A cold desert valley of thousand-year-old monasteries, fossil-strewn villages and some of the clearest skies in India.
Spiti is a high, dry valley in the north-east of Himachal Pradesh, bordering Tibet. Its villages sit between about 3,500 and 4,500 metres, strung along the Spiti river and its side valleys beneath bare, wind-carved mountains.
Buddhism here goes back more than a thousand years. Tabo Monastery was founded in 996 CE, and Key, Dhankar and Kungri remain at the centre of village life. Around Langza, fossils of ancient sea creatures turn up in the fields — a reminder that these mountains once lay beneath the sea.
Spiti can be reached all year through Kinnaur from Shimla. In summer the northern road over Kunzum La links it with Manali and Lahaul, making a full circuit possible.
Private and small-group routes, each planned around the season and the altitude.
Shimla · Sangla · Kalpa · Nako · Tabo · Kaza · Langza
Twin sharing · Shimla to Shimla · GST extra
View rideShimla · Sangla · Chitkul · Kalpa · Nako · Tabo · Kaza · Chandratal · Manali
Per person, 2 travellers · Private SUV · GST extra
View rideA few of the places we return to again and again.
Spiti's best-known monastery, stacked on a hill above the valley floor.
A former fort and monastery perched high above the meeting of the Spiti and Pin rivers.
A village of fossils and a great Buddha statue looking out over the peaks.
A high village on a ridge and a base for winter snow-leopard spotting.
A crescent-shaped lake below Kunzum La, open from early summer to autumn.
Braided channels across a wide gravel bed, framed by bare, layered mountains.
Conditions vary from year to year — we check roads and weather before every departure.
Fully supported treks with local guides and crews.
An expedition-style crossing from the Parvati valley into Spiti.
Shimla and Kinnaur for a gentler climb and year-round access; Manali and Kunzum La in summer only. The best trips use one road in and the other out.
Yes, through Kinnaur. It's very cold and simple, but deeply rewarding — see our Winter Spiti journey.
BSNL and Jio usually work in Kaza and the larger villages. Signal is patchy elsewhere.
Eight to eleven days for a comfortable round trip from Shimla or a circuit to Manali.
Tell us your dates and interests and we'll suggest a route that suits the season and your pace.
