Spiti Valley lies in the Himalayas of northern India, at the northwestern tip of the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. It’s known as Little Tibet because of its cultural and religious connections to that country, as well as its topography—with towering mountain peaks, several high-altitude lakes and the Spiti River winding through it all. The valley was closed off to outsiders until 1992 and even today remains one of the least-explored areas in all of India. In fact, there are only about 150 foreign tourists each year who pass through this little-known region. The Spiti valley lies nestled between the mighty Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is home to the only Buddhist kingdom in India, the Kingdom of Ladakh, as well as its more traditional counterpart, the Kingdom of Lahaul. The word Spiti means Middle Land.