Spiti valley is the most trending destination now in India. It is attracting all the travellers from around the globe. You might have come across tonnes of photos of Spiti valley in Instagram. Am sure you have also thought about going there some time. A few months back, I travelled to Spiti valley with few of my friends. It was a 10 days trip for me in total including travel from the south of the country. I am gonna share with you how I spend my days there.This one week Spiti valley itinerary will be helpful for you to plan your journey.
Day 1: Journey starts from Manali
An overnight bus from Delhi brought us to Manali. The bus service to Kaza is a matter of doubt always, sometimes without any notice, they may cancel the service. But we were lucky, booked our tickets to Kaza for the next day. Spent that day in Manali simply walking all around. Manali was full of tourists.
The bus to Kaza starts at 5 in the morning. The travel itself was an experience. We were on the bus for the complete day. Travelled through one of the toughest and roughest roads. The views on both sides were amazing. Reached Kaza by 6 in the evening, our host Tandup was waiting there. We had a warm welcome, the family treated us with a lot of food which was much needed after the long journey.
Read: Manali to Kaza in bus
Day 2: Langza, Hikkim and Komic
The next morning, wake up to see one of the best morning ever. The mountains were beautiful in the first light of the day. Our host Tandup gave us an idea about the places here. He suggested us to pick the direction towards Langza, Hikkim and Komic that day.
Langza is a small scenic village about 18 km from Kaza at an altitude of 14500 feet. A big statue of Buddha overlooks the entire valley, which is said to be thousand years old. When we get down at Langza, kids and woman come around with pieces of rocks hiding in their palms. They are fossils which are found in these mountains. Before buying them, consider first that possession of fossils is illegal in India and you may find it difficult to carry through the airport.
Hikkim is the next village ahead, about 9 km from Langza. The postmaster from the highest post office in the world will be waiting for you with a bunch of Spiti postcards, ready to paste the stamp and put it in the post box. He lives in the next room with his family. He has a lot of stories to tell, but you have to make him talk.
Our next village, Komic is one of the highest villages in the valley. Very few people live here. There is a very old monastery here. The monastery and temple are of great importance in the Buddhist beliefs of this valley.
There is no public transport available up to Komic. Either you should catch any vehicle going in this direction or else hire a taxi. Trekking is also possible. Many of the families are allowing travellers to stay at their houses in every village. It will be a good experience to understand the life here. You will also get accommodation at the monastery in Komic.
Day 3: Key, Kibber and Tashigang
The next day, we picked up another direction towards Kibber. The Key monastery in on the way, in a picturesque location.The monastery is visible from a long distance, it looks stunning. It is one of the famous monasteries in the valley. Rooms are available in the Key monastery also. Kibber is a bigger village, it is comparatively touristy, you can find many homestays and restaurants. Bus service is available from Kaza up to Kibber every morning.
But our destination was Tashigang, the highest village in the valley. Only three families live here. Our taxi driver was from Tashigang and dropped us there. We stayed in one of the houses for the night. They were very nice people, told us how the life here is, especially during winters where there will be 5-6 foot thick snow. Only very few travellers come up to Tashigang and stay here. It will be very cold at night here. The oxygen is little less, you may feel little uncomfortable.
Read: Tashigang, the highest village in Spiti valley
Day 4: In and around Kaza
We came back from Tashigang and spent that day in Kaza. Walked around the biggest settlement in the valley. It is divided into two, Kaza 1 and 2. Kaza 2 has a modern outlook with newly constructed buildings. The town was busy with markets, shops and restaurants. People from all the other villages in the valley depends on Kaza for offices, hospitals, schools etc. Kaza is the centre for transportation also. Government buses and private taxis are available from here to most of the villages.
Day 5: Dhankar
Visited Dhankar next day.It is about 30 km from Kaza towards the Shimla side. A big village, beautiful and much greener. It was earlier the capital of the Kingdom who ruled the valley. There is a fort on the top of the hill and a very old monastery. The monastery is at the edge of collapse. From the top of the fort, we will get the best views of both Pin river and Spiti river joining together.
There is a lake little higher on the mountains, it is a 2-hour trek to reach the lake. So if you have enough time, definitely trek up to the Dhankar lake.
We had to come back to Kaza that day itself, because next day morning, we start early for Chandratal lake. Shared taxis are available to drop either in Batal or Kunzum pass top. If you go and check with the taxi driver union office, you can easily find people looking for others to share their ride.
Day 6: Trek to Chandratal
Started early morning from Kaza. It took us around 3 hours to reach Kunzum pass top. Started the trek to Chandratal lake, the terrain was pretty hard but the views were amazing. After a long 5 hours walk, reached Chandratal by evening.
Nights in Chandratal are colder than Kaza. Tents are available in the camping site, 2 km before the lake. Don’t miss to see the milky way at night. It is stunning from there.
Read: Kunzum pass to Chandratal lake trek
Day 7: Back to Manali
The next morning, woke up very early. We had to catch the bus to Manali. The night before, we asked everyone in the campsite for a vehicle to drop us to Batal, 14 km from Chandratal. But the response was negative. So we had to walk all the way. The bus from Kaza will reach Batal by around 8.30 morning. It was little tough to cover 14 km in 3 hours with our backpacks but somehow made it with the help of some good souls we met on the road.
The bus came around 9 AM and then back to Manali.
The most known destinations in the Himalayas like Manali, Kasol etc.. are getting more crowded these days. These places have lost their charm. So people started to look for more offbeat experiences. Spiti valley became the hotspot for travellers very recently. Spiti is peaceful now, it is unique and we have a lot to experience here. But as this place is getting busy with tourists, it is changing gradually. Life is changing, new buildings, more vehicles, more plastics and more pollution. Pollution of water is a serious issue now. The Spiti river had become a dumping ground for the garbage from hotels. The people who live here are affected worse by the growth of commercialised tourism.
As travellers, we have a responsibility towards this heavenly place. There are many initiatives to promote responsible tourism in the valley. Many organisations are working for this cause. Be a part of it, you can do a lot. Explore Spiti, experience what it has to offer, watch those stunning night skies and hear as many stories from the most friendly people. Respect them and keep this beautiful valley as it is.
Keep travelling…
Hope that this Spiti valley itinerary will be helpful for you.
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this is an awesome itinerary! I can’t cannot wait to visit the Himalayas soon! I can’t image how cool this adventure would be! Definitely going to save this for later!
What a great week you have! Not just your story, you pictures also told about how remote were the areas.
Thanks
Hi Jithin,
Great read. Really helpful. How did you manage to book stay in Kaza?
Hi Sachidanand,
I have few friends in Kaza. So whenever I go, I stay with them.
Himalayas have always enchanted me with the views and the harsh climate and conditions (harsh according to my perspective of course). Thanks for sharing this off-the-beaten track spot; more locals and less tourists is my preferred option 🙂
Thanks Maria, glad that you liked it.
Can’t wait to go to Spiti after reading this. Beautiful write up
Thanks
India hasn’t made it to our list just yet – flights are so cost prohibitive! But this looks like a wonderful trip. Thank you for sharing – will need to do some more research 🙂
I would love to check out this valley and go for a wander here. It is totally my scene. Nothing can beat lakes and mountains away from the urban cities.
Absolutely Danik. Nothing can beat them
This looks like the most perfect 7-day itinerary and the views you’ve captured in your photos are just out of this world!
Thanks Jas, glad that you liked it.
Thanks for the itinerary, Himachal Pradesh is never visited full,.yet to visit Spiti.Loved going through it
Thanks Anindita. Am glad that you liked the post.
Spiti is love! I had booked my tickets to visit all of these places in August 2017 but had to cancel due to many reasons. It is so on my list and hope i can make it in 2018. Once you go to spiti/ladakh region you cant help to fall in love with those barren mountains, right?
Agree with you Katki. Once you reach here, you immediately fall in love with the place. Hope you visit Spiti valley soon.
I never heard of this place! We were only in southern and central India, but already know I need to go back to travel through the north. It is my dream to see mountain ranges like this. And that lake is SOO BLUE!! Thanks so much for the thorough guide!
Thanks Lainne. You must visit the north of India also. The Himalayas are stunning
Great post. Didn’t know much about the Spoti Valley but this sounds pretty interesting
Thanks Baia.
What an adventure! I’ve never heard of these villages but it sure sounds like an amazing place to visit. How lovely and trusting for villagers to accept visitors in their homes. It must have been a wonderful experience to stay at Tashigang and learn about life there directly from the locals. Also the picture of Chandratal lake is stunning! Thanks for all the tips for visiting this region.
Thanks Elisa. Glad that you like the post. Visit Spiti valley, it is a wonderful place.
This is a great post, very informative with pictures to support it. I have just one question, how should a traveller know if people are offering their houses for accommodation?
Hi,
Especially in Spiti valley, you won’t find it difficult to find a homestay. Otherwise, you can directly ask the people, they will definitely help you.
These are some great pictures of India. I’ve been very resistant to visiting India because what I have seen in the “news” However, your pictures definitely show a different perspective. Thank You!
Hi,
I don’t know what you have seen in the news. India is a beautiful place. Do visit.
That Chandral lake!! Wow! Absolutely gorgeous! We are quite unfamiliar with the places Inland of India and seeing articles like this, makes us definitely want to visit! Great article!
Thanks Jo. A must visit place in Spiti valley.
Tashigang sounds really interesting! How nice to be able to get to know the locals and hear about their lives more.
Thanks Miranda, am glad that you liked the post. Tashigang was one of my best experiences in Spiti valley. It is a must visit place in the Spiti valley.
Your photos are breathtaking! What a beautiful place to visit.
Thanks Marta
Great photos and a wonderful travelogue. I love that you wrote about the world’s highest post office…my mom collects postcards, maybe I will send her one from this place someday!
Thanks Jim, glad that you liked the post. Hope that you can send your mom a postcard from the highest post office. Definitely visit Spiti valley when you come to India.
Ohh what a wonderful place!
http://carmelatte.co/
Wow…loved this itinerary so much! The small details of the places were really good!
Thanks Shruti
[…] example, till recently, the Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh was a less touristy and peaceful place in the upper Himalayas. The people of […]
Hi Jithin. I commented already, but I think it didn’t get posted. So I want to travel to Spiti valley as a solo traveller. Firstly, I want to take the government bus, and then (by hopefully meeting other people) find my way around. Would you recommend it? Also, could you please give me some contacts for hosts for example in Kaza?
Hi Maria,
You can catch the government bus from Manali. Nothing to worry about. The people are very friendly.
If I would like to Stay at Key monastery, you said there is the room Available right? Should I contact the monastery ahead or just walk in and ask? And how about food, if I stay there? Last question, is that far from Kaza to monster? Thanks
Hi Sainam,
Key monsatery is a bit far from Kaza. Either you need to take a taxi or check for any buses going in that direction. You can also someone to drop you if they are going towards Kaza. There is no need to contact Key monastery in advance, if rooms are available, they are happy to offer you. But the rooms are limited.Food also will be available in the monastery.
Thanks Man! This is all I need. Just a suggestion hire a good SEO so that your blog can reach more people and help them like it did to me and others. This is just perfect. Thanks again
I always wanted to see Spiti valley before it becomes a regular tourist spot.. your itinerary is very nice..
Thanks. Am glad that you liked my Spiti Valley Itinerary.
You could have put your name…!!!