Lahaul & Spiti

Headquarters: Kaza (Spiti) and Keylong (Lahaul) Best time: June to September

Overview

Lahaul & Spiti is a cold desert district of high passes and Buddhist monasteries, the least populated in Himachal. Spiti holds the monasteries of Key, Tabo and Dhankar and the fossil village of Langza; Lahaul is crossed by the Atal Tunnel and the routes over Baralacha La toward Ladakh. Chandratal lake sits near the Kunzum pass.

Reviewed places in Lahaul & Spiti

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Atal Tunnel

Rohtang, near Sissu

A 9.02 km highway tunnel under the Rohtang ridge, opened in 2020 — the longest single-tube highway tunnel above 3,000 m, giving Lahaul year-round road access.

Human-reviewed

Chandratal Lake

Spiti, near Kunzum Pass

A crescent-shaped high-altitude lake at about 4,300 m near the Kunzum Pass, a short walk from the road, camping restricted to a distance from the shore.

Human-reviewed

Dhankar Monastery

Dhankar, Spiti

A monastery perched on a spur of eroded rock above the meeting of the Spiti and Pin rivers, at about 3,890 m, with a short walk to a high lake.

Human-reviewed

Hikkim

Spiti Valley

A Spiti village at about 4,400 m that runs what is often called the world's highest post office, still handling letters and a small savings branch.

Human-reviewed

Kaza

Spiti Valley

The largest town and the sub-divisional headquarters of Spiti, at about 3,650 m on the Spiti river — the supply base and road hub for the whole valley.

Human-reviewed

Key Monastery

Kaza, Spiti

The largest monastery in the Spiti valley, built up over centuries on a hill at about 4,166 m, belonging to the Gelugpa order.

Human-reviewed

Keylong

Lahaul

The administrative headquarters of Lahaul, on the Manali–Leh road at about 3,080 m, with barley terraces, poplar avenues and three old Buddhist monasteries on the slopes around it.

Human-reviewed

Kibber

Spiti Valley

A high Spiti village near 4,200 m above Kaza, gateway to the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary and, in winter, one of the best places in the world to look for snow leopard.

Human-reviewed

Kunzum Pass

Lahaul–Spiti boundary

A 4,551 m road pass linking Lahaul with Spiti, with a Kunzum Mata temple, big views of the Chandrabhaga range and the walking route to Chandratal.

Human-reviewed

Langza

Spiti Valley

A Spiti village at about 4,400 m below the Chau Chau Kang Nilda peak, known for a large hilltop Buddha statue and for marine fossils found in the surrounding ground.

Human-reviewed

Pin Valley National Park

Pin Valley, Spiti

A high cold-desert national park in the Pin Valley of Spiti, set up in 1987 to protect the snow leopard and Himalayan ibex, with the road ending at Mud village.

Human-reviewed

Tabo Monastery

Tabo, Spiti

Founded in 996 CE, one of the oldest continuously operating Buddhist monasteries in the Himalaya, known for its early wall paintings and stucco figures.

Human-reviewed

Trilokinath Temple

Udaipur, Lahaul

A hillside temple in the Pattan Valley of Lahaul, worshipped by both Hindus and Buddhists — as Shiva and as Avalokiteshvara — around a white-marble six-armed image.

Human-reviewed

More places worth visiting

Key Monastery
Tabo Monastery
Dhankar Monastery
Chandratal Lake
Kunzum Pass
Pin Valley National Park
Langza
Keylong

Detailed pages for these are being written and reviewed before they go live.