Spiti Valley
Spiti Valley is a Himalayan desert mountain valley situated at an average height of 13,000 feet in the north-eastern part of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The rugged scenery is extraordinary: high above the tree line, with barren slopes surrounded by high mountain peaks and isolated settlements, like little green oases with some cultivated farmlands.
Often regarded as a chunk of Tibet marooned in India, Spiti Valley is enigmatic and is interspersed with tiny hamlets and serene monasteries sitting precariously on mountain crags spread across its notched moonscape. The scattered villages comprise of whitewashed mud-brick homes amid rugged mountains and barley fields.
Spiti valley is home to some of the highest motorable villages in Asia (Langza and Komic), highest post office in the world (Komic), Chandratal lake, beautiful and vast landscape, ancient and intact culture and simple people. The valley has a distinctive Buddhist culture similar to that found in Tibet and the Ladakh region in India.
The Tibetan influence and the rich Buddhist heritage can be seen all across the valley with numerous Gompas that dominate the area. Perched high up in the mountain ridges, these enchanting medieval monasteries, surrounded by fluttering prayer flags, are still places of active worship and hold treasure troves of artifacts, images and ancient frescoes.
Whatever you do here you can be sure of an extremely unforgettable unbeatable experience in one of the most remote and fascinating places on earth.
Trip Highlights
- A roundtrip of Spiti, entering via Kinnaur and exiting via the Manali route.
- A gorgeous Himalayan route through the valleys of Tirthan, into the Kinnaur ranges to Kalpa.
- Visit the famous monasteries of Giu, Tabo, Dhankar and Key.
- Go across the Chicham bridge, one of the highest suspension bridges in the world.
- Take the lesser explored high mountain road to Langza-Komic-Demul.
- The remote villages of Spiti, among the highest settlements in the world.
- Stay at a camp near Chandratal Lake.
Daywise Itinerary
Days on Trip
Total Distance Traveled
Maximum Altitude
(Elevation: 2,050m/6,726ft)
Our trip starts in Manali, with all the participants expected to arrive and be ready by or before noon.
Manali - the Himalayan hill town with a most spectacular location. The river Beas meandering through, surrounded by deodar and pine trees, fields, orchards, wildflower carpeted grassy meadows and stunning views of snow-capped peaks.
We spend the day familiarizing ourselves with riding together as a group, an important part of the days activity is to ensure all riders are comfortable on the bikes, any last minute adjustments or fine tuning.
Overnight at Hotel. Meal Inclusions: Dinner
(Distance: 100km; Travel Time: 3-4 hrs
Elevation: Jibhi – 2,650m / 8,694ft)
A short and easy ride on our first day heading toward Spiti. We head south from Manali, crossing Kullu and the tunnel at Aut, then turn into the beautiful and pristine Banjar Valley.
A beautiful road alongside the Tirthan river gets us to the areas of Jibhi and Shoja right next to the Great Himalayan National Park. Little hamlets situated amidst the lush green forests and surrounded by mountains, with beautiful cottages, cafe’s, forest trails, streams and wateralls. We spend the evening exploring the valleys around.
Overnight at Hotel. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
(Distance: 12km / 181km – 193km , Travel Time: 6-7hrs
Elevation: Jalori Pass – 3,120m / 10,800 ft, Kalpa – 2,960m / 9,711 ft)
We start the ride with a climb up to Jalori Pass. Steep winding roads through thick forests of oak take us to the top of the pass from where we cross over toward Kalpa in the Kinnaur ranges of Himachal.
A memorable beautiful ride, weaving through forested slopes, this whole stretch of the valley is a sight to behold. Known predominantly for its agriculture, almost every household owns huge fields with cultivations of apples, pears, walnuts, apricots and potatoes.
Overnight at Camp. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
(Distance: 100km / 38km / 40km – 178km Travel Time: 6-7 hrs
Elevation: Nako – 3,662 m / 12,014 ft, Tabo – 3,280 m / 10,760 ft)
We continue our ride on the famous Hindustan–Tibet Highway. As we ride further we watch the mountains change their colours from the lush and green to the many hues of brown as we cross Pooh and Nako and enter Spiti Valley.
We take a little detour to visit the monastery at Giu, to see the 500+ year old Mummy, and then on to Tabo, second largest settlement in the Spiti Valley, known for its 1000-year-old Monastery, now a UNESCO world heritage site.
Overnight at Hotel. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
(Distance: 36km / 26km – 62km , Travel Time: 3-4hrs
Elevation: Dhankar – 3,894m / 12,774 ft, Kaza – 3,800 m / 12,500 ft)
We recommend an earlry morning, starting with beautiful sunrise and morning views and a visit to the Tabo Monastery, famous for its collection of ancient paintings depicting life of The Buddha.
Then we visit Dhankar, perched high above the confluence of the Spiti and Pin River, in a hidden bowl, a 1200-year-old Gompa. If all the participants are interested, can do a 2 hr hike up to Dhankar lake.
By the evening we arrive at Kaza, the largest town in Spiti Valley which will be our base for most of the trip.
Overnight at Hotel. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
(Distance: 14km / 7km / 20km – 41km; Travel Time: 3-4hrs
Elevation: Key – 4,166 m / 13,668 ft, Kibber – 4270 m / 14,200 ft)
A relaxed morning after the long ride across the high mountains. We spend some time post breakfast checking the bikes for any damages or repairs.
Ride to the famous Key Monastery, one of the oldest and largest monasteries in Spiti. Then further up the valley to the picturesque village of Kibber. One of the highest inhabited villages in this region with vast expanses of beautiful landscapes and snow-capped mountains making it a haven for nature-lovers, bikers and photographers.
From Kibber we head to Chicham Village, located across a deep canyon riding across one of the highest suspended bridges in the world.
Back to Kaza in the evening after a day full of exploring some of the remote villages in Spiti.
Overnight at a Hotel. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
(Distance: 16km / 12km / 26km / 32km – 86km; Travel Time: 6-7hrs
Elevation: Langza– 4,420m / 14,500ft, Komic – 4,587m / 15,050ft, Demul – 4,320m / 14174ft)
In terms of breathtaking beautiful views and a great riding adventure, today will be a highlight of the trip. As we head out from Kaza, we start to see the famous Chow Chow Kang Nilda mountain face and the ranges around, which dominate the view for most of the day. We start an uphill route up to Langza village. This little village has a total population of 137 in 33 households. We visit the ancient Lang (Temple) estimated to be around 1000 years old. At Langza, walk back to the prehistoric era when Spiti was submerged by the Tethys Sea, as you explore a land very rich with fossils of Marine animals and plants which were here millions of years ago.
Known to be among the highest villages in the world, Komik – literally translates to ‘eye of a snow cock’. This farm-village has a population of 84 people, living in utter isolation, cut-off from the rest of the world for most parts of the year. This little hamlet brings you thousands of miles away from your familiar settings to a place of soft brown pastures and snow-white mountain peaks.
En route, we also stop at Hikkim, home to one of the highest post offices in the world. Some of the wildlife spotted in the region – the Tibetan wolf, blue sheep, red fox, hare, snow cock, Himalayan griffin, rock pigeon and snow leopards.
Overnight at a Hotel. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
(Distance: 19km / 6km / 67km – 92km, Travel Time: 7-8 hrs
Elevation: Kunzum – 4,590 m / 15,059 ft, Chandratal – 4,250 mts/13,944 ft)
An early departure for a long day of riding. We cross over a bridge to the other side of the valley to Rangrik, from where one can see the Key monastery far across. Heading on the Manali highway, we cross a few more remote villages reaching Losar, from where we start the climb up to Kunzum pass, the highest point on the trip. After the pass, turn on the dirt track to Chandratal, a hard ride to the most pristine and beautiful of locations in these ranges.
Overnight at a Camp. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
(Distance: 59km / 51km - 110km, Travel Time: 5-6 hrs
Elevation: Rohtang – 3,978m / 13,051ft)
After experiencing the golden hours around the lake and admiring the still morning mirrorlike waters, we start the ride back to Manali over the Rohtang pass . Arrival at the hotel to end the ride.
Overnight at a Hotel. Meal Inclusions: Breakfast and Dinner
A morning to relax back in the lush green Himalayan valleys around Manali. Based on return flight timings, we plan our departure from Manali back to Chandigarh/Delhi.
End of Trip
Pricing and Inclusions
| with 4 participants | with 8 participants | with 12 participants | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo Rider Plan | INR 58,200 | INR 47,600 | INR 42,900 |
| SUV Plan | INR 37,900 | INR 34,600 | INR 33,400 |
Inclusions:
- All accommodation on twin share basis in comfortable hotels and camps.
- Meal inclusions as specified in the plan.
- One Royal Enfield 500 cc per rider.
- A pickup jeep as backup vehicle for entire duration of the trip.
- Fuel for bikes.
- A dedicated trip leader with a bike for the entire duration of the trip.
- Mechanic included for the trip along with spare parts backup.
- Dedicated vehicle for all SUV participants.
- Wireless communication support and backup oxygen with the crew.
- All Inner line permits and road permits as required.
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