Tabo in spiti Valley is a small town located on the Left  banks of River Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, India. The town lies in Kaza Sub Divisional Headquarter of Spiti. Tabo is small yet beautiful town. Town is Built around a Buddhist monastery and the Monastery is believed to be more then 1000 years old. Interesting fact about tabo is that The Dalai Lama has expressed his desire to settle in Tabo after his retirement. According to legends the Tabo Monastery is one of the holiest monasteries in spiti valley. In 1996  the Monastery celebrated its millennium anniversary and the Dalai Lama conducted the Kalachakra initiation ceremony in Tabo at that same time. This ceremony is a very important event in Buddhism and it was attended by thousands of Buddhists from all across the world. The Kalachakra tradition holds that Kalachakra teachings were taught in India by Gautama Buddha himself. 

The main attraction in Tabo is Thousand year old Mud Monastery and was constructed around 996 A D. Architecture  and the paintings in the monastery are simply amazing. And construction is according to the harsh weather. 

Tabo caves are also one of the main attractions. After a hike of around twenty minutes these caves are amazing. Locals believe that monks used to meditate in the caves. These caves are a must visit place for history lovers. Caves take you to the prehistoric era and These are Under the Archaeological Survey of India now.

Plain grounds all along the spiti river are also worth visiting. Tabo is also famous for its apple cultivation. If you have some spare time, take help from locals and visit apple orchards. Apple products produced in Tabo are in high demand for their quality and taste.

Tabo Town is located at an altitude of 10,760 ft. Weather in Tabo is always cold, be it summers or winters. Summers start in May and end in September and are very short. Average Temperature in summers is around 12 °C in day and -2 °C  at night. Winters are very harsh and freezing cold and weather becomes highly unpredictable. Average temperature at night remains around -20 °C and days are also cold with temperatures ranging between – 5 to – 6 °C. Tabo receives a very heavy snowfall in winters and most of the time it remains covered in a thick layer of snow and some days temperature can even go to -30 °C.

There are many hotels and home stays surrounding the monastery in Tabo including the monastery’s own guest house. Nowadays due to better road connectivity you will find almost every basic facility and amenities  in Tabo. Hotels and Home-stays offer heated blankets, room heaters, modern washrooms along with water heaters and good Food. 

Tabo is located on Shimla To Kaza Road. It is just 366 Km from shimla and 774 Km from New Delhi via shimla route. Second route is via Manali, Kunzum pass and Kaza. Tabo is connected by road to nearby major towns like Kaza and Rekangpeo. HRTC operates frequent bus to these towns in Summers. Sharing or single taxis are easily available for local sightseeing or outstation travel. Road til Sumdo is wide and road condition is good. But after Sumdo you have to travel on a single road with the risk of shooting stones.

Tabo is extremely cold in winters. That’s why the best time to visit Tabo is from May To September. During this period the weather is cold but bearable and you will find all the facilities of boarding and lodging. Winters in Tabo are extreme and weather is quite unpredictable in terms of snowfall and cold waves. Winters are off-season in spiti valley. Most of The hotels are not operational in winters and Options to stay is only home-stays operated by locals. That too with limited facilities. 

Nowadays Tourists are visiting spiti valley in winters. Due to improved road conditions and basic facilities.