Spiti Valley is also known as the “Little Tibet”. Spiti is a very charming and beautiful place in Himachal Pradesh. Spiti valley is nestled amidst the majestic Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh, is a haven for nature lovers, adventure enthusiasts, and spiritual seekers alike. Renowned for its rugged terrain, pristine landscapes, ancient monasteries, and vibrant culture, Spiti Valley offers many attractions for visitors to explore. Here are some must-visit places in Spiti Valley:

Spiti is a cold desert mountain known for its mystical topography, monasteries, trekking routes, semi-frozen rivers and lakes, Spiti Valley in June is a charming and quaint place. Owing to all these things, Spiti has become a popular destination for nature buffs, photographers, and adventure enthusiasts. The best time to explore Spiti valley is during summer months of May and June as they are ideal for sightseeing and adventure activities, even after this you can go there but you will need to take more precautions.

Spiti Valley offers a wide range of trekking options, from easy day hikes to challenging multi-day treks that take you deep into the heart of the Himalayas. Camping in Spiti Valley is a unique experience, with plenty

Geographical Conditions of the Spiti;

The valley of Lahaul is situated to the south of Ladakh. For this very reason this place derived its name LhoYul meaning “Southern Country”. To its south is situated the beautiful valley of Kullu across the Rohtang Pass (3195Mtrs) and the Bara Bangahal (Kangra) across the Asakh pass (5051Mtrs). Its western boundaries touch the Pangi and Churah areas of the Distt. Chamba. To its north situated the valleys of Zanskar and Ladakh across Shingola (5090 Mtrs) and Baralacha la (5450 Mtrs) respectively. Its eastern and south eastern boundaries coincide with those of Spiti and Western Tibet across the Kunzom Pass (4500 Mtrs).

Climate of the Spiti;

As like title Travel Spiti Valley or Let's Explore the Spiti Valley or Hidden Gem of World i.e. Spiti is awesome, the climate of Spiti is awesome. Since the valley is situated in rain shadow area, north of the Pir Panjal ranges the weather remains pleasant and quite comfortable during summers i.e. from May to Oct. This is the best season to visit this valley. It seldom rains, and the Mercury level does not exceed 25 C to -25 C throughout the period mentioned above. One can always enjoy bright sunshine wandering within lush green valley. There is little or no rain in monsoons. The climate remains dry & invigorating. The days are hot and night are extremely cold. Heavy/Light woolens are recommended. During winter, i.e. from Nov. last to April because of western disturbances it snows heavily and the temp. goes down below minus. There is an average annual snow fall of about 7 feet.

How to Reach Spiti ?

Spiti lies in the north most region of India. There are several ways that one can follow to reach here. Tourists generally prefer to come on their own by riding bikes. Mostly because the landscape is really beautiful and the drive gets adventurous due to dangerous roads and sharp pins. You can reach Spiti by following means of transportation;

By Air:

While Spiti Valley does not have an airport, travelers can fly to Bhuntar or Shimla, which are the closest airports to Spiti. The remainder of the journey must be completed by road.

By Rail;

Shimla and Joginder Nagar (Mandi) are the nearest narrow-gauge train stations. Chandigarh and Kalka are the closest broad-gauge stations for reaching Spiti. The remainder of the journey must be completed by road.

By Road;

Regardless of where you are in the world, if you desire to experience Spiti, you must travel via Shimla or Manali. From these locations, you can continue your journey to this destination;

From Shimla to Spiti via Kinnaur/Reckong Peo, there are regular bus services from April to October,
From Manali to Kaza , there are regular bus service from June to October.

You can visit the following destinations to witness the Spiti's beauty:

1. Nako Village & Nako Lake

https://unsplash.com/photos/a-town-by-a-lake-ocjzPE25N0E?utm_content=creditShareLink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash

2. Mummy village (Giu Mummy)

3. Chandertal Lake

4. Suraj Tal

5. Pin valley trek

6. Pin Valley National Park

7. Treacherous Road Tek

8. Dhankar lake

9. Kunzum Pass

10. Kaza Village

11. Kibber village

12. The Key Monastary

13. Fossil Hunting

14. Chicham Bridge

15. Tabo Monastary

16. Shashur Monastery

17. Tabo Caves

Photo credit: Kabir negi

18. Fossil Village Langza

19. Stargazing

20. Khab Sangam

21. Komik

22. Lossar

23. Darcha

24. Kardang Monastery

25. Visit World’s Highest Post Office, Hikkim

26. Spiti River

27. Sopona Lake

28. Tashigang VIllage

29. Sakya Tangyud Monastery

30. Kungri Monastery

31. Lhalung Monastery

32. Langza Village

33. Trilokinath Temple

34. Shchichiling

35. Lingti valley

How many days are enough for Spiti valley?

There is no mandatory rule that you have to spend such & such days, it depends upon your time & money.

But minimum 5 and maximum 12 days are enough for you if you want to explore Spiti well.

What to do in Spiti ?

A lot of things are there to perform;

You Can Do River Rafting:

2. You Can visit Pin Valley National Park:

3. Can take blessing from Buddhist Monasteries:

4. You Can do Camping:

5. You can Go for Trek To DhanKar Lake:

6. You Must visit to Village of Giu:

7. You can visit Baralacha Pass and feel the Thrill;

8. You can Stay At Zostel to Interact With People

9. Don’t forget to visit Kaza’s Main Market and Shop Your Heart Out

10. You can enjoy the Star Gazing:

11. You can take Night Photography;

12. You can do Fossil Hunting:

13. You must Eat the Local Cuisine:

14. You can enjoy the Yak & Horse Safari:

15. You can post letter from the World’s Highest Post Office:

16. You Must Interact With The Locals to Know The Culture;

17. You Stay in Homestay: Understand The Real Culture & Support the Locals

18. You can enjoy the Wildlife Watching and many more.

Reasons to Visit Spiti –

There is not a single reason to visit in Spiti. There are many reasons ;

In Spiti there are beautiful and the oldest monasteries – Every village in Spiti will have a monastery where you can find peace and serenity at the same time. You can find major monasteries in – Kee, Dhankar Village, Tabo, Kungri and Kaza. The monasteries are dated as back as 996 AD.
In Spiti, there is the world’s highest motorable village – Spiti is famous for a village known as Komic. The village population is just 50 to 60 people only and lies at 15,000 feet above the sea level. This village is known as the highest motorable village.
In Spiti you can experience quaint homestays – Spiti has numerous home stays where you can stay in. These places will make you feel at home – a home away from home. They also serve home cooked food as well.
There are most beautiful lakes of Spiti – The lakes here are so beautiful that I am sure you would not have experienced it anywhere else in the world. Some of the popular ones are – Chandratal Lake, Suraj Taal, Dhankar Lake.
In Spiti there is the Highest Post office of the World – Spiti also has the world’s highest post office which is nestled at an elevation of 14,500 feet – Hikkim. Hikkim is just 15 KMs away from Kaza and you can send letters and postcards from here to your loved ones.
You can visit the Spiti to witness the above places etc.

Weather of Spiti ;

	Month wise Weather Condition
December -March	Heavy snowfall Snow-capped mountains Road Closed due to snow weather Chilly weather, with temperatures ranging between -1 degrees to -19 degree Celsius
April-September	Pleasant weather Best time for outdoor activities like trekking, mountain biking, camping Best time for sightseeing - Chandratal Lake, Dhankar Monastery, Baralacha Pass etc Temperatures ranging between 3-7 degree Celsius
October-November	Torrential Rainfall Landslides Cold and breezy weather Temperatures ranging from 13-27 degree Celsius

Spiti in Summers (March to September)

The best time to visit Spiti Valley is between May to September when the weather is pleasant and cool. These months are the best for adventures like trekking, camping, hiking, mountain biking, and much more.

Spiti in Winters (October to February)

From October to February, Spiti Valley experiences harsh winters, with extreme cold temperatures and heavy snowfall. The region becomes a winter wonderland, covered in a white blanket of snow. The roads usually are closed owing to heavy snowfall, though these months are perfect for activities like skiing and snowboarding.

Best Time to Visit:

The best time to visit Lahaul & Spiti is during summer i.e. from mid-May to mid-October, since the district is snowbound area and Lahaul valley remain isolated from rest of the world from October-May due to closure of the Rohtang Pass. Although Spiti is an almost all-weather place.

Items to carry;

It would be great to choose the items from the following as per your requirement;

1. Warm clothes

2. Important documents

3. Permits

4. Extra Fuel

5. Car & Bike accessories

6. Medicines

7. Oxygen

8. Electronic gadgets

9. Toiletries & Personal Hygiene items

10. Waterproof hiking shoes

11. Umbrella

12. Waterproof clothing

13. Wet wipes

14. Power banks

15. Sunglasses etc.

For more info pls do visit; https://www.travelwithdknegi.com/packingchecklistfortravel

Road conditions & driving to Spiti;

Road conditions in general are pretty good given how remote the area is. However, there are some extremely narrow and unpaved stretches and all throughout lots of stretches with shooting stones, so drive carefully. We wouldn’t recommend anyone who is not extremely comfortable with hill driving in India to attempt this drive. You could opt for a group tour instead or hire taxi also

From	To	Remark
Delhi	Solan	Excellent
Solan	Rampur	Good
Rampur	Wangtoo	Good
Wangtoo	Nako	Excellent ( some portion are too narrow)
Nako	Tabo	Good
Tabo	Kaza	Average
Kaza	Langza	Average
Kaza	Key	Good
Langza	Komic	Narrow
Komic	Hikkim	Bad

For road updates please update with the state administration site; https://hplahaulspiti.nic.in/road-status/

Festivals & Fairs of Lahaul & Spiti;

Every place has its culture and traditions. Locals used to celebrate festivals as per their customs & beliefs. Festivals play a very important role in every place. Although many type of festivals are being celebrated in Spiti. Some of them are as follows;

	Festivals in Spiti Valley in	Special attraction of the festival
December, January, February, March	Khogla / Halda Dechhang / Dachang Festival Losar/Halda (February) Gothsi / Gochi Festival (February) Fagli Festival (February)	Khogla / Halda; A festival of lights known as Diwali is celebrated all over India in October every year. A similar type of festival is celebrated as Khogla in Pattan valley and Halda in other valleys of Lahaul at the second and third week of January. The date is fixed by a Lama while in Pattan valley it is celebrated to Magh Poornima coincide with (full moon). Pencil cedar branches are cut into strips and are tied together into bundles to make a torch called Halda quite similar to Hola in upper regions of Shimla district. In the evening halda at each house are lit and brought together at one centre place. This is repeated four to five times, each time in honour of different deities. When the ceremony is over, the villagers return to their houses. The haldas are prepared and lit in the same manner and collected at one place where they burn to lashes. But there is slight difference. Along with honouring the deities, the people of Gahar valley curse the Ranas of clans hostile to their own. The people of Keylong curse the Ranas of Goushal and Kardang threatening to bite their hearts. Fagli Fair; Fagli, locally known as Kus or Kuns is one of the most important festial of the Pattan valley. It falls, after a fortnight of Khogla on Amawasya (Moonless Night) in the first/ second week of February. The houses are fully decorated and oil lamps are lit. A Baraza is set-up which consist of a bamboo stick, two to three feet tall, mounted on the floor. Around the stick a white chader is draped in such a maanner as to suggest an angel dressed in while, sitting in the corner, ornamented with jewellery and marigold flowers. Delicious dishes are placed before the Baraza along with burning incense. The Baraza represents the angel SHIKHARA- APPA) grand mother of the peak and here visit is considered to bring prosperity to the house. According to ritual demand the head of the family and his wife getup early in the morning to prepare (TOTU) (A dough of roasted barley flour and butter milk) and kwari. The Totu is taken upto the roof which is offered to the deities. Kwari is later thrown to the crows who await for it as if they have received the invitation. The totu is distributed among the family members as prasada. Gothsi / Gochi Festival; There is a festival of the Bhaga valley which is celebrated in February in the houses where a son was born during the preceding year.
April, May, June	Buddha Purnima Kungri Festival Tsheshu Festival / Key Chham (June)	Tsheshu Festival / Key Chham; Tsheshu fair is celebrated in Shashur, Gemur, Kyi, Kardang Tabo and Mane Monasteries in the months of June. A large number of devotees/ people gather on these occasions.Devil dance is performed by the Lamas bedecked in colourful dresses and wearing masks of different birds and animals. Tsheshu fair; This Fair is celebrated in Shashur, Gemur, Kyi, Kardang Tabo and Mane Monasteries in the months of June. A large number of devotees/ people gather on these occasions. Devil dance is performed by the Lamas bedecked in colorful dresses and wearing masks of different birds and animals.
July, August, September	Festival Namgan Festival Ladarcha Fair (August) Tribal Fair of Keylong (August) Pauri Fair(August) Chakhar Mela (September) Gataur Mela (September) Spiti Festival	Ladarcha Fair; Previously, Ladarcha fair was used to celebrated in the Kibbar maidan of Spit in the month of July where traders from Ladakh, Rampur Busher and Spiti meet in this fair to barter their produce. Due to closure of Tibetan traders, this fair is now being celebrated at Kaza, the headquarters of Spiti Sub Division in the 3rd week of August. A large number of visitors and traders from Kullu/ Lahaul/ Kinnaur meet there. It has now become a conference of cultures of Spiti, Ladakh & Kinnaur as also of the Indian plains. Pauri Fair; Pauri fair is celebrated during the summer in the 3rd week of August every year. In earlier times this was the most prominent fair of Lahaul. People of all casts and creed gather there, not only from Lahaul but from Chamba and Kullu too. The fair is combination of pilgrimage and festive activities. Preparations are made at least a week in advance and most of the people leave their homes a day before the celebrations, where they have faced darshan of the statue of Triloknath (Shiva Lord of Three Worlds) or Avolokiteshvara as it is regarded by Buddhist. After paying their obeisance, people go to the parikrama gallery between the inner and outside walls of temple. Pilgrims/ devotees usually complete three or seven clockwise circumambulations of the gallery/ rotating the prayer wheels and murmuring Mantras ( OM MANI PADME HUM) every morning and evening till they stay there. Ghee and Mustard oil lamps are lighted continuously inside. People donate money and Ghee/ Oil to maintain the lamps, one of which is so big as to accommodate 16 Kgs. of Ghee/ oil. After the prayer and rituals, the fair begins. Temporary shops, tea stalls and hotels are established at the fair ground. As soon as darkness overtakes, the pilgrims dance in a huge circle to the melody of folk songs devotional or otherwise. On the second morning, a traditional procession is taken out, which is headed by the Thakur of Triloknath riding on a decorated horse. Their destination is the place where as per traditional lores, seven gods, the youngest of whom was Trilokinath had appeared from seven springs in the past. This is the most important ritual of the fair. The precession then returns to the fair ground for more festivities. Some people for their native places leave as soon as the procession disperses, while others stay until the third day when the fair is over. Tribal fair; Tribal fair coinciding with Independence day is celebrated with great pomp and show from 14th to 16th August, at Keylong the headquarters of the district. People from all parts of the valley congregate in their queer disposition and a large number of Indian and foreign tourists gather here to witness the fair. It is being celebrated as at State level fair. In order to make the fair colourful , artists and cultural troupes are invited from Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Leh , Chamba, Kullu, Spiti in addition to local artistes.

For more info pls do visit https://hplahaulspiti.nic.in/fairs-festivals/

What is the must-try local food of Spiti?

The Spiti is Known for its rugged landscapes, ancient monasteries, and rich cultural heritage, Spiti Valley also offers a unique culinary experience. The local cuisine of Spiti Valley showcases the region's geographical isolation and Tibetan influence. Here are some of the must-try foods in Spiti Valley that will tantalise your taste buds and give you a true taste of the region. Local Food Items You Must Experience In Spiti Valley;

1. Momos;

2. Channa Madra;

3. Thenktuk and Thukpa;

4. Dhaam;

5. Chha Gosht;

6. Trout fish curry;

7. Butter tea;

8. Chhurpi (The Yak Cheese);

9. Skyu (Pasta of Spiti);

10. Apricot jam;

11. Buckwheat pancakes;

12. Tingmo;

13. Chhang;

Tips;

1. PLAN YOUR ROUTE

2. Don’t forget to Acclimatization process

3. Keep BSNL SIM

4. Keep Updated offline maps

5. Keep sufficeient cash

6. Carry a Fuel can

7. Keep some chatar patar with you

8. Keep sufficient water

9. Avoid night travel

Sea buckthorn “Wonder Plant” or Himalayan Gold as Central Government's One District One Product (ODOP):

The district administration has identified sea buckthorn under Central Government's One District One Product (ODOP) scheme after consultation with different stakeholders involving NGO’S etc. Sea buckthorn is shrub variety found in the high altitude Himalayan region of India. It is also called the “Wonder plant” or “Himalayan gold“.

Caution;

Make your own research before going & keep an eye on the weather prediction.

Conclusion;

The primary goal of writing this blog is to provide comprehensive information about Spiti. I believe I have addressed all the major topics and hope it will be beneficial to everyone.

If you want to know something else, please let me know.

Please do follow my instagram page also https://www.instagram.com/travelwithdknegi?igsh=MWt5Ym9jODF3dXlpZA==

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Travel Spiti Valley or Let's Explore the Spiti Valley or Hidden Gem of World i.e. Spiti

Introduction;