Spiti - Falling in Love with the Himalayas (9 Days,10 Nights)

Tour Route: Manali –Spiti – Kaza – Tabo – Langza – Chandratal – Manali

Tour Duration: 10 Nights

Travel dates: June 18 to June 27

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BRIEF ITINERARY:

June 18: Leave from Delhi to Manali in the evening June 19: Reach Manali. Visit Solang Valley. Explore cafes in the evening June 20: Drive from Manali to Kaza in Spiti via Rohtang and Kunzum Pass June 21: Morning at Kaza river. Later, visit Key Monastery and Khibber village June 22: Hike to Dhankar lake and monastery. Later, visit June 23: Drive to Mudh village in Pin Valley. June 24: Visit fossils village of Langza, world’s highest post office in Hikkim and world’s highest village accessible by motor vehicles – Komik June 25: Drive from Kaza to the stunning Chandrataal Lake. Overnight camping June 26: Drive from Chandratal to Manali. Evening free to shop June 27: Depart for Delhi by bus

DETAILED ITINERARY:

June 19: Reach Manali. Head to Solang valley for activities; O/N Manali

Board the night bus on June 18 from Delhi/Chandigarh to Manali. Arrive in Manali by June 19 morning, and check into the hotel. After freshening up, lets head out to Solang Valley. The valley is lush green in June, and if you are lucky you will spot snowy peaks towering in the distance This is the best place to try adventure sports in Himachal. The most popular adventure sport here is paragliding. Interested people can try their hand at this delightful sport. You can also try sports like zorbing or quad biking (subject to availability).

Note: Adventure sports in Solang Valley are optional and not part of the trip package. People who want to try any sports here can pay the locals directly! In June, the mountains in the background won’t have as much snow.

June 20: Manali to Spiti via Rohtang and Kunzum Pass; O/N Kaza

Today’s a long day. We are going to drive from Manali to and though the distance is just 220 kms, it will take close to 8-9 hours to reach there.

We will first pass by the popular , and we should be able to see quite a bit of snow there. As we go ahead, we will cross Gramphu and Chatru villages, and the landscape will now change dramatically, and become more barren. Next, we will cross a couple of treacherous streams crossing the road and converging into Chandra river.

For lunch, we shall stop at the famous Chandra Dhaba, and meet the famous chacha and chachi, who have helped many a traveller in bad weather.

These are the things, the stories, the anecdotes, that make a road trip in the mountains, in the Himalayas, even more special. As we go up the mountain and keep gaining altitude, finally we will reach Kunzum Pass (4590 metres or 15,060 feet above sea level). All vehicles stop here to pay their respects to the Kunzum goddess, and its supposed to be a good omen for travellers to pay their respects there.

The Kunzum pass gives fantastic 360 degree views of the world’s second longest glacier – Bara Shigri! You also get a spectacular view of Spiti valley from here.

Spend some time, take in the cold breeze, take a lot of photgraphs and then we will be on our way again. First we reach , and two hours from there is our destination – Kaza town in Spiti Valley. At approximately 12,000 feet above sea level, Kaza is the capital of Spiti, its busiest and most touristy town and you can stay here for days and just fall in love with the mountains.

It’s been a really long day. It is advisable to rest, but those who want to stay up, let’s all get to know each other a bit tonight, eh! We can also step out into the terrace and stare at the night sky which will have a million stars!

June 21: Chill at river; visit Key monastery, village ; O/N Kaza

Rudyard Kipling, the author of the lovable Jungle Book described Lahaul – Spiti as a “world within a world… surely the Gods live here!” It truly is such a magical world!

We had a long day’s drive the day before, so today we have a lazy breakfast, and then go sit next to Spiti river in Kaza. We spend an hour or so at this silvery white, cold river and then head to the beautiful Key Monastery (12 kms from Kaza)

The biggest monastery of Spiti Valley, Key Monastery is located at the top of the hill, with views of the Spiti river and of the imposing mountains.

From the base, you can take loads of pictures. The monastery’s structure, as visible from the base of the hill, is a photographer’s delight.

From Key, we now go to Kibber village to see the local life. This used to be the highest motorable village until Komik took its place. The mountains around Khibber are home to the famous and elusive snow leopards and Siberian Ibex. If it’s a frightfully lucky day, you might see one! The village homes in Spiti are constructed in the typical Himachali style with timber bonded stone. The villages, with their serene surroundings, Tibetan prayer stones and wandering yaks are a sight for sore eyes. We head back to Kaza by evening.

June 22: Kaza to tabo via Dhankar village; optional hike to Dhankar Lake; O/N Tabo

Today, we are headed to Tabo village in Spiti. We set off, after breakfast, and our first stop is Dhankar village. There is a beautiful lake here, but it requires a 45-minute steep hike to get there. And at these altitudes, it can be a difficult climb. The ones raring for adventure can join us and we can set off on the hike, the others can sightsee around the village and see the 1000-year-old Dhankar monastery! Personally, I recommend everyone try hiking to the lake.

Dhankar lake is beautiful, blue and absolutely crystal clear. The views from here are breathtaking and from here you can even see Manirang Peak (6593 metres) – the highest peak in .

Spend an hour or so at the lake, and then descend. We then proceed to Tabo. Once we reach there, we first go to Tabo monastery – over 1000 years old. The paintings and murals on the walls of the main sanctum make it a masterpiece, and it’s also known as the “Ajanta of the Himalayas”.

Check into the hotel later. We are spending the night here in Tabo. There are going to be a million stars and dozens of shooting stars in the night sky! Who wants to sit up and watch them with me! June 23: Tabo to Pin Valley ; Overnight at Kaza

Today, we are headed to one of the most beautiful regions of Spiti – Pin Valley.

This region is most famous for the last of the Buchen , home to Ibex and Snow Leopards. Wildlife photographers, nature lovers, stay here for days at stretch hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive snow leopard.

It is also the starting point of two famous treks – the Pin Parvati Trek and the Bhabha Pass Trek. The Pin river runs along the length of this valley, before merging with the Spiti river.

We will stop over at Mudh Village for lunch. It is a very scenic village, and after spending an hour or two there, we will head back to Kaza.

June 24: Kaza to Langza, Hikkim , Komic and back to Kaza; O/N Kaza It’s an exciting day today. We first go to Langza – the second highest motorable village after Komik. This village is home to many fossils, and if you are lucky, you might spot a few while walking around the village.

Our next stop is Hikkim village. The world’s highest post office is in Hikkim and to make this occasion memorable, post a few post cards from here to your loved ones!

Next stop is Komik. To make things more exciting, you have an option. Either you can drive to Komik, or you can hike to this village, and once you are here, you get a spectacular view of snow capped peaks. Sit with some monks, have some chai, discuss life in Spiti, how they live, and learn to fall in love, appreciate the smaller things in life. Learn a little more about life in the Himalayas, and in inhospitable terrain, and you will wonder how we could crib about the small things in the cities! Though life is harsh in such terrain, the warmth and the welcoming nature of the Spiti people will leave your heart gladdened.

Back to Kaza for the night!

June 25: Kaza to Chandratal ; O/N Camping at Chandratal

They say, ‘keep the best for the last’. And Chandratal Lake is to Spiti, what Pangong Lake is to . It is the highlight of the trip.

We leave from Kaza, after breakfast, and after crossing Kunzum and Losar passes, reach Chandratal by early afternoon.

If you don’t have a good camera, get one just for this day! The lake is a photographer’s delight. It is deliciously blue, it changes appearance almost every passing hour, and you will get some fantastic pictures here!

Tonight, we are going to camp! There are dome tents set up to protect you from the cold and the winds of the night! We shall also have a bonfire, and what better way to spend one of the last nights in Spiti, than around a roaring fire, surrounded by friends you made just days ago, and a thousand stars in the night sky, and one of the most beautiful lakes in the world lying just ahead!

June 26: Chandratal to Manali ; O/N Manali

Early morning, we leave back for Manali, as its going to be a long drive. We shall stop over for a bit at Batal, at Chandra Dhaba, made popular by the famous Chacha and Chachi. We are targeting to reach Rohtang Pass by early afternoon and spend some time there.

We then proceed to Manali, and the evening has been kept free for shopping! It’s our last night together, let’s have a lot of fun!

June 27: Trip comes to an end

The trip ends today, people! The hotel check out is around 12 noon. Those who live in Delhi, can take the evening bus to Delhi. People belonging to other cities can take the bus to Chandigarh/Delhi and fly from there to their respective cities. Hope you had an awesome trip! See you soon somewhere again! Trip Dates: June 18 to June 27

Total Cost:

If booked on or before April 5:

Rs 29,000 per person (if you start and end the trip in Manali) Rs 31,000 per person (if you want us to book your bus from Delhi to Manali, and back to Delhi.

If booked after April 5: Rs 30,000 per person (if you start and end the trip in Manali) Rs 32,000 per person (if you want us to book your bus from Delhi to Manali, and back to Delhi.

What's Included?

• Accommodation for all nights in Manali, Kaza, Tabo • Camping accommodation in Chandratal • Breakfasts on all days starting from June 20 to June 27 • Private vehicles for the entire journey • Permits for all places • Entry tickets to all spots mentioned in the itinerary • All government fees, taxes, toll fees • Trip leader from This Guy's On His Own Trip

What's Not included?

• Lunches and dinners • Any flight tickets • Anything not mentioned in the itinerary or under Inclusions section • Adventure sports in Solang, Rohtang Pass

Cancellation Policy:

45 days before the trip start date: full refund Between 30 and 21 days of trip start date: 50% refund Between 21 and 14 days of trip start date: 25% refund Less than 14 days of trip start date: No refund

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