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- Key (Ki) Monastery — The big, crumbling gompa perched above Kaza that looks like it grew out of the cliff. Centuries of murals, monks’ debates in the courtyard, and panoramic views of the Spiti gorge make it the cultural heartbeat of the valley.
- Tabo Monastery — Often called the “Ajanta of the Himalaya,” this thousand-year-old complex has intact frescoes and cave-like chapels you won’t find anywhere else in the region. It feels like stepping into a living museum of Tibetan Buddhist art.
- Dhankar Monastery & Dhankar Lake — A dramatic cliff-perched fortress/gompa that was once the capital of old Spiti. The hike up to the monastery and the small alpine Dhankar Lake above offer raw views and a sense of real isolation. Personal favorite — the light hitting the whitewashed walls at dusk is unforgettable.
- Key (Ki) Monastery — The big, crumbling gompa perched above Kaza that looks like it grew out of the cliff. Centuries of murals, monks’ debates in the courtyard, and panoramic views of the Spiti gorge make it the cultural heartbeat of the valley.
- Tabo Monastery — Often called the “Ajanta of the Himalaya,” this thousand-year-old complex has intact frescoes and cave-like chapels you won’t find anywhere else in the region. It feels like stepping into a living museum of Tibetan Buddhist art.
- Dhankar Monastery & Dhankar Lake — A dramatic cliff-perched fortress/gompa that was once the capital of old Spiti. The hike up to the monastery and the small alpine Dhankar Lake above offer raw views and a sense of real isolation. Personal favorite — the light hitting the whitewashed walls at dusk is unforgettable.
- Chandratal (Moon Lake) — A crescent-shaped high-altitude lake with surreal turquoise water and a lunar basin of scree and ridges around it. It’s campsite-perfect and the landscape here is unmistakably Spiti: stark, huge, and oddly intimate.
- Pin Valley National Park & Kibber Village — One of the few places in India where you can see wild ibex, bharal and maybe a snow leopard (if you’re lucky). Kibber is a genuine high-altitude farming village with stone houses and access to wildflower meadows — wildlife and village life rolled into one.
- Langza Village — Fossil central. Langza sits on an ancient seabed and people still find marine fossils in the fields; the huge Buddha statue overlooking the village gives the whole place a surreal, other-worldly vibe. If you like geology with your tea, this is it.
- Komik (Komic) Village — Hidden gem. One of the highest inhabited villages in the world, with a tiny monastery and daily life that hasn’t been industrialized into a “tourist experience.” Great for short walks, sunrise views and seeing how hardy mountain communities actually live.
- Gue Mummy — Hidden gem. A small, off-the-beaten-path village with the preserved mummy of a Buddhist monk on display in a local house/chapel. Morbid curiosity aside, it’s a rare, tangible link to the valley’s past and very different from the usual sightseeing stops.
- Chicham Bridge & Gorge Viewpoint — Hidden gem. A dramatic suspension bridge and viewpoint above one of the steepest drops in Spiti; the angle of the gorge, the layered villages and the road snaking down are photographer candy, but it’s still mostly a local haunt rather than a tourist cluster.
- Kardang Monastery — Less noisy than Ki but culturally rich: a compact gompa with frescoes, a small museum, and festivals that attract local families from miles around. It’s a good place to see authentic ritual and community gatherings without the crowds.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.