ARRIVE CHANDIGARH & SETTLED UP

Arrive Chandigarh & report your Ride Captain in Chandigarh hotel.

Collect your bikes & some maintenance work if needed. General discussion about the ride/ Group dinner. Overnight in Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH – SHIMLA (4 – 5 Hours / 7238 Feet)

The drive will take us from the urban terrains to Shimla – where we get our first taste of the Himalayas. Named after Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Kali, Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh and summer capital of pre-Independence India.

It is an attractive blend of hill town and holiday resort. Shimla has a distinctive retro style – with hand-painted signs in the bazaars and cars banned from the main town – it almost feels like the Britishers left just yesterday. The drive is a comfortable one and takes us through some delightful landscape. Shimla is an important part of the journey as it gives the body ample time to adapt to the altitude and get ready for the journey ahead. Overnight at a hotel in Shimla

SHIMLA – SANGLA (6 – 7 Hours / 8900 Feet)

We start driving from Shimla after some delicious breakfast and start driving towards our second Himalayan destination – Sangla. At Sangla – known as the ‘Land of Gods’, the 95 km stretch of exquisite beauty promises you a storehouse of wonderful memories. The flow of the Sutlej River through the Sangla Valley is quite a sight to behold; the picturesque scenery and the way of life in the numerous villages of Sangla are testament to the harmony with which coexists with nature. Overnight at a hotel / camps in Sangla.

SANGLA – CHITKUL – KALPA (8 – 9 Hours / 9711 Feet)

Today, we visit Chitkul – often called the last Indian village. The extensive Nila range where the greenish-blue Baspa River originates, decorates India on one side and Tibet on the other. At a height of 3450m, Chitkul is picture-perfect Here, the temples of the local Goddess, ‘Mathi’ are well-worth visiting as well; some of them are as old as 500 years. Chitkul is a true experience of nature unravaged by the widespread encroachment of man, and the beauty of the hills that speckle the Baspa Valley are testaments to this fact.

We then retrace our miles and continue driving on the Hindustan – Tibet Highway – towards the apple-orchard dotted town of Kalpa. Legend has it that Kalpa was the winter home of Lord Shiva. If it’s true, he couldn’t have found a more remarkable abode for himself, with enthrallingly majestic views of the Kinner Kailash and Jorkandan Peaks looming right above the village. A winding road about 7 km above Rekong Peo brings you to this gem of a little village where modernity is only just beginning to make an appearance. Kothi, located 3 kilometres from Kalpa, has a temple dedicated to the goddess Chanadika Devi. This temple has a: very unusual architectural style and fine sculpture. An exquisite gold image of goddess is enshrined in sanctum. Don’t miss the fantastic sunset at Kalpa. Overnight at a hotel in Kalpa.

KALPA – NAKO – KAZA (8 – 9 Hours / 12,000 Feet)

Today, the landscape changes from green-mountains to desert-mountains. We continue our journey through Kinnaur and enter the Hindustan-Tibet Highway -often called the world’s most adventurous roads. We drive via Puh, which is the last fuel station on this road before Kaza. After a fuel refill, we drive towards Nako. Nako – originally known as ‘Kyangoh’ or ‘Gateway to the Holy Place’, is a village in Western

Himalayas, situated at 3600m. This village is the embodiment of Buddhist culture and traditions – evident in the various monasteries and practices of the charming locals. The village is exquisitely beautiful with an oval shaped lake, protected on all sides by adjoining mountains. The lake freezes over during the months of winter. Later, we continue driving to Kaza – the district capital of Spiti Valley. Overnight at a hotel in Kaza / Rangrik.

KAZA – PIN VALLEY – MUDH – KAZA (3 – 4 Hours / 12,450 Feet)

Imagine a national park with an abundance of animals and birds, with some rare plant varieties, a river that gushes when it isn’t frozen and trekking opportunities for the adventure-seekers. The Pin Valley promises all this and more. 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. We return to Kaza in the evening. Overnight at a hotel in Kaza / Rangrik.

KAZA – KI MONASTERY – GETTE – KIBBER – KOMIK – HIKKIM – LANGZA – KAZA (6 – 7 Hours / 14,800 Feet)

Today, we visit the world famous Ki Monastery. 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 centre of learning as well as 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 further down the valley to the picturesque village of Kibber. Located at a height of 4205 metres and 18 km from Kaza, this formerly highest permanently inhabited village of this region, is also a popular base camp to embark on adventure and treks to adjoining mountains of high altitude.

Next – we drive to Komik – The highest village in Asia. Komik, which literally translates to ‘eye of a snow cock’, is situated at a height of 4513 metres. This farming village has a population of 84 people, living in utter isolation, cut-off from the rest of the world for most parts of the year.

After Komik, we head to Hikkim – which houses the highest post office in the world. Don’t forget to send a postcard home from here! Later, we head to the picturesque village of Langza. Once you are here, you can walk about the village and visit the ancient Lang (Temple) which is estimated to be around 1000 years old. At Langza, trek 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.

We return to Kaza in the evening. Overnight at a hotel in Kaza / Rangrik.

KAZA – TABO – DHANKAR – LHALUNG (5 – 6 Hours / 12,774 Feet)

After a delicious breakfast, we continue our Spiti Valley tour and drive towards the only other town of Spiti Valley – Tabo. Also known as the ‘Ajanta of the Himalayas’, Tabo houses the 1020 year-old Tabo Monastery – which is a UNESCO world heritage site and is famous for its ancient paintings that depict the life of The Buddha, and intricate portraits of gods and demons along with life-size statues of bodhisattvas, in a fusion of western Tibetan, Indian and Kashmiri styles.

After spending a couple of hours at Tabo, we drive towards Dhankar. Perched high above the confluence of the Spiti and Pin River, in a hidden bowl, is the tiny hamlet of Dhankar. The former capital of the Royals of Spiti Valley, also known as the Nono, who ruled the dust-colored badlands of Spiti Valley. Go back in time as you explore the 1200-year-old Dhankar Gompa which perches precariously between eroded rocky pinnacles on the edge of a cliff. If time permits, do take an hour’s climb above the village to visit the stunning turquoise Dhankar Tso or Dhankar Lake which offers views over the valley and towards the twin peaks of Mane Rang (6593 meters).

Later, we take a short drive to Lhalung – another beautiful high altitude Spiti valley village. The word Lhalung means ‘land of god’ and the village of Lhalung is located at the foot of the Tangmar Mountains which supposedly transforms in colour depending on the mood of the deities. Red denotes anger while yellow signifies happiness. Apart from being home to hospitable local families, the village of Lhalung is also home to one of the oldest gompas in Spiti valley. The Lhalung Monastery – also known as Sarkhang and golden Temple – is situated at a height of 3658 meters.

We spend the night at an authentic local homestay with a local family, listening to life tales at above 12,000 feet. Overnight at a homestay in Lhalung.

LHALUNG – LOSAR – KUNZUM PASS – CHANDRATAL LAKE (7 – 8 Hours / 14,000 feet)

This day, we commence our journey back home and trace our steps back on the Kaza – Manali road. However, we take one last stop at another Spitian wonder – Chandratal Lake. The mystical and beautiful Chandratal Lake, which translates to Moon Lake, is located at a height of 14,000 feet. The Chandra Bhaga mountain range forms a striking backdrop for the lake, which changes appearance according to the pictures painted in the sky. After capturing the colours of the beautiful Chandratal Lake, we drive to our camping site where a hot supper under the gaze of a million stars and the Milky Way awaits us. Our camps at Chandratal Lake are equipped with camping equipment including tents, sleeping bags / blankets and a comfortable mattress. Overnight at camps near Chandratal Lake.

CHANDRATAL LAKE – BATAL – CHATTRU – ROHTANG PASS – MANALI (6 – 7 Hours / 6726 Feet)

We wake up to a delicious breakfast. If time permits, we can visit the lake one more time before we bid goodbye to Spiti Valley. We continue driving on the Kaza – Manali road and after a few hours of driving and some more stunning landscape, we pass through the famous Rohtang Pass and reach Manali where we end our Spiti Valley tour. Overnight at a hotel in Manali.

MANALI – CHANDIGARH (8 hrs drive)

After heavy breakfast, we check out of our hotel in Manali and head to Chandigarh. In evening we arrive to Chandigarh, check in to hotel. Today will be our last day of the tour. Overnight at a hotel in Chandigarh.

CHANDIGARH DEPARTURE

After breakfast check out the hotel & handover your bikes to Courier Company / Railway to return journey. Later on tour ends & you can proceed further for return flight.