Spiti – Kinnour

Early in the morning, transfer to the train station to take the train to Chandigarh. Arrival in Chandigarh and visit the city built by Le Corbusier, the famous Swiss architect. Discovery of the Rock Garden , a unique garden where sculptures of stones, various materials or urban waste coexist! Self-taught founding artist Nek Chand has made his dream come true by building a fairy garden that today is said to be the second most visited site in India after the Taj Mahal. Lunch in town, then we go to the assault of the Himalayan foothills. In 4 hours we reach Shimla,in Himachal Pradesh. When the British developed the fashion of the mountain resorts, they made Shimla their summer capital in the middle of the 19th century. O/N hotel

A short city tour in this tiny state capital: nostalgic Victorians will delight. Departure via Kufri and Narkandha where the view, in good weather, is panoramic. Descent to Rampur, which contains the remains of the ancient Himalayan kingdom of Rampur Bushahr and offers a rare vision of customs, religion and art. It is also one of the largest shopping centers in Himachal Pradesh. We continue to Sarahan (1920m), the former summer capital of Rajah Rampur , with its beautiful ancient temple, dedicated to the goddess Bhima Kali . View of the Shirkhand Range. In the evening we will certainly attend a ceremony at the temple. O/N hotel

Descent 22kms to join the main road, which then follows the Sutlej , until Wangtu, the gateway to Kinnaur . At Karchham, we branch off into the Baspa Valley , one of the most picturesque Kinnauri valleys. It is dominated by Kamru Fort near Sangla (3450m). A walk of 30 minutes allows to visit the fort and the village. In the afternoon or the next morning we drive to the typical remote villages of Chitkul and Rackchham. Walk in the villages and meetings with the inhabitants. Back to Sangla. O/N hotel

We reach the chief town of Rekongpeo district (2290m), where a new monastery was built at the top of the city. Then by an old merchant path, we hike to the village of Kothi with its temple of exceptional architecture and a beautiful statue of the goddess Devi Chanadika . Return to Rekongpeo and drive to Kalpa; view of Kinnaur Kailash , a sacred mountain sheltering Shiva’s home. Visit the village of Kalpa and the carved wooden temple, beautifully carved. After the meal, we drive 3 km, for a second ride that leads us to Chini, located on the old Indo-Chinese trade route. The architectural style of the village is a harmonious fusion of the Hindu-Buddhist cultural mix. Visit of the small Gompa Hubu Lankhar , founded by Rinchen Zangpo. O/N hotel

We descend to the Sutlej with en route, a stop for a stroll in the typical village of Moorang . Visit a watchtower and meet with locals. Pass check check for Passport and Spiti permits and then make another stop to Khab , at the confluence of Sutlej and Spiti. The road rises gradually and the landscape changes dramatically before reaching Nako. Then visit the village of Nako, perched above the valley. Discovery of the monastery attributed to Rinchen Zangpo and walk in the Tibetan style village, built around a lake and located in the middle of barley fields. Splendid view and complete calm. O/N hotel or fixed camp

The road crosses several villages along the Spiti. Arrival in Tabo, another beautiful village in Spiti valley located on the banks of Spiti River . Visit the monastery with unique architecture, founded in 996 and which includes frescoes and statues of exceptional stucco. We visit the different rooms (including the Tsug Lakhang and Mandala Hall). In the evening, we attend the service with the monks (be careful to keep quiet). Tabo is also the largest monastic complex of Spiti, gathering 9 temples in the old part, 23 chorten, many cells of monks and nuns. It is a monastery equivalent in importance to that of Tholing in Tibet. O/N hotel

Road to Dhankar, the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Spiti . The site of Dhankar is impressive. Perched on top of a rocky promontory, the gompa dominates the village, which is surrounded by fields of barley, forming a beneficial oasis in the heart of a desert of stones. The gompa of the 6th century, very damaged, shelters magnificent tangkas and statues preserved in dark rooms (a lamp is useful). Part of the monastery has been restored. We then visit the Lalung Monastery. The local tradition says that this monastery consisted of a set of nine temples with an iconography of great wealth. Picnic in the village then we reach the Pin Valley,famous for its national park (snow leopard, ibex). Visit of Kungri Monastery, center of Nyingmapa School in Spiti. This monastery was blessed by Guru Rinpoche. Unlike the compact architecture of Tibetan monasteries where temples and apartments are in the same buildings, Kungri Monastery consists of a series of rectangular blocks with, on the highest terrace Lha-khang, followed to the north by the Samdrup -ChoLing in the middle, whose architecture is typical of the time of Rinchen Zangpo and finally a compact structure in the south-east, including Tangur and Gongkhang, more recent and Tibetan influence. Reach Kaza by evening. O/N hotel

Today in the morning we visit Ki monastery (4166m) situated on a hill top close to Spiti River. It is the largest Buddhist monastery in Spiti valley and biggest centre of Buddhist learning. Ki monastery is founded in 11th century and a religious training centre for Lamas. The murals of the Dukhang are in an exceptional state of preservation. It was here that the Kalachakra teaching delivered by the Dalai Lama took place in 2000. We reach the village of Kiber , which includes about 220 souls. This high altitude population grows barley, buckwheat, peas and this village has a wildlife sanctuary. we visit of the monastery at the top of the hill is interesting, especially that of the old pieces. Return to hotel. O/N hotel

The day begins with a small climb up the road to the remote villages of Spiti Langza probably the second beautiful village that you will visit during your trip to this part of Spiti, Komic The name literally means “Eye of the Snow Cock and Hikkim this village too offers great views of Chau Chau Kang Nilda peak . Walk to meet the inhabitants, to discuss their daily lifestyle and better understand the adaptations necessary to the seasons. We must go with picnic lunch just in case if there is no restaurant open . Return to Kaza. O/N hotel

Morning we leave Kaza and head towards Chandratal (4220m) on the way we will be crossing a high mountain pass that is Kunzom La (4590m) which connects Kullu and Lahaul valley with Spiti valley. After crossing the pass we drive to Chandraatal “Lake of the Moon”, we reach at a point from where vehicles are not allowed and camping is no longer permitted near the lake. We trek to the beautiful Chandrataal, reach there and walk around the lake, it is the location where you can take maximum photographs since the place is amazingly beautiful, (from Chandrataal one can do a trek for 4-5 days to reach Baralacha La (4890m) which is a high mountain pass on the Leh-Manali highway) then we head back to the camping point and relax at the camp. O/N camp

Early morning we board the vehicle and drive towards Manali our next stopover point but the drive will be challenging today because of the road condition there is no proper road and there will be water crossing at some points. The drive is loaded with breathtaking views along with Chandra River running beside the road. At Gramphu , the road goes left, facing south. Then begins the long and winding climb to Rohtang La (3930m).Here the greenery takes over and we could almost believe in the Swiss Alps. The road plunges into the Kulu Valley, zigzagging through the meadows of wild flowers … At the level of the first villages, it is good to find pines, birches and poplars! Some beautiful waterfalls further amplify the heavenly side of this valley. O/N hotel

Manali is named after the lawgiver Manu. The word Manali comes from “Manu-Alaya” which literally means “the abode of Manu “located at an altitude of 2050M in the Beas River valley. Visit Manali which is circled by beautiful glades of deodars and flowering horse chestnuts.Visit Hadimba Temple, a four-story wooden temple is located in the middle of a forest. Afternoon visit Nagar 1760m. It is located on a wooded slope and commands an extensive view. It was the capital of erstwhile Kulu state for about 1400 years. Here, visit Roerich art gallery which houses the paintings of Nicholas Roerich as well as his sculptures. O/N hotel

Beautiful road along the river Béas. Stop at Kulu for a visit to the 17th Raghunatji Temple, and the 8th Bajaura Temple (one of the oldest in Himalayas). We continue to Mandi,former Rajput capital. We then drive to Rewalsar, a major Buddhist pilgrimage site. Walk around the sacred lake (the legend says that the great Guru Padma Sambhava would leave here in the 8th to join Tibet to spread Buddhism there). Visit temples and monasteries. Drive to Mandi. O/N hotel

Morning visit of Shikhara style temples, we visit those of Bhootnath, Triloknath, Panchvakra … We take the road to Bir Khas , located 60km away at the foot of the chain of Dhauladhar, where resides a large Tibetan community. We take the time of this detour. Then we return to the main road to Baijnath, 16 km before Palampur. Baijnath promises superb temples dating from the 9th, dedicated to Vaidhyanath. Always Shikhara style, they are remarkable for their proportions and architectural beauty. Arrival in Palampu , beautiful city surrounded by pine and cedar forests. Enjoying a mild climate, the tea plantations, irrigated through a network of canals dating from the colonial era, have flourished.

A road detour leads us to the temples of Masroor, cut in the rock. Fifteen sumptuous cave temples, have similarities with the famous temple of Ellora in Maharashtra. We then go up north to reach Dharamshala . O/N hotel

Former garrison town, McLeod Ganj has been known since 1959 due to the Tibetan exodus. It is from this time, the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama . The Tibetan government in exile has settled there and even the architecture is typical of Tibet. The Namgyal Monastery is surrounded by a row of prayer wheels and houses beautiful frescoes of Buddha, Padmasambhava and Avalokiteshvara life. Visit Tibetan handicraft centers and Norbulinga monastery. Free evening to explore McLeod Ganj at your leisure. O/N hotel

Departure for Amritsar, meal en route and installation at the hotel in the afternoon. Then drive to the Indo-Pakistan border 30 km ( wagha ), to witness the “amazing” change of guard (both sides of the border) at sunset. A unique experience. Back to hotel in Amritsar. O/N hotel

This morning visit Amritsar . Founded in 1577 by Ramdass, the fourth Sikh Guru. It is the main center of this religion and the largest city of Punjab, it is mainly inhabited by Sikhs . The name Amritsar “ocean of nectar”, comes from the sacred lake on which is placed the famous temple of gold . Jewel of the Sikh religion, it is at the same time the nerve center of the old city. To visit this monument it is mandatory to remove his shoes and cover his head, whether you are faithful or simple tourist. Then visit the temple of Laxmi Narayan , located in the center of a lake where there is a complex dedicated to the great goddess of the Hindu pantheon. Then the Jalianwala Bagh, a park designed to pay tribute to the 2000 Indians murdered by the British in 1919, during one of the battles for independence. O/N hotel

Early morning transfer to airport to board flight back to destination. Tour ends with sweets memories.