Spiti Valley Trip – Experiencing The Joy of Mountains (10 Day Itinerary )

Experiencing The Joy of Mountains at Spiti Valley

Blog Summary
Are you planning to take a soul-quenching trip? Then, your next stop should be Spiti valley. Go through this blog to experience the joy of mountains virtually and you would want to take the trip too. 

It has always been on my bucket list to visit Spiti Valley. I have heard quite a lot about it and was excited to go see nature’s beauty. I am very much a mountain person, and I couldn’t wait to explore the mountains in the Spiti Valley. Go through this blog to know about my experience in the hills. 

My 10 days Spiti trip

After a lot of planning, I decided to take a 10 days trip to Spiti. My 10-day trip to Spiti was exhilarating, overwhelming, and one of the best experiences ever. The name Spiti denotes middle land, which is the land between Tibet and India. The Spiti Valley is the cold desert mountains valley strip that lies between Tibet and India. 

Before I start, here are the incredible places that I visited, the hotels where i stayed, and food I enjoyed during my Spiti valley trip:

– Best Time to Visit Spiti valley

In general, the best time to visit Spiti Valley would be summer. Winters are pretty harsh and can be hard to cope given that the altitude of the place is high as well. 

April to June is the best time to visit the Spiti Valley. 

These are the summer season, and the temperatures are at a much bearable temperature. The roads are cleared out, and the pathway travel isn’t very hard during this season. Most of the hotels get back to functioning from hibernation. There is an adequate supply of fruits and vegetables as well to the Spiti. 

– Places to visit in Spiti valley

Places to visit in Spiti valley
Places to visit in Spiti valley
  • The breathtaking Hatu peak
  • Beautiful Tani Jubbar Lake
  • Apple Orchards
  • The authentic Sangla Valley
  • Wonderful Baspa River
  • Chitkul the last village in India 
  • Bering Nag Temple
  • Berelengi Gompa Buddhist Monastery
  • The serene Tabo Monastery
  • Popular pin valley 

– Things to do in Spiti valley

What did I spot - An Amazing Trip to Spiti Valley
What did I spot – An Amazing Trip to Spiti Valley
  • Enjoying the solitude among the mountains 
  • Taking a look at the breathtaking landscape 
  • Spotting the rare wildlife
  • River rafting in the Spiti river
  • Visiting the numerous monasteries 
  • Exploring the place and getting to know the locals
  • Tasting the authentic Spiti Valley food 

– Places to stay in Spiti Valley 

  • Zostel stays are pretty safe and affordable 
  • Tethys Himalayan Den is a popular and reputed stay
  • Homestays with the warm and welcoming locals 

– Foods to try in Spiti Valley

  • Mountain momos 
  • Thentuk 
  • Chitlas 
  • Thupka
  •  Kyu 
  • Tsampa 
  • Churpe 
  • Pahadi chicken
  • Gahat ka Shorba

Experiencing the Joy of mountains at Spiti Valley (10-Days Trip)

> Places visited:

Thanedar – 1-night stay 

Thanedar is a beautiful village with twists and turns on its roads. Thanedar is at an altitude of 8,000 ft. At Thanedar, I visited the Hatu peak, which was a breathtaking view. I also saw the beautiful Tani Jubbar lake. Thanedar is known for its orchards of apples, cherries and strawberries. I got to taste these authentic fruits here, and they tasted delicious. 

Sangla – 1-night stay 

Sangla - An Amazing Trip to Spiti Valley
Sangla – An Amazing Trip to Spiti Valley

I spent one day going around the beautiful Sangla valley. I got to move around this beautiful town and explored it well. I saw the beautiful Baspa river, and it was very peaceful. Most of the centres and forts in Sangla were made of wood carving, and I did admire the fine work of art a lot. 

Chitkul – 1 night stay 

Chitkul is one of the most famous destinations to visit in Spiti Valley. Chitkul is called the last village in India. The Bering Nag temple and the Brelengi Gompa Buddhist monasteries are famous in Chitkul. At Chitkul, I decided to take a trek along the Borassu pas, and it was an exhilarating experience. 

Tabo – 1-night stay 

At Tabo, I decided to explore the town on my own. I visited a lot of local supermarkets and visited the Tabo monastery. Tabo monastery is a work of art with a beautiful ancient painting made from vegetable dyes. I also got to see a lot of monks and interacted with them. I loved exploring the town on my own. It was serene and peaceful. 

Kaza – 1-night stay 

Then, I spent another day in Kaza. At Kaza, I visited the Pin valley. The Pin valley is a serene beauty with numerous scenic points. Kaza was a beautiful place to stay as there were numerous rivers, streams and a lot of greeneries in Kaza. 

Chesham – 3 nights stay. 

I spent a leisurely time at Chicham. I made the most of the 3 nights stay at Chicham. On my first day at Chicham, I visited the Kibber monastery and spent time exploring the town. Then the next day, I visited the Chicham bridge. The chicham bridge is the biggest attraction in Chicham and drives visitors from different parts of the country worldwide. The next day I explored Chicham town on my own and got to see the marine fossils and breathtaking views. The last night I stayed at Chicham, I took some quality time for myself and wrote, read and listened to soothing music. It was one of the best and most needed experiences ever. 

Kalpa and Chail – 2 nights stay 

Kalpa and Chail - An Amazing Trip to Spiti Valley
Kalpa and Chail – An Amazing Trip to Spiti Valley

Kalpa and Chail are the pitstops while descending down the Spiti valley to Himachal Pradesh. As we were getting back to Himachal Pradesh, I was looking at the breathtaking landscapes and views. 

> When did I go?

I went right when winter was ending and summer was setting in. The month of February was when I was able to take a break and attend the calling of the mountains. Tourism is usually not at its peak around this time, so the trip was extremely relaxing and slow-paced. Since the month of March is generally not the tourists season, I was a little sceptical, but I did get to experience the swapping beauty of the mountains. 

>The melting beauty 

Melting beauty  - An Amazing Trip to Spiti Valley
Melting beauty  – An Amazing Trip to Spiti Valley

As the summer was setting in when I was in Chicham, I could gradually see the difference in the amount of snow. The snow-clad mountains were slowly melting away, and we were able to see the difference in the amount of snow, especially in Chesham.

On the first day at Chicham, I got to see a snow-clad of the mountains, a majestic sight for my eyes. Soon after, the snow started melting away. As the snow melted away from the mountain, I could see grey patches on the mountain. On the third day, I literally saw snow melting away of the mountains. 

> How did I get there?

Due to the altitude, we need to acclimatise ourselves to the height. So, the tour guide planned my trip in a way that I ascended step by step at a good pace. 

We took a cosy bus which made our trip safe and comfortable along the bumpy roads. 

We reached Chandigarh and took the road from there. Our first stop was Thanedar (7700 ft), and then we went on to Sangla and so on and reached Chicham. 

From Chesham, we started descending – by road again – the first stop downwards was Kalpa and then Chail. Post which, we reached Chandigarh and got back home.

>What did I spot?

What did I spot - An Amazing Trip to Spiti Valley
What did I spot – An Amazing Trip to Spiti Valley

During my stay at Spiti, I spotted wildlife like Ibex, blue sheep, and snow leopard.  These are native Spiti valley animals that are known for their origin and elusiveness. I was able to spot a snow leopard wandering around the mountains up close to our stay in Chicham, and I must say it was extremely thrilling. 

>Food was heaven on earth

I decided that I definitely had to taste the authentic Spiti Valley dishes.  The momo dumplings in Spiti Valley are a treat to the taste buds and are extremely delicious. Other than that, the Thentuk, Chitlas, Thupka, Kyu, Tsampa, Churpe, Pahadi chicken, Gahat ka Shorba are a few of the authentic Spiti valley dishes that I relished. 

>A cosy and comfortable place 

Since I got to visit Spiti Valley in February, there weren’t many hotels stays available. I mostly stayed at local’s places. At Spiti, you can stay at the locals’ places as paying guests. They are very friendly and welcoming. It did feel like home. 

During the homestay with the locals, the home-cooked food was something that I used to look forward to every day. Even the Roti and sabzi they make tasted unique and had a dash of their authentic cooking style and taste. To be munching and relishing on amazing food along the mountains of the Spiti valley is something that I would like to relive again and again a loop. 

My trip to Spiti will always be one of the experiences that I will treasure in my heart forever and never forget. I really wanted to take a break from all the hustling that I have been doing, and Spiti Valley was my getaway. I am beyond thrilled, and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything else. If you are looking for solace and want to have a soul-quenching experience, then a trip to Spiti Valley is the way I would say.

1,128 Views
One Comment

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *