The Spiti Valley - Everything You Need To Know Before You Go
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
What is the Spiti Valley?
The Spiti Valley is an area of incredible beauty in northern India. A high altitude Himalayan desert, ringed by towering snow capped mountains full of tiny colourful villages, amazing monasteries and outstanding natural beauty. It is an area of India that feels nearly untouched by the passage of time. This may change in the future, but is also currently an area of India that has not succumbed to the mass over tourism that plagues other popular tourist destinations.
Read our complete guide to getting the most out of your time in this incredible region!
Contents:
Where to go and what to do in the Spiti Valley?
There is too much to recommend in the Spiti valley and the surrounding areas. We would suggest checking out our 7 day adventure here for inspiration on where to go and what to do.
Highlights include:
The green alpine wonderland of Chitkul with the cleanest air in India!
Nako and its Moonlake and high passes
The ancient Tabo Monastery and caves
The market town of Kaza and from here the highest Post Office in Hikkim, the highest motorable village of Komic and the colourful Buddha statue of Langzha
The stunning Kee Monastery
The green valley slopes of Chitkul are stunning!
Where is the Spiti Valley?
The Spiti Valley is located in the far north of India, in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Bordering Tibet, this remote region is accessible via mountain passes from Shimla and, weather and season dependent, the town of Manali.
How to get to the Spiti Valley?
Organised tour of the Spiti Valley
The easiest and most efficient way to see the sights of Spiti and the surrounding area is with an organised tour. Usually starting in Shimla these tours can follow a variety of itineraries either with a minivan, private driver or motorbike group. We took the excellent Zostel Spiti Valley Experience tour and you can read about our adventure here.
Hiring a driver
For a price you can hire a driver to take you around the Spiti Valley, this seemed a popular option whilst we were there. The drivers seemed to stay in the cars overnight (we cannot imagine how cold it was in some of the places) and drive their passengers around during the day. This would be a good option if you have the cash and a specific itinerary in mind.
Driving yourself
Only for the very confident. The Spiti Valley is a bucket list item for many motorcyclists. You can drive yourself around the Spiti Valley region, either by car or by motorbike. Just be aware that the roads are very varied in quality with large portions of the valleys being dirt and loose stone roads. That said we were very jealous of the freedom, bravery and experiences had by the many intrepid Royal Enfield drivers we encountered.
There are two main routes into the Spiti Valley:
Via Manali - north of Manali you can take the Rohtang Pass into the Spiti Valley. Be aware that this pass will be closed during the winter months usually between October and April, and will remain closed in extreme weather.
Via Shimla - take National Highway number 5 towards Reckong Peo. Continue on this road until you pass the Dabling Bridge. When NH 5 forks to the right, stay left and continue on National Highway 505 to loop round the valley towards Nako Village and the rest of the valley.
On both routes, the roads may become single track and will sometimes not be paved. The roads are extremely windy and switch back up and down steep mountainsides. Also be aware that landslides are common and can cause severe delays to journeys within the valley.
HRTC - local buses within the Spiti Valley
HRTC buses (Himachal Road Transport Company) ply their way between the major towns and villages of the Spiti and Kinnaur regions.
The main hub before Spiti, for those starting in Shimla, is Reckong Peo. Buses leave early in the morning from Shimla bus station and will arrive in Reckong Peo in the evening. You will then need to take another bus the next morning onwards to the valley hub of Kaza.
For those starting in Manali, there is a daily HRTC bus departing early in the morning from Manali bus station, via the Rohtang Pass. This bus will get you to Kaza by the evening.
Taking a local bus is by far the cheapest way to get around, but the least flexible. The buses have a schedule but the times can vary wildly due to road and weather conditions.
The buses are infrequent and take a long time to get between the towns but would be a great way to see the valley for less. There is even a bus from the city Chandigarh to Chitkul that runs once a day!
We’d recommend heading to the bus stand asking well in advance the planned times of the buses many of the buses will require you to have booked a ticket in advance as they sell out quickly.
Our trusty Zostel minivan
Whichever method of transport you pick, remember that you will need a permit to enter the Spiti Valley (see below for more details).
When should you visit the Spiti Valley?
The Spiti Valley is stunning at all times of the year.
In winter it is especially beautiful and covered in a thick blanket of snow. If you visit in winter, be prepared for difficult transport conditions as the roads are frequently closed and the only way to enter the valley is via the Shimla route. The valley can be cut off from the outside world due to the weather for long stretches of time, and it may not be possible to visit everywhere you want to go. Still for the brave, it would be an incredible experience!
Spring and summer (April/May onwards) are a great time to visit the area (although the weather high in the mountains still cannot be relied on). Both the Shimla and Manali passes should be open and green life starts to return to the lower valley slopes.
We visited the valley in May. When we visited the pass at Manali was still closed but this was very unusual as there is usually no snow this late in the year.
Required permits - how to get an ‘Inner Line Permit’ for the Spiti Valley
You will need a permit to visit the Spiti Valley. For non-Indian nationals, you will need to obtain an “Inner Line Permit”. We got these on the day from Reckong Peo through an expedited service that cost 500 rupees (just under £5.00 or $6.00) each. This took about 45 minutes and involved a trip to a tour provider, a couple of forms and a photograph. You will need to provide your passport. If you do not use the expedited services, expect the process to be a lot more chaotic and much much longer, the permit office was very busy!
When you have your permit you will need to keep it with you at all times as it can be demanded by any official. We had to produce it a few times whilst crossing into the Spiti Region.
Accommodation within the Spiti Valley
For those not on an organised tour there are plenty of places to stay in all the major villages and towns in both the Spiti and Kinnaur regions. Accommodation ranges from campsites through to hostels and guesthouses. The remoteness of the region means there are less traditionally high end places. The majority of accommodation will also offer food.
We stayed in Zostel hostels, homestays and dorms for the majority of the trip and found them to be extremely cosy and comfortable.
Please be aware that in the busier summer months the accommodation will fill up so book in advance to prevent having to village hop to find a bed!
The best place to base yourself for all the attractions is the main market town of Kaza. This will allow you a good starting point and will have the most transport options.
Check out the map below for all the accommodation choices available in Kaza.
This photo was taken from the roof of Zostel Kaza!
Where to eat and drink within the Spiti Valley
There is no shortage of dhabas, cafes and restaurants serving the towns and villages of the Spiti and Kinnaur Valleys. We can definitely recommend the Piti Cafe and Sol Cafe in Kaza and found our Zostel food to be uniformly delicious.
A cup of seabuckthorn tea!
Given its location close to the Tibetan border you can find many traditional Tibetan meals. Definitely make sure you try the Thukpa (noodle soup), Momo’s (fried or steamed dumplings) and Thenthuk (noodles in a thickened sauce).
Another regional speciality is the seabuckthorn tea / juice, famed for being the regional superfood and again is well worth a try!
The restaurants and dhabas tend to offer similar fare to each other, but we found the food of the region to be hearty, cheap and delicious. If you need specific food items / dietary requirements, make sure to stock up before coming to the valley as there may not be the choice you need in this remote region.
For those looking for beer, wine or spirits, this was a little harder to spot but several restaurants will serve you and all the larger villages will have some form of bottle shop. If you have a local contact, you can also sometimes source some “local” wine.
ATMS, pharmacies and other amenities
ATMs
Atms are rare in this region, and those that are there, may be limited to certain banks or cards. Most shops, guesthouses and restaurants are cash only so you will need to stock up on cash before you go and if possible, have access to more than one bank provider (Mastercard/Visa etc).
Phamacies
Pharmacies are more common than ATMs but outside of the main towns may not carry what you need. Again if you have specific needs make sure you are fully prepared and do not rely on the local pharmacy. We would recommend carrying a basic first aid kit with you in any case.
For everything else, you are best off bringing what you think you may need. The main towns have shops and general stores selling clothes, warm socks, basic toiletries etc but choice will be very limited.
For the ladies, sanitary products are available to buy within the valley in local shops/pharmacies but again the choice is limited. During the whole trip we only saw sanitary pads on sale (no tampons).
Mobile and data coverage in the Spiti Valley
For your mobile and internet needs, remember you're in a remote, mountainous region. Depending on your network Tik-Tok may not be an option! We had a sim card with Airtel and were frequently without any network coverage. Jio seemed to be better connected in the mountains.
Wifi was available in most of the accommodation and cafe stops but varied wildly in speed and usefulness. Definitely download offline Google maps, Maps.me and Google translate libraries before heading to the hills! As well as downloading any Netflix/Prime you may want to watch.
We experienced regular power cuts so make sure to bring a power bank.
The Spiti Valley really is quite remote!
Potential dangers in the Spiti Valley
Extreme weather
The Spiti Valley as we have said before and experienced is very remote and prone to being cut off at short notice by extreme weather and landslides. Keep an eye on the forecast and be sensible.
The nights get very cold and the weather in the mountains can change in an instant. It is not uncommon to have sun, snow, wind and rain all in the space of two hours.
Pack warm comfy clothes and good shoes. We visited in May and were lucky with the weather but very thankful for our thermal layers in the evenings.
If you are unsure about the weather, ask a reputable tour guide. Always err on the side of caution. Only a few weeks after our adventure in the Spiti Valley had ended, the military had to rescue a large group from the Spiti Valley after unseasonable snow left them stranded.
Landslides
As with the above, heavy rain or snow can lead to landslides. These will frequently cut off areas until they are cleared. Sometimes this clearing takes a few hours, sometimes it can take days! Make sure to pack for your journeys accordingly. If you are self driving, be sensible and listen to locals.
Altitude sickness
This region is frequently (if not constantly) above 3000 metres and altitude sickness can occur at any time. Altitude sickness is not prevented by fitness and can strike anyone. Diamox can help but it can also just mask the symptoms. Do your research, know your body and seek medical aid if anything is not right!
Emergency contact numbers
Hopefully you’ll never need these, but these are the Indian emergency service contact numbers:
National Emergency Number - 112
Police - 100
Fire Service - 101
Ambulance Service - 102
Despite the above doom and gloom, it is so worth the effort to visit this region, we have never seen anything like the beauty we experienced here. As long as you are sensible and listen to the locals and any warnings they have, you will have a unique and fantastic experience in this amazing region.
Check out our full Spiti Valley Diaries to see what we got up to in a week in the Kinnaur and Spiti Valley and if you have any other questions, contact us here or leave a comment below.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
If you’re found this blog helpful, entertaining or you just fancy supporting us, please click the button below!
If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, why not save the pin below?
