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June 5-23 & September 4-22, 2008

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through the Greater Himalayas of Kinnaur, Spiti and Lahaul

Experience the ancient culture of Kinnaur--
considered a distinct tribe indiginous to this area ony.
Celebrate the beauty of the Tibetan spirit
throughout the villages of Spiti Valley, bordering Tibet.

Great Food,
Easy-Moderate Walks
One Night Deluxe Camp

Spirit of India's 19 day himalayan journey offers
visits to several traditional villages, a chance for
genuine interaction with the local people,
visits to ancient monasteries containing
priceless collections of thankas, sculptures and wall paintings;
and private meetings with lamas and monks.

The day walks are easy/moderate grade. A support vehicle with staff and supplies accompanies the group. Bio-degradable western-style toilets, solar water heaters and solar lanterns are employed.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Delhi Arrival in Delhi. Transfer to hotel

Day 2 Delhi
Morning: rest and recuperate from long flight. Those with energy can take a stroll around the area near the hotel which boasts cafes, bookstores, and local bazaars. Afternoon: sightseeing of Old & New Delhi including a rickshaw ride through the old Chandi Chowk bazaar. Welcome dinner at Chor Bizarre featuring Kashmiri cuisine. It is the only restaurant outside of the Kashmir Valley that has access to the secrets of 'Wazwan' - the legendary ceremonial feast of 36 courses. Chor Bizarre is thus able to offer a traditional 'Tarami' in addition to other 'Thalis' - a sampling of dishes from various parts of India. Chor Bizarre also serves 'Tak-a-Tak' platters, a range of 'Chaats' (Indian street fare) and prides itself on a large vegetarian repertoire. It is located near the Delhi Gate-- the entrance gate to the Old city. Orientation with Sanjay, your guide, at dinner.

Day 3 Delhi - Chandigarh - Shimla
Transfer to the train station for the Shatabdi Express to Chandigarh (dep 07:40/arr 11:10). Drive to Simla. Lunch will be enroute.  Rest of afternoon/evening free on the mall.

Day 4 Simla-Sarahan (174 kms)
Morning breakfast, then visit Hanuman Temple, before beginning our drive to Sarahan, a beautiful village surrounded by apple orchards and dominated by Shrikhand Mahadev Peak (5155 M) which resembles the "Shivling." Lunch enroute. In Sarahan, visit the Bhimakali Temple, a wonderful mixture of Buddhist and Hindu architecture. It is very sacred to both the communities. The Bhimakali goddess idol is approximately 200 years old.Lunch enroute. Hotel Srikhand

Day 5 Saranhan-Sangla (80 km/4 hrs)
Sangla Valley, also known as Baspa Valley, is by far the most beautiful valley of Himachal Pradesh full of wooded slopes surrounded by green fields and high mountain peaks as far as Chitkul, the last inhabited village in this valley. After settling into our deluxe camp, walk across a small foot bridge to the enchanting village Bisteri. Baikunth Deluxe Camp

Day 6 Sangla Valley - Kalpa (40 km/2 hrs)
Drive to Kalpa. Enroute visit Rakcham and Kamru villages in Sangla Valley. Looming above Kalpa village is the impressive Mt. Kinner Kailash (6050 M). Arrive in time for lunch. Afternoon walk the Old Hindustan Road to Roghi Village. Overnight at the beautiful Kalpa Villa, situated at the base of Mt. Kinner Kailash.  Overnight Kalpa Villa Resort

Day 7 Kalpa - Recong Peo, Pangi, Telangi and Kothi
Full day reserved for walking to the ancient and exquisite villages Chitkul, Chini, Peo, Kothi, Pangi and Telangi. Overnight Kalpa Villa.

Day 8 Kalpa-Nako

Visit to Nako subject to road connectivity, otherwise we drive from Kalpa direct to Tabo
The village of Nako lies at an altitude of 3625 meters (11,893 feet), high above the last stretch of the Spiti Valley. It was once a very important center of Buddhism in the region. There are at least seven temples belonging to different periods between the 11th and 12th centuries distributed all over the village, including a monastic complex on its western edge. Boasting four temples and a number of additional buildings, this complex preserves the earliest artistic heritage. The austere and unornamented exteriors of the buildings give little hint of the important artistic and religious legacy that lies within the walls.  Overnight Leo Pargil Guest House (basic).

Day 9 Drive to Tabo-
As we move onward into Spiti Valley, we experience Timberline--a line beyond which forests do not grow. The barren and rugged brown mountains start from Jangi which get more rugged and barren after Puh (2837 M). We continue along the Sutlej River until we reach Khab (2831 Mt), the confluence (Sangam) of rivers Sutlej and Spiti, where we enjoy our picnic lunch. Geographically and archeologically, Spiti is a living museum. The mountains are devoid of any vegetation due to erosion by wind, sun and snow over thousands of years.

Our vehicles climb up to the village of Tabo (3050 M/ 10,006 feet). Built in the year 996 AD, the Chos Khor Monastery at Tabo is the largest monastery in Spiti and one of the few remaining examples of the Golden Period of Buddhist Culture in the Himalayan Region. The wall frescos of the monastery are comparable in their antiquity and quality to those of the Ajanta caves, hence they are called the Ajanta of the Himalayas. It houses more than 100 Lamas, a large number of scriptures and pieces of art, wall paintings, tankhas and stucco. This monastery is the Dalai Lama's sect of Buddhism and a place where he sometimes stays to give a teachings to the monks.

Day 10 Tabo-Lhalung-Dankar-Tabo

Rise early if you want to join the monks in morning puja.

After breakfast, w e drive to Lhalung which is 14 km (9 miles) from the main road in Lingthi Valley. It is a magnificent village of 45 houses. In this village stands the second most interesting monastery of Spiti. The compound consists of five buildings. At some spots fragmentary remains of a wall encircling all the buildings can be found. The monastic site of Lhalung once consisted of nine temples. Together with the unusually rich interior of Lhalung’s main chapel and the fact that the building of the temples is also attributed to Rinchen Zangpo, it may suggest that the temple site of Lhalung, like Tabo, was designed as a Chokhor site, a place for learning and debate as opposed to a simple chapel for worship by the local people.

We drive onward to Dhankar, the ancient capital of Spiti. Dankar Gompa (3800 M/ 12,467 feet) was built in the 12th century. This hilltop fort dominates the scene, and once served as a jail. It contains more than 160 scriptures of Lamas and Buddhists in the Bhoti language. A statue of Dhyan Buddha consisting of four complete figures seated back to back is the main attraction of this four to five century-old monastery. Unfortunately, the ancient Gompa, situated on the very edge of the peak, is deteriorating. Entering the interior may be restricted in the very near future. They have shifted the main monastery to a new complex at the entrance of the village. His Holiness the Dalai Lama inaugurated this temple in June 2004.

Day 11 Tabo - Mane - Pin - Kaza
Mane is just 4 km west of the Pin River situated at a height 3700 Mt. There is a small village full of green fields and a beautiful gompa built in the 14 century of Geluk-pa-sect. Ancient paintings and statues of Avalokitesvara and Sakyamuni are are very impressive. The view from the village is breathtaking with the valleys of Tabo and Kaza on either side. Full day visit to the village and monastery of Mane, then dive to the Pin Valley National Park. overnight Kaza Retreat .

Day 12 Kaza-Ki-Kibber-Gete-Kaza
Visit the ancient Ki and Kibber Gompas and the village Gete, which are among the highest inhabited villages in the world. overnight Kaza Retreat .

Day 13 Kaza-Kunzum Pass-Rohtang Pass (3980 M)-Manali Manali Heights/Mayflower
Drive over the famous Kunzum Pass, enroute visit Lahaul Valley, between Kunzum and Rohtang the drive offers magnificent views. Drive to Manali over Rohtang La (3980 Mt.) enroute visit the famous Khardong Gompa. Founded 900 years ago, it was in ruins until 1912 when Lama Norbu of Khardong renovated it. Lama Norbu died in 1952 and his mortal remains, silver Chityal stupa are preserved in the gompa. The library contains the largest collections of Kangyur and Tangyur Tibetan scriptures. The entire Tibetan scriptural knowledge of Buddhism has been divided two categories, the Kangyur and the Tangyur. The Kangyur, meaning the translation of the word, are discourses attributed to the historical Buddha. The Kangyur originally had one hundred folio-volumes. But the later editions, printed at Derge in Kham, Punakha in Bhutan and Beijing, are spread over 108 volumes of about a thousand folio-pages each, comprising 1083 works, which are mostly of ethical nature and are attributed to the Buddha himself. The Kangyur is mostly based on the Sanskrit Tripitaka and is also very frequently mentioned under the same name. Many tantric works have also crept into it and, perhaps, it is tantric bias of the Kangyur which commands more reverence in Lamaism than its ethical core in precept and practice. It is under the tantric influence that Lamaism is deeply ritual-ridden and sacramental. The Tangyur has 225 folio-volumes containing commentaries, explanations and annotations done by the later theorists from time to time. The Tangyur also covers grammar, poetry, painting, logic, rhetoric, law, medicine, chemistry, veterinary science, palmistry, astrology and biographies of Buddhist saints. At Rohtang Pass we relax and enjoy the breath-taking beauty; guided horse ride up the mountain is optional.

Day 14 Manali Explore the picturesque valley of Gods Manali and Nagar. Easy day of strolling around Manali. Visit Dhungri Temple (also known as Hadimba Temple by locals)and the quaint village Nagar with its many ancient temples including the 11th-12th century Temple Gauri and the Tripura Sundri Devi Temple. Also visit the Roerich Gallery above the village. Evening optional visit to Vashit (the hot springs) nearby.

Day 15 Manali-Kullu-Bir-Baijnath-Palampur, 180 km. Overnight at Taragarh Palace.
Drive through Kullu to Kangra - Valley of Temples . We visit the most ancient and oldest existing Shiva temples at Baijnath.

Day 16 Taragarh

We start with a visit to Bir, a predominantly Buddhist town with some nice new monasteries. Just below the village, a road to the west leads, in several hundred meters, to a tiny Tibetan settlement with a fine gompa which belongs to the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism. It is a beautiful and peaceful location. The monks who are unused to visitors, are very friendly. Many peaks between 3500 mts- 5000 mts of the Dhauladhar are clearly visible from here. Baijnath (5 Km) is pleasant little town surrounded by tea plantations and Daula Dhar range. It has the oldest existing Shiva temple. Just below the village is the Tashijong Gompa which is the focus of a small Tibetan community who hail from Kham province in Tibet, this fine gompa belongs to the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism. We will visit the Sherabilling monastery and hear the award-winning chants of the monks (2003 GRAMMY Award Winner for Best Traditional World Music Album). Sherab Ling Monastery is nestled in the gentle pine-forested foothills of northern India's Kangra Valley, the seat of its founder His Eminence Ti Situpa XII, a leading Tibetan Buddhist teacher and peace campaigner. Here the monks perform prayer ceremonies as part of their daily lives, originating many centuries ago in the great Buddhists monasteries of Tibet. The monks begin their day with the Lineage Prayer, offering respect to a line of great meditation practitioners going back as far as the 7th century. The Mahakala Ceremony is part of each day's closing ritual in which the monks ask for purification and dedicate their blessings to all sentient creatures. We will attend the evening chants beginning at approximately 3 pm.

Near Palampur is the charming village of Andretta where once lived, Mrs. Norah Richards, pioneer of rural theatre in India, lover of the mountains and ardent disciple of Mahatma Gandhi. Renowned artist Sardar Sobha Singh gained prominence here for his paintings of the immortal ill-fated Punjabi lovers, Sohni and Mahiwal, separated in life but united in death. His other paintings include scenes from Omar Khayyam and Heer Ranjah, also famous for their tragic love, immortalised in the epic poem by Wairs shah. Sobha Singh's studio has become reknown for his portraits in oils. The famous Palampur Pottery attracts people from all over the world.

Day 17 Taragarh- Norbulingka-Dharamsala, 40 km. Overnight Hotel Sahiwa. Drive to the Enroute we visit the institute of Tibetan Arts and Handicrafts in Norbulingka. Upon arrival, we visit the center of Tibetan Medicines and Astrology, time permitting. Afternoon: attend puja at the Karma Pa monastery (pending). Evening: you are free to explore the Tibetan Markets.
Note: When his travel and study schedule permits, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa holds public audiences in Sidbhari, near Dharamsala at Gyuto Tantric College between 2:30-3:00pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays. If this is the case, we will attend this and move this afternoon’s sightseeing to the next morning.

Day 18 Dharamsala-Amritsar (175 km/5 hrs)
Early morning (6 am) walk to Dalai Lama's monastery to attend monks puja; afterwards circumabulate the monastery complex along with the locals. Retrun to hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we travel to the Himalayan foothills called the Shivaliks, reaching Amritsar for lunch. After lunch we visit the Golden Temple of the Sikhs. We will circumambulate the temple, stopping periodically for moments of quiet reflection. The temple is like a small community, filled with many different activities. We will visit the kitchen where free meals are prepared by volunteers throughout the day; the temple where the Koran is read aloud 24/7non-stop; and observe devotional rituals. We return to the temple in the evening for the closing ceremony.Overnight Ranjit's Swaas/ boutique heritage property or Hotel Ritz (B)

Day 19 Amritsar-Delhi
Morning independent. Transfer to airport for flight 9w 3322 dep 1415/arr 1540 to Delhi. Transfer to hotel Ashoka Country Resort- shared rooms for wash, change. Dinner and late night transfer to airport for flight home.

Our Guide: Mr. Sanjay Verman
We are privileged and honored to have Mr. Sanjay Verman lead our Himachal Pradesh jeep safaris. Mr. Verman started his own travel agency from the courtyard of his house in Delhi in 1993, and by 1996 he was one of the three biggest Indian travel agents in just three years. But he wanted to do something different as he says "sometimes people make money without necessarily enjoying what they do and I don't want to be one of them." Leaving his business to his younger brother, he left for the hills, not the usual Shimla, Mussouri, Nanital variety, but the far off -Kinnaur Region, 12 hours north of Shimla. For two years he rigorously researched the remote areas Kalpa and Chitkul, and then he formed a company, "Timberline Trekking Camps" to develop base camps in this uncharted region. Mr. Verman's dream of doing something different has opened the gates to the people of the world to experience the breath-taking beauty and ancient culture of a land never before open to tourists..

Includes:

• airport transfers
• all land transport including first class train and private jeeps
• accommodations, dble occ, in 5* hotel Delhi; simple mountain resort at Sarahan; beautiful mountain resort in Kalpa; best available guesthouses in small villages
• daily breakfasts, all meals in Kinnaur and Spiti
• mineral water during jeep travel & at camps
• escorted throughout
• interstate taxes
• special permits

Does Not Include

• International Flight
• Departure Tax
• Travel/trip cancellation insurance
• Tips
• Personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls, drinks

Extension: Golden Triangle - Visit Taj Mahal

Day 19 Overnight at Park Hotel in Delhi.

Day 20 Shatabdi Express to Agra. Dep 615 am, arr 830 am. Met and transferred to hotel. Visit Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.. Taj View Hotel. Taj-facing rooms.

Day 21 Drive Agra-Jaipur, enroute visit Fatephur Sikri. After lunch city tour including City palace, Palace of Winds, Jantar mantar Observatory. Jai Mahal Palace Hotel.

Day 22 Morning visit Amber Fort. Afternoon drive back to Delhi. Transfer to hotel Ashoka Country Resort- rooms for wash, change and dinner. Late night transfer to airport for flight home.

Price: TBA

Includes: accommodations, daily breakfast, entrance fees, ac transport, professional local guides

ALL PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE