13 Days Ganden Samye Trek - Detailed Itinerary

Arrival in Kathmandu where you will be met and transferred to Hotel, just walking distance to any styles of good restaurants and shops. Our Representative will give you short briefing on hotel facilities and safety. Tonight we only have a short introduction to the area, just what you need to know before the main briefing tomorrow. O/N Hotel in Kathmandu.

 

Comprehensive trip briefing by Tibet expert, entertain last minute questions, handover info materials and introduce all members of the tour. Briefing time - 12 noon. O/N at Hotel in Kathmandu.

 

Transfer to Airport. An hour flight to Lhasa will enchant you with the spectacular, breathtaking view of the Himalayan Ranges. You will see most of the highest mountains on earth including Mt. Everest. Arrive in Gongkar airport and take an hour drive to Lhasa along the banks of the river Kyicho that flows through to Lhasa. The drive will take you to the west of the city at Dongkar, and just west of Dongkar the Potala Palace will be visible from afar. At 3600m, it is advisable to take the rest of the day in leisure in order to acclimatize. You can go around the hotel area for light walk and sightseeing. O/N at Hotel in Lhasa

 

This morning we will drive 8km northwest of Lhasa to visit Drepung Monastery. It was the residence of the Third, Fourth and the Fifth Dalai Lamas.  This winter Palace was the resident of hundreds of monks from all the major Geluk monasteries for staffing individual Chapels. The 20,000 sq m complex has survived unscathed even during the Cultural Revolution. In afternoon, we will drive 5km away from Lhasa to Sera Monastery founded in 1419. It sits in the prettiest and most charming atmosphere at the base of Mount Purbuchok. Sera Monastery used to be an important center for learning where 5,000 to 6,000 monks resided. The most intriguing feature here is the nine-meter image of the Maitriya Buddha.; here one can also witness the practicing debate among the monks, who pitch their knowledge against each other. O/N at Hotel in Lhasa

 

This morning we visit the Potala Palace, winter palace of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, It is a 13th storied complex monument rising to a height of above 117m which houses 10,000 shrines and over 200,000 images and about 1000 rooms. In the afternoon we will take a tour of Jokhang Temple.  Jokhang a seventh-century geomantic temple at the heart of Lhasa is the most sacred temple of all Tibet. It is considered to be a Power Place in all Tibet. Queen Bhrikuti a Nepalese princess married to King Songtsen Gampo founded Jokhang Temple and in recognition of Queen Bhrikuti the main gate of the temple faces west towards Nepal. The most impressive structure of the Jokhang Temple is the many chapels surrounding the temple. Later you can walk and shop in the popular Barkhor Square (Bazaar) where Tibetan handicraft items, Buddhist artifacts, carpets, paintings etc. are all in sale for your delight. O/N at Hotel in Lhasa

We arrive to Ganden early in the day; it is only a 40 kilometer drive from Lhasa. We will spend the rest of that day exploring and acclimatizing. Ganden was the first Gelukpa monastery and has remained the main seat of the order ever since. Of all the great monasteries of Tibet, it is Ganden that suffered most at the hands of the red guards. Ganden is an interesting place to wander aimlessly about in. The sheer ochre walls of many of the buildings make great backdrops for photographs. Don't miss the Kora around Ganden! Hardly 5 minutes goes by without groups of stopping before a rock, shrine, or crevice in a boulder to perform unusual rituals that "test" their faith and help them earn religious merit, all in a carnival like atmosphere. This circuit begins at the south west corner of Ganden. A large rocky cleft draped with prayer flags marks the start of this scenic circuit, which takes at least one hour to complete. O/N Camping in Ganden

 

You resume your trekking adventure as you trek away from Ganden towards south along the Angor RI. After ascending for 1 1/2 hours, you see several cairns near a saddle. The trail further leads westwards descending to Hepu village. Here several houses become visible. 3 ½ hours of trekking brings you close to Shug La pass. Ani Panong lies 1 hour away from Hepu. An hour of continuous ascent leads to lush meadows and soon appears Yama Do. O/N Camping in Yama Do.

 

One hour from our camp at Yama Do, we leave the valley floor and ascend a shelf on the east (left) side of the valley to avoid a steep gully that forms around the stream. The Shug La (5250m) cannot be seen until we're virtually on top of it. It is marked by a large cairn covered in prayer flags and yak horns. We continue over the Shug La and descend sharply through a boulder field, losing a couple of hundred meters of elevation. The cairned rail gradually descends to reach the valley floor 1 ½ hours from the pass. We cross the large stream, the Tsotup Chu, which flows through the valley. The pastures in the area support large herds of yaks, goats and sheep, and during the trekking season herders are often camped here. This is an ideal place for our camp and for us to meet the herders (drukpa in Tibetan). O/N Camping in Tsotup Chu Valley.

 

As you turn away from Tsotup Chu Valley, you come across main water course following from the south-east and a tributary from the south-west. You take the route along this tributary followed by steep ascents for 30 minutes to a large basin and thereafter, the tributary disappears out of sight. The trail further opens into the valley progressing south to the Chitu La at 5100 meters capped with several cairns. The trail further brushes past a sheer rock wall on its south flank. Thereafter, follows a descent into a basin showcasing three turquoise lakes. Further on, the trail moves on to the west side of the stream and thereon, after 30 minutes approaches campsite. Many herders’ camps can be seen at the nearby locations. Following the rock-strewn valley floor, you will head to a flat seasonal herder's camp in the east side of the valley. Soon after returning to the west side of the valley, you will near another seasonal herders' camp. O/N Camping in Herders Camp.

 

From here the trail is now wide and easy to follow as it traces a course down the east side of the valley. We walk through the thickening scrub forest and we come to another stream entering from the east side of the main valley. The valley now bends to the right and the trail enters the thickest and tallest part of the scrub forest. The right combination of elevation, moisture, and aspect create a verdant environment while just a few kilometers away desert conditions prevail. The next two hours stretch of the trail is among the most beautiful of the entire trek. O/N Camping in Wango

 

Pisha offers picturesque view of the lower Samye valley. At its lower end an undulating hill called Hepo Ri appears into picture. This is regarded very sacred. The trail winds through the ridge of Dragmar towards verdant fields and villages of Samye reviving ancient history. A partially rebuilt palace is nestled on the summit. History boasts that the palace is the birthplace of King Trisong Detsen and had a grand temple in the ancient time. Further off the road, you will find a small red and white temple which is believed to have been built under the shade of white sandalwood tree and nourished by the buried placenta of King Trisong in the ancient time but was chopped off during Cultural Revolution. Further on, the trail overlooking amazing spires leads to Sangbu village. You will find a well trodden track to Samye. After sightseeing of Samye monastery drive to Tsedang. O/N at Hotel in Tsedang

 

After early morning sightseeing of Yumbhulakhang, we will drive to Gyantse, we drive through two spectacular high passes – the Kampa La at 4750m/15580ft and Karo La at 5010m/16432ft and over and along the beautiful deep blue green Lake called Yamdrok Lake or Turquoise Lake. The landscape of the Tibetan Plateau is truly unusual and spectacular. We will arrive in Gyantse an old Tibetan Town against a backdrop of magnificent 14th-15th century fortresses and temples. Here we will visit Pelkhor Chode Temple, which served the Gelug Sakya and Buluk orders. Here the Kumbum Stupa is an architectural masterpiece built in the style of 108-sided Mandela. It is the most revered stupa in Tibet and houses 112 chapels of which only 23 are open to the public. O/N at Hotel in Gyantse.

 

After breakfast 2 hours, 90km straight drive to Shigatse the second largest town in Tibet. Shigatse the capital of Tsang Province is 395km west of Lhasa via Gyantse.  Shigatse was one of the first towns to be visited by westerners due to close distance with the Indian border.  Here, Tashilumpo Palace is the place to visit. His Holiness the Panchen Lama (great scholar), the second highest spiritual figure in Tibet after His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The Fifth Dalai Lama built this artistic Palace. There are about 39 amazing chapels inside the Palace including the huge Maitreya Chapel coated with gold, its workmanship certainly impresses everyone, Tushita Chapel containing one thousand small statues of Tsongkhapa founder of Geluk order. Victory Chapel, which is concerted into a school for study and inside the chapel there is a huge gold image of Tsokapa and his two disciples and also the Tomb of the Tenth Panchen Lama just to name a few.  In the afternoon, we will visit the local markets for shopping and local sightseeing. O/N at Hotel in Shigatse.

 

Today we drive 300km. The friendship highway takes about 7/8 hours to reach Shegar. We will take lunch in Lhatse, which is about 150km away.  Lhatse is a small relatively modern town in the banks of the river Tsangpo.  Lhatse Dzong is an old town of Lhatse, where few monastery of Lhatse Chode were founded at the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama. The most significant historical site in Lhatse Dzong is the small meditation cave located in the northern face of Dzong (castle). On the highway we will cross the high pass of Gyatso La 5220m/17125ft. O/N at Hotel in Shegar

 

Today we drive 205km - 4 to 5 hours to reach Zhangmu. We will cross the high pass of Gyatso La or Lhakpa La 5220m/17121ft. On the decent, if the weather permits you will have the first view of mighty Mt. Everest south face and other prominent mountains of the world. And Shegar (4200m/13776ft). Continuing on the way we will probably view one of the most spectacular landscapes including herds of yak and sheep amongst the backdrop of the Himalayas.  We will stop at an old village town of Tingri for lunch. People on expedition to Mt. Everest Base Camp take the Tingri South dirt road. On the way to Zhangmu we may catch a glimpse of the majestic Mt. Everest and other peaks over 8000m such as Shisapangma.  Today, the difference in landscape is quite special-the barren rugged landscape of Tibet to the mighty Himalayas, where the scenery changes to rich forests, typical of the Nepalese foothills. Zhangmu is a small border town teetering on a precipitous hillside. It serves as the main port of entry into Tibet when coming overland to and from Nepal. O/N at Hotel in Zhangmu.

 

After breakfast, we cross the Friendship Bridge into Kodari, Nepal and drive into Kathmandu via Araniko highway. By now, you will have entered into a completely different landscape one which is vastly different from just where you were a few days ago. The Nepali foothills and the greenery will make the drive pleasant and enjoyable. Arrived Kathmandu. O/N at Hotel in Kathmandu. 

 

This pleasant day you may have full day at leisure and either relax at hotel or explore Kathmandu city, shopping etc. O/N Hotel in Kathmandu. 

 

Today either you’ll have your holiday extension for another tour or we will transfer you to airport for final departure flight.