Spiti Valley is a part of Lahaul & Spiti Valley district which is the largest district in Himachal Pradesh. Also called the “Middle Land of India”, it is a cold desert valley situated in the north-eastern part of the state and is known for its remoteness and the views. Having Kaza as its headquarters, the valley is home to a plethora of attractions including remote villages, high altitude lakes, high passes, towering snow peaks, ancient monasteries, and of course the unique culture. One can experience all these attractions while on this Spiti Valley Tour. Due to the high altitude, the place has very less or almost no vegetation and it remains freezing cold during winters. The temperature drops to -20 degrees in winters and makes it inaccessible due to snow.
Spiti Valley can be approached either by the Shimla side or by the Manali side. If one wants to explore Spiti Valley along with Kinnaur Valley then start from Shimla and end at Manali. If one has lesser time and wants to explore Spiti Valley only then the trip can be started from Manali and ended at the same. There is a separate itinerary for Spiti Valley Tour from Manali. However, the passes remain closed in winters, and due to which the route from Manali remains inaccessible. Then we commence the journey from Shimla and end also at the same. Spiti Valley Winter Tour Packages have a distinct itinerary.
Shimla & Manali (however the trip can be planned from Delhi or any other location in India)
In the morning
The view remains surreal throughout the journey and it keeps changing. As you start from Shimla and drive towards Kufri and Narkanda, you get to see the lush green views and apple orchards followed by lofty mountains and sharp cliffs of Kinnaur Valley. While moving towards Spiti Valley from Kinnaur, the views transform into a barren one. These barren and arid landscapes consist of several different views at different places including a small patch of greenery at Mudh village, Needle-like rock formation, and many more.
After exploring Spiti Valley, you proceed towards Manali (terminating place) and the views transform again into the lush green from barren. Your journey ends at Manali with the breathtaking views of Kullu Valley.
There are a plethora of places that are covered in this Spiti Valley Tour Package. Starting from Shimla, you get to explore the scenic and quaint villages of Kinnaur Valley, Kalpa & Chitkul followed by Nako, Tabo & Dhankar villages. In the Spiti Valley, you explore almost all the important places including Kaza, Mudh, Key Monastery, Kibber Village (situated in the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary), Chicham Bridge (Asia’s Highest Bridge), Komic Village (World’s Highest Inhabited Village), Langza Village (Fossil Village) & Hikkim (World’s Highest Post Office and Polling Station).
Apart from these villages, you also get to cross two mighty mountain passes, Rohtang Pass (13,058 feet) and Kunzum Pass (14,931 feet); and three beautiful confluences at Karcham, Khab, and Dhankar respectively. Sutlej and Baspa rivers confluence takes place at Karcham, Sutlej and Spiti rivers confluence takes place at Khab, and Spiti and Pin rivers confluence happens near Dhankar. There are also two breathtaking lakes that are also part of this Spiti Valley Tour Plan, Chandratal and Dhankar Lake.
The road of Spiti Valley is recognized as the World’s Most Treacherous Road. In actual, it’s not the complete road but there are several patches that are tricky and demand really good driving/riding skills. The road from Shimla to Rampur is quite good in condition and you can drive/ride smoothly. As you enter the Kinnaur district, the road gets narrow having several sharp and blind turns. The further road from Kinnaur to Spiti is average except some patches which are bad and prone to rockfalls and landslides.
Then there comes a stretch while crossing the Kunzum pass and moving towards Chandratal which offers a good offroading experience. The journey is full of a bumpy ride. The final day tests your driving skills as the road from Chandratal to Chattru is the most demanding road in the entire circuit. You have to cross two glacial streams a.k.a “Darra or Nalah”. The stretch is full of massive boulders and mud and it continues up to Chattru. Then you drive uphill towards Rohtang Pass and reached Manali after crossing the pass.
I went on this Spiti Valley tour last year in the month of July. The entire experience was great. We visited several places including Dhankar, Kibber, Key Monastery and Chandratal. Out of all, I loved Chandratal the most. I wanted to stay there for one more night. The services including food, stay and transport was good.
Thanks Happy Go Trips for such amazing memories.
