Drop us a line using the form below:
Let us lead you into a world full of mysteries and unknown places where time has stood still for thousands of years untouched by man. Your journey begins from lovely town of Chandigarh. Enter the hills of Himachal Pradesh. Explore the forest and amazing valleys in Thanedar and Sangla. Revel in the lush green beauty of the valley before moving onto the barren landscape of Spiti.
We have no fixed routes or packaged tours. Every itinerary is unique and can be customised based on your request and preference. Explore the world your way!
Email us at travel@planettraveller.com to customise this tour.
You will be received at the Chandigarh railway station/ airport. Then, you will be driven to Thanedar which is 195 kms away and takes six to seven hours. You can spend the rest of the evening at leisure. Overnight stay at Banjara retreat.
Drive for about six hours to Banjara Camp, Sangla. Relax in the evening around a bonfire. Overnight stay at the camp.
Try your hand at Rock climbing, rappelling or river crossing. You could also go for a short walk in the surrounding hills. Overnight at Banjara camp and retreat.
A day visit to the lovely little Chitkul village. This is the last village on the old Indo-Tibetan trade route. From here, you can hike up to Nagasthi, the last border outpost that civilians are allowed to. It is a lovely walk along a stream. Lunch along the glacier fed mountain stream.
After an early breakfast, start the fascinating drive to Kaza. We leave behind verdant, forest clad mountains as we go over the tree line towards the Spiti region. After driving for about six hours on NH 22, just short of Yangthang, we take a detour, to visit the picturesque Nako Lake and have a picnic lunch by the lakeside. Post lunch, drive for another five hours through breathtaking, mountain desert terrain to reach the Banjara Retreat in Kaza, the headquarters of the Spiti valley.
After breakfast, visit Ki monastery and Kibber village. Ki gompa is a Gelugpa sect monastery. Its hilltop position points to a post-thirteenth century construction. The three storied structure consists largely of storage rooms at the bottom level, while the middle floor houses the Dukhang- the assembly hall- and the uppermost floor has another temple and the head Lama’s quarters, on one side of an open terrace. The greatest wealth of Ki Gompa lies in its collection of ‘Thangkas’ salvaged with difficulty from the devastating raids of the Dogars and the Sikhs in the 19th century. From here, a scenic drive takes you into the pasture country of Kibber. The pastures are spread over hundreds of square kilometers. Kibber is small village and is the take off point for the popular trek to Tso Moriri in Ladakh. Further up six kilometers from Kibber, we drive up to a still smaller village of Gete. Consisting of just six houses, it boasts of being the highest village in Asia connected by road. Drive back to the retreat for a late lunch and spend rest of the day at leisure.
Post-breakfast, drive down to Dhankar Monastery. Dhankar, the traditional capital of Spiti, sits pretty on a hilltop. The fort here overlooks the Spiti valley and it was used as a jail in olden days. Today, more than 160 lamas reside here. A statue of Dhyan Buddha where four complete figures of Buddha sit back to back is the main attraction of this more than seven-century old monastery. Move on to visit the glorious Tabo Gompa; reputed to be the oldest (an inscription on a wall here indicates, it was founded in AD 996) continuously functioning Buddhist monastery in India and the Himalayas, with its original decoration and iconographic program intact. You could also go for a drive in Spiti National Park.
Your day starts early, your drive is about nine hours to Kalpa. Reach Kalpa early in the evening. Famous for its apple and chilgoza plantations, this place also offers the best panoramic view of the 6,000m high Kinner-Kailash range. Sunset in these mountains is a particularly beautiful sight. Overnight at Kalpa.
Drive for six hours to Banjara Orchard Retreat, Thanedar. Overnight stay at the retreat.
Depending on your flight/train, leave early in the morning and drive to Chnadigarh via Hatu peak. Board a train/flight from Chandigarh for your onward journey.
Fitness is vital for this level of activity, as the environment traversed may be remote and challenging. These rugged experiences include long walks, trekking, cycling or rafting in isolated areas through variable weather conditions for up to eight to ten hours a day. These trips are usually 13 to 19 days in duration. Maximum altitude reached will be 4000m and you need to be very fit in order to withstand the weather conditions. Good physical condition is essential and previous hill-walking experience or preparation is advisable.
Every itinerary is unique, flexible and can be tailored to meet your preferences. Our travel experts' first hand knowledge of serviced destinations enables them to hand-craft dream holidays with you. We plan your holiday, your way!
