Budget Hostel · Kaza
Zostel Spiti, Kaza
The Kaza branch of the Indian hostel chain is where most solo travellers and students land in Spiti. Dorm beds and private rooms, a common area full of road news, and the easiest place in the valley to find people to share a taxi to Key, Langza or Chandratal.
Photo: Rupak Sarkar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CommonsZostel runs hostels across India, and its Spiti property in Kaza is one of the few backpacker hostels in the valley. It offers dormitory beds and private rooms, a common room and a cafe area where travellers plan the next day's loop. For anyone travelling alone on HRTC buses, the main value is people: a notice or a chat over tea usually finds three others to split a taxi for the Key, Kibber, Langza, Hikkim and Komic loop.
Expect hostel standards at 3,650 m. Rooms are simple, nights are cold even in July, and hot water depends on solar heating and the weather. The hostel usually runs in the summer season and may close or scale down in deep winter, so check current status before you travel. Book ahead for July and August, when dorms fill with long-weekend groups from Delhi and Chandigarh.
Why we use it
- The cheapest reliable bed in Kaza for solo travellers
- Easy to find others for shared taxis
- Walking distance from the bus stand and market
Best for
Trips that stay here
Sleep here on a trip
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Spiti by HRTC bus, the slow Kinnaur way in
HRTC and local buses, with one shared taxi loop from Kaza
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Saver
Spiti village homestays: Dhankar to Langza
Shared car to Kaza, then local buses and short taxi transfers
Around the stay
Kaza
Kaza is the subdivisional headquarters of Spiti at 3,650 m and the only real town in the valley. It has the bus stand, the taxi union, ATMs, the only petrol pump and most of the cafes. Use it as a three-night base for Key, Kibber, Langza, Hikkim and Komic, and as your first acclimatisation stop.
Photo: Nrr1729 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Old Kaza and Sakya Tangyud morning walk
An easy first-morning walk through the mud-walled lanes of Kaza Khas to the Sakya Tangyud monastery, perfect for acclim…
Photo: Kirechko · Public domain · Commons
Spitian kitchen supper with sea buckthorn
Eat what Spitian families eat: thukpa, tsampa, barley bread, peas from the fields and sea buckthorn juice. Best done in…
Photo: Ksuryawanshi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Night sky over the Spiti river at Rangrik
Cross the river to Rangrik, away from Kaza's lights, and watch the Milky Way rise over dry mountains. Clear, thin air a…
Questions
About Zostel Spiti, Kaza
Is Zostel Spiti open in winter?
It usually operates through the summer season and may close or reduce services in deep winter, when Kaza's water pipes freeze. Check current status before you travel and book directly through Zostel.
Is Zostel Kaza good for solo women?
Yes, many solo women stay here, and female dorms are often available. The hostel is close to the market and bus stand, which makes late arrivals easier.
Can I arrange taxis from Zostel Spiti?
The hostel is the easiest place to find other travellers to share a taxi. Rates follow the Kaza taxi union board, so check the board before you agree a price.
More in Spiti & Lahaul
Other places to stay
Photo: Tim Dellmann · CC BY 3.0 · Commons
Budget
Tabo Monastery Guest House
A plain guesthouse run beside the 996 CE monastery complex in Tabo. Simple rooms, some with shared bathrooms, a sh…
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Budget
Langza homestays
Langza's farming families open their homes to travellers at about 4,420 m, below the Buddha statue and Chau Chau K…
Photo: Ksuryawanshi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Budget
Kibber homestays
Kibber, on a plateau above a deep gorge at about 4,270 m, has a good number of family homestays. In summer they ar…