Places to Visit in Spiti Valley
- Kaza: The Administrative headquarter of the Spiti Sub division, Kaza is the main town of the valley. It has seen an influx of tourists over last five years and as a result many Guest houses and hotels have come up in the region. Kaza has a distinct Buddhist influence and the many monasteries based in and around Kaza are a testament to it. Kaza also has the only petrol station between kalpa and Manali so is an important refueling point as well. Besides, Many guest houses , homestays and some very good cafes have come up in the town that make staying here a very pleasant experience.
- Chandra Tal Lake: Chandra Tal is located at an altitude of over 14000 ft in the district of Lahul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. This isolated high-altitude lake is remote, beautiful and the destination for numerous treks and biking activities. The lake has a holy significance for Hindus as according to legend Chandratal is the place where the god Indra, picked up Yudhishthira, the oldest Pandava brother, in his chariot. Till date no concrete study has been able to determine the exact depth of the lake. The remote, pristine lake is covered in snow for all but 3-4 months in a year, when the banks become a summer haven for large numbers of birds. Because such high-altitude wetlands in the cold Himalayan deserts are rare, the site is protected as a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance. As the lake is about 2 km long and shaped like a half-crescent. It is easy to see why the Sanskrit name translates to ‘Lake of the Moon’. Chandratal is located on the Samudra Tapu Plateau and one side of the lake is bordered by steep, rocky, brown slopes while the other by a pasture which blooms in early summer with a wildflowers. Few local sheepherders can be seen grazing their livestock in the plateau near the lake during summers. The lake is surrounded by Moulkila and Chandrabhaga Mountain ranges. The lake does not have any visible source of incoming water and the best guess is that it is fed through underground passages from the melting glacier nearby. The deep blue and turquoise colours also indicate that ‘rock flour’ from the nearby glacier may be present. Its outflow becomes the sparkling Chandra River.The road to Chandratal is open only from June to September for vehicles and that is also the time when a lot of trekking groups visit the lake usually through Rohtang pass and Batal. The Accommodation options are mainly camps at a campsite about 1.5 kms away from the lake. The nearest constructed accommodation from the lake is about 25kms away in Batal. The road from Batal to Chandratal is not metaled but provides a thrilling experience if one were to take a bike or a car. The weather at the lake is very unpredictable and a sunny day has changed to cloudy and has even had snowstorms at any time of the year.
- Dhankar Monastery: Dhankar Monastery is located at an altitude of 12750ft in the Spiti section of the Lahaul and Spiti District. This beautiful monastery stands on a 1000 ft high cliff overlooking the confluence of Spiti and Pin rivers. In the Tibetan language Dhang means cliff and Khar means fort, hence the name Dhaknar, literally translates to fort on a fort on a cliff. This beautiful monastery has been home to scholars and monks for many centuries and some monks claim it to be amongst the oldest monasteries in the world. They say it is older than Tabo but as it was raided many times, since it was also a fort, there aren’t any artefacts to support their claims. Even today one can find over 150 monks learning the Buddhist values and ways of life in this monastery. Dhankar was for long the capital of Spiti kingdom and the rulers, Nonos, were especially famous for imposing harsh penalties on the subjects. With increase in tourist inflow and with help of enterprising locals the standard of basic infrastructure around the Dhankar village has improved. Now, the village is connected by tar road and many tourists visit the monastery to capture some amazing pictures of the confluence and also of the monastery. There is a new monastery in the small village of Shichilling below the old monastery. The old monastery is associated with the Great Translator, Rinchen Zanggpo, and its complex comprises a number of multi-storey buildings perched together. There is a small museum in the Gompa which displays some scriptures and old paintings. The main attraction of the Dhankar Monastery, apart from the stunning landscape is a the statue of Vairocana, which consists of four figures seated back to back.
- Hikim Village: Hikkim Village is one of the highest year round inhabited places in India, situated at an altitude of 14400ft. The highest post office in the world is also in Hikkim and since its inauguration in 1986, the same post officer has been taking mail on foot to Kaza. Hikkim is about 16kms away from Kaza and on the route to Komic and Langza village. Summers are a good time to visit the village as it remains mostly covered with snow in the winters. The post office is the main attraction of the village and lots of people travel from kaza to send letters and postcards from the highest post office with the PIN 172114. Its a perfect souvenir to send back home.
- Komic: The highest village in the world connected by a road, Komic is 2 kms further from Hikkim and about 18 kms from Kaza. There are few homestays in the village but no hotels or guest houses as the travelers mostly make a quick stop at the village and hardly spend the evening. Komic is located at an altitude of over 15000 ft and has a monastery that is maintained by locals and monks.
- Tabo Monastery: Tabo Monastery was was founded in 996 CE in the tibetan year of the Fire Ape by the scholar Rinchen Zangpo on behalf of the king Guge. It is believed to be the oldest continuously operating Buddhist monastery in both India and the Himalayas. The monastery is situated in Tabo village in the Spiti valley on the left bank of the Spiti River. The valley is bordered by Ladakh in the north, by Tibet and the Kinnaur district in the east and by Lahaul and Kullu in the west and south east. Tabo monastery is located at bottom of the valley, unlike other monasteries in the valley, which are perched on hills. In past Tabo was part of Tibet. It is located in a very arid, cold and rocky area at an altitude of 3,050 metres (10,010 ft). Above the monastery there are a number of caves carved into the cliff face and used by monks for meditation. There is also an assembly hall in the caves and some faded paintings on the rock face.
- Kunzum Pass: Kunzum Pass is located at an altitude of around 15000ft and serves as a gateway between Lahaul and Spiti Valleys. Kunzum Pass is an important point in the journey from Kaza to Manali or kaza to Keylong and has a temple devoted to Kunzum Mata at the top. The road surrounding the pass has many sharp hairpin turns that test even the most seasoned drivers. The stretch between Kunzum to Gramphu is a delight for off roading and is one of the more difficult stretches on the himalayan roads. Its frequent water crossings emanating from melting glaciers and land slide prone stretches make this road a unique adventure for both the vehicle and the driver/passenger. Surrounding the road are also beautiful lush valleys which provide the perfect backdrop for some amazing photography.
- Rohtang Pass: Rohtang Pass is located at an altitude of 13060 ft ( 3978m ) above sea level in the Pir Panjal range. Rohtang means ” a field of corpse” and gets its name from the many deaths that happened here due to bad weather in the years gone by. It divides the Kullu and Lahaul & Spiti districts and is one of the major tourist attraction for tourists visiting Manali. The pass is famous for sudden weather change and unexpected snowfall, sometimes even in summers. It remains open from May to November and is the first High Altitude pass on the Manali – Leh Highway. Since 2016, Theres been a restriction applied on the number of Vehicles that can go to Rohtang. In order to cross the Pass, you would need to secure a permit, for which you would require a Valid drivers license, Vehicle PUC certificate and Registration documents.
- Chicham Bridge: Chicham Bridge is Asia’s highest bridge located at an altitude of 13600ft. It connects the chicham and Kibber villages in Spiti valley. Built over a course of 15 years, this bridge stands over a gorge of over 1000ft and has become the backbone of tourism and developement in the chicham village. It cuts down the distance between Losar and Kibber by a good 40 kms and provides many options for travelers in spiti to explore the surrounding region that comprises of Kaza, Komic, Langza, Dhankar, Tabo and Nako.
- Gue: Since 2014, Gue has become one of the major tourist attractions in Spiti valley because of the Mummy Temple . The mummified body of monk Sangha Tenzin was discovered after an earthquake in 1975. In 2004, the local police excavated the tomb and removed the mummy. The mummy is still remarkably well preserved, with skin intact and hair on his head. He died in the seated position, with a rope around the neck and thighs. According to the local lore, Sangha Tenzin had asked his followers to mummify him during a scorpion infestation in the town, and when his spirit left his body, a rainbow appeared and the scorpions disappeared. The town is about 30 miles from the Tabo Monastery that dates to 996 CE.