Best Time to visit Hikkim village: Detailed Travel Guide

Hikkim Village In Summer

June to September is considered the best time to visit Hikkim Village due to the various cultural and traditional festivals that are held in Hikkim Village, Key Monastery, and Tabo Monastery. These festivals allure the tourists to witness the fanfare of the valley that adds zest and zeal to the landscapes of the Hikkim Village. The Cham dance is the festival’s major attraction, in which all of the Lamas participate and perform traditional dances while dressed in colorful costumes and masks of animals and birds. This event is conducted in honor of God to thank them for a blessed year and prosperity in the Spiti Valley. 

Hikkim Village in Winters

However, Winters are considered appropriate for those to want to capture the sight of the snow leopard in the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary. Snow Leopards during the winter season move down to lower regions of the valley in quest of prey and hence sighting snow leopards becomes quite predictable. 

Top Places to Visit in Hikkim Village

• World’s Highest Post Office

• Key Monastery

• Komic Village

• Kaza

• Langza Village

• Kibber Village

Let’s explore these places to visit in Hikkim Village and nearby areas.

World’s Highest Post Office

Since this Post Office has grown in popularity, the Public Worlds Department has refurbished the old structure into a new postbox-shaped and colorful building to attract more visitors. Spend some time in this post office, chatting with the postmaster and asking about his struggles working in such a hard environment. 

Key Monastery

The monastery is ornamented with paintings and murals dating back to the 14th century, including Chinese and Tibetan influences. The Key Monastery has also preserved religious manuscripts and sculptures of God’s deities, which are highly religiously significant. The monastery is known for its Pasada-style construction. Pasada architecture is distinguished by two or more stories and typically takes the shape of a fortified monastery. It is well-known for its historical paintings, one-of-a-kind thangkas, and ancient weapons. The major attraction here is the pictures of Gautam Buddha in dhyana (meditation) posture are a must-see. The monastery also has a sizable collection of musical instruments, including trumpets, cymbals, and drums of ancient times.

In addition to the gorgeous landscape provided by the monastery, situated at the top of the hill, this is an architectural masterpiece that provides insight into the culture and traditions of the Buddhist faith. The best time to visit Hikkim Village and Key Monastery is in the month of July when an annual cultural festival is organized that attracts tourists due to the unique traditional dance forms that are performed during the festivities.

Komic Village

The best time to visit Hikkim Village and Komic Village is during the summer months when the temperatures are excellent for exploring the places and admiring the beauty that cannot be conveyed in words but must be felt. Komic Village is 3.2 kilometers from Hikkim Village, and the easiest method to traverse this distance is to take the hiking path, which adds an extra dimension of beauty to the trip.

Kaza

Kaza can be reached from Shimla and Manali via taxi, own car, or by biking expedition. In Summer, state transport buses operated many times throughout the day from Manali and Shimla to Kaza. Those tourists who wish to undertake a trek from Kaza to Hikkim, Langza, and Komic Village can have their reservation done at Kaza. Kaza has a several trekkers community that help people take up Jeep Safari, Trekking, Yak rides, climbing, and camping activities.

Kaza also has a large market for handcrafted souvenirs manufactured from Lamas using traditional processes and materials. The best time to visit Hikkim Village Kaza is when 

Langza Village

If you understand the importance of finding fossils just look for one, admire the astonishing thing but be mindful of not carrying it back with you. The sale and purchase of these fossils are not for the ecological balance. 

One of the well-known landmarks of the Langza Village is the iconic tallets Buddha status that is believed to be the protector of the Village and the surrounding areas. The landscape and the beauty of the Langza village can leave you spellbound and the fossil connection with the village will surely influence you to plan the trip at the best time to visit Hikkim Village and Langza.

Kibber Village

The Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary is the best place to visit near Hikkim Village which is home to many endangered species of flora and fauna. Red Fox, Tibetan Woolly Hare, Ibex, Blue Sheep, Himalayan Wolf, Tibetan Wild Ass, Lynx, Pika and Snow Leopard. Tourists flock to Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary to have a sight of the big cat snow leopard. Earlier it was hard to have sight of snow leopards but recently the number of leopards in the region has increased and one can expect to capture the snow leopard in its natural habitat. 

You might require the help of locals to spot the trails of snow leopards as these camouflage so perfectly in the natural surroundings, that it becomes impossible to spot them. The best time to visit Hikkim Village and Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary is during the winters because during this time snow Leopards come down to the lower regions of the valley in search of food and hence can be spotted quite easily. The region is home to several endangered plant species that are employed in the manufacturing of traditional medicines, cosmetics, and cattle feed. Some of these plants are significant components of the Traditional Tibetan Medicinal Healing System. 

Suggested Read: Spiti Valley Travel Journal

Things to do in Hikkim village

1. If it’s been a while since you haven’t posted a letter, then do it at Hikkim Village. Hikkim village has the world’s highest post office. This iconic place is the only way the people of the world are connected with the rest of the world. So when you visit Hikkim Village, post a postcard or letter to your family and friends from this iconic place.
2. Have a stroll through the lanes of the Langza village and don’t be surprised if you step on a unique thing, well this unique thing is nothing but fossils. Langza village has uncountable fossil gems underneath it. These fossils are of marine animals and are thought to be millions of years old. 
3. Lahaula and Spiti Valley are known as the “land of lamas,” and the existence of old monasteries adds to their allure. Key Monastery, Kungri Monastery, and Sakya Tangyud Monastery are Spiti Valley’s oldest monasteries and have considerable religious significance in Buddhist culture. These monasteries are embellished with paintings, murals, and sculptures of Buddhist deities that depict the region’s culture, heritage, and religious sacred scriptures. 
4. Hikkim Village boasts a challenging and enchanting trekking trail. This trek route connects Kaza to Hikkim, Langza, and Kibber Village. This trek can be completed in 2-3 days, with a night stop in one of these villages. This strenuous trekking trail offers amazing panoramas of the snow-capped Himalayas, diverse flora and wildlife, the shimmering Spiti River, and a mystical valley.
5. Fill your night with the glittering and shimmering millions of stars that offer an unparalleled view of the night sky. Hikkim Village in Spiti Valley is the best place for stargazing and is astronomers’ delight. Milky Way galaxy and even some planets can be here with the naked eye. Do not forget to carry high-resolution cameras or a telescope to capture the spellbinding night.

 Suggested Read: Reasons to Visit Spiti Valley