Kaza (Spiti) travel guide

High-desert monasteries and fossil villages at 3,800 m. Most people stay 2–4 nights. Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.

Highlights

Key Monastery · 2 h · free. Spiti's largest gompa on a hilltop above the river; monks often serve butter tea to visitors. Walk clockwise and ask before photographing.
Kibber village and Chicham bridge · 3 h · free. One of the highest villages reachable by road, with the Chicham suspension bridge high over a gorge; snow leopard tours run from here in winter.
Langza, Hikkim and Komic villages · 5 h · free. Langza's Buddha statue and fossil beds, Hikkim's high-altitude post office (send a postcard) and Komic monastery at about 4,500 m. Don't do this on your first day at altitude.
Dhankar Monastery and lake hike · 4 h · about ₹100 per person. A cliff-hanging monastery above the Spiti–Pin confluence; the lake is a steep 1h climb further up.
Tabo Monastery · 2 h · free. Founded in 996 CE, with some of the finest early Buddhist murals in the Himalaya; carry a torch for the dim halls.
Pin Valley and Mud village · 6 h · free
Chandratal Lake via Kunzum Pass · 9 h · about ₹2,500 per person. A crescent lake at about 4,300 m, reached only when the Kunzum road is open (roughly June–October). Camps are a short walk from the lake, not on its shore.

Homestays in Kaza, Langza and Kibber (budget, ₹1,000–₹2,500 a night): Traditional mud-brick homes with meals; running water and heating vary.
Kaza town hotels (mid, ₹3,000–₹6,500 a night): Attached baths, heaters and Wi-Fi of sorts; central for day trips.
Boutique lodges and glamping around Kaza (premium, ₹7,000–₹15,000 a night): The most comfortable rooms in Spiti, with better heating and food.

Altitude: Kaza is about 3,800 m and Komic about 4,500 m. Arrive via Kinnaur to acclimatise, rest on day one and descend if symptoms worsen.
Kunzum Pass and the Manali road are usually open only from about June to October; in winter Spiti is reached via Kinnaur alone, with temperatures far below freezing.

Spiti from Manali, out through Kinnaur · 10 days, Manali → Kaza (Spiti) → Kalpa → Sangla & Chitkul → Shimla · from ₹47,400 per person, base estimate before flights. The summer loop starting from Manali: over Kunzum to Spiti, then down through Kinnaur to Shimla. The climb to Kaza is fast, so the first day there is for rest.
Spiti circuit: Kinnaur in, Kunzum Pass out · 11 days, Shimla → Sangla & Chitkul → Kalpa → Kaza (Spiti) → Manali · from ₹51,450 per person, base estimate before flights. The great Himalayan road trip, climbing gradually through Kinnaur's orchards to acclimatise before the Spiti high desert, then out over Kunzum Pass via Chandratal to Manali.