Day 1: Chandigarh / Delhi → Shimla
Morning pickup from Chandigarh or Delhi. Reach Shimla by late afternoon. Check in near Mall Road. Evening toy train photo stop if kids are up for it, or the Mall Road walk with ice cream. Early dinner and rest. Night stay: Shimla (2,200 m)
Day 2: Shimla → Sarahan
Easy 4 hr drive with a scenic lunch break. Reach Sarahan by afternoon. Visit the Bhimakali Temple, which kids find interesting thanks to the wooden architecture and the pheasant aviary inside the complex. Free evening at the hotel. Night stay: Sarahan (2,100 m)
Day 3: Sarahan → Chitkul → Kalpa
Day with India’s last village before the Tibet border, Chitkul. Kids love the river crossings, wooden bridges, and open meadows where they can run freely. Lunch at Chitkul. Continue to Kalpa by evening. Night stay: Kalpa (2,960 m)
Day 4: Kalpa Full Day (Base Stay)
Full day in Kalpa so kids don’t have to pack up. Morning Kinner Kailash sunrise from the hotel itself (one of those views kids actually stop their phones for). Short drive to Roghi Village and Suicide Point. Afternoon free, apple orchard walks if the season matches. Night stay: Kalpa (2,960 m)
Day 5: Kalpa → Nako → Tabo
4 hr drive. Lunch at Nako Lake, where kids can walk around the water, feed ducks, and visit the small monastery. Continue to Tabo by afternoon. Quick visit to the 1,000 year old Tabo Monastery and the ancient caves, which kids find like a little adventure. Night stay: Tabo (3,280 m)
Day 6: Tabo → Dhankar → Kaza
Morning drive to Dhankar, short and easy walk to the old monastery and the river viewpoint. Continue to Kaza. Evening at Kaza market, with bakeries and cafes kids love, and the local Sakya monastery for a calm end to the day. Night stay: Kaza (3,650 m)
Day 7: Kaza Day Trip to Langza, Hikkim and Komic
The best kids day of the trip. Morning at Langza for the Buddha statue and fossil hunting (kids get to find real marine fossils in the ground, which becomes the story they tell back at school). Quick stop at Hikkim to post a postcard home from the world’s highest post office. Short visit to Komic. Back to Kaza for lunch and a free evening. Night stay: Kaza (3,650 m)
Day 8: Kaza Day Trip to Key, Kibber and Chicham
Morning visit to Key Monastery, the iconic clifftop monastery kids recognise from every Spiti picture. Continue to Kibber village and the Chicham Bridge, Asia’s highest suspension bridge, which is a safe walk across and an easy family photo stop. Return to Kaza by evening. Night stay: Kaza (3,650 m)
Day 9: Kaza → Kalpa → Chandigarh / Delhi Drop
Early start. Long drive down the same route with breakfast on the way. Reach Shimla by late evening, Chandigarh by night, or Delhi by the next early morning if Delhi drop is selected. For families who prefer an easier Day 9, we add a Kalpa overnight and do a 10th day drop instead (chargeable as an add on).