Lahaul and Spiti India

About Himachal · About Himachal · Adventure Sports · Trekking in Himachal · Himachal Wildlife Expedition · Himachal Pradesh Tourism Shimla Manali Dharamshala Lahaul & Spiti

Lahaul Spiti with North India Durations : 18 days Places Covered : Delhi, Manali, Chandratal Lake, Keylong, Tabo, Sarahan, Sangla, Kullu, Dharamsala, Shimla, Amritsar, Jammu, Vaishnodevi Temple. View Full Detail & Contact Us Lahaul, Spiti and Kinaaur Durations :11 days Places Covered : Delhi, Manali, Chandratal Lake, Keylong, Tabo, Sarahan, Sangla, Kullu, Dharamsala. View Full Detail & Contact Us Spiti Valley Durations : 9 to 12 Days Places Covered :Spiti Valley View Full Detail & Contact Us

Lahaul

Lahaul abounds with monasteries, the homes of lamas; therefore Lahaul is often referred to as the 'land of lamas'. Surrounded by a series of high mountains, main Himalayas lie in the north and mid Himalayas are to the south with joining ranges on the east and the west. This gives a highly pinnacled topography to Lahaul. The valley has immense glaciers flowing down the clefts in the high mural precipices on both sides of Chandra and extending from the great beds of snow above down to and even into the river.

Spiti

The name Spiti means "middle land" : the land between India & Tibet. The Spiti sub-division is even more difficult than Lahul in terms of, terrain, climate and habitation. It is less accessible and less developed than Lahul with which it stands back to back. Within it also ruggedness of terrain is the rule, level areas are few and of limited extent. Spiti mountain ranges belong to the Great and Middle Himalayas. The majority of the people are Buddhists, followers of the Geluk-pa sect. The wildlife in the region includes the elusive snow leopard and ibex, found in the Pin valley.

Famous Places to See in Lahaul Spiti Region

The valleys of Lahaul & Spiti has a number of surprise attractions in store for you. You will need quite a few days to truly explore the region. The famous places to see in Lahaul Spiti are given below. Our travel advisers will tell you more about the region.



Kaza (altitude : 12,500 ft)
Kaza, the sub-divisional headquarters of Spiti, is situated on the left bank of the Spiti river. The village is overlooked by steep ridges. Kaza makes a ideal base camp for all treks and tours within the valley. Kaza has one of the two Sa- kya- pa sect monasteries. The other monastery is at Hikkim. Opposite Kaza on the right bank of the Spiti river is Kyuling from where the nono of Spiti ruled over his subjects. Rani Damyanti, a descendent of this ruling, family, now resides in Kaza preserving all the stately charm of the yesteryears.

Dhankar (altitude : 3,800 m)
On the left bank of the Spiti river, nestles the citadel of Dhankar, the official capital of Spiti. The citadel is built on a spur which projects into the main valley and ends in a precipice. The location of this fort is strategic as Spiti always had to suffer innumerable aggressions by its neighbors. The fort of Dhankar now lies in ruins, but still is a place worthy of visit. From the remnants of the fort one can see vast expanses of the Spiti valley.

Kunzam Pass (altitude : 4,558 m)
This pass is situated at 60 kms from Gamphu on the Gramphu-Kaza- Sumdo road. It provides chief access to the Spiti-valley from Lahaul which is separated from the Spiti valley by the great Kunzom range, and from where the Spiti, pronounced Piti, the chief river of the area takes its source. Though higher than the Rohtang Pass, Kunzom is safer and provides easier ascent and descent.

Lossar (altitude : 3,900 m)
Lossar is the first inhabited village on the Spiti side if you advance to the valley from Manali over Kunzom pass. Sight of Lossar to a trekker coming down from Kunzom brings instant relief. The neatly white-washed mud houses with red bands look extremely picturesque.

Kye Monastery (altitude : 13,500 ft)
The Kye monastery is the largest in the valley and holds a powerful sway over the most populous part of the valley around Kaza. The gompa is an irregular heap of low rooms and narrow corridors on a monolithic conical hill. The irregular prayer chambers are interconnected by dark passages, tortuous staircases and small doors.
Rohtang Pass (altitude : 13,050 ft)
Rohtang pass separates Kullu, from the exotic charm of the Lahaul valley. The summit of the pass turns into lush green meadow in summer studded with violets and varieties of wild Himalayan and Alpine flowers. Butterflies of numerous and rare kind and variegated hues also draw the attention of' the visitor.

Khoksar (altitude : 3,140 m)
Khoksar is the first village and gate way to Lahaul. This village is situated on the right bank of the river Chandra. Khoksar remains covered under snow during winters. This village is surrounded by high mountains and is avalanche-prone. The river freezes during winters and is covered with snow to afford regular passage for human beings as also for mule traffic. During summers rich growth of alpine flowers, beautiful potato fields and numerous water channels spell bound the visitor.

Gondhla (altitude : 3,160 m)
The village is situated at a distance of 18 kms from Keylong, the district headquarters along the right bank of the river Chandra. The village is surrounded by thick foliage of poplars and willows. Glaciers and snowfields overhanging the precipices make them one of the finest in the world.

Keylong (altitude : 3,156 m)
Keylong is the district head quarters of Lahaul and Spifi. Keylong is situated on the main trade route between the Rohtang and Baralacha passes above the Bhaga river. This is also the hub-centre of all commercial activity with a regular bazaar. Naturally Keylong is the most populated and busy village of the Lahaul valley.

Lahaul & Spiti Travel Information

From Manali, one can have easy access to any place in the Lahaul Spiti region. Regular buses and taxis are available from Manali to reach various places in the region. However, the access depends upon the opening and closing of the Rohtang Pass, the entry point to Lahaul and Spiti. You can choose from two routes to enter the region of Lahaul Spiti.

Route 1 : Reach Manali and then via Rohtang Pass, you can enter the Lahaul Spiti valley. Manali is well connected to key destinations of India by air, rail and road.

Route 2 : Another option to get to Lahaul and Spiti is from Shimla. The route passes via Kinnaur. Shimla is also very well connected to different parts of India by air, rail and road.