Home Spiti Road Trips
We are Mountain People Adventure based In the capital city of Himachal Pradesh-Shimla. We are In tourism Industry since the way back, we organise all kind of tours throughout this Himalayan region, like- adventure, Holidays, spiritual, cultural & so many other tours. Our mission is to offer quality experience of Himachal Pradesh to every traveller & we try to make it better every time. At the onset we would like to thank you for providing us an opportunity to serve as your travel partner. It was nice talking you & understand your travel requirements, as desired, please find enclosed suggested tour program.
Your eleven days Spiti, India tour begins as you leave Chandigarh for the Himalayan town of Shimla. Enjoy the comforts of a luxurious Toyota Innova, as your driver takes you from the plains into the mountains. On the way will go through Shimla where you get your first taste of the Himalayas. Shimla also known as Queen of hills and the former summer capital of British India . Shimla city is really beautiful, especially due to its pleasant weather condition throughout the year & almost areas covered with deodar trees.
On arrived Narkanda by the afternoon/ evening check in hotel, Narkanda is a quaint little town in Shimla district which is popular for skiing in winters. Situated at a height of 9000 feet, this town attracts tourists for its ethereal natural beauty and its beautiful apple orchards. Surrounded by tropical forests and majestic hills, this is one place that tourists to Himachal Pradesh should not miss. Dinner & overnight stay in Hotel at Narkanda.
On the second day of this Spiti tour, we start our epic Himalayan road trip today and start driving to Sangla. With the Baspa river magically weaving itself through the forested slopes, this exquisite 95-kilometer stretch of the Sangla Valley is a sight to behold. Known predominantly for its agriculture, almost every house in Sangla will have cultivations of apples, pears, walnuts, apricots or potatoes. Enroute visit Rampur/ Karcham & halt for lunch.
Sangla: the largest settlement in the valley,it will take around 6 hours to reach Sangla & it is a place where you might find yourself staying overnight if you can't find onward transport. It has a couple of cybercafes and a State Bank ATM on the main street. Clinging to a rocky spur 2km north (about 30 minutes' walk), Kamru village was the original capital of the Bushahr kingdom and its impressive tower-style Kamru Fort contains an important shrine to the goddess Kamakhya Devi (shoes and leather items must be removed, heads covered and a waist sash worn). Enjoy your overnight stay in Sangla.
On this day will go for Batseri/ Chitkul villages tour: Batseri is a beautiful village in Kalpa Tehsil of Kinnaur District in Himachal Pradesh and is known for its picturesque surroundings and amazing landscapes. It is one of 109 villages in Sangla Block that offers amazing view of the great Himalayas and gives a relaxing experience to the guests.
There is a temple inside the village, which is dedicated to Lord Buddha and is visited by many tourists. The visitors are often enthralled by the captivating beauty of Batseri and so they spend their free time exploring the hidden spots in the village and capturing its uniqueness in their cameras. Basteri is also a nice place to buy handicrafts, hand made shawls, and Kinnauri caps and the tourists love buying all these interesting items on their trip to this intrinsic village.
Chitkul can be described as one of the most scenic settlements in the valley and the last inhabited village before the India-China border. This short drive from Sangla to Chitkul will be one of the most scenic drives you’ll take with plenty of opportunities to take stunning photographs. Walk around the Bapsa river and pay tribute to the Mathi Goddess at the temple in the village. Later in evening enjoy your day & stay at camps with bonfire.
On next morning after breakfast, check out from hotel & start your drive to Kalpa. Kalpa is a beautiful village located in the backdrop of Kinner Kailash mountain range. On arrival check in at hotel, Kalpa: Reached by a winding 7 km road up through pine woods and apple orchards from Rekong Peo, Kalpa is a little gem of a village. Majestic views of the Kinner Kailash massif grab your eyeballs and don't let go. There are several guesthouses in Chini, the main part of the village, plus a number of modern hotels on Roghi Rd, a half-kilometre walk or longer drive above the centre.
For an ambitious full-day hike, ask locals about the trail up to the meadows and ponds of Chakkha, starting from Hotel Kinner Kailash on Roghi Rd. Kalpa's central temple group encompasses the colorful Buddhist Hu-Bu-Lan-Khar Gompa, the ornately carved Hindu Narayan-Nagini temple complex just below it, and a recently rebuilt, tower-style Durga temple just above it. In September/October, villagers pile wildflowers in the stone courtyard in the centre of the village during the Phulech (Flaich) Festival. Roghi village which has traditionally built Kinnauri houses & Narayan-Nagini temple. Enjoy your overnight stay at hotel with dinner.
On this day after breakfast at hotel leave from Kalpa, we continue driving on the famous Hindustan – Tibet Highway or the NH 22 – This stretch is famously known as one of “most treacherous roads of the world” by the lonely planet in a visual spectacle. Don’t let that little piece of information deter you because your local drivers are highly skilled and experienced while driving on these roads. As you begin embracing the jaw-dropping views watch the mountains change their colours from the lush greens of the Kinnaur valley to the many hues of brown.
After a quick refueling stop at Puh, we proceed to Nako – the last hamlet of Kinnaur, before we enter the gates of Spiti Valley. After lunch in Nako, we drive through Sumdo, the first village of Spiti Valley on this road, to Tabo, which would be our first stop in the glorious, mystical Spiti Valley.
The second largest village of the Spiti Valley, Tabo, is known worldwide for its 1000-year-old Tabo Monastery. Walk around this UNESCO world heritage site and gain a deeper insight into Buddhism. Unlike other monasteries in the Spiti Valley, the Tabo monastery is located at the bottom of the valley. Enjoy your overnight stay in Tabo.
After a delicious breakfast, we drive towards Dhankar. Perched high above the confluence of the Spiti and Pin River, in a hidden bowl, is the tiny hamlet of Dhankar. The former capital of the Royals of Spiti Valley, also known as the Nono, who ruled the dust-coloured badlands of Spiti Valley. Go back in time as you explore the 1200-year-old Dhankar Gompa which perches precariously between eroded rocky pinnacles on the edge of a cliff. If time permits, do take an hour’s climb above the village to visit the stunning turquoise Dhankar Tso or Dhankar Lake which offers views over the valley and towards the twin peaks of Mane Rang (6593 meters).
Later on we drive towards the beautiful Pin Valley. Imagine a national park with an abundance of animals and birds, with some rare plant varieties, a river that gushes when it isn’t frozen and trekking opportunities for the adventure-seekers. The Pin Valley promises all this and more. We first visit the Kungri Monastery and then the beautiful hamlet of Mudh – the last motorable village of the Pin Valley. Declared a national park in 1987, Pin Valley has altitudes ranging from 11,000 to 20,000 feet and is home to at least 12 endangered snow leopards. In addition, other animals indigenous to the region and park are the Siberian ibex, bharal, weasel, red fox, and marten. Birds such as the pika, griffon, golden eagle, bearded vulture, Chukor and Raven paint the skies a pretty picture. Enjoy your overnight stay at Mudh village.
On this day start your drive from Pin valley to Kaza, its just 2-3 hours drive & on arrived Kaza check in your hotel & rest day to explore Kaza monastery & market. Here you can visit Himalayan cafe, which is in centre of market & Deyzore cafe. The capital of Spiti, Kaza is a helpfully compact launch pad for trips to spectacular Ki Gompa and fascinating high-altitude villages including Kibber, Langza and Komic. It's also a good place to organise treks and tours, and for foreigners heading south to procure the necessary inner line permit for the trip into Kinnaur. The town's bazaar and main cafes are in Old Kaza on the east side of often-dry Kaza Nullah stream, across which New Kaza has most of the bureaucratic offices.
Enjoy your stay at hotel / home stay with dinner.
On this day, we drive to some of the highest inhabited regions of the world. The highest village in Asia, Komik, which literally translates to ‘eye of a snow cock’, is situated at a height of 4,513 meters. This farm-village has a population of 84 people, living in utter isolation, cut-off from the rest of the world for most parts of the year. This little hamlet brings you thousands of miles away from your familiar settings to a place of soft brown pastures and snow-white mountain peaks. Some of the common animals of the region are the Tibetan wolf, blue sheep, red fox, hare, snow cock, Himalayan griffin, rock pigeon etc.
Later, we drive to Hikkim where we visit the world’s highest post office in the world. If possible, you may even meet the post-master and hear his stories. After sending out a postcard, we drive to Langza. Langza village is situated at an altitude of 4,400 meters and belongs to the Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Langza houses a population of 137 in 33 households. Once you are here, you can walk into the village and visit the ancient Lang (Temple) which is estimated to be around 1000 years old. At Langza, walk back to the prehistoric era when Spiti was submerged by the Tethys Sea, as you explore a land very rich with fossils of Marine animals and plants which were here millions of years ago.
After that, we visit the world famous Ki Monastery. The car will first stop at the base of the monastery hill for the ultimate photo opportunity of this remarkable structure. With over 1000 years’ worth stories to tell, the Ki Monastery situated at a height of 13,668 feet was founded by a disciple of the famous Atisha, in the 11th century CE. Belonging to the Yellow Hat or Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, this monastery is famous as a prominent center of learning as well as a refuge for Tibetans. Being remotely located atop a hill overlooking endless plains, the Ki Monastery is an obvious choice for those seeking peace and calm.
Then we will move farther up the valley to the picturesque village of Kibber. Located at a height of 4,205 meters and 18 km from Kaza, this formerly highest, permanently inhabited village in this region, is also a popular base camp to embark on adventure and treks to adjoining mountains of high altitude. The expanses of beautiful landscapes and immeasurable beauty of the snow-tipped mountains make the place a haven for nature-lovers and photographers alike. We drive back to Kaza in the evening and spend the night in a comfortable and warm Kaza hotel.
This day, we commence our journey back home and trace our steps back on the Kaza – Manali road. However, we take one last stop at another Spitian wonder – Chandratal Lake. The mystical and beautiful Chandratal Lake, which translates to Moon Lake, is located at a height of 14,100 feet. The Chandra Bhaga mountain range forms a striking backdrop for the lake, which changes appearance according to the pictures painted in the sky.
After capturing the colors of the beautiful Chandratal Lake, we drive to our camping site where a hot supper under the gaze of a million stars and the Milky Way awaits us.Our camps at Chandratal Lake are equipped with camping equipment including tents, high altitude sleeping bags / blankets and a comfortable mattres.
This day drive from Chandratal Lake towards Manali. We take a quick stop at Batal for a cup of tea. From there, we continue driving on the Kaza – Manali highway and stop at Chatru for lunch. Drive through the famous Rohtang Pass and return to Manali ,since there is no sightseeing included in your schedule in Manali, you are free to explore Manali on your own. Enjoy your overnight at a hotel in Manali with dinner.
On next day after breakfast, start your journey toward Chandigarh, it is located at a distance of 320 km from here & usually takes 7/8 hours to reach there. On the way sightseeing of : Mandi, sundernagar lake , pandoh dam, Hanogi mata temple & Beas river. You can also enjoy adventure activities in Kullu like: paragliding, river rafting in Beas river etc. White water Rafting in Kullu valley can be enjoyed in the river Beas throughout the year except during the period from 15-July to 15-September. On arrived Chandigarh by the evening, drop at airport/ railway station & board your flight/ train / bus to home.
Accommodation at all hotels/camps/ home stay as per the itinerary on twin/triple sharing basis.
Accommodation in Pin valley at a home stay.
Breakfast and dinner at all hotels, homestays and camps.
Innova / tempo- traveller for all days as per the itinerary (Day 1 - Day 11).
Reliable, experienced and adept English-speaking local driver cum guide with great knowledge of the area and the terrain.
Driver charges, driver accommodation, fuel and inter-state toll /Permits.
Camping fees, comfortable tents and sleeping bags / blankets at Chandratal Lake.
5% GST (Tax)
Any Personal Expenses / Tips.
Anything that is not mentioned in the above list of inclusions.
Guide / Porters
Lunch / any beverages and meals that are not mentioned in the itinerary.
Sightseeing / any accommodation, activities or transfers other than what is mentioned in the itinerary.
Any cost arising out of unforeseen circumstances including medical emergencies and acts of God.