We begin this Spiti Valley Winter Expedition by hitting the road from Shimla. We pass through the popular towns of Kufri and Narkanda and drive next to the Sutlej river. We arrive at Rampur Bushahr's historic Padam Palace, enjoy a piping cup of tea before checking into your warm hotel room.

Overnight at a hotel in Rampur.

After a comfortable night’s rest at Rampur, we set off on the famous Hindustan-Tibet Highway to enter Kinnaur. Famed for its spectacular views and proximity to Tibet, this road snakes north into Nako, the last hamlet of Kinnaur district.

We have a steaming hot lunch at Nako, before entering the magical Spiti Valley. Here, we spend the night at a comfortable and authentic homestay in Tabo.

Overnight at a homestay in Tabo.

We start the day with a visit to the 1021 – year old Tabo Monastery, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk around this sacred site and gain a deeper understanding of Buddhism. Unlike other monasteries in Spiti Valley, the Tabo monastery is located at the bottom of the valley.

From Tabo, we drive to the spectacular Pin Valley. Imagine a national park with an abundance of animals and birds, with some rare plant varieties and a river that is frozen. Pin Valley promises all this. We first visit the Kungri Monastery and then the beautiful hamlet of Mudh – the last motorable village of the Pin Valley. Declared a national park in 1987, Pin Valley has altitudes ranging from 11,000 to 20,000 feet and is home to at least 12 endangered snow leopards. In addition, other animals indigenous to the region and park are the Siberian ibex, bharal, weasel, red fox and marten. Birds such as the pika, griffon, golden eagle, bearded vulture, chukor and raven paint the skies a pretty picture.

Depending on the road condition, we can head to Dhankar and explore the ancient monastery and village here, before heading to Kaza.

Overnight at a homestay in Kaza.

We begin the fourth day, with a drive to renowned Ki Monastery. The car will first stop at the base of the monastery hill for the ultimate photo opportunity of this remarkable structure amid white snow. With over 1000 years’ worth stories to tell, the Ki Monastery situated at a height of 13,668 feet was founded by a disciple of the famous Atisha, in the 11th century CE. Belonging to the Yellow Hat or Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, this monastery is famous as a prominent center of learning as well as a refuge for Tibetans. Being remotely located atop a hill overlooking endless plains, the Ki Monastery is an obvious choice for those seeking peace and calm.

Then we will move farther up the valley to the picturesque village of Kibber. Located at a height of 4205 meters and 18 km from Kaza, this formerly highest permanently inhabited village in this region, is also a popular base camp to embark on adventure and treks to adjoining mountains of high altitude. The expanses of beautiful landscapes and immeasurable beauty of the snowy mountains make the place a haven for nature-lovers and photographers alike.

From Kibber we head to the famous Chicham Bridge - the highest bridge in Asia, before heading to Chicham village and checking in to our warm homestay.

Overnight at a homestay in Chicham.

We wake up in one of the remotest and highest villages in the world today. We begin the day early, with a 2-3 hour long walk in snow-clad mountains which will bring us close to the region where sighting snow leopards has higher probability.

We camp there for the day, observing and photographing the wildlife, and also some great landscapes.

Staying in Chicham also allows a chance to witness the life of the villagers in these harsh terrains and weather conditions. Their lifestyle is unique to this trans-Himalayan region.

Overnight at the homestay in Chicham.

On the sixth day of this Spiti Valley Winter Expedition, we drive to some of the highest inhabited regions of the world.

The highest village in Asia, Komik, which literally translates to ‘eye of a snow cock’, is situated at a height of 4513 meters. This farming village has a population of 84 people, living in utter isolation, mostly cut-off from the rest of the world during this part of the year. If accessible during this tour, we will make the drive to Komik. Some of the common animals of the region are the Tibetan wolf, blue sheep, red fox, hare, snow cock, Himalayan griffin, rock pigeon etc.

Later, we drive to Hikkim where we visit the world’s highest post office in the world. If possible, you might even meet the post-master and hear his stories.

After sending out a postcard, we drive to Langza. Langza village is situated at an altitude of 4400 meters and belongs to the Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Langza houses a population of 137 in 33 households. Once you are here, you can walk around the frosty-white village and visit the ancient Lang (Temple) which is estimated to be around 1000 years old. At Langza, walk back to the prehistoric era when Spiti was submerged by the Tethys Sea, as you explore a land very rich with fossils of Marine animals and plants which were here millions of years ago.

Overnight at a homestay in Kaza.

The seventh day marks the beginning of the end of this expedition. We make our way south towards Kinnaur Valley. Along this journey, you can get to capture some scenic visions that you might have missed earlier. No journey in Spiti is ever the same all the time. After a scenic and memorable drive, we will end the journey at Rampur.

Overnight stay at a hotel in Rampur / Kalpa.

The last leg of this 8 Day Winter Expedition is here. We drive to Shimla with a bag of delightful memories and exciting stories to recount.

Tour ends.