Spiti Valley Tour Packages

Spiti Valley in the northeastern part of Himachal Pradesh is a cold desert mountain valley and is the land between Tibet and India. One of India’s coldest places, Spiti derives its popularity from its snow-covered mountains, heavy snowfall, trekking trails and monasteries. Holidify’s wide range of Spiti Valley tour packages are perfect for when you’re looking to plan a trip with friends or family.

Spiti is well known for its Buddhist culture and is home to several monasteries like the Key Monastery, Dhankar Monastery, Kungri Monastery and Tabo Monastery. You would also find the Trilokinath Temple here. The crescent-shaped Chandratal Lake is a breathtaking sight and is a must-visit attraction in Spiti Valley, along with Suraj Tal.

Something unique to Spiti Valley is fossil hunting; Langza and Hikkim are full of fossils, and you can even buy fossil souvenirs. Close to the India-Tibet border is the quaint Tashigang village with a population of about 40 that offers marvellous views of the mountains, valleys and sunrise/sunset. On your trip to Spiti, try to find Thangka paintings that are Buddhist paintings on cotton and silk.

Adventurous activities like river rafting, mountain biking and trekking are central to a Spiti trip; the Pin Valley Park Trek is one of the most popular. Spiti tour packages also include nearby places like Shimla, Sangla and Manali. Sangla in the Kinnaur District is renowned for the lush green Sangla Meadow, majestic Kamru Fort, Batseri Village, Rakcham and Baspa River. The summer capital of British India, Shimla is a must-visit destination owing to its colonial structures like the Visceral Lodge, Narkanda, which is ideal for skiing, Green Valley, The Ridge and Shimla Reserve Forest Sanctuary.

Visit Manali to experience its snow-clad Solang Valley and see the Hadimba Temple, Vashisht Baths, Arjun Gufa, Sethan Valley, The Great Himalayan National Park and the cascading Rahala Falls. Regardless of who you are travelling with, Holidify’s fully customisable and budget-friendly Spiti tour packages guarantee you an amazing trip and pack the best of the region!

Places to Visit in Spiti

Chandratal Lake: Chandratal Lake is often referred to as one of the most beautiful lakes located at an altitude of about 4300 m in the mighty Himalayas. This lake is also one of two high-altitude wetlands of India that have been designated as Ramsar sites. It is believed that the Chandratal Lake lies in the vicinity of a place from where God Indra's chariot picked up Yudhishthira, the eldest of Pandava brothers in Mahabharata. The colour of the water of this holy lake keeps changing from reddish to orange to blue to emerald green as the day ends. 

Key Monastery: The Key Monastery is a famous Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the Lahaul and Spiti District. Also known as the Kye Monastery and Ki Monastery, it is over a thousand years old and is also the largest monastery to be found in the entire Spiti Valley. The monastery enshrines Buddha idols in the Dhyana position and has a collection of ancient books and murals.

Suraj Tal: Suraj Tal Lake is considered as the 3rd largest lake in India. Due to the belief that a dip in the Suraj Tal lake cleanses a person of his sins, it attracts a lot of people and is therefore considered spiritual. However, the major reason that the lake has gained popularity is that it comes en-route to the famous Manali-Leh path that is popular for trekking and biking trips, that also encompasses the Baralacha-La Pass on the way. 

Baralacha La: The Baralacha La, also known as the Baralacha Pass, is a high mountain pass that is located at the height of 16,040 feet above the sea level. This 8 kilometres long pass connects the Lahaul district in Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir and is located along the Leh-Manali highway. People who visit this pass also love to enjoy the trek from the Baralacha up to the Chandratal. The scenery and views here are breathtaking, and the barren land without any hotels and shops looks stunning. 

Dhankar Monastery: Dhankar Monastery, also referred to as Dankhar, Drangkhar or Dhangkar Gompa, is perched unbelievably on the edge of a cliff and offers a panoramic view of Spiti valley. Built one thousand years ago on a 1000 feet high mountain and overlooking the heart-stirring sight of the confluence of Spiti and Pin rivers, Dhankar Monastery is listed as one of the world's 100 most endangered monuments. 

Kibber: Kibber, also known as Kyibar, is a small village located in the Spiti Valley. Surrounded by picturesque mountains and barren landscapes, Kibber boasts of being the highest village with a motorable road. The village is particularly famous for the local monastery and Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary. One can spend a day at the rest houses here, with the mountains watching over. 

Tabo Monastery: The Tabo Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries located in the Tabo Village of Spiti Valley. In fact, it is the oldest monastery in India and the Himalayas that has been functioning continuously since its inception. This alluring monastery is renowned as the 'Ajanta of the Himalayas'. This is because the walls of the monastery are decorated with fascinating murals and ancient paintings, much like the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra.

Pin Valley National Park: The Pin Valley National Park is home to the rare species of famous Himalayan snow leopards and their prey, the Ibex. The National  Park is most famous for its incredible trek. It snows for the most part of the year rendering the trek a thrilling and adventurous expedition. There are also Siberian Ibex, Bharal, red fox, weasel and marten that call this place their home. While foreign nationals are not permitted here, Indian nationals need a permit to visit.

Things to Do in Spiti

Spiti Valley Bike Trip: Being in the trans-Himalayan Region, the terrain of Spiti is favoured among adventure bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts. It features toward the top on the list of any Mountain Biker. Ride on some of the highest roads and through the cold desert mountain valley's dreamy landscapes. The best time for such an experience is during the months of June to September.

Yak Safari: One of the prime things to do in Spiti Valley is enjoying a ride on a yak. Yak and Horse Safaris are the best and some of the most popular and loved ways to explore this region. The activity is a very popular one among the tourists and even among the locals.

River Rafting: ​​Rafting is one of the most thrilling things to do in Spiti. Riding the tides in the backdrop of rocky hills and picture perfect setting is an experience of a lifetime. You can try the activity in the Pin and Spiti rivers. This rafting activity covers a distance of 180 kms on an average.

Stargazing: Stargazing is a unique experience that is especially enjoyable in the hills. And Spiti Valley is one such place where you can en-cash this surreal experience. On clear nights, you can see the night sky studded with millions of diamond like stars. While the activity is in itself, immensely peaceful, it is also a time to reminisce, and is surely going to be an experience of a lifetime for you.

Trekking: Spiti is the haven for adventure seekers and trekkers as it offers treks through some of the most unseen, dream-like landscapes, watched over by majestic sceneries. For the more experienced trekkers there is the Pin-Parvati route. Other routes include Kaza-Langza-Hikim-Comic-Kaza, Kaza-Ki-Kibber-Gete-Kaza, Kaza-Losar-Kunzum La and Kaza-Tabo-Sumdo-Nako.

Food in Spiti

Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh is synonymous with tasty organic food as well as dishes  borrowed predominantly from the Tibetan cuisine. During the winters, non-vegetarian food is preferred while during the summers, vegetarian food is the go-to choice since fresh vegetables like leafy vegetables, carrots, cabbage, peas, radish etc. are grown in the region.

• You can definitely find a lot of places selling delicious and warm momos, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, which are either steamed or fried. They are usually had with a chilli sauce.
• Don’t forget to try some thukpa which is a very popular soup dish consisting of noodles, vegetables like onions, carrots, cabbage etc. and often meat too.
• Thenthuk is a variation of thukpa prepared by flattening out wheat flour dough and adding it to the soup and vegetables instead of making it into noodles.
• Tsampa is another favourite made with roasted flour, mostly barley flour but sometimes wheat flour too. You can have it with Tibetan butter tea which consists of tea leaves, butter made from yak or cow milk, salt and water.
• The stuffed Spiti bread filled with cottage cheese and potatoes is a must-have.
• Something special to have is chhurpi which is cheese made from yak milk.
• Seabuckthorn tea as well as jam called Tsetsalulu which are  prepared using a special kind of berry grown in the Himalayas.
• You can also have some chhang, beer made from barley, or arak, its distilled form.
• Some popular restaurants in Spiti Valley include The Himalayan Cafe, Cafe Kunzum Top, Hotel Dupchen and Mahabuddha Restaurant.

Shopping in Spiti

Spiti Valley is an excellent destination for buying a variety of souvenirs, ranging from Tibetan artefacts, handicrafts, woollens, art and more.

• Singing bowls which produce a melodious tune when struck with a wooden stick are sold widely throughout the region.
• Buying prayer flags or prayer wheels is popular.
• Thangka paintings which are made on cotton or silk and depict scenes with Buddha, his disciples or other Buddhist gurus also make for excellent souvenirs
• You can also find Chhang pots made of copper or brass which have beautiful carvings.
• Many markets sell Tibetan and pahari jewellery including rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings etc. Some of the most popular styles are Kangnu, Chalai, Chandrahar and Boomani. These are made of silver, beads and semi-precious gems.
• Pashmina shawls, pahari or kinnauri topis and Tibetan dresses can also be bought here.
• There are many shops that sell woollen rugs and carpets especially Kashmiri carpets and those with geometric patterns, motifs of trees and birds, lotus flowers etc.
• Kaza is one of the best places to shop in the Valley since it has a multitude of shops.