Spiti is a cold desert high in the Himalaya — bare mountains, turquoise rivers, villages of whitewashed houses and monasteries clinging to cliffs. It is one of the most beautiful places in India and one of the most demanding. This is our honest guide for Hoppers who want to go.
What makes Spiti special
Spiti lies in the rain shadow of the Great Himalaya, so it stays dry when the rest of Himachal is drenched by the monsoon. Buddhist culture shapes daily life: Key, Dhankar and Tabo monasteries are centuries old, and villages such as Kibber, Langza and Komic are among the highest inhabited places in India.
Life is simple. Homestays offer warm rooms, butter tea and barley bread; many are run by families who welcome travellers for a few months each year.
- 1Kazamain town, about 3,800 mOpen in Google Maps ↗
- 2Key Monasteryabout 4,100 mOpen in Google Maps ↗
- 3Kibberhigh villageOpen in Google Maps ↗
- 4Langzafossils and a giant Buddha statueOpen in Google Maps ↗
- 5Dhankar Monasterycliff-top monasteryOpen in Google Maps ↗
- 6Tabo Monasteryfounded in 996Open in Google Maps ↗
- 7Chandratal Lakeon the Manali route, summer onlyOpen in Google Maps ↗
Positions approximate.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Tap a name to zoom.
Two ways in
- Via Shimla and Kinnaur: the longer route, usually open most of the year but prone to landslides. Foreigners need an inner line permit for the stretch near the border (issued by district authorities, for example in Reckong Peo, Kaza or Shimla).
- Via Manali and Kunzum Pass: shorter and dramatic, but the passes are usually open only from about June to October.
Most travellers go in on one route and out on the other, taking at least ten days. Never rush the climb.
Altitude: take it seriously
- Go up slowlyspend nights at middle heights such as Sangla or Nako before Kaza
- First day in Kazarest, drink water, no alcohol, no hard walks
- Know the signsheadache, nausea, breathlessness at rest, confusion
- Act earlyif symptoms worsen, go down — descent is the treatment
- Plan for helpKaza has a government hospital; specialist care is many hours away
Spiti is not the place to recover from surgery. If you have heart or lung disease, are pregnant, or have had an operation in the last few months, ask your doctor before planning a high-altitude trip — and consider gentler places such as Dharamshala or Bir instead.
When to go and what to pack
- June to September: the classic season — both routes usually open, warm days, cold nights.
- October: clear skies and golden fields, but early snow can close passes.
- Winter (November to April): only the Kinnaur route, deep cold and limited services — for experienced travellers with local support only.
Pack: warm layers even in summer, sunscreen and sunglasses (the sun is strong at altitude), a refillable bottle, basic medicines, cash (ATMs are few), and copies of your passport and permit. Mobile coverage is patchy outside Kaza; tell someone your route each day.
Food and homestays
Spiti's kitchens run on barley, peas, potatoes and dairy from yaks and cows. Expect thukpa (noodle soup), momos, tsampa (roasted barley flour), butter tea and simple dal and rice. Many homestays serve organic vegetables from their own fields in summer. Eat what the family cooks, tell them early about any diet you follow, and pay the agreed rate directly — that income helps villages stay alive through long winters.
Travelling with respect
- Monasteries: walk clockwise, remove shoes where asked, and ask before photographing monks or prayers.
- Water and waste: water is precious in a desert; carry a refillable bottle and take your rubbish back.
- Homestays: eat what the family cooks; money from homestays keeps young people in their villages.
- Fossils: look, photograph, never take them away.
Respect the place, and the place gives back: dark skies full of stars, silence you can hear, and families who remember you the next year. Give yourself enough days, travel with a reliable local driver, and keep a buffer day for roads closed by landslides or snow.
Spiti suits experienced, healthy travellers with time. Join BookMedTrip Hoppers and we will help you plan routes, permits and homestays, or read our guide to Himachali culture and etiquette.
Independent research. Figures are quoted from the official and published sources listed below, as they stood when we checked them (October 2026). BookMedTrip is an independent facilitator and is not affiliated with any government body, hospital, charity or organisation named here, and receives no commission from them. If anything here is out of date or inaccurate, please write to care@bookmedtrip.com and we will correct it.
प्रश्नहरू
Do foreigners need a permit for Spiti?
Foreign nationals need an inner line permit for the stretch near the border on the Kinnaur route. District offices such as Reckong Peo, Kaza or Shimla issue them.
When is the Manali–Spiti road open?
Kunzum Pass is usually open only from about June to October, depending on snow.
Is Spiti safe after surgery?
No — high altitude is not suitable for recovery. Ask your doctor, and choose lower places such as Dharamshala or Bir.
