Spiti Valley - Spring - Innova Jeep Tour

On the second day of this Spiti Valley tour, from Kalpa, we continue driving on the famous Hindustan – Tibet Highway or the NH 22 – This stretch is famously known as one of “most adventurous 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 at Nako, we drive through Sumdo, the first village of Spiti Valley on this side of the 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 1020-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.

Overnight at a hotel or a Homestay in Tabo.

On the third day of this Spiti Valley tour, we drive to the charming and high villages of Dhankar and Lhalung.

Dhankar, the former capital of the Spiti Valley, offers panoramic views of Spiti Valley. Dhankar stands perched above the confluence of the Spiti and Pin river. Perhaps there must have been a fort here once, but today Dhankar is renowned for its 1200-year old monastery balanced precariously on a rocky precipice. If time and energy permit, we do the easy 45-minute trek to the stunning turquoise coloured Dhankar Lake.

After the trek, we drive to the nearby village of Lhalung. Literally translating to the “Land of God”, Lhalung is located at the foot of the Tangmar Mountains. The locals believe God lives in these mountains and the mountain changes its colors through wide arrays of reds, yellows, browns depending on the mood of their God. Visit one of the oldest gompas in the Spiti Valley which the natives say was built by angels one night. Bear in mind not to touch the walls of this monastery for people believe that it will make the angels go away.

In Lhalung, visit the Lhalung Monastery famous for its statue of the three-cornered Buddha which symbolizes the Buddha looking in all directions at one time.

If time permits, take a short, traditional Yak safari or learn how to make steaming hot momos with the locals.

Gain a better understanding of the Spiti culture as you spend this night in a homestay. Enjoy authentic, freshly prepared cuisines, and sleep in the comforts of a clean, warm and comfortable bed.

We spend the night at an authentic local homestay with a local family, listening to stories of life, at above 12,000 feet.

Overnight at a homestay in Lhalung.

On the fourth day of this Spiti Valley tour, 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.

By evening, drive to Kaza, the commercial capital of the Spiti valley and spend the night in a hotel in either Kaza or the nearby village of Rangrik.

Overnight at a hotel in Kaza / Rangrik.

On the fifth day of this Spiti Valley tour, 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 4513 meters. This farming 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 ensures to bring 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 can 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 4400 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.

We drive back down to Kaza for lunch. 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 4205 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. From Kibber you can trek to Chicham Village, located across a sharp and precipitous canyon traversable only by a suspended wire cable basket system known as a Jula. We drive higher up to the secluded village of Gette where we absorb stunning aerial views of Kaza and tie a prayer flag.

We drive back to Kaza / Rangrik in the evening and spend the night in a comfortable and warm Kaza / Rangrik hotel.

On the sixth day of the Spiti Valley tour, we are almost towards the end of this magical trip. Today, we set out to return to Shimla across the Hindustan-Tibet highway. The first stop on this leg would be the charming village of Kalpa which we had previously visited on our way up to Spiti Valley.

Overnight at a hotel in Kalpa.

On the final day of this Spiti Valley tour, from Kalpa, we head back to Shimla. Shimla is an attractive blend of a hill town and holiday resort. With its distinctive retro style, hand-painted signs in bazaars, cars banned in the main town, Shimla has an old-world charm which feels as if the British left just yesterday. The tour ends here but you have the option of choosing to stay in Shimla and explore the town on your own – or we can help you arrange a private taxi to get back to Chandigarh or New Delhi.