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Know Your Himachal

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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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.