Visit Kinnaur and Spiti Valley

Travel by surface from Shimla to Sangla on the Hindustan Tibet Road route crossing Kufri, Narkanda, Rampur, and visiting Bhimakali temple at Sarahan. 

From Sarahan your journey takes you to Sangla (Kinnaur) through the Baspa Valley, offering breathtaking views of the gorges of the Greater Himalayas.  You will be stopping en route at Karchham, where the Baspa River joins the Sutlej River from the south.  18 km from here brings you to Sangla, where you check in to your camp.

In the evening you get to move around Sangla for bird watching and as well as to explore the beautiful surroundings around this place. 

Today you will enjoy a day trip to Rakcham & Chitkul.
Rakchham is situated on the banks of the Baspa River, at an altitude of 2900 M, and is famous for its scenic beauty. It is about 13 km from Sangla on the way to Chitkul (3450 M). The last and the highest village in the Baspa Valley, Chitkul, 28 km from Sangla, is noted for its alpine meadows and views of the snow-capped peaks. Looming above the village is the impressive Mt. Kinner Kailash (6050 M).

You have an early morning start and first stop at Kamru Fort on your way to Kalpa.  This castle is situated at an altitude of about 2500 M in the heart of scenic Baspa Valley.  The castle has a distinctive type of temple architecture with a tower that served as the residence for the Thakur and also housed the clan deity of the ruling house.  Also stop at Recong Peo, the current capital and the headquarters of Kinnaur District. Visit the recently built Gompa here where His Holiness the Dalai Lama conducted a ‘Kalchakra’ ceremony in 1992.

You will arrive in Kalpa in the afternoon and after lunch, the day is free to walk around this old and delightful village.  

Overnight stay at hotel.

As you continue on your Jeep Safari towards Spiti Valley, you experience Timberline -- a line beyond which forests do not grow. The barren and rugged brown mountains start from Jangi, which gets more rugged and barren after Puh (2837 M). Your drive continues along the Sutlej River until you reach Khab (2831 M), the confluence of Rivers Sutlej and Spiti where you halt for a picnic lunch amidst picturesque surroundings. A direct climb up takes you to Nako. Here there are four Buddhist temples with stucco images and murals and a rock has imprints of Guru Padmasambhava.  Also, visit Nako Lake where you will see many ancient Chortens.

Continue your drive towards Tabo, the largest monastic complex in Spiti.  En route, you cross the highest altitude of the day’s drive at Chango (3658 M). Tabo Gompa is a world heritage site of UNESCO.  The mountains here are devoid of any vegetation due to erosion by wind, rain,n, and snow over thousands of years. 

After lunch climb up to Tabo village. Built around the year 996 A.D., the Chos Khor Monastery at Tabo is the largest monastery in Spiti and one of the few remaining examples of the ‘Golden Period of Buddhist Culture in the Himalayan Region’. The wall frescos of the monastery are comparable in their antiquity and quality to those of the Ajanta caves; hence they are called the ‘Ajanta of the Himalayas’. It houses more than 100 lamas (monks), a large number of scriptures and pieces of art, wall paintings, tankhas, and stucco. 

Stay overnight at the hotel.

The drive from Tabo to Kaza is along the Spiti River; en route, you will be visiting Dhankar Gompa. This Gompa rests high over the valley and is a stupendous example of local architecture. It is said to have been a fort and was also the residence of the ruler of Spiti – the Nano. 

You will arrive at Kaza in the afternoon and check-in at your hotel. 

Morning visit the Ki monastery. Ki Monastery is located just 12 Km from Kaza. It is close to the Spiti River, positioned between Kaza and a small village called Kibber, in the Lahaul and Spiti districts. It is one of the biggest Buddhist monasteries in the Spiti Valley and is a training center for Lamas. It was founded in the 11th century and is known to have 100 monks in its training since 1855. It is a good standing example of the architectural style of the 14th century, depicting Chinese influence.

It’s partially because of the style of architecture, and its position on the hilltop along with the repeated restoring and reconstruction of the monastery that Ki Monastery gets a fort-like facade with temples built one on top of the other. The walls of the monastery are covered in paintings and murals. The monastery houses murals, various ancient books of aesthetic value, and several Buddha idols and images in the position of ‘Dhyana’ - meditation.

Also visit the small gompa at Kibber, 9 km further ahead. Kibber at 4205 m has the distinction of being the highest permanently inhabited village in the region.  Later we ride back to Kaza town and explore the market.

Morning drive to Langza from where you will start your trek.

Begin your first day of the trek. We climb the hill around Langza along the road that goes to Komic. The trail gradually ascends before flattening out. A short descent from here will take you to Hikkim, the first village you’ll see on the trail. 

Visit the highest post office in the world and post postcards to your friends and family. From here Komic is 2 Km away. After reaching the homestay in Komic visit the two monasteries atop and enjoy a refreshing cup of seabuckthorn tea at the organic restaurant.

Langza along the road that goes to Komic. The trail gradually ascends before flattening out. A short descent from here will take you to Hikkim, the first village you’ll see on the trail.

Overnight in homestay.

A long day of trek awaits over the undulating hills. The trail from Komic immediately climbs up to the little pass ahead. You’ll cover long distances over this terrain, on the way you may find several domestic yaks grazing over the meadows. After around 6 hrs of trekking under the scorching sun, you’ll find a little village ahead with vast green cultivation fields in the depression between the mountains this is Demul. Relax in the homestays or take walks amidst the fields.

Overnight in homestay.

It’s down to the Lingti Gorge from Demul. The trail leaves the high plateau of Demul and starts climbing down immediately through a series of switchbacks. The loss in altitude is significant as you climb down almost 1000m down to the bottom of the gorge. The river in the gorge is called Lingti. From here the trail climbs up again for another 400m gain in altitude till you reach the village of Lhalung. Visit the 1020-year-old Serkhong Gompa or The Golden Temple with its beautifully painted golden roof shining among the dry mountains of Spiti.

Overnight in homestay.

Easiest day of the trek, the trail is mostly along the asphalted road for 3 hours till you reach Dhankar but not without the grand views of Spiti Valley. Halfway through the trail, you can see the Demul village high above on the opposite side of the valley. As you get closer to Dhankar you’ll leave Lingti gorge behind. The view of the confluence of Spiti and Pin rivers far below is a sight to behold. One can trek to the Dhankar Lake situated above the village. This is a small yet beautiful lake situated in the depression between the mountains is fed by melt water from snow. The trek completes after you return from the lake and we drive back to Kaza.

Before driving to Kaza for the evening, you'll stop at Mudh Settlement, the valley's final village, and Khungri monastery.

Overnight stay at hotel.

Morning drive your bikes to Chander Tal. At an altitude of 4300 meters and 6 Km from the Kunzum Pass in the Lahaul and Spiti district that connects Spiti Chander Tal Lake and Lahaul areas. Surrounded by snows and acres of scree, this deep blue water lake has a circumference of 2.5 Km.

En route cross some beautiful villages of Spiti Valley Morang, Hall, Pangmo Losar, and Kunzum Pass.  Situated at a height of 4551 m above mean sea level, Kunzum La or Kunzum Pass is the gateway to Lahaul and Spiti Valley. It is one of India’s highest motorable mountain passes located in Himachal Pradesh. Kunzum pass separates Spiti and Lahaul Valley. It is situated at a higher altitude than Rohtang Pass. At an elevation of 13,054 ft, Rohtang Pass also serves as the gateway to Lahaul and Spiti valleys. Kunzum Pass is popular with tourists visiting Lahaul, Spiti, and Manali. It offers spectacular views of the Bara-Sigri glacier, the second-longest glacier in the world.

Kunzum Devi Temple is also popular for those passing through Kunzum Pass. As per a local tradition, all vehicles stop at the temple to pay obeisance to the deity.

Upon arrival in Chander Tal, check in to camp. Stay overnight at camp.

Morning drive to Manali via Gramphu, Khoksar, and Atal Tunnel (the World’s highest tunnel above 10000ft). The journey from Chandratal to Manali promises an unforgettable experience. Enjoy the drive and soak in the natural beauty of Himachal Pradesh!

Manali is situated near the end of the valley on the national highway leading to Leh. The landscape here is breathtaking. One sees well-defined snow-capped peaks, and the Beas River with its clear waters meanders through the town. On the other side are deodar and pine trees, tiny fields, and fruit orchards.

Afternoon is at your disposal to explore downtown. Manali is famous for apple orchards, its old wooden temples, and its folk music and dance.