Spiti Road Trip
Learn MoreSpiti valley is also known as the “Middle Land” is a Trans-Himalayan terrain bordering with Tibet at an average altitude of 4000 meters. Spiti valley is home to some of the oldest monasteries in the Himalayan region like Tabo monastery, Dhankar monastery, Sherkhang monastery,, and Kye monastery. A stronghold of the Buchen Lamas in Pin Valley, Amchis; famous for Tibetan medicine, the fossils of Langza
Village, highest motorable villages of Komic and Kibber, passes like Kunzum and scenic lakes like Chandrataal. A 1000 years old culture, beautiful villages, simple, humble people and an out of the world landscape. Come and explore a civilization frozen in time.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Reach Manali and relax
Reach Manali in the morning from Delhi/Chandigarh after an overnight journey and check-in to the hotel. You will be free to do whatever you want on this day, but the most important thing is to relax and acclimatize and not overexert. Once everyone has arrived by afternoon, we will hold a small briefing session along with the guide. This will also be a good time for you to get acquainted with the rest of the group. We suggest you call it an early night as your body needs proper rest for the long journey ahead. We will be leaving very early the next day; adequate rest will help you in acclimatizing.
Day 2 – Manali to Kaza via Rohtang and Kunzum Pass
Today we head to Spiti valley which will take around 10 hours for 220 km if everything goes as planned. We leave in the morning as we have a long way to go and cross the Atal Tunnel. The tunnel is the longest tunnel in the world at 9km above 10000 ft. From Gramphoo you will start noticing a change in terrain with fewer trees and more steep mountain peaks and the start of a barren landscape.
From here we head towards Chatru and cross some of the biggest waterfalls which can be a nightmare for a non-experienced driver, but luckily you’ll be in very experienced hands. The terrain will change drastically from Chatru, and all you will see is rocks all over with huge streams overflowing on the road and converging in the cold Chandra river.
We will take a lunch break at Batal at the famous Chandra Dhaba. We head to Kunzum Pass, and at Kunzum top, we will stop for you to pay our respects to the Kunzum Goddess as you enter Spiti valley. The jumpy ride on non-existent roads which started from Gramphoo will end in Lohsar. From Lohsar we head to Kaza, it will take another 2 hours to reach from here. Once you reach Kaza and meet your homestay host, you can relax and enjoy a cup of tea with them. We shall have a small briefing session over dinner.
Day 3 – Kaza to Key Monastery, Kibber Village, and back
Start the day easy over an excellent homemade local breakfast. Visit the local market in Kaza if you’d like. We will head out to spend our afternoon next to the river where we shall serve you lunch made in the homestay, picnic style and you can spend time relaxing and soaking in the Spitian sun. After lunch, we shall head to Kye monastery, the center of learning in Spiti valley. The monastery is set on a small hill from where you get a complete view of the valley.
Have a cup of tea at the monastery, and spend some time with the monks. Next, we shall head to Kibber village, which used to be the highest motorable village in the world. The mountains around Khibber are home to the rare Snow Leopard and Siberian Ibex. A little ahead of Kibber is the famous Chicham bridge, said to be the Asia’s highest bridge above sea level at 4037 meters 13,244 feet. It’s one of the most spectacular bridges in the world. We head back to Kaza after your visit to Chicham, where we will have a small talk on Buddhism conducted by one of the monks at the monastery.
Day 4- Kaza to Dhankar Village via Tabo Village, Pin Valley
After relaxed breakfast in the morning, we will head to 1000 years old Tabo Monastery, a UNESCO heritage site, also known as the “Ajanta of the Himalayas.” Paintings and murals on the walls of the main sanctum make it a masterpiece and worth visiting. You can visit the nearby meditation caves that the monks have been using for centuries. This is an optional hike for those interested.
After lunch, we will head to Dhankar where you will visit the Monastery, and for those up to it, hike to the nearby Lake which is a steep 45 min walk one way. Dhankar monastery claimed to be 1000 years old, is on the cliff of a mountain overlooking the confluence of Pin and Spiti rivers. Spend some time at the lake if you end up doing the hike and head to your homestay in Dhankar. You can spend the evening with your host family, helping them in the kitchen to prepare the evening’s meal.
Day 5 – Dhankar Village to Langza via Lahlung, Demul, Komic, and Hikkim
Today will be an exciting day, as you will be visiting a couple of villages, learning a bit about life at a high altitude. We head out to Demul in the morning after breakfast, where you will be able to meet and interact with the locals. From Demul we will lead to Komic, which is one of the highest motorable villages in the world. Komic has a beautiful monastery for you to explore. You can sit near the monastery and enjoy the spectacular view of snowcapped peaks around over a cup of tea and chat with the monks.
The monastery in Komic is functional in winters when temperatures dip down to -30 degrees and roads get blocked. It will be fascinating to understand the life and survival of such happy souls at this altitude. The next stop is Hikkim which has the world’s highest post office. Not to forget your loved ones, you can send out postcards from the post office. You will be amazed at the quantum of postcards. Leaving the post office daily and will love meeting the postmaster who is a unique personality.
Our last stop for the day Langza is also famous for its fossils. In the evening, you can go on a small fossil excursion around the village. Millions of years ago, Spiti lay submerged under the Tethys sea. Fossils of sea life can easily be found scattered close to the town. Once you have seen your fossil, we urge you to leave it behind in the village where it belongs to disturb the ecology of the area as little as possible. At the end of your day, you will learn a little about how local cheese, liquor, and yak rope are made.
Day 6 – Langza to Chandrataal Lake via Lohsar and Kunzum Pass
After breakfast with your host family, we head towards Chandrataal Lake early in the morning. This is one location where you will find difficult to stop clicking photographs. The lake is a landscape photographer’s dream come true, changing its appearance almost with every passing hour, each shot as stunning as the last one. Tonight we camp in style; great dome tents set up to protect you from the cold and biting night winds. If you are lucky and the communal fireplace is burning, you can warm up and meet other travelers over dinner.
Day 7 – Chandrataal Lake to Manali via Kunzum and Rohtang pass
We leave early this morning to Manali after an early breakfast. We will take a small break at Batal to say goodbye to Chacha and Chachi at Chandra Dhaba. The aim is to try and reach Rohtang pass by early afternoon, so that you can catch your evening return bus for Delhi.
Cost Includes:
- All sight seeing & Transport by non ac innova/xylo/sumo car
- Stays in Hotel/Camps/home stay in double sharing basis
- All activities mentioned in the plan
- Pick up/drop
- All entry fees to monasteries in Spiti (if any)
Excluded:
- Snacks, beverages and Lunch (on all days)
- Bus/Train/Air fare till Manali and back
- Any kind of insurance
- Service tax exclusive (GST)
- Personal expenses like camera charges, etc.
- Any kind of cost which is not mentioned in the cost includes above
- All expenses incurred due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances like roadblocks, bad weather
- Cost of any medical emergency or other emergency if required