Spiti Valley is the kind of place that gets described in superlatives so often the words have lost their meaning. The valley is high, cold, arid, and vast. The roads are bad. The sky is a shade of blue that lower altitudes do not produce. The monasteries are a thousand years old. And the distances between things are significant enough to require proper planning.
The two routes — choose based on your situation
Route 1: Manali to Spiti via Rohtang and Kunzum Pass
The classic approach. Manali to Kaza via the Rohtang Pass (3,978 metres) and Kunzum Pass (4,551 metres) covers approximately 200 kilometres of some of the most dramatic mountain road in India. The road is unpaved for much of its length and requires a capable vehicle. Both passes are only open from June to October and the altitude gain is rapid enough that acclimatisation becomes a real consideration. The advantage is the speed and the drama — you can be in Kaza from Manali in a single long day if conditions allow.
Route 2: Shimla to Spiti via Kinnaur
The longer and often overlooked approach. The road from Shimla to Kaza via the Sutlej Valley and Kinnaur covers approximately 430 kilometres and takes two to three days of comfortable driving. The advantage is the season: the Kinnaur route stays open longer than the Manali route because it does not cross high passes. The Kinnaur road is also remarkable in its own right — the Sutlej gorge between Rampur and Recong Peo is genuinely dramatic, and the gradual altitude gain gives your body more time to adjust. The ideal Spiti trip enters via Manali and exits via Kinnaur, or vice versa.
The key stops
Kaza — the base
The administrative and commercial centre of Spiti at approximately 3,800 metres. Best accommodation options in the valley, reliable mobile connectivity, ATMs (which occasionally work — carry cash regardless), and the fuel station that serves the entire upper valley. Spend at least two nights here to acclimatise before pushing higher.
Key Monastery
The thousand-year-old Key Gompa sits on a rocky outcrop above the Spiti River, 12 kilometres from Kaza. It is the largest monastery in the valley. Visit early in the morning when the monastery is active with the monks' prayers. The sound carries across the valley in a way that the quieter afternoon visits do not replicate.
Kibber, Langza, Hikkim, and Komic
A cluster of high-altitude villages above 4,200 metres. Langza is known for the marine fossils found in the hillsides around it. Hikkim has the world's highest post office at 4,400 metres. Kibber sits at 4,270 metres and connects to Chicham across the gorge via a cable-stayed bridge with a view into the gorge below that is not for the faint-hearted. All can be combined in a single long day trip from Kaza.
Dhankar
The old capital of Spiti, Dhankar Gompa clings to a cliff face above the confluence of the Spiti and Pin rivers. The monastery appears regularly on lists of endangered heritage sites. The view from the old gompa over the river confluence is one of the finest in Spiti.
Altitude — take this seriously
Kaza sits at 3,800 metres. Kibber and the higher villages are above 4,200. The Kunzum Pass tops out at 4,551. At these elevations, altitude sickness is a genuine risk. The symptoms — headache, nausea, fatigue, disturbed sleep, loss of appetite — are often attributed to tiredness from the road. This is a mistake. If you have a headache above 3,500 metres, it is altitude.
The practical advice: spend a night in Manali before entering Spiti from the north. Spend two nights in Kaza before going higher. Drink three litres of water per day. Avoid alcohol for the first few days. Move slowly.
Fuel, connectivity, and cash
There is one reliable petrol pump in Kaza. Between Manali and Kaza on the northern route, carry extra fuel in a jerry can if your vehicle has range concerns. Mobile connectivity in Spiti is limited to BSNL and Jio in the main towns. Download offline maps before you arrive. ATMs in Kaza exist but frequently run out of cash or go offline. Carry sufficient cash from Shimla or Manali for your entire stay.