Kalpa is approximately 250 km from Shimla, via National Highway 22 (also known as the Hindustan Tibet Road) till Poari. From Poari, take the deviation to Reckong Peo and then to Kalpa.

Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) runs three buses daily on this route from end to end - one ordinary bus that leaves Shimla from Riwari bus stand at 6:45AM, one that leaves at 11:15PM and one deluxe bus coming from Chandigarh going to Reckong Peo at 11AM. Buses will take 10-12 hours to ply this distance. You can check the exact timings at the HRTC website and searching separately for Kalpa and Reckong Peo.

Taxis can be hired for rates starting from ₹1500 per day from the mall or through the hotels. Taxis would take 10 hours to ply this route. A good option would be to break the journey at Rampur or Sarahan and then continue the next day.

See

Hindu Temple at Kalpa

• Chaakka (trek upwards along the water channel). hire a local guide and trek up the mountain from Kalpa. Uphill takes 2-4 hours, downhill would take 1½ hours. Recommended to start by 9:30AM. 
• Hindu temples (down and behind the Buddhist temple). A complex of wooden temples against the backdrop of Kinnaur Kailash. Some interesting wooden sculptures. 
• 1 Kinnaur Kailash. Views of this stunning snow-capped mountains abound from Kalpa, you'll likely be staring at it as the sun sets. 
• 2 Roghi village (8 km from Kalpa village). A small village near Kalpa with lots of apple orchards and providing a good insight into the village life at these parts of Himachal Pradesh 
• Tibetan Buddhist temple. A small nondescript gompa in the middle of the village. Great views of Kinnaur Kailash. 

Eat

Indian and Tibetan dishes are available at Hotel Golden Apple Kalpa. The food are prepared and served hygienically.

• Hotel Kinner Kailash, Kalpa, ☏ +91 177 2652561. The restaurant at the hotel serves decent north Indian food at reasonable rates. 

Drink

It's difficult to get beer in Kalpa. There's no 'English Wine & Beer Shop' and most guesthouses don't sell it.

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Golden Apple, ☏ +91 94 3300 1192, kalpa@goldenapple.in. A ten-room hotel amidst apple orchards and with views of Mount Kailash. Restaurant on site, along with internet, washing machine, filtered water and a telescope. Ask about an excursion to visit the naturally mummified body of a monk in a sitting posture, believed to be more than 500 years old. 
• Hotel Kinner Kailash (Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation), Kalpa Village, ☏ +91 177 2652561, shimla@hptdc.in. Check-in: noon, check-out: noon. The main hotel here, run by the government department - Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. From ₹1400. 
• Monal Residency (100 metres uphill from the village centre). Double rooms with shared balconies and en suite bathrooms. Great views of Kinnaur Kailash from the balcony. Restaurant (with no beer) and laundry service available. ₹300. 
• Hotel Kailash View (100 metres uphill from the village centre), ☏ +91981643787. Double rooms with shared balconies and en suite bathrooms. Great views of Kinnaur Kailash from the balcony. Wall to wall carpeting. 24-hr running hot and cold water.Homely Food service ₹1200. 

Go next

Sangla, 42 km from Kalpa, is a town on the banks of the river Baspa. A further 31 km along the same road is Chhitkul, where the road ends. Chhitkul is at an altitude of 3500 m above sea level and provides breathtaking views of the river and snowy mountains