9 Days Tibet Trekking Tour from Tsurphu to Yangpachen

When you arrive in Lhasa by train or flight, your tour guide will hold a board with your name on it at the exit to welcome you. Then you will be transported to your hotel. You may view the Yarlung Tsangpo River (the Longest and largest river in Tibet) and Lhasa River on the way to the hotel.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Tips: If this is your first visit to Tibet, you will need to acclimatize to the increased elevation, to prevent altitude sickness. This is best done by resting in the hotel and minimizing any physical exertion.

Today, you’ll pay a visit to the famous Potala Palace, the world culture heritage. You can explore its audience halls, the jeweled and Golden burial chortens (stupa Tombs) of past Dalai Lamas, and tremendous number of Buddhist frescoes, Thangkas, combinations of mandala, etc.

Then tourists will head to the holiest temple in Tibet, the Jokhang Temple, built during Songtsen Gampo's reign by princess Wencheng of Tang dynasty, 647 A.D. Here you can observe sincere pilgrims making prostration in front of Jokhang Temple. While entering inside the temple, you can see the holiest statue of Buddha. Around the monastery is the famous Barkhor Street, where you can do the kora with pilgrims and locals. And then we’ll go to explore the old market and you may have chance to see the traditional jewelry trading between people from different part of Tibet.

Finally, you’ll taste Tibetan tea with locals in tea house and enjoy a welcome dinner at night.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

Optional:
After finishing the sightseeing, if time allows, you may go with tour guide to visit Tibetan handicraft art or Tibetan Traditional Medicine center. Besides, you can also choose to upgrade your tour to enjoy Tibetan Culture Show in the evening (fr. 60USD).

Today, you will visit two of the three prestigious Gelugpa monasteries in Lhasa, the Drepung and the Sera. Founded by Jamyang Choeje in 1416, Drepung Monastery is the largest monastery in Tibet. Situated at the foot of Gambo Utse Mountain, Drepung was once home to more than 10000 monks. Here you can see the biggest monastery kitchen inside and then pay a visit to the Buddhist Sculpture Carving near Drepung.

After having lunch, you’ll continue to visit the Sera Monastery, which was founded in 1419 by Tsongkapa's disciple Jamchen Choeje. The highlight is the monk debate held in the courtyard at around 3-5 in the afternoon. Besides, you can also see the colorful Rock Painting of Buddha and the three sand Mandalas and then visit the Tibetan scripture printing house.

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

In the morning, we will depart from Lhasa and drive to the Tsurphu Monastery, which is about 4300 meters above sea level. It will take several hours. After lunch, tourists will pay a visit to the Tsurphu Monastery, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and the birthplace of living Buddha's reincarnation system. Then we will rest for half a day to acclimatize to the following trekking.

Camping around Tsurphu Monastery.

The first stop of our 4-day trek tour is Leten, a small village at an altitude of 5105m. Starting from Tsurphu Monastery, we will walk along a green valley crisscrossed with mountain streams. You may find mountain goats hidden in gray rocks. If you travel in summer, you can also see nomads camping for herding.

The trek will continue on a high plateau until we find a flat area for camping near Leten. During the first day of trek, you will appreciate the breathtaking scenery on the way and feel the typical beauty of Tibet landscapes.

Camping around Leten.

Today, we will first trek to the highest spot - Lasar La (5300m).Passing through Damchen-la (5200m), the trail will turn left at the cairns at the crest, and then descend to the expansive valley with meandering streams.

We will arrive at Lasar La about three hours later, then descend to the wide open Yangpachen valley, and then move on towards Bartso. Bartso is a drokpa (nomad) village of several houses, surrounded by the juniper used for incense throughout Tibet.

Camping around Bartso.

The third day trek begins as we continue the trails across a wide valley. We will pass a ridge, from where you will appreciate the breathtaking views of Nyenchen Tanglha (7111 m), the holiest mountain in central Tibet. After arrive at Tajung village, we will climb gently up to rolling hills, where you can see young nomadic boys and girls herding yaks and sheep on the plateau.

At noon, we are about to reach Djore Ling Ani Gompa (nunnery), where the friendly nuns may invite you to the Nunnery’s tea house and share you tasty yak meat, before the photo session.

Camping around Nunnery.

The driver will meet you at Dorje Ling, and you can choose to trek for another three or four hours, until reach Yangpachen Nunnery. The road follows the ox-bow Nyango Chu River across a grassy valley. Yangpachen Nunnery is an old monastery of Kagyupa sect, providing a perfect spot for overlooking part of the Trans-himalaya ranges. Before returning to Lhasa, you can have a relaxing time at Yangbechen hot springs (optional).

Stay overnight in Lhasa.

The guide will transfer you to the airport or train station, and help you with boarding.