Spiti Tribal Circuit

9 Days   8 Nights

Kinnaur & Spiti are two major Tribal Regions of Himachal Pradesh. This road trip will give you an insight into Architectural, Cultural & Religious Diversity of Himachal Pradesh. From Victorian Architecture of Shimla to Typical Kathkuni in Kinnaur to Mud Houses in Spiti and Back to Typical Kathkuni in Kullu District. The Practices and Life styles of Natives their Clothing and languages change drastically over the period of 9 Days and you will not only have a cultural experience the Landscape changes so drastically that every day you will be witnessing a different view an entirely different geographic conditions around you makes this a special road trip which is a must do for all the adventure enthusiasts.

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Delhi/Chandigarh – Shimla
Reach Delhi/Chandigarh in the Morning/Afternoon and drive to Shimla. We halt in Shimla for a day so that we can do any last minute shopping that we need to do before we embark on this epic Trans Himalayan Saga. Visit Mall Road in Shimla and you will experience a feeling of being on a London Street. After necessary shopping we head back to the Hotel. Overnight in Shimla.

Day 2: Shimla – Sangla
Post breakfast we leave from Shimla and Head towards Kufri and Then Narkanda from where we descend towards the Satluj Valley, following the course of River Sutlej till Karcham where it is joined by the Baspa (Sangla) flowing from the east, Baspa is the most beautiful valley in Himachal Pradesh. From Karcham, Sangla valley is 18 kilometers and the road winds its way uphill through some more magnificent cliffs. From Sangla village, we then head to Chitkul through a beautiful ride, sometimes winding our way along the course of the river and sometimes through majestic mountain trails. Chitkul is the last inhabited village near the Indo-Tibet border and both Chitkul and Sangla are adorned with beautiful snow-clad mountains. This region is therefore often also called the Swiss Alps of India.

Day 3: Sangla – Chitkul – Kalpa
As we rise from our overnight stay at the hotel, we then proceed to explore the vicinity in the morning including the ancient Kamru Fort and Temple dedicated to the Goddess Kamakhya Devi which was brought from Assam. Hereafter, we drive to Kalpa and upon reaching there, we visit the massive apple orchards and beautiful streams in the area. Kalpa is one of the biggest and most beautiful villages of Kinnaur district. It is very famous for its production of high quality of apples, and pinus gerardiana is also known as chilgoza, Kalpa also offers spectacular sights early in the morning as the rising sun touches the snowy peak and paints the sky with crimson and golden light.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 4: Kalpa – Nako – Gue – Tabo
We start our morning going around exploring parts of Kalpa and Reckong Peo to enjoy the stunning views of the Kinnaur – Kailash Mountains, visit the sacred temples, monasteries and get an insight into the local way of living. From here, we depart for Nako while crossing the treacherous Malling stream. At Nako, the most picturesque hamlet of Kinnaur, we visit the Nako Lake and the Buddhist temple which is known for its foot like impressions ascribed to the Saint Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche. We also make a stop at the ancient Nako monastery which dates back to the 11th century. The monasteries at Nako contain a large number of scriptures and pieces of art, wall paintings and stucco. From Nako, we now enter the vast Spiti Valley, while crossing the check post at Sumdo. Our first stop in Spiti is at the village Gue, located 17 kilometers from Sumdo. Gue village is known for its 500 years old mysterious mummy which still has its teeth and hair intact. After visiting the temple where this mummy is still preserved, we then move on to explore the oldest monastery in the world, the Tabo Monastery, which is also the favorite of the His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 5: Tabo – Dhankar – Pin Valley – Kaza
From Tabo, we drive ahead some 27 kilometers to reach Dhankar. Dhankar used to be the administrative capital of Spiti before Kaza. We explore the village and visit the Dhankar Gompa situated asymmetrically atop a steep cliff. This hill-top fort that overlooks the Spiti Valley also once used to serve as a jail in the olden days. We then descend to the valley floor and head towards Pin Valley National Park famous for Snow Leopard and Trekking towards Kinnaur and Kullu regions from here. After spending some amazing moments at this beautiful place, we proceed towards Kaza for a comfortable overnight stay.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 6: Kaza-Langza-Hikkim-Komic-Kibber-Ki-Kaza
This day we explore some of the highest inhabited regions of the world. We first visit he Fossil Village- Langza situated at an altitude of 4,400 meters. Once at Langza we can stroll around and visit ancient Lang which is a 1000 years old temple and spot the marine fossils found here in the sedimentary rocks. From Langza, we drive to Hikkim (4,400 m) which is now known to be the highest post office in the world. Post this we move to the village Komic – which literally translates to ‘eye of a snow cock’. Komic is the highest motorable village in the world at a height of 4,587 meters! We then proceed to Kibber, which is a perfect site for sky gazers and astronomy lovers. Kibber is also home to the majestic snow leopard and gives a breathtaking view of Kanamo Peak at 19, 600 feet. Then comes to a most famous spot of Spiti Valley- the Ki Monastery, situated at the foot of steep ridges, which is also the Biggest Gelupa Sect Monastery in Spiti. This monastery is also known to have a training center for the Lamas. Looking down at the valley from any spot of this upland country is a great sight. After a day packed with adventure and exploration, we drive back to Kaza and return to our comfortable beds after these meanderings.

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 7: Kaza-Losar-Kunzum Pass-Chandratal
From Kaza, we drive through the least populated village of Spiti- Losar, to reach India’s highest motorable mountain pass which connects Kullu and Lahaul to Spiti valley- Kunzum La at 15,000 feet. From Kunzum La, we head towards one of the most photogenic places in Spiti Valley- the breathtaking Chandratal Lake, also known as the lake of the moon. This magnificent lake has surprisingly no visible source of water, concluding that the water for this lake comes from underground. We spend the night in camps by the lake and spend our evening gazing at millions of stars on a clear night.

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 8: Chandratal – Chhatru – Atal Tunnel – Manali
To celebrate our last day in Spiti Valley, we depart from Chandratal Lake and make our way to Batal. From there we continue our journey on Kaza – Manali Highway while taking a lunch halt at Chhatru. Driving beside the Chandra river we pass Gramphu village marking the end of Spiti Region from here we drive along the Chandra River till Atal Tunnel’s North Portal On Crossing the Atal Tunnel the Landscape Changes Drastically we are all of a sudden in a Golden Oak and Spruce Pine Forest with View of Hanuman Tibba Dominating the Skyline, Later we cross the Famous Solang Valley before we reach Manali. Rest of the evening is at Leisure. Post Dinner Overnight at Manali..

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 9: Manali to Chandigarh/Delhi
Today marks the last day of this amazing adventure traversing through Major Valleys in Himachal from Satluj Valley to Baspa Valley, Spiti & Pin Valleys to Chandra Valley and Finally Kullu Valley this amazing Journey will remain etched in your minds for a lifetime. The Drive takes around 8 Hours to Reach Chandigarh& 12 to 14 Hours for Delhi. The Trip ends with Drop at Chandigarh/Delhi

Meals: Breakfast