Overlanding Spiti Valley

DETAILED ITINERARY:

DAY 00: DELHI/CHANDIGARH – MANALI

DAY 01: MANALI – JIBHI /120 KMS/ 4-5 HRS

On arrival at ManaliVolvo Bus Stand in morning Meet our Representative & transfer to hotel in Manali. After tour briefing, get together &breakfast leave from hotel and start your drive towards Tirthan Valley.

EXPLORE JIBHI:

You can visit Jibhi Waterfall, Tirthan Valley etc.

On reaching Jibhi, check in your hotel & enjoy overnight stay with dinner.

DAY 02: JIBHI –  JALORI PASS – SANGLA/200 KMS/6-8 HRS

After having breakfast drive towards Jalori Pass. .

On the way visit Rampur, Jalori Pass.

Jalori Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.134m (10,282ft) above the sea level, situated in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, in India. The pass is the nearest mountain pass from Delhi, approximately 600 km away, and is featured on every adventure tourist’s map.

With the Baspa river magically weaving itself through the forested slopes, this exquisite 95-kilometer stretch of the Sangla Valley is a sight to behold. Known predominantly for its agriculture, almost every house in Sangla will have cultivations of apples, pears, walnuts, apricots or potatoes. Enroute visit Rampur/ Karcham & halt for lunch.

Sangla: the largest settlement in the valley,it will take around 6 hours to reach Sangla& it is a place where you might find yourself staying overnight if you can’t find onward transport. It has a couple of cybercafes and a State Bank ATM on the main street. Clinging to a rocky spur 2km north (about 30 minutes’ walk).

*VISIT CHITKUL IF TIME & WEATHER ALLOWS.

Enjoy your overnight stay in Sangla.

DAY 03: SANGLA-NAKO-TABO  : DISTANCE: 200 KM/6-8 HOURS:

On next morning after breakfast, check out from hotel & start your drive to Nako.

On this day after breakfast at hotel leave from Chitkul, we continue driving on the famous Hindustan – Tibet Highway or the NH 22 – This stretch is famously known as one of “most treacherous roads of the world” by the lonely planet in a visual spectacle. Don’t let that little piece of information deter you because your local drivers are highly skilled and experienced while driving on these roads. As you begin embracing the jaw-dropping views watch the mountains change their colours from the lush greens of the Kinnaur valley to the many hues of brown.

After a quick refueling stop at Puh, we proceed to Nako – the last hamlet of Kinnaur, before we enter the gates of Spiti Valley.

Nako is the largest village at an elevation of 3,625 metres (11,893 ft) (3,662 metres(12,014 ft) is also mentioned) in the Hangrang Valley with the backdrop of ReoPurgyal which has an elevation of 6,816 metres (22,362 ft) and is the highest mountain in Himachal Pradesh. The village is now on a more stable location near the Nako Lake (formed by the slopes of the mountains of ReoPurgyal), compared to the opposite bank across the Nako river where it was located earlier and then shifted because of tectonic upliftment of the site.

As of 2002, the village had a population of 416. Access to the village is from a branch road of 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the National Highway 22. It is 117 kilometres (73 mi) away from Kalpa. Nako Monastery in the upper part of the village and the Nako Lake are important landmarks in the village. Apples and Sun dried apricots are the agricultural produce from the village.

The second largest village of the Spiti Valley, Tabo, is known worldwide for its 1000-year-old Tabo Monastery. Walk around this UNESCO world heritage site and gain a deeper insight into Buddhism. Unlike other monasteries in the Spiti Valley, the Tabo monastery is located at the bottom of the valley.

Enjoy your overnight stay in Tabo.

DAY 04: DRIVE FROM TABO- DHANKAR-  KAZA:70 KMS/3-5 HRS

*VISITING DHANKAR DEPENDS UPON ROAD CONDITIONS

Hotel  / Breakfast & Dinner  /11,500 feet

After a delicious breakfast, we drive towards Dhankar. Perched high above the confluence of the Spiti and Pin River, in a hidden bowl, is the tiny hamlet of Dhankar. The former capital of the Royals of Spiti Valley, also known as the Nono, who ruled the dust-coloured badlands of Spiti Valley. Go back in time as you explore the 1200-year-old Dhankar Gompa which perches precariously between eroded rocky pinnacles on the edge of a cliff. If time permits, do take an hour’s climb above the village to visit the stunning turquoise Dhankar Tso or Dhankar Lake which offers views over the valley and towards the twin peaks of Mane Rang (6593 meters).

Later on we drive towards Kaza, main town of Spiti valley. On arrived Kaza check in your hotel & rest day to explore Kazamonastery  & market. Here you can visit Himalayan cafe, which is in centre of market &Deyzore cafe.

Enjoy your stay at hotel with dinner.

DAY 05: KAZA -LANGZA- HIKKIM- KOMIK – KI MONASTERY- KIBBER  – KAZA/90 KMS/4-6 HRS

On this day, we drive to some of the highest inhabited regions of the world.The highest village in Asia, Komik, which literally translates to ‘eye of a snow cock’, is situated at a height of 4,513 meters. 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. Some of the common animals of the region are the Tibetan wolf, blue sheep, red fox, hare, snow cock, Himalayan griffin, rock pigeon etc.

Later, we drive toHikkim where we visit the world’s highest post office in the world. If possible, you may even meet the post-master and hear his stories. After sending out a postcard, we drive to Langza.

Langza village is situated at an altitude of 4,400 meters and belongs to the Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Langza houses a population of 137 in 33 households. Once you are here, you can walk into the village and visit the ancient Lang (Temple) which is 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.

After  lunch, we visit the world famous Ki Monastery. The car will first stop at the base of the monastery hill for the ultimate photo opportunity of this remarkable structure. With over 1000 years’ worth stories to tell, the Ki Monastery situated at a height of 13,668 feet was founded by a disciple of the famous Atisha, in the 11th century CE. Belonging to the Yellow Hat or Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, this monastery is famous as a prominent center of learning as well as a refuge for Tibetans. Being remotely located atop a hill overlooking endless plains, the Ki Monastery is an obvious choice for those seeking peace and calm.

Then we will move farther up the valley to the picturesque village of Kibber. Located at a height of 4,205 meters and 18 km from Kaza, this formerly highest, permanently inhabited village in this region, is also a popular base camp to embark on adventure and treks to adjoining mountains of high altitude. The expanses of beautiful landscapes and immeasurable beauty of the snow-tipped mountains make the place a haven for nature-lovers and photographers alike.

We drive back to Kaza in the evening and spend the night in a comfortable and warm Kaza hotel.

DAY 06: KAZA –  KALPA/220 KMS/7-8 HRS

After a great Spitian winter experience we start our journey back to the cities but not without a final blast. We retrace the roads back to Kinnaur via Tabo, Nako till Powari.

On arrival at Kalpa check in at hotel.  Overnight at hotel.

DAY 07: KALPA – SHIMLA DROP/220 KMS/7-8 HRS

After the most memorable trip of your life you head back to Shimla with lot of photos, videos and friends from high Himalayas. Your 4×4 vehicles will drop you at Shimla Volvo Stand and further journey will be in Volvo.

By evening  transfer to Shimla Volvo Bus Stand. Board your overnight Volvo from Shimla to Delhi by next morning you will reach there.

Your Himalayan Adventure Trip Will End With Sweet Memories!!!