Ganden to Samye Trekking Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Lhasa. Elevation:3656m

We will welcome you at the Airport or The Lhasa train station. Then you will be escorted to your hotel. It is always advice the travellers to take a good rest for proper acclimatisation. Your body needs time to get adjust with the low oxygen atmosphere of Tibet so Please avoid hard work for the first day and take it all slowly. Many travellers prefer to take a nap. By the evening we will come to meet you at the hotels and discuss the itinerary and other stuff. If time let, we will have dinner at a Tibetan restaurant. Have ready for Ganden to Samye trekking tour.

Day 2: Lhasa guided tour

Visit Jokhang Temple and Sera monastery.

In the morning, after having your breakfast, your guide will meet you at the hotel. Then you will first go to the Jokhang Temple, the holiest temple in Tibetan Buddhism. Since your hotel is in the Tibetan quarter of Lhasa city, you will walk to the Jokhang Temple. After visiting the temple, you can some time to explore the Old Lhasa city on your own for a couple of hours.

The guide will fix you a time and place to visit. In the afternoon, you will see the Sera monastery. This is the most well-preserved monastery in Tibet. The monastery you can sit in the courtyard where monks will be debating on Buddhist philosophy. You can stay there sometimes. This is a perfect opportunity for many travellers to take a picture of the monks’ debate. You can tell your guide to give you some free times to explore the monastery on your own if you would like to live in peace for sometimes.

Day 3: Lhasa guided tour

Visit Potala Palace,  and Drepung Monastery

In the morning you will visit the grand Potala palace. We will visit the famous Potala Palace, the Important landmark of Tibet and the masterpiece of Tibetan architecture, first built by 33rd King Songtsen Gampo in 7th the century and later extended in 17th century rebuilt by 5th Dalai Lama, since then it was home to the Dalai Lama and his government. Walking up the long steps are challenging, but it is worthwhile to leave your footsteps in the spiritual palace of God of compassion which was listed in the world heritage in 1994. After the visit is over, you will be descending from the backside of the palace.

In the afternoon we will visit the Drepung Monastery, once the world’s largest monastery that housed for more than 10,000 monks, it was resident of the Dalai Lama before to Potala Palace, You have lots of things to see by walking through numbers of the winding and narrow lane through the monks Living quarters is thrilling.

Day 4: Driver from Lhasa to Ganden Monastery and Trubshi Village

Visit Ganden Monastery and Trubshi Village

In the morning we will drive to the Ganden Monastery. The monastery is located on a mountain overlooking the amphitheatrical valley. Passing through the Zigzagged road, we will reach the monastery situated on an altitude of 3900m. The monastery is the principal monastery go Gelugpa sect popularly know as Yello Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Je Tsongkhapa founded it in the year 1409,( he is the founding father of the sect). The prime attraction of the monastery is the main assembly hall where you can see his golden throne. And the Golden Tomb Stupa of Tsongkhapa.

Besides the main monastery. It is also well known for small hiking around the monastery hill, which is called Kora Path. The hiking will take about an hour. In this hike behind the mountain, you will see the beautiful Lhasa Kyichu River valley where the River flows towards the Lhasa city. There is a sky burial site on the north-west side of the hill.

After the hike, we will drive down to the Trubshi Village, where we will camp for the Night.

Day 5: Hiking from Turbshi (3952) to Hepu (4240m) and Yama Do (4490m)

Distance: 5.1km, Duration: 4 hours, Ascent: 537m

We will load everything on the yaks and then start our Ganden to Samye Trekking tour to Yama Do (campsite). After hiking 45mins from here, we can reach the way to Hepu village. Walking around two and a half from our starting point leads us to the town of around 30 houses. At the edge of the town, there is a red and yellow masonry structure which is the shrine of Hepu’s Yul Lha (local protecting deity), the Divine White Yak. From Hepu, the trail climbs towards the Shuga pass three and half hours away. Crossing the Tashi-Chu, following the watercourse originating from Shuga pass we can find different kinds of wildflowers all around. Ani Pagong (a small nunnery located above the trail) is situated an hour walk from Hepu. Through marshy meadows, we have to climb up steadily for an hour to get Yama Do, our campsite for today.

Day 6: Hiking from Yama Do (4490m)- Shuga La Pass (5250m) – Tsotup Chu (4980)

Distance: 10kms, Duration: 5-7 hours, Ascent: 1000m, Descent: 450m

Today is most difficult the day that cross the highest point at Shuga la pass from a steep valley. The trail is mostly on the left side of the valley, almost 2hours walking take us to the basin of the Shuga pass, the highest point of the trek is remarked with few prayer flags that were battered by the gale.

There are some yak skulls places on some rocks near the flags. As we got to the top, we can see the downstream valley from the top, but the descending trail on a quite sharp narrow within the rocks. Chitul Gang is flowing by side where we will find some of the local nomad herders dwelling in their black tents guarded by a couple of dogs. Cross the river and continue to our campsite. We will have to talk in knee-deep freezing water, So we will have to remove our shoes to cross the river. We would recommend a hiking sandal would be great. After crossing the river, we will reach the Camping site in half an hour.

Day 7: Hiking from Tsotup Chu (4980) – Chitul la (5210) Herder’s Camp

Distance: 14km, Duration: 5 hours, Ascent: 300m, Decent: 400m

Palang Tsodue Lake is the next highlighted view for our trek that is 30mins steeply up walking to a small hill. A mild trek within the valley leads to the Chitu-la, the highest point of the day. Once we reach to the basin, we will take the right side of the valley, and somewhere near the pass, a trail leads to the left side we have to take the trail to climb up the pass.

Near the basin, we will see three of small lakes and passing the cairns (5077m) and nearby we will find a herders campsite. Another hour walk through a scrub willow, and rosebush forest leads us to another herder’s campsite. Beyond this camp for 15mins, we will find a bigger campsite, and we will see numerous herders tents camped near the spot where the side valley coming from Gampa pass joins the main valley. By crossing the stream (4497m), we will spend the overnight in the campsite. Camping for Night.

Day 8: Hiking from Herder’s Camp (4460m) to Yamalung Hermitage and drive to Samye Monastery (3630m)

Distance: 39km. Duration: 10 hours, Descent: 1200m

Our final day is quite a long journey yet relatively easy trek. We will walk through the thickening scrub forest for an hour then by crossing the Diwaka Bridge (4380m), meanwhile taking the rights side of the valley to take us to the thickest and tallest scrub forest. Which is the best way for trekkers to take a rest here, as the next area is desert condition area. However, locals say that woodcutters use to find 15 different kinds of woods, including juniper trees.

Walking for one and half-hour, we will cross the Gen Do shrine, which is for the protector of the area called goddess Droji Yudrukma. Then we will cross the Changtang (desert area) passing through the Yamalung Hermitage (a place where the Guru Rinpoche meditated and received empowerment from Buddha of longevity). Here we will find different kinds of meditation caves belong to Dalai Lamas and other holy persons. Walking for 6hrs take us to the village called Sangbu and from a distance, we will see the Hepo hill next to Samye monastery. Overnight in Monastery hotel at Samye Monastery. Ganden to Samye trekking tour ends here.

Day 9: Drive from Samye Monastery to Tsedang

Distance: 48 kms, Elevation: 3568m

In the morning We will visit the Samye Monastery. This monastery is the first monastery in Tibet during the time of King Trisong Detsen, 8th century. Containing more than 1200yrs of history shaped like a mandala structure located 50km away from the west of Tsedang. This monastery is only one at that time, which contains the three atons of Buddha.

After visiting the monastery, we will Drive to Yungbulagang. The Yungbulagang is considered as the first fort in Tibetan History. After the visit, we will drive to Tsedang town for a night.

Day 10: Departure from Tibet

Our tour guide and driver will escort you to the Lhasa Airport for Departure. Hope you enjoyed Ganden to Samye trekking tour! We would much appreciate to involve in forum to discuss and share your recent Tibet experience.