Kinnaur in the state of Himachal Pradesh, with lush green valleys, snow clad peaks and cold desert mountains, is truly the land of fairy tales and fantasies. Sharing its border with Tibet and China, it has culture and language that is different from other parts of the state. Kinnaur is also rich in flora & fauna, notable amongst them being the elusive Snow Leopard, Chukar Partridge and Bharal or Blue Sheep. Its massive snowclad ranges that provide royal dignity to the scene are dominated by the peak of Kinner Kailash. The landscape of the region varies from beautiful green orchards to stark barren mountains. It’s a rare treat to drive on the Hindustan Tibet road which is a great engineering feat constructed in vertical rock. Passing through scenic moonscape mountains, mesmerizing hamlets and beautiful monasteries, this road trip is hard to be missed, unique and a must do for travelers, thrill seekers and adventurers alike.
Trekking and bird watching.
Hiking through the forests of Shivalik.
Exciting time rafting on the Ganga.
Camping by the river.
Stargazing from the comfort of your shelter.
COST AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
DELHI TO FAGU
We leave Delhi by 0630 hrs for Fagu avoiding the early morning rush. Driving through the beautiful hills of Solan, Shimla & Kufri, we reach Fagu by late afternoon. Our hotel located on a hillside and offers a beautiful view of the valley. By evening, we go for an acclimatization hike to a nearby picturesque Kali temple.
FAGU TO CHITKUL
After breakfast, we head towards Sangla Valley for the last village on the Indian side – Chitkul. We cross Narkanda, Rampur Bushahr, Sarahan, Wangtu, and Karcham to reach our destination. The drive is mostly along river Satluj and offers scenic views all along of wonderful mountain features that are truly a delight to a geographer or naturalist. We will stop for lunch enroute and explore Chitkul in the evening.
CHITKUL TO TABO VIA GUE
We leave the little village of Chitkul & the beautiful Sangla Valley to drive toward Tabo. The landscape today changes dramatically as we follow the road along river Satluj. The mountainside changes from lush green to stark brown as we enter the high-altitude desert of the mighty Himalayas. At Khab Sangam, we leave Satluj behind and drive alongside the river Spiti. The mountains here onwards are devoid of any greenery, except near occasional villages, and in different hues of brown. Snow can be seen on the peaks along the drive. We take a detour to Gue village where there is a beautifully preserved mummy of a lama that is more than half a century old. On reaching Tabo, we relax for a while and visit the famous Tabo monastery that was constructed in 996 AD.
Tabo to Langza via Dhankar, Kaza, Hikkim & Komic
Driving through the village of Poh and crossing stunning mountains we reach the old Dhankar monastery that hangs off a cliff 300 meters high. Dhankar was the traditional capital of the Spiti Valley kingdom and is situated at an elevation of 3894 meters in Spiti Valley. After spending some time here, we drive on to Langza which is the fossil capital of the world. The village is situated at an altitude of 4420 meters and has a statue of the golden Buddha that is around 1000 years old. Langza has an abundance of fossils of marine creatures that are over a million years old. Along the route, we will stop at Kaza which has a beautiful monastery. There are shops around here that sell souvenirs too. We will visit Hikkim which has the highest post office in the world and have lunch at Komic which has the highest restaurant in the world connected by a motorable road. Langza is a wonderful place for stargazing and offers excellent scope for photographing the milky way.
Langza to Manali
Leaving Langza, we drive towards the stunning Key monastery, the largest and the oldest in Spiti Valley. Located at an altitude of 4170 meters, it looks like the icing on a cake that has been laid down in the valley along the Spiti River. We drive through Kunzum Pass at 4551 meters and driving through small hamlets, Chota Darra & Chatru, we reach Manali. The evening will be free time to explore around and relax. We can visit Old Manali, a nature park, the Hidimba temple, the Jogini waterfall, and the hot spring at Vashisht Temple.
Manali to Zirakpur
We bid farewell to the mountains today and drive back to Zirakpur and stay there for the night. If we get a chance, we could visit the famous Pinjore Garden in the evening.
Zirakpur to Delhi
We drive back to Delhi and mark the end of the trip.
Day 1 – Delhi to Fagu.
We leave Delhi by 0630 hrs for Fagu avoiding the early morning rush. Driving through the beautiful hills of Solan, Shimla & Kufri, we reach Fagu by late afternoon. Our hotel is located on a hillside and offers a beautiful view of the valley. By evening, we go for an acclimatization hike to a nearby picturesque Kali temple.
Day 2 – Fagu to Chitkul.
After breakfast, we head towards Sangla Valley for the last village on the Indian side – Chitkul. We cross Narkanda, Rampur Bushahr, Sarahan, Wangtu, and Karcham to reach our destination. The drive is mostly along river Satluj and offers scenic views all along of wonderful mountain features that are truly a delight to a geographer or naturalist. We will stop for lunch en route and explore Chitkul in the evening.
Day 3 – Chitkul to Tabo via Gue
We leave the little village of Chitkul & the beautiful Sangla Valley to drive toward Tabo. The landscape today changes dramatically as we follow the road along river Satluj. The mountainside changes from lush green to stark brown as we enter the high-altitude desert of the mighty Himalayas. At Khab Sangam, we leave Satluj behind and drive alongside the river Spiti. The mountains here onwards are devoid of any greenery, except near occasional villages, and in different hues of brown. Snow can be seen on the peaks along the drive. We take a detour to Gue village where there is a beautifully preserved mummy of a lama that is more than half a century old. On reaching Tabo, we relax for a while and visit the famous Tabo monastery that was constructed in 996 AD.
Day 4 & 5 – Tabo to Langza via Dhankar, Kaza, Hikkim & Komic
Driving through the village of Poh and crossing stunning mountains we reach the old Dhankar monastery that hangs off a cliff 300 meters high. Dhankar was the traditional capital of the Spiti Valley kingdom and is situated at an elevation of 3894 meters in Spiti Valley. After spending some time here, we drive on to Langza which is the fossil capital of the world. The village is situated at an altitude of 4420 meters and has a statue of the golden Buddha that is around 1000 years old. Langza has an abundance of fossils of marine creatures that are over a million years old. Along the route, we will stop at Kaza which has a beautiful monastery. There are shops around here that sell souvenirs too. We will visit Hikkim which has the highest post office in the world and have lunch at Komic which has the highest restaurant in the world connected by a motorable road. Langza is a wonderful place for stargazing and offers excellent scope for photographing the milky way.
Day 6 – Langza to Manali
Leaving Langza, we drive towards the stunning Key monastery, the largest and the oldest in Spiti Valley. Located at an altitude of 4170 meters, it looks like the icing on a cake that has been laid down in the valley along the Spiti River. We drive through Kunzum Pass at 4551 meters and driving through small hamlets, Chota Darra & Chatru, we reach Manali. The evening will be free time to explore around and relax. We can visit Old Manali, the nature park, Hidimba temple, Jogini waterfall, and the hot spring at Vashisht Temple.
Day 7 – Manali to Zirakpur
We bid farewell to the mountains today and drive back to Zirakpur and stay there for the night. If we get a chance, we could visit the famous Pinjore Garden in the evening.
Day 8 – Zirakpur to Delhi
We drive back to Delhi and mark the end of the trip.
Old Badrinath trail was used by pilgrimages when there was no means of transport to reach the Badrinath temple which is one of the four important Char Dham…
