The Spiti Circuit
Eight days in a cold desert at 4,000 metres, in homestays where dinner is whatever the family is eating.
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Placeholder artwork — real trip photography drops in here.
About this trip
Spiti is the trip people come back from quieter than they left. We drive in the long way through Kinnaur so your body has time to catch up with the altitude, then spend four nights in villages rather than hotels — Langza, Komic, Demul — where the electricity is unreliable and the sky is absurd. There is a monastery older than most countries, a river you will not be brave enough to swim in, and one night where we drive out past the last village to sit in the dark and look up. Bring a jacket you trust.
- Four nights in family homestays across Langza, Komic and Demul
- Key Monastery at first light, before the day's first bus arrives
- The 1,000-year-old Tabo caves and murals
- A high-altitude stargazing night past Kibber, weather permitting
- Chandratal lake, if the road is open — and we will tell you honestly if it is not
Day by day
8 days, written by the host who runs it.
Day 1Shimla to Sangla
Meet at Shimla by 8am. A long, spectacular drive along the Sutlej into Kinnaur, ending in the Sangla valley among apple orchards. Early night — tomorrow is the big climb.
Day 2Sangla to Nako
Through Kalpa and the Khab confluence, where the landscape drops its greenery and turns lunar. Overnight at Nako, a village built around a lake at 3,600m. First taste of real altitude.
Day 3Nako to Kaza, via Tabo and Dhankar
The Tabo monastery caves in the morning, then the cliff-edge Dhankar gompa. Reach Kaza by evening. An easy day by design — everyone acclimatises differently.
Day 4Key, Kibber and up to Langza
Key Monastery early, then Kibber, then up to Langza and its fossil fields at 4,400m. Move into your homestay. Momos, butter tea, and a very cold, very clear night.
Day 5Komic and Hikkim
A walk between the highest village in Asia with a motorable road and the world's highest post office, where you will post a card that arrives in three weeks. Afternoon free. Evening in Demul.
Day 6Demul to Chandratal
Cross the Kunzum La towards Chandratal. If the road is open we camp by the lake; if it is not we stay at Losar and tell you straight rather than risk it.
Day 7Over Rohtang to Manali
The long descent through Batal and Gramphu, out of the desert and back into pine forest within a single afternoon. Overnight Manali.
Day 8Manali, and out
Breakfast together, then trip ends by 11am. Onward buses to Delhi and Chandigarh leave through the day and we will help you book one.
What the price covers
Included
- All stays — 4 nights homestay, 3 nights guesthouse or camp, twin sharing
- All breakfasts and dinners, and lunches on driving days
- Private vehicle for the full circuit with an experienced mountain driver
- All inner-line permits
- Your Mistiii Tales host for the whole trip
- Oxygen cylinder and a stocked first-aid kit in the vehicle
Not included
- Travel to Shimla and from Manali
- Lunches on non-driving days, and anything you drink
- Monastery camera fees
- Travel insurance — strongly recommended for this trip
- Anything personal, and anything caused by a road closure beyond our control
Where you sleep, how you move
Stay
Four nights in family homestays in Langza and Demul — shared bathrooms, hot water by bucket, and the best food on the trip. Three nights in guesthouses at Sangla, Nako and Kaza with attached bathrooms. Twin sharing throughout; a private room can be arranged at Kaza on request.
Transport
One private tempo traveller or two SUVs depending on group size, with a driver who has run this circuit for years. Roads here are unpaved for long stretches and this is not a comfortable drive — it is a beautiful one.
What to carry
- A 50–60L rucksack, plus a small daypack
- Layers: thermals, fleece, and a windproof outer shell
- Broken-in trekking or walking shoes — not new ones
- Sunglasses, SPF 50, lip balm, a wide-brimmed hat
- A reusable water bottle — we do not carry single-use plastic
- Personal medication, plus any prescription you rely on
- A power bank; charging points are scarce past the last town
Who this trip is for
Open to 18–55. You need to be comfortable with long drive days, basic bathrooms and altitude above 4,000m. If you have a heart, lung or blood-pressure condition, talk to us and to your doctor before booking.
Cancellation & refunds
Specific to this trip, because a permit-bound Himalayan departure cannot carry the same terms as a weekend by a river.
- More than 45 days before departure — full refund, less a ₹2,500 processing fee.
- 30 to 45 days before departure — 60% refund. Permits and stays are blocked this far out and are non-recoverable.
- 15 to 29 days before departure — 30% refund.
- Under 15 days before departure — no refund. Your seat is transferable to a friend at no cost.
- Weather or road closures are outside anyone's control. If we cannot run the trip you get a full refund or a free transfer.
Full terms are in our refund & cancellation policy.
Meet your host
Tenzin Dolma
Based in Kaza, Spiti · 4 trips led
Grew up in Spiti and spent four winters working at a homestay in Langza. Knows which passes open early, which grandmother makes the best thukpa, and how to talk anyone through their first night at 4,200 metres.
“I have watched people arrive terrified of the altitude and leave planning to come back in winter. That turn is the whole job.”
Not quite the one?
There are other departures, and we would rather put you on the right trip than the nearest one.
Or reach us on WhatsApp at +91 96063 37793