All Girls Road Trip to Spiti Valley

• Chitkul

In this all girls road trip to Spiti Valley, we explore “the middle land” that’s nestled between India and Tibet.

For a long time, life in Spiti had been all about herding cattle, chanting the name of Buddha and silent valleys.

However, in recent years due to Spiti valley being the embodiment of peace whilst also providing the thrill of driving on impassable roads, tourism in Spiti Valley has increased a lot.

The picturesque landscapes, the rocky terrains, majestic mountains and patches of green meadows make this place one of the most beautiful destinations in Himachal Pradesh.

The aim of curating this Spiti valley trip specially for girls, is because we believe in encouraging female solo travelers to rediscover themselves while bonding with other women who share the same passion for traveling as them.

If you’re someone who has always wished to go on an all girls backpacking trip,  then this trip is exactly what you need because we cover all the best places in Spiti Valley that you simply can’t miss out on.

The ever flowing Spiti river is overlooked by highlands and Himalayan peaks. The winding roads and rocky terrains make the drive to Spiti full of thrill and adventure while in the lap of crescent moon shaped lakes such as Chandrataal, one finds the peace of mind that they crave for in metropolitan cities.

In this all girls Spiti Valley trip, We begin our journey from Delhi and head towards Chitkul after making a brief stop at Shimla. The Hindustan-Tibet highway is arguably better because it helps your body to get acclimatized, not to mention that the view is to die for. The glimpse that this route provides to the landscape of Himachal too is one of the reasons that make this the best route to reach Spiti valley.

This trip starts on a high note as the first halt in this Spiti valley road trip is Chitkul. Famous for being the last village on the Indo-Tibet border, not many people know that Chitkul also has the cleanest air in the country. As you spend some time in Chitkul, you will start to understand the slow paced, quaint life people live in the mountains but it’s only just the beginning as we will have a long journey ahead of us that will provide you a different outlook on life, as we unravel all the different layers of Spiti.

Our next stop is Kalpa, a tiny hamlet nestled in the Sutlej river valley, known for its apple orchards. A rich history, scenic views of the Kinnaur Kailash ranges, ancient temples, monasteries and century old traditions are just a few things that Kalpa has to offer. We will spend some leisure time in this small village and let ourselves marvel at the wonder of nature in peace.

Before reaching our next designated stop, we will stop briefly at Nako, home to many Stupas as well as a 3000 year old Monastery. Nestled in the heart of the trans Himalayan ranges, every nook and corner of Nako overflows with peace and even spending a few moments by the Nako lake and paying reverence at the Nako Monastery will leave a lasting impression on you.

Kaza, overlooked by high mountain ridges, with the Spiti river running from North to South, is the binding link between different districts and valleys. It connects Spiti to Lahaul as well as Kinnaur valley and is one of the coldest towns in India. Kaza would be our designated stay for the time being that we spend exploring Spiti and visiting all the attractions that the valley has to offer.

Our sightseeing tour of Spiti includes all the places that have the true essence of Spiti valley present in their walls. As most people are aware that Spiti is abode to many Monasteries, some of them dating back to the 1st Millenia.

The Key Monastery, locally known as Kye Gompa situated at an altitude of 13,668 Ft is the biggest center of Buddhist learning and is the place where all the Llamas get their training from an early age. The monastery has managed to preserve not only ancient relics including the images of Buddha but is one of the strong pillars upon which the foundation of Spiti stands strong.

The next attraction of this tour, the Chicham Bridge is Asia’s highest bridge, perched upon a height of more than 13,000 feet and links the village of Chicham with Kibber. A 1000ft deep gorge called Samba Lamba Nallah runs below the bridge and is a sight to behold. It took approximately 15 years to construct this bridge but it was worth it, as it helps both locals and tourists to traverse easily.

Situated at an altitude of 14,400ft, The highest post office in the world, Hikkim, is another marvel that the Spiti valley has to offer. A functional post office with a tendency to turn every visitor into an old school soul, a visit to Hikkim is incomplete without diving into the 90s nostalgia of writing letters to your loved ones and then dropping them in the red mail box. A lot of travelers especially women adore this place because of its ability to make words pour out of you even if you are not expressive with them in the first place  and hence we make a point to not miss a visit to Hikkim on our all girls trip to Spiti valley.

In Komic, a village popular for being the highest village in the world connected by a motorable road, you can take a stroll and experience the slow-paced life of Spiti from up close.

On our way to the crescent moon shaped lake, Chandra Taal, we make a brief pit stop at Kunzum Pass or Kunzum La as the locals call it. The high mountain pass connects Lahaul and Spiti Valley and is a gateway to Chandratal by a 15km trek.

Chandra Taal, loosely translating to the Moon lake, is a pristine lake usually surrounded by flowers and wildlife in summer. The lake is surrounded by a vast expanse of green meadows which give birth to many blooming flowers during spring adding more charm to the lake’s beauty.

Last, but in no way the least, stop of ours is Langza which is home to many fossils that were once creatures of the sea, as experts believe. Langza is also known as the village of gods for it’s spiritual significance and the 1000 year old Buddha statue that overlooks the village as an ever vigilant protector of the locals.

The return journey of our all girls Spiti road trip would be no less exciting than the actual trip, for we will be traversing through Rohtang Pass and witnessing the panoramic view of the Pir Panjal ranges of Himalayas throughout the entire drive.

The experience of Spiti Valley largely depends on the quaint villages, vibrant towns, ancient monasteries, high altitude passes, green meadows and more. A perfect blend of all beautiful landscapes possible is why Spiti remains on the bucket list of so many travelers and why you must go on a trip to little Tibet.

The best time to visit Spiti Valley, especially if you want to make sure to experience it in all its glory, is from the months of February to April as the entire region is covered in a thick blanket of snow.

However, if you don’t want to miss out on visiting the scenic Chandratal and want to have the best of both worlds then the best time to visit Spiti Valley for you and your girl gang would be from the month of June to September.

Even if an all girls road trip to Spiti Valley wasn’t on your bucket list before, we urge you to go on this trip because it’s an experience of a lifetime. One you must have.

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