Banjara Camps / similar
Sangla & Kalpa
2 nights Cottage or alpine tent All meals included
- Valley views
- Dining tent
- Hot water
- Bonfire
Riverside camp in Sangla and a hotel at Kalpa.
Adventure
Spiti Valley Circuit — Cold Desert, Monasteries & Chandratal
Shimla to Manali the hard way, through Kinnaur and Spiti: Kalpa, Tabo's mud monastery, Key and Kibber, Chandratal lake and the Kunzum La crossing.
About this journey
Overview
The Spiti circuit is one of India's great road journeys, climbing from Shimla's apple country through Kinnaur's cliff-hung highway into a Tibetan-Buddhist cold desert. Over seven nights you sleep in Kalpa under Kinner Kailash, at Tabo's thousand-year-old mud monastery, in Kaza with the world's highest villages an hour away, and beside Chandratal's crescent lake before crossing Kunzum La to Manali. The route is done in this direction deliberately, gaining altitude gradually. Homestays feature where hotels do not exist, and the vehicle is a hardy SUV with a driver who runs this road all season.
Trip highlights
- Shimla to Sangla in the Baspa valley
- Chitkul, the last village, and on to Kalpa
- Kalpa to Tabo through Nako
- Tabo to Kaza via Dhankar and Pin
- Key, Kibber, Hikkim and Langza
- Kaza to Chandratal over Kunzum La
8 days planned
Day-by-day itinerary
A long day east from Shimla along the Sutlej on the old Hindustan-Tibet road, entering Kinnaur at Karcham and climbing into the Baspa valley to Sangla, with its wooden temples and apple orchards.
Transparent pricing
What's included
Inclusions
- 7 nights accommodation in hotels, guesthouses and camps
- All meals from dinner on day one to breakfast on the last day
- Private 4x4 SUV with an experienced Spiti driver
- Shimla pick-up and Chandigarh drop
- Inner line permits where required for Kinnaur and Spiti
- Monastery entries at Tabo, Dhankar, Key and Komic
- Chandratal camping with sleeping bags and liners
- Oxygen cylinder and first-aid kit in the vehicle
- All road taxes, tolls and driver allowances
- Trip briefing on altitude, packing and connectivity
Exclusions
- Airfare and train tickets to and from the start city
- Lunches and beverages unless specified in inclusions
- Personal expenses, tips, laundry and phone bills
- Travel insurance and any medical costs
- Anything not listed under inclusions
- Rate changes due to peak-date or festival surcharges
Where you sleep
Accommodation details
- Total nights
- 7 nights
- Properties
- 4 hotels
- Average rating
- 2.8 star
- Board basis
- All meals included
Tabo and Kaza guesthouses
Tabo & Kaza
3 nights Standard room with attached bath All meals included
- Local Spitian food
- Hot water bucket
- Heating in Kaza
- Wi-Fi patchy
Simple, clean guesthouses — the best available in Spiti.
Chandratal camp
Chandratal
1 night Twin-share alpine tent All meals included
- Dining tent
- Sleeping bags
- Dry toilets
- No power
Camps sit 2km from the lake by regulation; expect cold nights at 4,250m.
Hotel Manali Heights / similar
Manali
1 night Deluxe room Breakfast and dinner
- Restaurant
- Heating
- Valley views
- Wi-Fi
A comfortable finish after the cold-desert nights.
Hotels shown are our preferred properties. On sold-out dates we substitute a stay of the same or higher category and confirm it with you before booking.
From this trip
Gallery
Payments & policies
Good to know
Payment schedule
25% at the time of booking, balance 30 days before departure. All payments by bank transfer or UPI.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure. 30–15 days: 25% of the trip cost. Within 15 days: 100% of the trip cost.
Visa and documents
Passport valid for at least six months beyond travel. Our visa desk handles filing and documentation.
Availability
Departures available through the season, subject to hotel and flight availability at the time of booking.
Before you book
Frequently asked
Still have a question? Talk to a specialist who has been here.
Travellers who took this trip
4.8
58 verified reviews
Our Bali honeymoon was planned down to the smallest detail without ever feeling rigid. The floating breakfast surprise on day two is still the photo everyone asks about.
Sneha & Karthik
Bali Honeymoon Escape
Travelled with two children under eight and never once felt rushed. The Dubai itinerary was clearly built by someone who has actually travelled with kids.
Rajesh Nair
Dubai Family Adventure
My Schengen application had been refused once before. The team rebuilt the entire file, explained every document, and it was approved in eleven days.
Meera Krishnan
Schengen Visa Assistance
Similar journeys
Trips our specialists pair with this itinerary most often.
