How to get a permit in Reckong Peo to visit the protected area in Spiti Valley

To visit such places in Spiti as Nako, Tabo, Dhankar, Gyu, etc., you need to get a permit, because this is a border area with China. If you go to Spiti from Shimla, you can get a permit either in Shimla or in Reckong Peo. We will tell you how to do this in the Reckong Peo.

To get the permit, there must be at least two of you. (You can find on Internet a rule about a minimum group of four people, but it has long been changed.) There is information on the Internet that this rule about two people is ignored in the Reckong Peo, but we did not check.

Also you need a letter from a travel agency. In Reckong Peo, the travel agency is located in the Tourist Information Center, that's where you need to go first, link to this place on Google Maps. Opening hours: from 10 to 17 every day, except the second Saturday and except Sundays and National holidays.

The building you need, go to the door on the right

In this office you need to fill out a small questionnaire (questions about how to check into a hotel, plus you need to specify several places that you plan to visit in Spiti), you will also need a copy of your passport and visa. Then you will be taken to a neighboring building where permits are issued. There you will be photographed, you will need to wait 10-15 minutes (if there is no line), and the permit is ready. The cost is 400 rupees, this includes travel agency service (the price is relevant for the summer of 2022).

When we were there, the whole procedure, including the search for parking, took us no more than half an hour, there was no queue at all.

The permit is valid for two weeks. If you want to stay in Spiti longer, you can issue a new permit in Kaza.