Why the circuit, not a there-and-back
The most rewarding way to see Spiti is a loop: enter via Kinnaur (gentler altitude gain over four days), exit via Manali through Kunzum Pass and the Atal Tunnel. The reverse direction (Manali in, Kinnaur out) is faster but dangerous for first-time high-altitude travellers — you sleep at 3,800 m on night one with no acclimatisation. We refuse that direction except for repeat visitors.
Day-by-day, the way we run it
Day 1: Delhi to Shimla (overnight Volvo or car, 7 hours). Day 2: Shimla to Sarahan (2,165 m, 165 km, Bhima Kali temple). Day 3: Sarahan to Kalpa (2,960 m, 95 km, first view of Kinnaur Kailash mountain). Day 4: Kalpa to Tabo (3,280 m, 175 km, the 1,000-year-old Tabo monastery). Day 5: Tabo, Dhankar, Pin Valley — slow day at altitude. Day 6: Tabo to Kaza (3,800 m), Ki Monastery, Kibber. Day 7: Kaza to Chandratal (4,300 m, sleep in tents, weather permitting) or Losar. Day 8: Chandratal to Manali via Kunzum (4,551 m) and Atal Tunnel. Day 9: Manali rest day. Day 10: Manali to Delhi.
Altitude — the only thing that matters
Spiti is high. Komic village (4,587 m) is the highest motorable village in the world; you sleep at 3,800 m at Kaza for two or three nights. Foreign travellers from sea level should: drink three litres of water a day, skip alcohol for the first three days, sleep low on the first night (Sarahan or Kalpa, not Tabo), and take Diamox if your doctor approves — start it the day before crossing 3,000 m.
Symptoms to watch: persistent headache, nausea, no appetite, breathlessness at rest. If any of these get worse overnight, we descend in the morning. We have done this twice in eight years; both groups were fine after a day at Kalpa.
Monasteries you must not miss
Tabo (founded 996 AD) — the oldest continuously operating monastery in the Indian Himalayas. The murals inside the Tsug Lhakhang main temple are the reason UNESCO is involved. No photography inside. Ki — the postcard image of Spiti, on a hill above Kaza. Climb to the top for the view; the temple itself is small. Dhankar — perched on a cliff between two valleys, the old monastery is closed for restoration but the new one above is open. Komic, Hikkim and Langza — three villages above Kaza, each worth half an hour.
When to go
June, September, early October. May is possible via Kinnaur but Kunzum may still be closed. Mid-October onwards, the Manali side of the loop closes for winter and Spiti can only be entered via Kinnaur and exited the same way — a there-and-back, no circuit. November to April: Spiti is technically open via Kinnaur but the road is icy, daytime sometimes -10°C, and very few hotels operate. We do not run winter Spiti tours.
Permits, money, fuel
Inner Line Permit needed between Akpa and Sumdo (the Kinnaur–Spiti border zone) — we arrange it at Reckong Peo with two passport photos and a copy. No Indian SIM cards work between Spillo and Kaza except BSNL. Carry cash — there are exactly two ATMs in Spiti (SBI Kaza and SBI Tabo) and both run out. Fuel stations: Tapri, Reckong Peo, Kaza. We tank up at Kaza for the Kunzum crossing.