A few years ago, when I first saw pictures from the Spiti Valley, my first impression was that it’s only about landscapes. The more I learnt about the valley, the more it appealed to me. When I was doing some research on Tibetan Buddhism, I realized how important Spiti was for the spread of Tibetan Buddhism. Hence, it was on my travel priority for the last few years. And when it ultimately happened in June this year, I had a sense of great fulfilment. Here’s my account of our Spiti Valley Tour, from spectacular landscapes to a spiritual journey.
{For more destinations in Himachal, check out: McLeod Ganj ||| Tirthan Valley}
Expanse of Spiti Valley:
As the name suggests, Spiti Valley is the valley created by the flow of Spiti river. Spreading over 7,828 sq. km. area, it spans the administrative districts of (largely) Lahaul- Spiti and Kinnaur. Originating in the Kunzum range, flowing over 225 kms, Spiti river divides the Lahaul and Spiti valleys, and merges with Sutlej river at Khab in Kinnaur district. So, driving from Manali (Lahaul side), geographically, Spiti valley begins from Kunzum Pass and ends at Khab Confluence, and the other way round, if one drives from Shimla.
{An experience of Lahaul- Zanskar range: Camping in Zanskar}
From spectacular landscapes to a spiritual journey
Spiti Valley: Awe inspiring landscapes
In the era of internet and social media, no travel destination is a secret. So, generally, there’s hardly any surprise element of witnessing a place first time now. Nonetheless, on reaching the fringes of Spiti Valley, my heart skipped a big ‘wow’! The landscape was so spectacular and awe inspiring that it was quite overwhelming to the senses.
Yes, I had visited Leh- Ladakh a couple of times, and knew what to expect in Spiti. But the mountainous cold deserts of Spiti Valley were equally impressive. With beautiful rivers passing through colourful landscapes, quintessential villages perched over mountains surrounded by patches of greenery, gorgeous skies, Spiti Valley offers a delightful tour to the mountain lovers.
Moreover, landscapes in Spiti Valley look very different in winters than in summers. From grey and brown shades, the landscapes completely transform into a blemish-less white! {To know more, check out: Spiti Valley Winter Tour}
Spiti Valley: Rich spiritual- cultural heritage
During the 10th and 11th century AD, a second diffusion of Buddhism happened in Tibet. One of the principal leaders of this movement was Rinchen Zangpo, the great translator who converted Sanskrit scriptures to Tibetan language. This proved instrumental in spreading Buddhism among the Tibetans. More importantly, he established some 108 monasteries across Tibet, Ladakh and Spiti. {To know more about monasteries in Ladakh, read: Best Monasteries in Leh- Ladakh}
Even today, most of those original monasteries still stand in the rugged landscapes of Spiti. Nako, Dhankar, Tabo and Key monasteries are among the most significant shrines in India and Tibet.
Since I’m fond of Buddhist philosophy and culture, one of the major motives of our Spiti Valley Tour was to explore the spiritual and cultural essence of Tibetan Buddhism. We visited most of the important monasteries, and loved interacting with the warm hearted monks.
Spiti Valley Vs. Leh- Ladakh:
Travellers often compare Spiti Valley with Ladakh. Though to a large extent, they are quite similar, still Spiti Valley has its own character, different from Ladakh. Landscapes in both regions are strikingly similar with spectacular mountain ranges bereft of vegetation. However, there are subtle differences in terms of culture. While Ladakh is an amalgamation of Tibetan Buddhism and Islamic cultures, Spiti Valley is more homogeneous with omnipresent Tibetan Buddhism.
{To know more about Leh- Ladakh, here’s a further reading suggestion: Leh- Ladakh Trip}
Our Spiti Valley Tour Schedule: June 2025
Now let me share the experience of our Spiti Valley Tour this June. We thought June is a good time to plan for a Spiti Valley Tour. Because June is relatively dry in Himachal Pradesh, and the roads are expected to be good.
However, perhaps we got a little late, i.e. last week of June when rains had already started in Himachal. More than the rains, the associated landslide events were the real worry to start with. Plus, rains and landslides make the road conditions bad. So, after considering all aspects, we decided to do a Shimla- Kaza- Shimla trip rather than a Shimla- Kaza- Manali circle. We deliberately avoided Kaza- Manali route because it is known to be very bad, and would get even worse if it rained.
The schedule:
- Day-0: Overnight bus journey from Delhi to Shimla
- Day-1: Exploring Shimla a bit more. Highlight: Watching a drama at Gaiety Theater
- Day-2: Shimla to Chitkul. Explore Chitkul in the evening; overnight stay
- Day-3: Explore Chitkul. Reach Nako by evening via Khab Confluence. Overnight stay
- Day-4: Explore Nako. Reach Kaza via Gue Monastery, Tabo Monastery, and Dhankar Monastery
- Day-5: Explore villages around Kaza, Kibber, Chicham bridge, Key Monastery, Langza, Komic, Hikkim
- Day-6: Leave Kaza to reach Kalpa by evening
- Day-7: Explore Kalpa. Leave Kalpa by early afternoon to reach Shimla by evening
- Day- 8: Explore Shimla a bit more. Take a late night bus to Delhi.
As per plan, we took an over-night bus from Delhi to reach Shimla early next morning. It was lovely spending a day in Shimla after two years, especially that rainy evening. (Read more about my Shimla experiences: Shimla places to visit). Next morning, we hired a taxi and started early around 8 AM. The plan was to reach, and stay the night over in Chitkul.
Day-2 & 3: Reaching Spiti Valley
Day-2: Shimla to Chitkul
From Shimla to Chitkul, the journey was uneventful. We had been to most of the places (like Kufri, Fagu, Theog, Narkanda) on that route earlier. So, after stopping over for breakfast in Kufri, we kept going except for a few small breaks here and there for photography. The most notable thing on the route was the spectacular view of apple orchards all over the mountains from Fagu to Narkanda. In order to save their crops from birds/ animals/ fog, the farmers had covered them in white polythene sheets. So, they were clearly visible from far. Beside, the cloud-covered mountains looked charming.
After our lunch somewhere near Rampur, we reached the most instagrammable location of the day, just as we entered Kinnaur district. Most people who know about the route to Kinnaur would know it for a particular place where the road passes through a tunnel-like landscape. However, it looks like more dangerous than it actually is. (See in the picture below).
The next major stop was Rakchham, a few kilometers ahead of Sangla. Though a lot of tourists spend the night in Sangla, we chose to reach Chitkul by evening. (I will write a separate blog post on Chitkul and Kalpa)
Day- 3 to 6: Spiti Valley Tour Diary
Day-3: Chitkul to Nako
Next morning, our real Spiti Valley Tour started on day-3, late in the afternoon. After taking a second tour of Chitkul village in the morning, we headed towards Nako. Though we were planning to visit Kalpa enroute to Nako, a bad traffic jam didn’t let us do so. By the time we reached Karchham, it was almost 3 PM. So, we had a quick lunch, and started for Nako (~110 kms from Karchham).
Khab Confluence:
In about 85 kms, we came to our first major stop of the day (~6 PM)- the Khab Confluence (Sangam). This is where Spiti river meets Sutlej river, and is technically the starting point of Spiti Valley. With the two rivers coming out of tunnel-like landscapes, the whole setting of the confluence looked fascinating.
A bridge over Sutlej river connects the Kinnaur Valley with the Spiti Valley. The bridge with thousands of Buddhist prayer flags fluttering away looked perfectly photogenic. However, Nako was still 27 kms away (1 hr) from there. So, although we wanted to hang around for a bit more, we had to leave.
On the way, we came across the Khab Loop road which is like a spiral of roads across the mountain slope. Standing at a vantage point at the top, the view of the loop road looked quite amazing.
Reaching Nako:
Around 7 PM, when we reached Nako, the first destination on our Spiti Valley Tour, it was still not dark. Since the driving timing was uncertain, we had not booked a room for ourselves. But upon enquiry, we could easily get a homestay (Green Tara) in Nako. It proved to be a nice little property run by a woman entrepreneur from the village.
After checking in, we had enough energy to actually venture out and try to get to Nako Monastery. But it was too dark by then, and we returned midway after walking around the village a bit.
Day-4: Nako to Kaza
Nako Village:
After enjoying warm hospitality and a good breakfast at the homestay, we started the day by exploring Nako Village. What a village to start our Spiti Valley Tour! In fact, Parina says that it was her favorite place among all the wonderful places we visited over the 8 days of our tour covering Shimla, Kinnaur and Spiti Valley.
Located over 11,893 feet (~3625 mts) in the Hangrang Valley, Nako village is Spiti Valley in a capsule. From a picturesque village set with a spectacular backdrop of Reo Purgyil (highest peak in Himachal) to an ancient Buddhist monastery, it fitted well in my description of Spiti Valley.
Nako Monastery/ Lotsava Jhakang:
A few hundred meters’ walk took us to Nako Monastery, established in 1025 AD by the great Tibetan translator- Rinchen Zangpo. Among a few new buildings, lay the two old main shrines of the monastery. Inside the main shrines, one would see the original manuscripts, murals, wooden/ mud sculptures. Since photography is not allowed inside, I can only tell you that the interiors vividly resembled that of Alchi Monastery in Ladakh.
Nako Lake:
A narrow street emanating from the monastery runs through a fascinating maze in the village leading to a small but lovely lake. Though the lake has some spiritual significance, they have fun avenues like boating at the lake as well. But to be honest, more than the lake itself, I loved walking around the village observing the old houses. The village looked frozen in time as if no one wants to change their houses!
From Nako Village, we started for Gue Monastery around 11 AM. It was about 47 kms away, and a two hours’ drive. On the way, we stopped over at an interesting landscape, popularly known as ‘Moon-land’ near Chango village. Surrounded by black mountains, this patch of light- cream coloured mountain looked wonderful.
A little ahead of Chango, we had to stop over at a check post in Shang- Sumdo. It took only 10 minutes to get done with the checking- basically the driver had to give his details. And this was the official beginning of our Spiti Valley Tour, because the administrative boundary of Lahaul- Spiti begins at this point.
Gue Monastery:
Not far from the check post, we took a detour towards Gue Monastery. The approach road of 10 kms from the main road was treacherous up to Gue Monastery. The Monastery is so close to Tibet/ China border that the time on our mobile phone changed to China Standard Time!
The Monastery in bright maroon colour, looked new. But there was an old monastery which got destroyed in the 1975- earthquake. In fact, its destruction brought into limelight a 500 year old mummy of a Buddhist Monk- Sangha Tenzin. So, more than the monastery, this mummy is the centre of attraction.
While coming back from the monastery, in Gue village itself, we stopped over at a magical place with stunning little valley of flowers! With bright purple and yellow flowers spread over quite a large area, the place looked stunningly beautiful.
Tabo Monastery:
Leaving Gue Monastery ~1.30 PM, we reached Tabo Monastery by 2.30 PM. On our Spiti Valley Tour, this was one of the most important destinations. The historic significance of Tabo Monastery comes from the fact that it was among the first three monasteries he established by Rinchen Zangpo in 996 AD under the patronage of King Yeshe-O.
When we reached the temple, the stupa just outside looked new. So, I was really surprised because I was expecting some old structures. In a few minutes, I saw a small entrance into the old complex. The original structures from the 10th century still stand and are functional. In fact, it’s the oldest continuously functional Buddhist complex in India and the Himalayas.
Entering the main shrine, we were absolutely thrilled to see those original mud/ wooden sculptures of icons and deities of Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Again, the interiors and the murals looked almost similar to those we saw at Alchi Monastery in Ladakh.
We had a quick lunch, and proceeded to the next destination of Spiti Valley Tour- Dhankar Monastery, 35 kms away.
Dhankar/ Dhangkar Monastery:
No Spiti Valley Tour is complete without a visit to the historic Dhankar Monastery. Perched over a cliff at 12,774 feet (~ 3894 mts), overseeing the confluence of Spiti and Pin rivers, the setting couldn’t be any better. Established sometime in the 11th century AD, it belongs to the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
Apart from the old structures and artefacts, what was really interesting was the meditation room at the monastery. When we entered the room, we noticed hundreds of coins stuck to the roof and walls! Apparently, the room had some magnetic properties, and people say this helped in meditation. I don’t have any idea if there’s a correlation, but certainly interesting.
From Dhankar, Kaza was still 35 kms; it was already 5.30 PM, time for us to leave the monastery.
Spiti- Pin river confluence:
Spiti and Pin are the two most important rivers in this region, and major contributors to the Sutlej river system. Confluence of Spiti and Pin rivers that we saw from top of Dhankar Monastery came on our way to Kaza. Though we wanted to move fast, the view of the confluence was so appealing that we had to take a pit stop. The vertical slab like landscape by the roadside was also equally awe-inspiring.
Reaching Kaza:
The road from that point to Kaza got a bit rough, but not too bad. On the way we came across the gateway to Pin Valley National Park. Venturing into the national park was not in our plans for this Spiti Valley Tour. After a long day exploring the monasteries across Spiti Valley, we reached Kaza around 7 PM.
Kaza is the head quarters and the main town of Spiti Valley. Kaza market is relatively small, and I didn’t find it very interesting. However, our homestay, on a plateau in a corner of Kaza, was absolutely wonderful. The mud-house homestay and the views it presented of the mountains overlooking Spiti river was breathtaking. We couldn’t have asked for a better stay. This was the only place where we stayed two nights during this Spiti Valley Tour. What made our stay really enjoyable was the warm hospitality of the hosts.
Day-5: Exploring the villages around Kaza
Kaza is at the heart of Spiti Valley Tour. Next morning, after breakfast, we started our day around 10 AM with a plan to exploring the villages around Kaza. While Kaza is situated over 11,980 feet (~3650 mts), these villages, just a few kilometers away, are situated over much higher altitude- between 14,000 to 15,000 feet. So, we were a little skeptical keeping in mind Parina’s AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) issues during our Ladakh trip. However, our oxygen levels seemed to be good enough to explore these villages.
Kibber Village:
Situated over 14,010 feet (~4270 mts) and nestled across a mountain slope, this is one of the most picturesque villages I have ever seen. Tibetan style houses in white, black and maroon line up the streets the same way since a thousand years! In hindsight, I rue the fact that we didn’t take a walk around the village due to lack of time. But driving through the village, it really felt like driving through time!
Chicham Bridge:
Since its opening in 2023, Chicham Bridge has captured travellers’ imagination as being Asia’s highest (13,596 feet ~4150 mts) bridge. Built over a ~1000 ft gorge- Samba Lamba Nallah, looking down the bridge into Spiti river feels a little scary. But the bridge looks photogenic from a distance. From Kibber, via the bridge and Chicham village, one can proceed towards Kunzum Pass.
Key/ Kee Monastery:
Next destination, Key Monastery was another highlight of our Spiti Valley Tour. The largest monastery in Spiti, and perhaps the most picturesque, it belongs to the Gelugpa sect. The monastery was built in the 11th century AD by Dromton, a disciple of the famous teacher- Atisha.
Situated atop a hill (13,668 ft ~ 4166 mts) seen from far, Key monastery looks like a fort on the hill, and is among the most instagrammable sights from Spiti. If you have seen Thikse Monastery in Ladakh, it looks much like that from a distance. Key Monastery also houses about 200 monks for educational purposes.
Like most monasteries in the region, Key Monastery’s architecture follows the Tibetan style. Bright colours, beautiful paintings, ancient artefacts, spiritual environment, a feast for all the senses.
Langza Buddha Statue:
Coming back from Key Monastery, we took a left turn just before Kaza towards the popular Langza Buddha Statue. But little did we know it would become a serious adventure from that time onward!
The iconic Buddha Statue looked majestic from a distance, sitting in typical serenity facing the valley. As we approached the statue, thick black clouds converged over the mountains in the background. And they looked ominous. Proving our fears true, by the time we reached the statue, the skies opened up with strong winds. The wind was so strong that Parina couldn’t even walk up to the statue. With lots of difficulty, somehow, I could walk up to the statue, but couldn’t stay there for more than 2 minutes!
As it rained more and more, we took shelter in a small eatery nearby. After enjoying the view of rains over the mountains, we left the place in an hour for Komic village, while it was still raining.
Komic Monastery/ Tangyud Gompa:
From Langza, Komic isn’t far. In light rains, we reached Komic village at 15,050 feet, world’s highest motorable village. Since it was raining, instead of exploring the village, we headed straight to the Komic Monastery or Tangyud Gompa.
Entrance to the monastery was like a fort, and its premise looked unique, much different from others. Though the current structure (Sakya sect) was likely built in the 14th century AD, locals also believe that there was a Kadampa system before it. In any case, it’s a great heritage monument.
When we reached the monastery, there was a prayer session in action. One of the monks invited us inside and offered some food. We felt really lucky to witness the monks playing their musical instruments while chanting the hymns.
Hikkim Village:
One can easily see Hikkim village from Komic village itself at a distance in the valley downhill. Hikkim is famous for the highest post office in the world. Since it was originally part of our Spiti Valley Tour plan, in spite of the rains, we headed towards Hikkim. But the water streams had already opened up on the way, and it was getting more difficult to drive by the minute. At one point, just about two hundred meters before the village, it got too risky to drive further. So, we decided to turn back. However, it was only the beginning of the adventure.
A treacherous, and dangerous drive back:
From Hikkim/ Komic village, it was a 24-km drive downhill to Kaza. When we were at the top of the mountain, the risk was less. But as we drove down, we saw stones falling/ sliding from the mountain slopes on to the road! Even a small stone-hit could have proved fatal to us. To make matters worse, rains picked up and visibility became minimal.
Anyway, slowly and carefully, our driver kept driving down the slopes. When we were only about 5 kms away from Kaza, the front-right tire punctured! We had to get down, and change the tire in ice-cold rain! Somehow, we reached Kaza around 7 PM.
Day-6-7-8: Kaza to Kalpa- Shimla- Delhi
After coming back to Kaza we heard of severe damage to the roads from Kaza both to Shimla and Manali. The most horrifying news was that of a stone falling on a car and destroying it on Tabo- Kaza road. And the roads were closed indefinitely. Manali side route was in even worse condition, and in any case, we had planned not to go that side.
Next morning, we had to wait for the news of roads opening again. It was only around 11.30 AM, we got news of roads opening by 2 PM. But we left for Tabo- Shimla immediately. We reached the road-closure spot some 10 kms before Tabo by 1 PM. Slowly, roads started opening for traffic around 2 PM, and we kept driving at painstakingly slow pace. We had planned to reach Kalpa in the evening and stay the night over.
The distance of 220 kms from Kaza to Kalpa should have taken 6 hours at normal speed. However, we took 10 hours to reach there by 9.30 PM. That was the end of our Spiti Valley Tour. Next morning (day-7), we explored Kalpa- Kinnaur, and left for Shimla to reach there by evening. On day-8, after exploring Shimla a bit more, we took an overnight bus to Delhi.
Spiti Valley Tour: Travel Tips
Best time to visit:
It depends on your objective actually. If you want to witness a snow-clad Spiti, winter months of November to March are the best time. For pleasant weather, the best time for a Spiti Valley Tour is between late April and mid- June. After June, it starts raining in Himachal. Though Spiti is a cold desert, a little bit of rain can be dangerous too, as we found out. October- November months are not too bad.
How to reach:
- One can reach Spiti Valley either from Shimla side, or Manali side.
- Shimla route is open almost through out the year, except for a few days in monsoon (landslides) or winter (snowy days). This route has good roads mostly, except for a patch between Tabo and Kaza.
- Manali route opens sometime in late May, and closes in November. The road condition in this route is bad for most part, but is more scenic with views of snow-capped mountains. However, if it’s raining, one should avoid Manali- Kaza route.
- From May to October, weather permitting, one may start from Shimla and end in Manali, or the other way round.
- There are a few local buses from Shimla and Manali to reach Kaza. But it’s good to hire a vehicle for better experience. Because these buses are small and uncomfortable, especially the roads are not so great.
Where to stay:
There are little cute homestays in all the villages across Spiti Valley. Since there’s uncertainty around itinerary due to road conditions, one may not book rooms in advance. It’s generally easy to find a room on reaching there. There’s a Zostel in Kaza, which gets sold out quite fast.
How to get around:
The best way to get around is by personal/ hired vehicles, either bikes or cars. Though local buses are available, they are few and far between.
What/ where to eat:
One would find small eateries at villages through out the Spiti Valley Tour. However, don’t expect any fancy restaurants/ cafes. The hotels/ homestays do offer decent food, mostly Tibetan and Himachali food.
Concluding Thoughts
As I said earlier, our Spiti Valley Tour was as much about landscapes as a spiritual journey. Travelling through the valley, stopping over at little villages and talking to the people gave us insight into the region’s history, culture, economy and livelihoods. However, visiting the ancient monasteries was the highlight of this Spiti Valley Tour for me. Witnessing the modest structures standing for centuries with their paintings intact were a wonderful experience indeed.
In another sense, even the landscapes are so overwhelming that they make one philosophical. They remind one of their insignificance in the world. Looking at the mindboggling mountains, one realizes nature’s powers.
I hope this piece was helpful, especially if you are interested in a Spiti Valley Tour. To know more, we are just an email/ phone call away (see details below).
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