A beautiful town in Lahaul and Spiti Valley, at an altitude of about 12000 ft., On the bank of Spiti River, Himachal Pradesh is surrounded by snowy mountains, crystal clear rivers, and shimmering streams. Kaza is the sub-divisional headquarters of Spiti Valley.
Kaza can be divided into two parts, Kaza Soma is the new town, the government offices are located here and the older is Kaza Khas which has the king’s palace, monasteries, and gompas.
Monasteries and Gompas are the repositories of the ancient culture and tradition of Kaza. Kaza can be accessed from Kinnaur Valley and Lahaul Valley. Kinnaur Valley route remains open throughout the year, the Lahaul Valley route remains open only in summers as the Kunzam Pass closes during winters.
Best time to visit
Kaza is a popular tourist place in the Lahaul and Spiti Valley. It can be best visited in summer as the winter is quite severe with zero level temperature. The locals remain within the confines of their houses and venture out only if it’s urgent. They stock up on the supply of food that lasts them through the winters. They utilize their time to produce handicrafts that can be sold during summer.
Kaza attracts visitors who want to indulge in adventurous activities and a
Spiritual well-being. It is the base camp for trekking, Pin-Parvati, Parang-La, and Pin-Bhabha are some of the popular trails which start from Kaza. A gentle stroll to villages around Kaza can also be an interesting experience.
Eating options are limited in Kaza as you can have only Indian and Tibetan cuisines.
Talking about places to stay in Kaza, so it’s not so difficult to find a budgeted property to stay. There are Government guest houses too with advance bookings. And if you want to explore the local culture then Homestays are the best option.
Main attractions to Kaza include:
✓Key Monastery(9 km from city)- Famous Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, established in the 11th century is the largest in Spiti Valley.
✓Dhankar Lake(21 km from the city)- a trek of one hour from Dhankar Monastery will take you to Dhankar Lake with pristine white water.
✓Shopping at Kaza- a small town, famous for its quality wool shawls, carpets, and woolen clothes. Ceramic items and local jewelry also attract visitors.
✓Kunzam Pass(44 km from city)- an entryway to Spiti Valley from Lahaul, Kunzam Pass is situated at an altitude of 4550m. A temple on the top of the pass dedicated to Goddess Kunjum (Durga) is said to guard the pass and ward off the evil.
✓Pin Valley National Park(31 km from the city)- located in the cold desert area, a paradise for wildlife lovers, and home to 20 species of animals and birds, a large number of endangered animals such as snow leopard, woolly Hare, Siberian Ibex, Himalayan Marmot, Blue sheep, and Tibetan Gazelle,
✓Kibber Village (13 km from the city)- the highest village in town, easily accessible by a smooth road. Famous for the local Monastery and Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary.
✓Tabo Village- famous for being more than 1000 years old. Considered a holy place and situated at approx 10000 ft. Often referred to as Ajanta of the Himalayas.
✓Rafting in the Spiti River- a very common water sport, visitors can enjoy cold water rafting. A group of four persons can sit on both sides of the boat and enjoy a thrilling experience. Entry fees may vary during the season.
How to reach
There are two routes to reach Kaza. The Manali route is open from June to December and the Shimla route is open throughout the year. As there is no access to the airport and railway in Spiti Valley. It can only be reached by the means of roads. Don’t forget to carry power banks and a torch as there you may face power cuts.
