Spiti Moonlake Drive- Spiti Valley

Early morning we start drive towards Kaza via Rohtang/Atal Tunnel and Kunzum la. Enroute we have short break at Chattru and Batal. Arrived Kaza by late evening.  Overnight stay at - Kaza. 

On the next day of this Spiti Valley tour, we drive to the charming and high villages of Dhankar.

Dhankar, the former capital of the Spiti Valley, offers panoramic views of Spiti Valley. Dhankar stands perched above the confluence of the Spiti and Pin river. Perhaps there must have been a fort here once, but today Dhankar is renowned for its 1200-year old monastery balanced precariously on a rocky precipice. If time and energy permit, we do the easy 45-minute trek to the stunning turquoise coloured Dhankar Lake. Afterwards, we drive towards the beautiful Pin Valley. We first visit the Kungri Monastery and then the beautiful hamlet of Mudh – the last motorable village of the Pin Valley. Declared a national park in 1987, Pin Valley has altitudes ranging from 11,000 to 20,000 feet. By late evening reach to Kaza.  Overnight stay at - Kaza. 

Today we will drive to some of the highest inhabited regions of the world. Very first we visit the world famous Ki Monastery. 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.  Then, We drive to Langza. Langza village is situated at an altitude of 4400 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 around 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. Later, we drive to Hikkim where we visit the world’s highest post office in the world. If possible, you might even meet the post-master and hear his stories.  After sending out a postcard, The highest village in Asia, Komik, which literally translates to ‘eye of a snow cock’, is situated at a height of 4513 meters. 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. 

Overnight stay at - Kaza. 

After early breakfast, we drive to one of the most photogenic places in Spiti Valley – the Chandratal Lake , But before that we will drive to the picturesque village of Kibber. Located at a height of 4205 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. Thenafter, drive to Chicham bridge, which is considered as Asia’s Highest Bridge, which is inaugurated in September 2018.  Later on, we pass through the high altitude pass of Kunzum La. Stop by at the stupa and pay tribute to the local goddess, “Kuzum Mata” as she's known. At 15,000 feet above sea-level, the Kuzum Pass connects Kullu and Lahaul to the Spiti Valley. From there, we head to Chandratal Lake – A visual marvel, this stunning blue-coloured lake is set at an altitude of 4,300 meters above sea level in the heart of high Himalayas and is a must see on a full moon night. It derives its name, “Chandra” (Moon) and “Taal” (Lake) from the crescent shape of the lake. Watch the lake change colours from crystal clear shades of blue to emerald greens by dusk.

Overnight at a camp 2 km away from Chandratal Lake.

On the next day of this Spiti Valley tour, drive from Chandratal Lake towards Manali. We take a quick stop at Batal for a cup of tea at a small tea shop run by a beautiful old couple. From there, we continue driving on the Kaza – Manali highway and stop at Chatru for lunch. Drive through the famous ATAL Tunnel and return to Manali to end your breath-taking Spiti Valley sojourn. Here, we bid goodbye to your driver who’d have been your friend and guide for the last nine days. Drop you at Manali Hotel.