Ganden to Samye Trek

Overview

This 10-day Ganden to Samye trek begins in Lhasa, Tibet's capital city, where you will spend three nights experiencing the city's great attractions. You'll begin by strolling around Barkhor's historic market area, where you'll come into contact with a large number of Buddhist pilgrims. You will next proceed to the Jokhang, the Himalaya's holiest temple. Thousands of Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims will be inside, singing mantras and presenting butter offerings to the candles. After that, you will visit Sera Monastery, one of Tibet's most powerful monasteries. The Potala Palace, Tibet's most famous structure, awaits you on your next day in Lhasa. The Potala Palace, which dominates Lhasa's skyline, includes more than 1000 rooms. Drepung, another of Tibet's massive monastery complexes, is where you'll end your time in Lhasa.

After staying three nights in Lhasa, you'll journey to Ganden, one of Tibet's most interesting monasteries. From here, you'll go on a spectacular five-day trip to Samye Monastery, around 80 kilometers away. Ganden to Samya trek is Tibet's most popular journey, and with a good cause! It allows you to witness breathtaking scenery, alpine lakes, Tibetan nomadic culture, rural Tibetan village life, and much more! A guide, pack animals (yaks), a cook who will make all meals, all camping gear, all relevant permits, and all ground transportation will be provided throughout this expedition. At the end of your journey, you'll arrive at Samye, Tibet's first monastery, which has a history dating back over 1200 years.

Highlights
  • Explore the major attraction of Lhasa
  • Buddhist monasteries and monk debates
  • Exploration of breathtaking Ganden
  • Trek into the mountains to Yama Do's open valley
  • Tsotup Chu's tent site
  • Pass junipers and rhododendrons
  • Samye monastery dating back 1200 years
  • Yumbulagang, Tibet's oldest structure

Itinerary

 

When you arrive in Lhasa, your guide will greet you and drive you to your accommodation. Spend the afternoon exploring the Barkhor, Tibet's ancient market district that surrounds the Jokhang Temple. Thousands of Buddhist pilgrims pass through this sacred shrine every day.

     

    You'll visit the Jokhang, the Himalaya's holiest Buddhist temple. The most revered figure of Buddha is housed in Jokhang Temple, which was founded nearly 1400 years ago. Along with Buddhist pilgrims from Tibet's distant reaches, you'll make your way through this intriguing temple. The scent of yak butter candle offerings and the sound of pilgrims reciting mantras fill the air. You will visit the 600-year-old Sera, one of Tibet's largest Buddhist monasteries, in the afternoon. Monks discuss Buddhist theory every weekday afternoon beginning at 3 p.m.

      The day will begin with a visit to Tibet's most famous structure, the Potala Palace. The Potala Palace has towered above Lhasa for hundreds of years and boasts over 1000 rooms. After lunch, you'll travel to Drepung, another massive monastic complex in Tibet. The pilgrimage route around Drepung takes roughly an hour and provides breathtaking scenery.

        You will travel 50 kilometres from Lhasa to Ganden, one of Tibet's largest and most spectacular monasteries, after breakfast. The 600-year-old monastery, which is built on the side of a mountain, is unusual. Following your exploration of Ganden, you will embark on a 5-day hike to Samye Monastery, 80 kilometres to the south. The first leg of the walk will take you around the monastery on the pilgrimage trail before forking and continuing south into the mountains to Yama Do's open valley. This day's walk will be roughly 17 kilometres long and will take about 6 hours to finish.

          The trek's second day will take you from Yama Do to Shugu La, an elevation of 5250 meters. The highest point on the journey from Ganden to Samye is this pass. The pass's summit provides breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. You'll descend to the valley floor from the pass's summit until you reach Tsotup Chu's tent site. You should come across several Tibetan nomads with their cows along the road. Today's distance is 10 kilometers, which will take 6 to 7 hours to finish.

            At the halfway point of your journey, you'll arrive at a seasonal herder’s camp. There are beautiful mountain views and lovely alpine lakes along the way. You will cross another high pass today, the Chitu La at a rise of 5210 meters and afterward plummet to the valley floor. The distance this day is 15 kilometers and will take around 5 hours to finish.

             

              The trek's fourth day is all downhill. The trek's final two days will take you through charming communities and past junipers and rhododendrons. Traditional Tibetan culture may be seen in abundance in the areas you will pass through. Today's hike is around 18 kilometers long and will take about 6 hours.

                Before arriving at Samye, Tibet's first monastery, the final stretch of your trip will take you past lovely villages with spectacular mountain vistas. Samye has a long history dating back over 1200 years. After finishing the trek, you will stay at a simple guesthouse a short distance from Samye. Today's walk is about 18 kilometers long and will take 4 to 5 hours to finish

                  After breakfast, you'll drive the 60 kilometers to Yumbulagang Palace along the Yarlung River Valley. Yumbulagang is Tibet's oldest structure, with a view of the rich valley below. From Yumbulagang, travel down the Yarlung River Valley to Tsedang, a little town where you will spend your final night in Tibet.

                    You will be transferred to the Lhasa Airport in the morning and depart Tibet

                      At a Glance
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