Today to start with your Himalayan Odyssey-Explore the Unexplored Spiti Valley tour, you will be met from your flight to New Delhi International Airport by Summit Safari’s representative and driver, and we will transfer you to your hotel in New Delhi. Rest of the day is free at leisure to relax after the flight. Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

Early in the morning, you will be assisted by your tour escort/guide to board the super fast Shatabdi train from New Delhi leaving at 07:40AM to Kalka arriving at 11:50AM. Breakfast will be served to you on this first class train. At Kalka board the UNESCO World Heritage Kalka Shimla Mountain Railways the toy- a journey of discovery, leaving from Kalka at 12:10PM to Shimla arrival at 05:20 PM. This train travels very slowly through the mountains up to Shimla providing you the views of the spectacular landscape of the foothills of Himalayas with the cool wind of the mountains, the villages where local farmers are working to get the best crops and the seasonable vegetables soon lush green valley embellished with pine and oak trees, the picturesque scenery along the railway line is simply astounding.

On arrival at Shimla railway station you will be met by our driver and we will transfer you to the hotel /home stay Marigold Home Stay in Shimla for 2 nights where you can choose to stay with a local Indian Family at theExotic Marigold HomestayEvening is free to relax.

Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

Please Note: This day even we can pick you up from Chandigarh, which is one railway station before Kalka and could drive you to Shimla (120 kms / 4 hrs) – which is a fast way to reach Shimla. Chandigarh also has an international airport and is close to Shimla (120 kms/ 4 hrs). The flights to Chandigarh are available from New Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Chennai and from many other major cities in India.

Shimla airport runway is very small and only one flight operates seasonally from New Delhi to Shimla with a baggage limit of 10 kgs per person only. Flights are very unreliable and depend on the wheatear conditions in the mountains specially at Shimla. We would not recommend you taking a flight to Shimla.

After breakfast at your hotel your guide will assist you to the government office for the process of making the inner line permits, which would be required for your further journey to the restricted areas of Kinnaur and Spiti valley. Later on we will continue for a sightseeing tour of Shimla town. We will visit the monkey temple on the top of Jakhoo hills, Christ Church, the Gaiety Theatre (closed on Monday) , Mall Road with its scandal point, and the famous Vice Roy’s house (closed on Monday), now known as Indian Institute of Advance studies- where arrangements for the partition of India and Pakistan were worked out. Shimla is ideal for walks, and life revolves around the busy Mall in the centre of town. If interested in walking you can also take the Shimla Heritage walk Tour, which is the part of your day tour. Second night in the same hotel / home stay in Shimla.

Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

After breakfast check out from the hotel / home stay and set off with your guide at around 8:30 A.M. to Sarahan 2,150 metres / 7,055 feet, (170 kms/ 8 hrs) a tiny little village in the Himalayas. We drive through the beautiful villages of Fagu, Theog, Matiana, Narkanda and Rampur. En route we will have many comfort breaks and will stop for short village hikes and will visit the Hattu peak ( 3,400 metres/ 11,154 feet) at Narkanda, from where you can have a spectacular view of the mighty Central Himalayas and the valleys below covered with apple orchards and terrace farms.

We will stop for lunch on the way to Rampur and reach Sarahan by evening and check in your hotel. Sarahan, the tiny village offers the splendid views of Shrikhanda Mahadev Peak (5,155 metres). The major attraction in Sarahan is centuries-old Hindu temple of Bhimakali, dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali. Steeped in legend, the temple complex is a resplendent example of hill architecture. Sarahan is also the gateway to the famous Kinnaur valley. Overnight in Sarahan for 1 night.

Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

Please Note: Saharan village has basic hotel accommodations only.

After breakfast at your hotel, we will visit the famous temple of Bhimakali at Sarahan. This is the same temple in which human sacrifices were made till two centuries ago. After visiting the temple we will continue our walk through the village of Sarahan.

Later we continue our driving to Sangla 2,680 metres / 8,792 feet, (90 kms / 4.30 hrs) where you will check in to the hotel set up in the apple orchard.

Later after lunch you will be taken on a guided walking tour through Kamru and Sangla villages and we will visit the beautifully carved old temples and Buddhist monasteries. You will have plenty of opportunity to interact with the local tribal people of these beautiful valleys, and our guide will be happy to interpret.

This Land between Heaven and Earth is Kinnaur and is known as the Baspa Sangla valley, after river Baspa which flows through the valley. Here you will enjoy the unspoiled beauty of the mountains, rivers and nature full of Himalayan cedar trees, fruit orchards, barley fields and picturesque hamlets. Overnight in hotel/ luxury tented accommodation in Sangla for 2 nights.

Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

This morning after breakfast we will be driving you to Chitkul 3,450 metres / 11,318 feet (1.30 hrs each way) which is the last village on Indian side on the Indo–Tibetan border. It is a short driving day and a relaxed day to have comfortable walks in various Himalayan villages around the Baspa-Sangla valley. Enroute we will take a hike around the village of Rakcham and later continue our drive to the village of Chitkul which is like something from a fairy tales with traditional old house overlooking the Himalayan Mountains. You will have plenty of time to walk slowly around the village, to interact with locals and to enjoy the stunning views of the Trans Himalayan landscapes.

You can have local lunch/ tea at Chitkul and later we will drive back to Sangla. On the way back we will visit the Batseri village and The Laxmi Narayan temple famous for its erotic wooden carvings on the walls. We will also take a village and nature walk (1.30 hrs). Evening is free to explore the local market in Sangla. Second night in the same hotel in Sangla.

Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

After breakfast at the hotel check out and we will drive you to Kalpa village 2,960 metres / 9,711 feet (40 kms/ 2-3 hrs). Enroute we will stop at Reckong Peo the district headquarters of Kinnaur district and will have a walking tour around the local market.

Please Note: Foreign tourists require an Inner Line permit to visit some of the areas which are close to the Tibetan border. These inner line permits can be obtained for this tour from the district magistrate at Reckong Peo in Kinnaur valley and takes around 2-3 hrs depending on the availability of the signing authority for the inner line permits. We will assist you to the government office and help you completing the formalities to obtain the Inner Line permits.

Permits needs to be applied in the morning around 10:30 A.M, on working days, from Monday to Saturday. Permits are not processed on Second Saturday and other public holidays.

SO you are requested to finalise your travel dates for this tour before you make your flight reservations, so we can check and update you before your booking that the day we arrive in Recongpeo is a working Offical Day and there is no national Holiday of Second Saturday or Sunday.

After obtaining the Inner line permits you can also choose to have light lunch in a local restaurant in Reckong Peo where you can enjoy Indian or Tibetan food.

After lunch and walking tour we will drive to Kalpa (7 kms), you will check in to your hotel. After some rest we will take you for a walk through Kalpa and the nearby Roghi village famous for its cliffs and Himalayan Mountain views. These villages are covered with thick pine forests and are famous for apricots and apples.

The finest view of the Mt. Kinner Kailash Mountain (6,000 metres) can be had from Kalpa. This is a spectacular sight early in the morning as the rising sun touches the snowy peaks with crimson and gold light. Overnight stay in Kalpa for 1 night at a hotel overlooking the beautiful Himalayan Mountains with the views of Mt. Kinner Kailash.

Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

After breakfast we will drive you to Nako 3,662 metres /12,014 feet (120 kms / 6 hrs.). Enroute we will stop at Puh village where we will take a walking tour of the village and will enjoy a cup of tea with the people who belong to the ethnic tribal community in the Himalayas.

Later we continue our drive to Nako through Khab the meeting place of two rivers Sutlej and Spiti rivers. On arrival we will check into the hotel / luxury tented accommodation overlooking the Nako Lake. In the late afternoon your guide will take you for a walking tour to the nearby mountains from where you enjoy the spectacular views of the Nako Lake, village and the Himalayas in the backdrop.

We will also take a walking tour around the village which will provide you chances to interact with the local tribal community. The village of Nako in the upper Kinnaur valley is famous for the Nako lake and the Buddhist monastery related to guru Padma Sambhava (a great Buddhist scholar, whose teachings spread to Tibet from India).It also has the residence of His Holiness The Dalai Lama ji, which was made here for the Kalchakara teachings. Overnight stay in Nako for 1 night.

Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

After breakfast check out from the hotel and we will have a short walk around Nako village and later drive you to Tabo 3,280 metres / 10,760 feet, ( 90 kms / 5 hrs). Today we will be entering the beautiful Spiti valley the Land between Tibet and Ladakh is the best offbeat Tourism Destination in Himalayas. In Spiti you will experience the wonders and natural beauty that will keep you spell bound for a long time.

Enroute we will drive you to visit the Gue village in Spiti valley which is famous for its naturally preserved Mummy of a Buddhist monk (Sangha Tenzin). The 15^th century old, mummified body, in a sitting meditation pose of the Buddhist monk is naturally preserved due to the cold ,dry and harsh weather of Spiti valley. The mummy of Gue village is belived to be around 600 years old, which was discovered here from a Stupa after the earth quake in 1975, while the Indo Tibet Border Force was clearing the area and building the road. Very clearly you can see the teeth, hairs and the well preserved skin on the bones of the Mummy of Gue in the Himalayas.

Later we continue to Tabo and check in to the hotel. In the evening we will take you to visit the Tabo monastery which is the oldest monastery in the Himalayas founded in 996 A.D. Tabo Monastery is famous for its art and History and is the oldest continuously functioning Buddhist monument in the World and the Himalayas with its original decorations, iconographic and wall paintings.

We will visit the Tabo monastery in the late afternoon which is the hidden gem of the Himalayas and preserves an extra ordinary wealth of documentation, history and culture of the centuries old Indo Tibetan culture. The Tabo monastery compound have 9 chapels and the 32 life size clay sculptures in the main Assembly hall are the major highlights to experience. Overnight stay in Tabo for 1 night.

Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

Today after breakfast check out from the hotel and we will drive you to Kaza. Enroute we drive you to visit the famous Dhankar village, monastery and fort. If interested you can even walk uphill to the Dhankar Lake (1 hrs each side).

Today we will also visit the Kungri monastery in the famous Pin valley, which is a side valley in Spiti and famous for the Pin valley National Park- home to a variety of rare animals like the snow Leopard, snow ibex, the Himalayan blue sheep and the thar.

Later we continue our drive to Kaza where you will check in to the hotel .The evening is free to explore the local market in Kaza. Overnight in a hotel at Kaza for 2 nights.

Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

Today after breakfast you will leave for the full day sightseeing tour to explore the World’s highest Himalayan villages and monasteries around Kaza. We will drive you to Hikkim village where you visit the World's highest Post office located (4,400 metres / 14,436 feet). You can write and send the post cards to your loved ones from here.

Later we will drive you to Komic village ( 4,587 metres / 15,050 feet) which is now the world’s highest village joined to a motorable road. We will visit the Komic monastery (women are not allowed inside the monastery.) The village provides magnificent Himalayan Mountain views.

Later we will drive you to visit the Langza village where you will visit the village monastery and will have local lunch with a local family which belongs to the Himalayan ethnic tribal group. This will provide you a change to interact with the locals and have a deep insight to the day to day life of the people living in these remote regions of the Himalayas in Spiti valley. Langza village is the part of the most fossil rich areas in the world by the Geological Survey of India and the Geological Society of America.

After lunch we will take a walk around the statue of the Buddha overlooking the snow capped mountain peaks. We will also walk around the Langza village downhill to the road where we will be picked up by the driver.

In the late afternoon we visit Key Monastery which is the largest monastery in Spiti valley. The monastery is an irregular jumble of low rooms and narrow corridors on a conical hill. The prayer chambers are interconnected by dark passages, tortuous staircases and small doors. Hundreds of monks receive their religious training in the monastery.

We will also visit the Chicham village bridge on a gorge. We will also visit the Kibber village which is the part of Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary. Here you have an option to walk to the nearby mountains where there are chances to search the big herds of Himalayan blue sheep and snow ibex , which can be seen in the nearby mountains.

The villages or Hikkim, Langza, Gette and Kibber are home to the Snow Leopards in the winters when they come down from the Himalayan Mountains to the villages in search of food. We do organise Spiti Snow Leopard Winter Tour during January and February, which is the best time to see these beautiful animals.

By evening return back to the same hotel for the second night stay.

Meals Plan-: Breakfast + Dinner and lunch with a local family at Langza is included.

Please Note: There are opportunities to stay couple of nights in the home stay during the tour specially at Langza or Kibber with the local tribal communities. The home stay accommodations are with neat and clean, basic rooms overlooking the mountains. Some home stays have common western toilets and a few have attached western toilets. There is no shower, but hot water is provided in bucket. If interested to stay in home stays, we can discuss all this with you at the time of planning your holiday tour.

You can even increase 1 night stay at Kaza extending your tour by 1 more day.

Today early morning we will have our breakfast/ morning tea at 7:00 A.M and will check out from the hotel as it is a long day of driving to Manali 2,050 metres/ 7,725 feet ( 200 kms/ 8-9 hrs). Today we will cross over the Kunzum La (4,551 metres/ 14,932 feet), which provides beautiful views of CB ranges and Himalayan Glaciers. We will stop for many comfort breaks, and photo breaks.

If time permits and depending on the weather we can also visit Chandra Taal Lake. We will have our lunch at Batal, where freshly cooked rice and lentils are served in a road side local Dhaba. The road stretch from Losar to Gramphoo over Kunzum Pass (80 kms), is a quiet rough, bumpy road and we cross couple of water streams this day. Our experienced and expert driver drives carefully and takes care of your comfort and safety on the Himalayan roads.

After lunch at Batal we continue our journey to Manali through the Atal Tunnel, below Rohtang Pass in Lahaul Valley, which with a length of 9.02 kms., is the longest tunnel above 10,000 feet in the world. On arrival at Manali by evening check into the hotel and rest of the time is free to relax and walk nearby to Old Manali or the Mall road of Manali. Overnight at Manali for 1 night.

Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

Today you will make a late start after a leisurely breakfast. We will visit Old Manali village, Hadimba Devi temple with your guide. Later on we will take you to visit the Nagger village and castle. Naggar was the ancient seat of the ruler of Kullu Valley and now the Naggar Castle is run as a Heritage hotel and restaurant by the tourism department of Himachal. We will visit the Naggar castle and will have a cup of tea or lunch here. Evening visit the Mall road of Manali. Second night in the same hotel in Manali.

Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

Today morning after breakfast 8:00 A.M we will drive you to Chandigarh from where you will board the evening Shatabdi Express Train to New Delhi. The driver will drop us in the evening at Chandigarh railway station from where we will board the Shatabdi express train at 6:15 P.M, arriving New Delhi by 9:50PM Dinner will be served to you on this train. On arrival at New Delhi you will be transferred to the hotel in New Delhi.

Meals Plan: Breakfast + Dinner are included.

Today morning after breakfast, check out from the hotel and as per your flight schedule we will transfer you to the international airport in New Delhi, from where you will board your flight back to home.

End Of The tour and the services....!

Before Booking your international flights, please do reconfirm your travel dates with us as this tour needs to obtain Inner line Permit on Day No 7 as per the above itinerary—and it should not be a second Saturday, Sunday or a National Holiday. So we request you to reconfirm this with us before booking your international flights.

Foreign tourists require an Inner Line permit to visit some of the areas which are close to the Tibetan border. These inner line permits can be obtained for this tour from the district magistrate at Shimla or Reckong Peo in Kinnaur valley and takes around 2-3 hrs depending on the availability of the signing authority for the inner line permits.

We will assist you to the government office and help you completing the formalities to obtain the Inner Line permits.

Permits needs to be applied in the morning around 10:30 A.M, on working days, from Monday to Saturday. Permits are not processed on Second Saturday, Sunday and other National holidays.

This is the tour itinerary for the Himalayan Odyssey-Explore the Unexplored Spiti Valley tour which we run regularly. It can be altered & customised as we like to discuss plans with clients and can make suggestions about special places to visit depending on our clients’ interests, and available time. You can get an idea of your holidays from the mentioned tour. The itinerary is planned in such a way that while travelling you get a good time to experience India and see the real life of Indian people from much closer.

Whether you choose to be on a privately guided tour to India or set off on a more independent trip, with local guides available wherever required, you can travel reassured, knowing our vast experience and provide you with around-the-clock support to smooth out anything unexpected. The safety and well-being of our guests is paramount.