Treks Trips & Trails

Pick up from Ambala Railway station at 11:30 AM. Meet and Greet onwards to Chandiagrh Meeting at Hotel in Chandigarh. After having Lunch proceed to Shimla. By 2 PM. Arrival in Shimla. (6 to 7 PM). Dinner Overnight Stay at the Hotel.

The drive will take us from the urban terrains to Shimla - where we get our first taste of the Himalayas. Named after Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Kali, Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh and summer capital of pre-Independence India. It is an attractive blend of hill town and holiday resorts. Shimla has a distinctive retro style – with hand-painted signs in the bazaars and cars banned from the main town – it almost feels like the British left just yesterday. The drive is a comfortable one and takes us through some delightful landscape. Shimla is an important part of the journey as it gives the body ample time to adapt to the altitude and get ready for the journey ahead.

After breakfast leave for narkhanda a small wooded village and get views of Hatu peak, move to Sarahan enroute visit the exquisite palace of the erstwhile Maharajah of Rampur Bushair. Explore the town and then leave for the beautiful village of Sarahan, perched high above the river Sutlej, Sarahan is steeped in legend, hill architecture and remarkable natural beauty, orchards and small villages. Dinner and Over night in Sarahan.

REKONG PEO-

After breakfast visit to Bhimakali Temple, it is revered as one of the fifty one Shaktipeeth. After visit to the temple leave for the beautiful Valley of Sangla (8900 ft) At Sangla - known as the ‘Land of Gods’, the 95 km stretch of exquisite beauty promises you a storehouse of wonderful memories. The flow of the Sutlej River through the Sangla Valley is quite a sight to behold; the picturesque scenery and the way of life in the numerous villages of Sangla are testament to the harmony with which coexists with nature. The natural scenery all around and the eternal snow views are Picturesque and charming. It is also known as Baspa Valley since the Baspa River flows through this valley. Dinner & Overnight in Sangla.

The beautiful Sangla Valley is south of the Kinnaur Kailash Range. In the village of Sangla there is a temple dedicated to Nagesh. In the village of Kamru, 2km from Sangla village, there is a wooden five-storey fort. It has a temple dedicated to Kamakshi in it.The best time to visit this valley is in April and May and in September and October. The road up to the Sutlej Valley is closed part of the year in the winter. Sometimes it can be hard to find places to stay in this area, so a tent could be useful, because there are many places to camp.Sangla in the north, there are the Kinnaur-Kailash mountain ranges and in the south, there is the Garwal mountain range. River Sutlej is flowing aside.The lush green calm and quite Sangla valley is also known as Baspa Valley. This valley is also full of apples, peaches, apricot, nuts etc, and varied flowers. The houses are mostly of Tibetan style (Tibet is not far away from here). Surrounding the village there are lots pine and fur trees. Here, there is one temple of Berinag which is made of stone and wood, and the tomb is of gold. There is a bank, post-office and hospital in this village. Also there is a hydro electricity centre and a breeding centre for Trout-fish.

After breakfast explore the vicinity around including an ancient Kamru fort & temple dedicated to Nagas God. Visit to Chitkul, the last village on the old Indo – Tibetan Trade Route. The extensive Nila range where the greenish-blue Baspa River originates, decorates India on one side and Tibet on the other. At a height of 3450m, Chitkul is picture-perfect Here, the temples of the local Goddess, ‘Mathi’ are well-worth visiting as well; some of them are as old as 500 years. Chitkul is a true experience of nature not ravaged by the widespread encroachment of man, and the beauty of the hills that speckle the Baspa Valley are testaments to this fact. Overnight in Sangla.

CHITKUL- which is 26km away at a height of 3450m, the last village on the Indo-Tibetan Border. This village consists of 100 houses with 700 Indians. Here, river Baspa flows with a murmuring sound through the pine forest and starts from the Nee-La pass not far away. This side of Nee-La pass is India and on the other side is Tibet or China.Here you will find apples, peaches, nuts and lots of Primula, Poppy and Berch trees. For a nature lover, the exotic, serene and tranquil atmosphere will be really enjoyable & memorable. There are two attractions here – the wooden fort and the temple of Devimata.

Morning after breakfast we drive towards the apple-orchard dotted town of Kalpa. Legend has it that Kalpa was the winter home of Lord Shiva. If it’s true, he couldn’t have found a more remarkable abode for himself, with enthrallingly majestic views of the Kinner Kailash and Jorkandan Peaks looming right above the village, and by its side is a seventy nine foot rock formation that resembles a Shivalinga that changes the color as the day passes and is visible to the naked eye on a clear day. And in evening visit to Buddhist Gompa, Hu Bu Lan Kar A winding road about 7 km above Rekong Peo brings you to this gem of a little village where modernity is only just beginning to make an appearance.

KALPA - One can see a wide range of snow clad mountain peaks and amongst them, the center of attraction is the Kalpa peak. The prominent Kinnaur-Kailash (height of 6050m) looks like a Shivalinga. It is said that on a sunny day, the colour of the Kinnaur-Kailash changes along with the movement of the sun.Kalpa is a nice peaceful town, about 600m higher in elevation than Rekong Peo.According to local folks it is said that Lord Siva comes here in the winter. During the month of Magha (Jan/Feb), the gods are said to come here to meet with Shiva.There are some great views of the mountains from here and some good walks in the area. There is a tendency to get lost in this area, so you should stay conscious of the trail or take a guide with you.

After Kalpa, the landscape changes from green-mountains to desert-mountains. We continue our journey through Kinnaur and enter the Hindustan-Tibet Highway - often called the worlds most treacherous and beautiful road. We drive via Puh, which is the last fuel station on this road before Kaza. After a fuel refill, we drive towards our destination - Nako. Nako - originally known as ‘Kyangoh’ or ‘Gateway to the Holy Place’, is a village in Western Himalayas, situated at 3600m. This village is the embodiment of Buddhist culture and traditions - evident in the various monasteries and practices of the charming locals. The village is exquisitely beautiful with an oval shaped lake, protected on all sides by adjoining mountains. Later, we drive to Tabo - home to the famous Tabo Monastry which is more than 1010 years old and is an abode to many precious Thangka paintings, including the famous Pillar of a thousand Buddhas. The entry to the monastery complex, covering in total 6300 square meters, is made of earthen walls with a dark interior shading the many marvelous and colourful frescoes inside. The ancient paintings depict the life cycle of The Buddha and legends from the Jataka Tales and were made in the Tibetan style by artists from Kashmir. Called the Ajanta of the Himalayas, the Tabo monastery is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Tabo is also an internationally known mediation destination and is often visited by high dignitaries such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The many meditation caves built into the side of the mountains on the valley walls in front of Tabo make this a perfect destination if you are looking for some introspective peace and tranquility.Dinner & overnight stay Tabo.

After breakfast we drive to Dhankar, which is the ancient capital of Spiti and the seat of the Spitian Kings. It is home to the royalty’s ruined castle and as well as a splendid 16th century Monastery. Situated mid-way between Kaza and Tabo, it’s slightly off the route on top of a steep sided mountain ridge jutting out over the valley. From Dhankar, a short trek away, is the beautiful turquoise Dhanker Lake which is a must-visit if you have the time and energy. that proceed to Kaza. On the way: Poh, Sichling&Dhankar Monastery. Arrival in Kaza, check into the hotel. Dinner & overnight stay at hotel in Kaza.

Today, 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 4513 metres. This farming 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 ensures to bring you thousands of miles away from your familiar settings to a place of soft brown pastures and snow-white mountain peaks. After Komik, we head to the picturesque villages of Hikkim and Langza. At Hikkim, we visit the world’s highest post office. Later, we head down to Langza where you can walk about the village and visit the ancient Lang (Temple) which is estimated to be around 1000 years old. At Langza, trek 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. Later, 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 Centre of learning as well as 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 4205 metres and 18 km from Kaza, this formerly highest permanently inhabited village of this region, is also a popular base camp to embark on adventure and treks to adjoining mountains of high altitude. From Kibber, we drive up to Gette where we get stunning views of Kaza and get a chance to tie a prayer flag. We return to Kaza to spend the night at a comfortable hotel. Dinner & overnight in Kaza

Today, we commence our journey back home. However, we take one last stop at another Spitian wonder – Chandratal Lake. The mystical and beautiful Chandratal Lake, which translates to Moon Lake, is located at a height of 14,100 feet. The Chandra Bhaga mountain range forms a striking backdrop for the lake, which changes appearance according to the pictures painted in the sky. Overnight at a comfortable camp near Chandratal Lake.

We wake up to a delicious breakfast. If time permits, we can visit the lake one more time before we bid goodbye to Spiti Valley. We continue driving on the Kaza – Manali road and after a few hours of driving and some more stunning landscape, we pass through the Kunzum Pass and the famous Rohtang Pass and reach Manali where we end our Spiti Valley tour . Since there is no sightseeing scheduled for today, you are free to explore the town on your own once you reach Manali.

After breakfast check out from the hotel & proceed to to drop you at Chandigarh Airport /Railway station. Arrive in Chandigarh and the group splits.