- Overview
- Tour Outline
- Inclusions
- Exclusions
- Booking
On this 11-day tour, you will get a glimpse of the lifestyle of the Tribal Region of the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. Travel through the Kinnaur Valley, the Apple Bowl of Himachal Pradesh, then enter the cold desert of the Spiti Valley. We see a huge change in the culture and lifestyle, along with a changing landscape as we traverse through Spiti, which being next to the Indo-Tibet border will offer an exposure into Budhhism, with centuries old monasteries and the orange and crimson robed Lamas roaming the streets.
Itineraries
Day 1
Respective Destinations to New Delhi
Arrive in New Delhi.
We meet you at our port of arrival and escort you to the hotel for an overnight halt.
You also get familiar with the motorcycle you will be riding on the tour.
Day 2
New Delhi to Shimla
We depart early from Delhi to beat the heat and the traffic build-up. We take a breakfast halt about 125 kilometers away at Karnal and carry on further towards Kalka in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Riding from Kalka to Shimla (104 Km, 4-5 Hours) will be a fun experience as you get a hang of the mountain road conditions and also some of the best roads for the duration of this tour. Arrive in Shimla by evening and check into the hotel for an overnight halt.
Dinner will be an in-house affair
Day 3
Shimla to Sarahan
We depart from Shimla a bit early to beat the traffic buildup in the town and halt for breakfast, along the road, about 20 km away.
After breakfast, ride about 40 km on the NH 22 to Narkanda. Post Narkanda, we will be riding downhill till we reach Kingal, where we ride along the river till we reach Rampur, about 35 km ahead. We break here for lunch and then ride the last bit of 40 odd kilometers to Sarahan.
Upon arrival, check into a hotel for overnight stay.
Day 4
Sarahan to Sangla
We meet at 0700 Hrs and go for a visit the Bhimakali Temple, one of the 51 “Shakti Peetha” in the world.
The temple is devoted to the goddess Bhimakali, (a reincarnation of the goddess Durga) who is also the Clan deity of the present day rulers of the erstwhile Bushehr kingdom.
We return to the hotel for breakfast by 0800 Hrs and depart by 0930 Hrs riding downhill till Jeori and joining up the highway to Karchham, a small village made famous by the construction of Hydroelectric Dam on the Baspa River. Cross over to the right bank and continue riding uphill for another 18 odd kilometers to arrive in Sangla.
We ride 5 km out of the main town to the campsite where we check in for the night. Dinner will be an in-house affair.
Day 5
Sangla to Kalpa
We depart from the campsite after breakfast and head towards Chitkul, 22 kilometers away.
Chitkul is the last Indian village before the Indo-TIbet border and is home to the tribal people of the Kinnaur region in Himachal Pradesh.
The village offers an interesting insight into the old world traditions giving way to modern ones with old dilapidated houses and modern structures standing side by side. Of particular interest at Chitkul are its houses with either slate or wooden plank roofs, a Buddhist temple and a water powered communal flour mill.
The Kagyupa temple has a highly valued old image of the Shakyamuni Buddha, a Wheel of Life mandala and four Directional Kings on either side of the door. Chitkul is practically the last point of the famous Kinner Kailash Parikrama as one can hitch a hike from here onwards.
After we have had our fill of Chitkul, we will backtrack all the way till the dam, and join up on the highway and ride on to Powari, where we tank up on fuel as this is the last petrol pump over the next 2 days.
From Powari, we ride uphill to Recong Peo to acquire the Inner Line Permits to enter the Spiti Valley, which, being close to the Indo-Tibet Border is deemed an Inner Line Area. The entire process will take about 45-60 minutes.
Once we have taken care of the bureaucratic requirements, we head on uphill to the village of Kalpa, 10 od kilometers away to the hotel and check in for an overnight halt.
Day 6
Kalpa to Tabo
We depart early morning after breakfastThe landscape will change drastically within a span of 50 km, as we ride from Kinnaur region towards the Spiti Valley, which is a cold desert and lies in the rain shadow area.
Once we hit the valley floor, we have pretty much a level ride till Khab where we start the ascent for the Ka-Zigs, a set of switchbacks which lift you up from the valley floor to the lofty heights of the Nako village @ 12100 Ft,
The next landmark along the road is the Murling Nallah, a small puddle that used to be notorious a while back with unpredictable flash-floods and mudslides.
cross the Murling Nallah we arrive at Sumdo village, with an ITBP staging camp and a Police Post. We register our entry into the Spiti Valley here and show our permits and off we go on our way to Tabo, but with a slight 8 kilometer detour to the village of Gyu.
Gyu is a small Himalayan hamlet with a strong Buddhist influence. It also is home to the only mummified body of a monk in the Subcontinent. After this eerie encounter, it’s time to head back to the highway and on our way to Tabo, which is about 30 kilometers away.
We arrive in Tabo by evening and check into the hotel for an overnight halt.
Day 7
Tabo to Kaza
The day starts on a lazy note, and we head out to the 1000-Year old Tabo Monastery after breakfast to begin our tryst with Buddhism in India. This is followed by a departure for the Dhankar Monastery, a 900-year old monastery, built high up on a spur in the mountains and lovingly maintained by lamas who stay there.
After this brief visit, we backtrack till the highway and make way for Kaza, the headquarters for the Spiti Valley.
Arrive in Kaza by evening and check into the hotel and relax for the day. Dinner will be an in-house affair.
Day 8
In and around Kaza
Today is a day of scaling high altitudes as we travel to Kibber village @ 4205 Mtrs ASL. Kibber has the glory of being one of the highest permanent settlements in Asia. On our way back, we venture into the Ki Monastery, built on a cliff top, offering a beautiful view of the snow clad Himalayan peaks.
Backtrack to the hotel in Kaza in the evening and relax. Dinner will be an in-house affair.
Day 9
Kaza to Manali
We depart from Kaza early and travel 50 kilometers to Losar, where we have to register ourselves again at the Police post. Once we have taken care of this formality, we traverse broken roads and dirt tracks through scenic landscape to arrive at the summit of the Kunzum La @ 4551 Mtrs. This marks the highest point of the tour. A brief parikrama of the monastery on the top, we halt for a while to take in the majestic vews of the Himalayan peaks and a glacier. We ride another 12 kilometers downhill to reach Batal and then onto Chhattru, where we take a breather for tea and snacks. The excitement still continues as we travel to Gramphoo, to join up the Manali – leh highway and then scale up the Rohtang Pass @ 3930 Mtrs to ride into Manali.
Arrive in Manali by evening and check into the hotel for an overnight stay. For dinner, we head out to one of the many eateries in town.
Day 10
Manali to Chandigarh
We depart early morning again to beat the traffic and heat buildup as we head towards the plains. Taking a breakfast halt in Mandi, we continue to ride till Swarghat, where we take another breather. With only a 100 odd km more to go, we head downhill all the way till we hit the highway and halt for lunch at one of the many eating joints on the road. Arrive in Chandigarh by early evening and check into a hotel for an overnight halt.
We meet for Dinner in the town.
Day 11
Chandigarh to Delhi
We depart from Chandigarh early in the morning and head out towards Ambala 60 kilometers away, where we halt for breakfast. We continue our journey back to Delhi, halt for lunch on the way and be in Delhi by 1500 Hrs.
Upon arrival, check into the hotel for the last night of the tour.
Day 12
New Delhi to Respective onward Destinations
We meet you for breakfast and then bid you adieu as you board the arranged vehicles to drop you off at your respective ports of departure.
- Accommodations on Twin Sharing Basis across mid budget hotels/campsites
- Transfers as specified in the itinerary
- 03 Meals per day, starting with Dinner on Day 1 and ending with Breakfast on the last day of the tour
- 01 Accompanying Group Leader
- All Entry fees and still camera fees
- 410cc Himalayan Motorcycle
- Fuels, Lubes, Oils & Spares
- Entrance Fees for Monuments and optional activities at tourist destinations
- A luggage cum Service backup truck with a Mechanic
- Expenses of personal nature like cigarettes, alcohol, toiletries etc.
- Optional Activities suggested in the itinerary
- Video and Still Camera Entry Fee at monuments
- Meals other than specified in the itinerary
- Tips and Baksheesh to local staff at all destinations
- Transport arrangements other than specified in the itinerary
- Anything else not mentioned under the Tab Inclusions.