10 Days Gaden to Samye Trek

Upon arrival in Lhasa, our guide will greet you at the airport and escort you to the hotel. Feel the height of the world roof and adapt to the high altitude. Our agency staff would give you a brief orientation about the trip and collect the balance amount from you. Get familiar with the height of the roof of the world and take rest well to have a successful trip.

Overnight: Lhasa

Lhasa is a unique city which is attracted by many tourists from all over the world for it’s different culture and wonderful nature. Start our trip from the magnificent Potala Palace which is built in 7th century and explore the grandest of this myriad chapels in the morning. You will experience its audience halls, the jewelled and Golden burial Chortens (stupa Tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, and tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, Thangkas, combinations of mandala, etc. In the afternoon, pay a visit to the holist temple in Tibet, the Johkang Temple, built during king Songtsen Gonpo’s reign by princess Wencheng and its famous Barkor Kora, where you can appreciate the traditional Tibetan artifacts, religious implements, antiques, books, Tibetan music instrument, Thangkas, and tradition Tibetan clothes and the like.

Overnight: Lhasa

We will start our group tour at 09:00 am. Drive 8kms to north-west of Lhasa to visit Drepung Monastery, situated at the foothill of a beautiful mountain and was built in 1416. It was once the home of 10000 monks and Ganden Podrang in Drepung is famous for it was the administrative center during fifth Dalai Lama until the Potala palace was built. Shoton Festival is organized by this monastery in a very grandiose way. After lunch, tour continues to visit the Sera Monastery, which was founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa’s disciple Jamchen Choeje. The most attractive is its Buddhist monk’s debate held in the courtyard.

Overnight: Lhasa

Today, we are visiting Gaden Monastery, established in 1409 by the Buddhist reformer and founder of the Gelukpa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, Tsongkhapa. This monastery is also the seat of the Gaden Tripa (a monk who could rank the top of the numerous Buddhist Philosophy debates and examinations). After learning the monastery’s mystery interior, going to take an hour long kora (circumambulation) around its outer circle. Through it, you will enjoy the wonderful landscapes of Lhasa’s uniquely surrounded mountains, Kyichu (Happy River), and the beautiful valley villages. It would be followed by driving down to Trubshi Village for the overnight camp at there.

Overnight: Camping at Trubshi Village

Every stuffs brought would be loaded on yaks and begins our trek to Hepo. It’s a short hike to Hepu village. Village’s Yul Lha (local protector deity), the Divine White Yak shrines from the edge of the village. The group continues to climb up towards the Shuga Pass where wild flowers bloom around the descending waters of the pass’ Tashi-Chu. Tonight’s camping will be at Ani Pagong (a small nunnery) is situated about an hour from Hepu.

Overnight: Camping at Yama Do

The trek progressed to walk on the left side of the valley until arriving in a basin below the Shuga Pass (5255m), the highest peak of the trek. The pass is marked with wind-worn prayer flags and yak skulls. From the top of the mountain, we can see the lower valley and begin a steep descent through a narrow rocky trail. The river of Chitu Gang flows along us as we enter the valley to find local nomad herders dwelling in black tents with guarded mastiffs. Then, we will be at our campsite after crossing over the river followed by a short walk.

Overnight: Camping at Chitu Gangu

Steep but small hill to trek to reach Palang Tsodue Lake. Today is quite an easy trek as it is within the valley for a while and then lead us to the Chitu Pass (5210m). We would stop to enjoy the three beautiful small lakes surrounded with cairns (small, man-made piles of stone), and a nomad campsite before the top of the pass. Trek continues by passing through willow, scrub, a forest of rosebushes, we would see an another nomad camp. Finally we would arrive at a Tibetan nomads hub and we see numerous Tibetan nomad tents pitched near the adjacent valley coming from Gampala Pass which joins the main valley. Our camp will be after crossing a clear stream.

Overnight: Camping at Nomad Camp

The last day of the trekking is mostly in the woods. This could be quite a long yet you will learn different types of wild floral and fauna. In the end of the forest, we would pass Gen Do Shrine, dedicated to the region’s protector goddess, Dorji Yudrukma, and cross the Yamalung Hermitage. At this point, we find several meditation caves belong to the Dalai Lamas and other holy retreat persons. Further hiking takes us to Hepori and we finally arrived in Samye Monastery.

Overnight: Samye Monastery Guesthouse

This morning, we are visiting Samye Monastery. Samye is Tibet’s first monastery and holds over 1200 years of rich Buddhist and architectural history. Next, we will visit Chimpu Hermitage to learn about the meditation caves of Guru Rinpoche and Khangdo Yeshi Tsogyal (one of three consorts of Guru Rinpoche). mediated in during the 7th century. This area remains a famous place for retreats and hermitages. After learning about the histories from 7th century, we would trace back to Lhasa.

Overnight: Lhasa

Our guide and drive would drop you at Gongkar Airport/ train station.