Spiti Valley
A cold desert of monasteries
Spiti — 'the middle land' between India and Tibet — is a stark, magnificent cold desert at 3,000–4,500 m, where bare ochre mountains meet a brilliant blue sky. Whitewashed monasteries cling to cliffs, and some of the world's highest inhabited villages and post offices sit along the Spiti river.
It is one of the Himalayas' great road journeys, reached from Manali over high passes or from Shimla via Kinnaur — remote, demanding and unforgettable.
Monasteries & high villages
The iconic Key Monastery stacks up a conical hill above the river; nearby Kibber, Komic and Hikkim claim records as some of the highest villages with a motorable road and a working post office. Tabo's thousand-year-old gompa and Dhankar's cliff-edge monastery complete the circuit. The altitude is serious — our drivers carry oxygen and pace the route so you acclimatise.
Chandratal & the passes
The crescent-shaped Chandratal ('Moon Lake') glows turquoise at 4,300 m, a camping highlight on the Manali side via Kunzum La. Because the high roads are snow-bound much of the year, we plan the timing and the crossings carefully for a safe, comfortable trip.
Highlights
- Key Monastery above the Spiti river
- Chandratal ‘Moon Lake’
- Kibber, Komic & Hikkim — highest villages
- Ancient Tabo & Dhankar monasteries
- Dramatic Kunzum La road journey
