Kaza 🏘️

Spiti HQ, base for all exploration

Kaza is Spiti's administrative headquarters and the practical base for the entire valley — the last reliable ATM, market, and phone signal before the high villages. At 3,800m, altitude sickness is a real consideration, so most itineraries build in a rest day here before pushing higher to Kibber, Komic, or Langza. The town itself is functional rather than picturesque, but it's surrounded by some of the starkest cold-desert scenery in the Himalayas. Spiti is only accessible June to September; roads close with the first heavy snow. Most travelers reach Kaza via Manali over Kunzum Pass or the longer Shimla–Kinnaur route through Nako and Tabo — both routes are worth planning around rather than rushing.