Rakcham 🌲

Birch forests, apple orchards

Rakcham sits on the road between Sangla and Chitkul, at 3,100m, and most travelers drive straight through it without stopping — which is the mistake. The village is ringed by birch forest and apple orchards, a softer, greener version of Kinnaur than the barren stretches further up the valley. There's no dedicated attraction here in the ticket-and-signage sense; the appeal is simply staying a night in a working orchard village between two more famous stops. Best time is May–October. For travelers doing the standard Sangla–Chitkul run, breaking the drive with a night in Rakcham is an easy way to see a side of the valley almost everyone skips past.