10 Things to do in Kibber Village: Travel Guide for Kibber Village

Here we have compiled an ultimate travel guide to Kibber Village. So, if you haven’t done these things when visiting Kibber Village, don’t check it off your bucket list.  Spiti Valley tour packages present you with a chance to do some of the most bizarre things to do in  Kibber Village in Spiti Valley.

• A Day with Locals

• Parang La Trek

• Trek to Moriri Lake

• Stargazing

• Key Monastery

• Sakya Tangyud Monastery

• Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary

• Chicham Bridge

• A Visit to nearby Villages

• Taste authentic food

A Day with Locals

When visiting Spiti Valley, do plan an extra day just to spend this day interacting with the locals of the Valley and we promise you that the day and the time spent would be worth it. The people of Spiti Valley are completely different from the rest of the people that you meet on your vacations and so are their hardships. 

Engaging in heartful conversations with the people of the village is the most reassuring thing to do in Kibber Village Spiti Valley. It allows getting to know about their culture and traditions and also to experience the Spiti way of life. The hardships that these people go through and how the rest of the world seems different to them. 

Spiti Valley is extremely rich in its traditions and the temperament of the people here is well worth experiencing. Locals rely on agriculture for a living, and their main crops are potatoes and peas. Have a walk around the field with them and attempt to live like them for a day.

Spiti Valley in winter hibernates, and the people stock up on grains and other necessities for a nice winter season. They utilize this time to work on handcrafted décor items and knitting. If you find someone selling handmade woolen clothes, buy them since it is their hard labor that provides sustenance for their families. 

Parang La Trek

The trail passes across extensive meadows that once served as grazing grounds for horses from the Spiti Valley. The most stunning aspect of the journey is the two-day walk around the Tso Moriri Lake, which provides many colors of blue and several unclimbed peaks in the background. At the end of the trek is Karzok village, which is home to one of Leh’s oldest and most important monasteries. 

Trek to Moriri Lake

After crossing the Parang La, the terrain changes considerably, from steep gorges to vast plains. Before road access between Spiti and Ladakh, Parang La Pass was one of the most significant hiking routes connecting Spiti to Ladakh.  The journey ends at the breathtaking Tsomoriri Lake, which is home to many migrant birds.

Stargazing 

Spiti Valley’s lack of pollution and thin, clean air create excellent factors for incredible transparency, allowing for a spectacular view of the Milky Way galaxy, stars, and even planets. The best thing to do in Kibber Village Spiti Valley for a stupendous stargazing experience is to carry a professional telescope with yourself or a high-resolution camera. Various groups organize amazing stargazing in Spiti Valley guided tours and they are well equipped for witnessing the rare celestial phenomena. 

Key Monastery

Monasteries form the essence of the Lahaul and Spiti Valley. The visit to the valley is incomplete if you haven’t explored the Monastery especially Key Monastery in Spiti Valley which is the oldest and the largest belonging to the Sakya sect of Buddhism. Key Monastery connects your soul with divine spirituality. This Monastery is also the largest training center for the Buddhist monks who receive their religious teaching here. The monastery provides a magnificent view of the snow-capped mountains and the quaint beauty of villages and is also an architectural marvel. 

Key Monastery is adorned with ancient paintings, murals, and Thangka paintings that tell the life and teachings of the Buddhists and other deities. The religious sects are carved on the pillars and walls of the Monastery built in Indo-Tibetan artwork. The Monastery also houses ancient weaponry and musical instruments that are still in use. Meditating in the realm of the Monastery is the best thing to do in Kibber Village.

In July, special celebrations are held on the premises of the Monastery, the major attraction of which is Chaam Dance. This dance form is native to Spiti Valley and is performed wearing colorful dresses and hug animal masks.  Visitors can visit the valley during the festivities as they give an experience of the tradition of the village. 

Sakya Tangyud Monastery in Spiti Valley is regarded as a very ancient Tungyad monastery by the locals of the region, dating back over 800 years. However, a recent earthquake in 1972 destroyed the entire ancient building, which was initially thought to be located near Hikkim Village. The 14th Gyalwa Karmapa, a famous spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism’s Karma Kagyu, oversaw its reconstruction. This sacred shrine was built with the noble aim of spreading Buddhism and conserving the region’s unique cultural history, and it remains a popular pilgrimage site since it is one of only two Sakye sect Gompas in Spiti Valley.

The monastery’s architecture is typical Tibetan, with a pagoda-like roof and colorful prayer flags flowing in the breeze. Sakya Tangyud Monastery serves as a center of Buddhist learning. 

Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary

After experiencing the spirituality at Kibber Village in Spiti Valley it is imperative to witness the wildlife of the Kibber Village and is a daring thing to do in Kibber Village Spiti Valley. Kibber Village forms the base of the Kibber  Wildlife Sanctuary and is the wildlife place of Lahaula and Spiti Valley which is the home of the high-altitude species and  Snow Leopard being the most exclusive here.  Siberian Ibex, Red fox, rare Pika, Himalayan Wolf, weasels, and Tibetan wild ass are some of the exotic wild animals that are found here. 

The best time to visit Kibber Village is during the winter. During this season, Snow Leopards move down to the lower altitudes of the valley in search of prey. Hence it is easier to spot a glimpse of the big cat and their movement is quite predictable and they can be captured behind the lenses. Various government-aided as well as private Snow Leopard expeditions are organized during the winter season to capture the show stopper of the valley behind the lenses. Professionals and experts are required for the tour as it is difficult to capture the Leopards due to their camouflage capabilities.

Chicahm Village has no direct road access from the Kibber Village due to the 1000 ft George called Sambha Lambha Nulla. It was approachable via Losar with an extra 40 Km. This problem was sorted out by the construction of the Chicham Bridge. Chicham Bridge is Asia’s highest bridge and is stunning in its design. This suspension bridge took 15 years to finish at a wooping cost of Rs. 485 lakhs. This bridge links Kibber with Chicham Village directly and now has cut down the distance by 40 km. 

Earlier Chicham was not approachable and less visited by tourists but after the inauguration of Chicham Bridge in 2017, Chicham has grown in popularity as more tourists can visit here. The bridge provides a mesmerizing view of the valley and will never cease to amaze with the marvels of creation at this challenging location. 

A Visit to Nearby Villages

The soul of Lahaul and Spiti Valley lies in the small villages These villages form the essence of the valley and are the most attractive tourist places. There are nearly 231 villages in Spiti Valley and each of them has its charm and is unique in its way. The Villages nearest to Kibber Village are Hikkim, Langza, Kaza, Nako and Tashiganag.

Hikkim Village in Spiti Valley is just 32 km from Kibber Village. This village is well known for the post office. The post office of Hikkim Village has been awarded the title of the world’s highest village. This is the only post office by which the people of Hikkim Village and other nearby villages are connected with the world. The top thing to do in Kibber Village Hikkim is to post a letter to family. Friends and even to yourself as a memory of your visit to the iconic place.

Langza Village in Spiti Valley is 31 Km from Kibber and is called the Fossil Village of India. This Village tells the tales of the formation of the mighty Himalayas. Millions of years ago Langza was a part of the Tethys Sea which gradually subsided over the period and led to the formation of the Himalayas leaving behind fossils of marine animals. These spiral-shaped fossils are of archeological importance and can be found around the village. Engage in fossil hunting and this will be the best adventure thing to do in Kibber Village Spiti.

Kaza is the district headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti Valley and is the nearest largest town to Kibber and other villages. Kaza has ample accommodation facilities for all kinds of travelers. Kaza is the best place to go shopping and to get some handcrafted articles for the memories to be cherished lifelong. 

Nako Village in Spiti Valley is 50 kilometers from Tashigang Village and is located near the Indo-Tibetan border. This village provides a breathtaking view of the Himalayas and the stunning Nako Lake, which is encircled by Nako caves and waterfalls. The natives think that the waterfall is the abode of fairies, and saint Padmasambhava meditated on the lake’s banks. 

It is said that the food tells a lot about the region and its inhabitants and the best way to explore the culture and tradition of a place is by experiencing the local cuisine. Regarding the local food of Spiti Valley, Kibber Village is not going to disappoint you in those terms. The flavors of the Kibber Village are influenced by its challenging weather conditions, geographic location, and sharing the boundary with Tibet.  Major dishes of the valley are common with Tibetan cuisine. Tasting the local food of Spiti Valley is the most delectable thing to do in Kibber Village. 

Some of the dishes that are a must-try in Kibber Village are momos, thenktuk, butter tea, thupka, Chaang, Churpe, sea buckthorn tea,  and mokthuk. Momos of Spiti Valley are different from those from the rest of the world. Butter Tea is prepared from the Yak Butter and provides energy to get going throughout the day and increases endurance during the winters. Churpe is a cheese that is native to Spiti Valley and is prepared from Yak Milk. Sea buckthorn is a special kind of berry that is grown only at high altitudes and is a superfood. They are in use in many ways here and support the body with all the nutrients and minerals. 

To genuinely enjoy the mouth-watering foods of Lahaula and Spiti, consider staying in a homestay where you may eat traditional dishes straight from the kitchen made with locally farmed ingredients. Some cafes, such as Himalayan Cafe and Sol Cafe in Kaza, also provide authentic Spiti Valley food to tourists.

How to reach Kibber Village

By Air: The nearest airports to Kibber Village are Chandigarh Airport and Kullu-Manali Bhutar Airport. The flight from the major cities lands here. The journey can be planned forward by road to Kibber Valley.

By Train: To reach Kibber Village by railway network, the nearest railway stations are the Chandigarh Railway Station and Joginder Nagar Railway Station, and Shimla Railway Station. However, Shimla railway station can only be reached by a toy train that starts it journey from Kalka railway station.

By road: Two routes are possible to reach Kibber Village once you have reached the major stations and airports. One is Via Shimla and the other via Manali. Keep in mind that the Manali route is closed for half of the year. Himachal tourism buses also operated from Shimla and Manali to Kaza and then to Kibber.