Life as a Local – Festival Edition
₹25,990.00
Get a rare glimpse into Spiti’s rich cultural traditions. Witness the fascinating Cham Festival with monks performing a masked dance and participate in the Namkhan Festival in Demul, a pre-harvest festival filled traditional dances, local games and prayers.
Get a rare glimpse into Spiti’s living traditions through a deep cultural immersion. Witness the sacred Cham Dance Festival at a monastery in Pin Valley and be part of the Namkhan Festival in Demul, a pre-harvest ritual rooted in gratitude, prayer and the rhythms of mountain life.
A rare chance to witness traditions that few outsiders ever get to see!
- Experience Spiti like an insider and get a deep understanding of its culture and way of life in one of the remotest corners of the world.
- Stay at a Buddhist nunnery, observe the daily lives of the nuns, and immerse yourself in their culture.
- Be part of local festivals that few outsiders get to witness and learn about Spiti’s traditions.
- Witness the vibrant Cham Festival in Pin Valley, a celebration held in Buddhist monasteries where monks in colorful masks perform a sacred dance in a powerful spiritual ritual.
- Experience the Namkhan Festival in Demul, an intimate local celebration and a pre-harvest ritual where villagers pray for a good crop and harvest.
- Spend a night on the buffer of Pin Valley National Park, untouched by tourists and completely off the network.
- Visit Spiti’s ancient monasteries and get a glimpse into the region’s spiritual practices.
- Travel to some of the world’s highest inhabited villages like Komic and Hikkim, perched above 14,000 ft.
- Camp under a sky full of stars by the surreal Chandratal Lake.
Manali - Kaza - Nunnery - Langza – Hikkim – Komic - Demul - Pin Valley - Dhankhar -Tabo - Kaza - Kee - Kibber - Chicham - Chandratal - Manali
Program
Day 1Manali - Kaza
- Drive through the Atal tunnel that divides Kullu from the Lahaul Valley
- Traverse through the beautiful Chandra River Valley
- Cross the magical Kunzum Pass (4551mt/14931ft) and visit the Buddhist shrine
- Breathtaking vistas of the Chandrabhaga Mountain Ranges
Day 2Kaza - Pin Valley
- Today we head to the spectacular Pin Valley
- Experience the famous Cham – Mask Dance Festival at the Kungri Monastery
- Unique insights into Spiti’s rich culture
- Stay overnight in a hidden village of meditating monks and nuns on the buffer of Pin Valley National Park!
Day 3Pin Valley - Dhankhar - Tabo - Kaza
- Dhankar – the erstwhile capital of Spiti
- Travel back in time at the ancient Dhankar Monastery & Fort
- Tabo and its over 1000-year-old monastery – popularly referred to as the Ajanta of the Himalayas
- Explore the Tabo meditation caves
Day 4Kaza - Key - Kibber - Chicham - Pangmo
- Explore the iconic Key Monastery and their quaint 100 year old kitchen.
- Drive over the Chicham Bridge – highest bridge in Asia.
- Spend time with the amazing nuns of Spiti and hear their fascinating stories.
- Learn some Bhoti (the Tibetan script) or Buddhist mantras if you like, chat with the nuns, or just be!
Day 5Pangmo - Langza - Hikkim - Komic - Demul
- Picture perfect Langza Village – famous for its Buddha Statue and mud craft
- Hikkim – World’s Highest Post Office. Send postcards to your loved ones back home
- Komic – World’s Highest Village and the Komic Monastery
- Scenic Demul Village – Spiti’s model sustainable village, also famous for its Arak (local brew) and Folk performances
- Get a taste of the best Arak in Spiti
- Learn how to Cook like a Local and the tricks behind making yum momos or local delicacies with your host
Day 6Demul - Kaza
- Experience the unique Namkhan festival at Demul – a one of its kind festival to appease the deities for a successful harvest.
- Join in the games and celebrations with the community and witness the daring local youth horse race to 5000 mt along a thin ridge line – nothing short of spectacular.
- Savour the most famous local brew of Spiti as you enjoy the folk dances.
- Later in the evening head back to Kaza for the night.
Day 7Kaza - Chandratal
- Explore the picturesque Chandratal – Lake of the Moon Goddess
- Spend the night under a zillion stars
Day 8Chandratal - Manali
- Drive along the beautiful Chandra River Valley
- Drive through the famous Atal tunnel that divides Kullu from the Lahaul Valley and experience the contrast from desert landscapes to the lush green of the Himalayas
- All accommodation Day 1 to Day 7 on a sharing basis
- Breakfast & Dinner – Day 1 Dinner to Day 8 Breakfast
- Local Guide Day 2 to Day 6
- Transfers Day 1 to Day 8
- Monastery fees while in Spiti
- First aid kit
- GST @ 5%
- Mineral water and beverages (other than those provided)
- Tips & Insurance
- Inner Line Permit (For Foreign Nationals only)
- Expenses arising out of unforeseen circumstances, road blocks or medical emergencies
- Add on Experiences entail an additional charge
- Pick & Drop to Delhi or Chandigarh (this can be included at an additional cost)
Add Day Trips
Short but culturally-vibrant experiences that are windows to Spitian life.
Enjoy these experiences as stand-alone programs or add them onto an existing Ecosphere trip.
Cook Like as Local
- January To December
- 1 to 2 Hours
- 600 pp
Folk Expressions
- May to October
- 1 to 2 Hours
- 10000
Bhuchen Performance
- May to October
- 1 to 2 Hours
- 15000
Throw a Pot!
- May to October
- 1 Hour
- 600 pp
Mountain Biking
- May to October
- 1 Day
- 1500 pp
Yak-Back Safari
- May to October
- 2 to 5 Hours
- 2000 pp (min 2 yaks)
Spin Yak Rope
- January to December
- 30 Mins to 1 Hour
- 600 pp
Say Yak Cheese!
- May to October
- 30 Mins to 1 Hour
- 600 pp
Session with Amchi
- May to October
- 30 Mins to 1 Hour
- 600 pp
Nun for a Day
- May to October
- 1 Day
- 2500 pp
Why Travel with Us?
WE ARE LOCAL
Experience the Himalayas with Those Who Know Them Best. With us you will experience the region like an insider.
GOOD KARMA
What you pay for your trip goes directly towards funding several community initiatives from Healthcare to building Climate Resilience.
YOUR IN SAFE HANDS
Your safety is our utmost priority. We ensure our trips and staff follow the highest safety standards and protocols. In case of an emergency, air ambulance services are just a call away.
CLIMATE POSITIVE TRIP
Traveling with us means you leave a Negative Carbon Footprint – all your carbon emissions + more is offset by our award winning solar projects. You’re not just reducing your environmental impact—you’re actively making a positive difference for the planet.
AWARDED & FEATURED
Internationally recognized as a leader in responsible travel and recommended by leading travel guides, magazines and blogs.
Dont just take our word for it!
The experience with ‘Spiti Ecosphere’ was one of its kind, as it not only provided my wife and me with an experience of a lifetime, but also opened our minds to the hidden world of Spiti. Ecosphere ensured that it was a safe, clean, scenic and educative journey for us. Most importantly, it was humbling to see how Spiti Ecosphere, especially Ishita has changed the lives of the people of Spiti, by the untiring energy, that Ecosphere dedicates for the better upliftment of the local people. I would sincerely advise anyone to only use Spiti Ecosphere, if one plans Spiti as their destination.
A genuine responsible travel agency led by warm and sincere people. If you are looking for a real experience of Spiti in a way that supports the locals and protects their environment, Ecosphere must be your choice.
Spiti has left an unimaginable impressions on our minds and souls. Kudos to Ecosphere for organizing a very memorable trip and introducing us to the wonderful world of spiti with its magnificent peaks.A big thank you and warm hugs to the entire team of Ecosphere for doing such wonderful projects.!! Hoping to be back in spiti very soon. Once again thank you team Ecosphere for making our holidays so memorable and taking care of us like a family. Took care of us like family.
Spiti with Ecosphere was a life changing experience for me. I grew up as a person while 'living like a local' in this wonderland. Understanding the local way of life, its merits, its struggle and its sanctity had a profound effect on me. I've never traveled with an itinerary, so I was apprehensive doing the same here, but Ecosphere has done a wonderful job, not only in managing this programme for us but good work done by this organization is visible everywhere which somehow makes me feel extremely proud that I was tiny part of their efforts to do something good for real and not just for show. This was travelling redefined for me and I looking forward to be a part of the good work again, for sure.
This was the most rewarding experience of my life. . Spiti Ecosphere gave me an amazing volunteering opportunity that allowed me to help build a greenhouse in a small village in Spiti Valley, a mountain desert where nothing grows. I signed up for Ecosphere’s 2-week voluntourism program that combines volunteer work with the opportunity to explore the beauty of the valley without the negative side effects of commercial tourism. . What Ishita and Ecosphere are doing in Spiti is remarkable. Ecosphere is helping local communities create sustainable means of living through its many projects, volunteerism being just one of them.
Spiti with Ecosphere was a life changing experience for me. I grew up as a person while 'living like a local' in this wonderland. Understanding the local way of life, its merits, its struggle and its sanctity had a profound effect on me. I've never traveled with an itinerary, so I was apprehensive doing the same here, but Ecosphere has done a wonderful job, not only in managing this programme for us but good work done by this organization is visible everywhere which somehow makes me feel extremely proud that I was tiny part of their efforts to do something good for real and not just for show. This was travelling redefined for me and I looking forward to be a part of the good work again, for sure.
Outlook
World Travel and Tourism Council
Virgin Holidays & Responsible Travel
Wild Asia
Travel+Leisure
The Ashden Awards For Sustainable Energy
The Sierra Club
L’Oréal Paris
CNN IBN & Reliance Foundation
CNN-IBN
The IIPTI Global Awards
Economic Times
