- Altitude
- 3,280 m
- Distance
- 63 km from Nako · 47 km from Kaza
- Best time
- May – October · accessible in winter via Kinnaur
- Ideal stay
- 1 day
About Tabo Monastery
Tabo monastery, founded in 996 AD, is the oldest continuously functioning Buddhist monastery in India, with mud-walled temples full of thousand-year-old murals and stucco statues.
Tabo was founded by the great translator Rinchen Zangpo and is often called the Ajanta of the Himalaya because of its exceptional murals. The complex has nine temples, 23 chortens and a monks’ chamber, all enclosed in mud walls.
Above the village are meditation caves carved into the cliff. Tabo is the first major stop in Spiti when coming from Kinnaur, and is open even in winter.
Things to see & do
- Thousand-year-old murals and statues
- Tabo meditation caves
- Gue mummy (45 km) on the way
- Quiet village homestays
Suggested itinerary
Day 1
Nako → Gue → Tabo (63 km)
Visit the 500-year-old mummy at Gue, then reach Tabo. Afternoon at the monastery and caves.
Day 2
Tabo → Dhankar → Kaza (47 km)
Visit Dhankar monastery and lake, then continue to Kaza.
Local tips from our drivers
- Photography is not allowed inside the old temples.
- Dress modestly when visiting the monastery.
