Sampurna Adventure

Trekking in Tibet, Monastery and valley of Ganden to Samye Trek

Duration
14 days
Max. Elevation
5100m
Group size
Min 2+
Level
Moderate
Transportation
flight and all ground transportation as per itinerary
Best Season
April - October
Accomodation
Hotel/Lodge/Resort/Camping
Meals
13 Breakfast, 5 Lunch, 5 Dinner
Starts at/ Ends at
Kathmandu / Kathmandu
Trip Route

Highlights

Overview

This adventure trek from Ganden to Samye trekking offers the great views of the highest mountain on earth, it offers the glimpses of true Tibetan village life and nomads, picturesque drive to Ganden Monastery, built in early 15th century, one of the three great monasteries in Lhasa of the Gelug Sect, know Buddhism, Tibetan architecture, experience lifestyle of local Tibetans, Tibetan vivid architecture of Potala palace of the Dalai Lama, the sacred Jokhang temple and Barkhor market, Sera Monastery with debating courtyard and Drepung monasteries, Samye Monastery & drive back to Lhasa then fly back to Kathmandu.  
Recommended for travelers of all age group to know the sacred & solemn Tibet. At the end to conclude the tour fly back to Kathmandu for an extension to Pokhara and Chitwan tour to complete the vacation of Nepal or towards central China.

Outline Itinerary
Day 01 Arrival in Kathmandu
Day 02: Visit in Kathmandu: Swoyambhunath, Kathmandu, and Patan/Lalitpur
Day 03: Visit in Kathmandu: Bhaktapur, Pashupatinath, Boudhanath
Day 04 Saturday: Flight: Kathmandu - Lhasa (3,650Mt)
Day 05 In Lhasa: visit Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Market (3500m)
Day 06 In Lhasa: visit Drepung & Sera Monastery (3500Mt)
Day 07 Drive: Lhasa – Ganden:  
Day 08 Trek: Ganden – Yama-do  
Day 09 Trek: Yama-do to Tsotup Chu Valley 
Day 10 Trek: Tsotup Chu Valley to Herder's Camp (6 hours, 14 km)
Day 11 Trek to Yamalung: Changtang village, Yamalung Hermitage 
Day 12 Visit Samye Monastery, Yumbulakhang – Tsetang, 
Day 13 Flight: Tsetang – Kathmandu:  
Day 14: Departure: Kathmandu to City of Origin. 

Trip Itinerary

The flight into the Himalayas reveals breathtaking views of the great peaks of Mt. Dorje Lakpa (6,966 m), Mt. Ganesh Himal (7,422 m), Mt. Langtang (7,227 m), etc., (weather permitting) taking you right into the Himalayan capitals at Kathmandu. After immigration formality at the airport, you will be greeted and welcomed by a Sampurna Adventure personnel & transferred to your hotel, Spend the rest of the day at leisure for personal activities, explore around the city center or take a rest following your program briefing, overnight at the hotel.

Max. altitude

1325m

Accomodation

Hotel

Meals

NA

(Optional: Early morning an optional Mount Everest flight tour – The Highest Mountain on Earth).

Visit Kathmandu Durbar square (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the most important monuments of the Nepalese capital in the open-air museum filled with the temples, courtyards and palace of the Malla Kings, who ruled over the city. Other impressive sights include a giant statue of Kal Bhairab, the God of Destruction, stunning Shiva-Parvati temples, Taleju, and the Kumari Palace, where the Kumari acknowledges their greetings from her window.

Swoyambhunath Stupa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is probably the most sacred ancient Buddhist pilgrimage site soaring above the city on a lofty hilltop, the fascinating, chaotic jumble of Buddhist and Hindu iconography, ancient carvings, the smell of incense and butter lamps, the mystical atmosphere is heightened by devotees who make a ritual circumambulation of the stupa, spinning the prayer wheels set into its base. This famous stupa is surrounded by typical houses of priests, Chaityas and monasteries. 

Later visit Patan Durbar Square (World Heritage Site), the city of fine arts & crafts in metal, stone, and terracotta, it is famous for its rich cultural heritage, where you will see its ancient palace with golden gate and window, temples of Krishna, Shiva, Golden temple (Hiranya Barna Mahabihar) as well as monasteries & beautiful courtyard. 

Max. altitude

1325m

Accomodation

Hotel

Meals

Breakfast

Bhaktapur, a UNESCO World Heritage site & the medieval capital city, visit Bhaktapur Durbar Square, surrounded by spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newari artists and craftsmen over several centuries, an example of exquisite woodworks in the Palace of 55 windows with its golden gate, the beautiful Dattatreya, Nyatapola with Bhairab Temple and ceramics Square, 

Pashupatinath, a "UNESCO World Heritage site", the sacred Hindu Shiva temple, serves as the seat of the national deity, this "extensive Hindu temple ground" offers an "extensive collection of temples, ashrams, sculptures” etc. for centuries along the banks of the sacred river Bagamati, considered Varanasi for Hindus, where we could witness their final rituals of cremation.

Boudhanath, "a UNESCO World Heritage site", it’s a massive mandala that makes it one of the largest spherical Stupas in the world, where many Tibetan refugees residing since 1960, in its premises have built more than 50 Buddhist monasteries. The Stupa is said to have buried the remains of Kassapa Buddha. 

Max. altitude

1325m

Accomodation

Hotel

Meals

Breakfast

In the morning at the scheduled time transfer to the airport to catch a flight to Lhasa, this hour-enchanting flight over the Himalayas provides us with a spectacularly breathtaking view of the highest peaks on the earth, (Weather permitting) we could see including Mt. Everest (8,848 m), Nuptse (7,861 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Ama Dablam (6,812 m), etc. After immigration formality at the airport, we will be greeted with Khata (Scarf) and welcomed by your local Tibetan guide of Sampurna Adventure, then transferred to our hotel taking us along the banks of the Kyichhu River through the western city of Gonggar, we will have first sight of the Potala Palace from afar. 

After checking in at the hotel, we spend the remainder of the day relaxing and allowing our bodies to acclimate or light walk around the hotel area.

Max. altitude

3650m

Accomodation

Hotel

Meals

Breakfast

In the morning visit the Potala Palace, the winter palace of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It is a 13th-storied complex monument rising to a height above 117m which houses 10,000 shrines and over 200,000 images and about 1000 rooms. In the afternoon visit the 7th century Jokhang Temple, at the heart of Lhasa is the most sacred temple of all Tibet and a Power Place in all of Tibet. Queen Bhrikuti a Nepalese princess married to King Songtsen Gampo founded Jokhang Temple in recognition of Queen Bhrikuti, of the temple's main gate 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 all kinds of Tibetan handicrafts, Buddhist artifacts, carpets, paintings, etc. are all on sale for your delight.

Max. altitude

3650m

Accomodation

Hotel

Meals

Breakfast

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 mt complex has survived unscathed even during the Cultural Revolution. In the afternoon visit Sera Monastery founded in 1419, 5km away from Lhasa, 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 about 6,000 monks resided. The most intriguing feature here is the nine-meter gilded image; here one can also witness the practicing debate among the monks, who pitch their knowledge against each other. 

Max. altitude

3650m

Accomodation

Hotel

Meals

Breakfast

Breakfast, morning we drive to Ganden Monastery which is one of the “great three” Gelugpa monasteries founded in 1409 by the great Tsongkhappa. 

The Ganden monastery is mostly in ruins, although it is a fascinating place to visit to explore its delicate fine murals, sculptures and Thangkas. Due to an important of Gelugpa order we will see the pilgrimage from all over Tibet to pay homage to the monastery, we may observe them performing rituals while ‘Kora’ around the monastery. 

Due high altitude and acclimatization, we take rest today near around the Ganden Monastery guest house or Camping, (Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Max. altitude

4100m

Accomodation

Camping

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast, today we will be traversing south along the ridge to reach the Hepu Village by 3 hrs, another hour will reach to Ani Pagong at the narrow part of the trail, Ani Pagong is a home to a nunnery, 

Later we will ascend to Yama Do, a few nomads may find near around it with their typical Yak skin tents.

Max. altitude

4400m

Accomodation

Camping

Meals

Breakfast

Post breakfast, early morning around 08 hrs we leave the valley floor and start our trek through a steep gully rising form the bank of stream along the final climb atop to the Shug La (5,250 Mt), the highest point on this trail, the pass is distinctively marked with its large cairn wrapped in prayer flags and yak horns. We stop at the pass to savor the great panoramic view, later we make a sharp descent walking past a boulder field. This trail eventually opens into the valley ahead the Tsotup Chu, a large stream with rich pastures of goats, yaks and sheep. 

Our camp will be set up in one of the yak herder’s fields.

Max. altitude

5250m

Accomodation

Camping

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Continue our trail following the Tsotup Chu, we come across main water course following from the south-east and a tributary from the south-west. We take the route along this tributary followed by steep ascents for 30 minutes to a large basin. The trail further opens into the valley towards 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. Later we descent into a basin showcasing three turquoise lakes. By another an hour will arrive to the campsite. Many nomads and yak herders’ camps can be spotted nearby. 

Max. altitude

5200m

Accomodation

Camping

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We traverse through the lush scrub forest along the wide trail, we will have refreshing sights of verdant vegetation. The trail is dotted with fragrant junipers growing as well as rhododendron. Our trail gets wider and easier as we follow through scrub forests in to the valley, we cross beautiful streams and lush forests, by the next few hours we have the most beautiful part of our trek. We could have 15 types of scrub trees, blooming rhododendrons, and vast meadow will amaze our every step of the trail! 

Then, we will trek through the Changtang village, where the majority of the local villagers are engaged in animal husbandry where another an hour trail hiking leads you up to beautiful Yamalung Hermitage. Yamalung is considered an ancient holy Buddhist meditation site. It is believed that the guru Rinpoche who after rigorous meditation attained spiritual enlightenment, later we meet our vehicle and transfer us to Samye. The old trade route from Lhasa to Samye via the Gokar La follows this valley. The trail further proceeds towards Wango.

Max. altitude

3800

Accomodation

Camping

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Post breakfast we drive to Samye, from bank of Yarlung Zangpo River we take a 1.5-hour songkha ferry ride to 

Samye Monastery, is the 1st ever build monastery in Tibet in 8th Century by Tibetan king Trisong Detsen with the help of Padmasambhava which contains the three Buddhist jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Under the protective gaze of the spectacular Utse building, countless stupas and temples, due to its unique features of red hat sect or Nyingma in Tibetan, this splendid temple has become an attraction for visitors from all Tibet.

It is famous for its sacred mandala design: the central temple symbolizes the legendary Mount Meru, center of the universe. It is a popular pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Buddhists, some of whom travel on foot for weeks to reach it, drive back to Tsetang, 

Max. altitude

3550m

Accomodation

Hotel

Meals

Breakfast

At the scheduled time, transfer to the airport to catch a flight to Kathmandu, after immigration formality on arrival you will be greeted and welcomed by Sampurna Adventure personnel & transferred to your hotel, rest of the day is free for personal activities, we can explore the narrow lively and endless streets of Thamel town where we will find all kinds of good restaurants, full of typical Nepali handicraft, fine jewelry, clothing, & trekking gear store, etc.

Max. altitude

1325m

Accomodation

Hotel

Meals

Breakfast

Leisurely breakfast, in the morning free for personal activities, later at the arranged time transfer to the airport for final departure to connect onward flight. We wish you a safe flight and hope to serve you back in near future. 

End of Service.

Max. altitude

1325m

Accomodation

NA

Meals

Breakfast
Not satisfied with this itinerary? Make your own.
Plan My Trip

Includes

  • Meeting & Assistance on Arr. / Dep. at airport / Hotel by Sampurna travels Representatives.
  • All suitable transfers on A/C car, van, coach as per group
  • In Tibet Non- A/C comfortable van/bus, as per the group
  • Sgl/Dbl sharing room with Breakfast basis in Nepal & Tibet
  • Tibet travel permit fee,
  • Monument entrance fees at all places
  • English/Spanish/French/German/Italian/Russian Speaking local tour guide in Kathmandu 
  • English Speaking Tibetan local tour guide in Tibet
  • All camping equipment and staff
  • Full Board Camping with Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Emergency oxygen cylinder in the vehicle
  • Exclusive private tour basis
  • All presently applicable Govt & service tax,

Doesn't Include

  • International Air fare to and from Kathmandu 
  • Nepal & Tibet visa cost, it has to pay in cash in Ktm
  • Any meal which is not mentioned in the program
  • Personal Travel insurance
  • Photography fees inside monasteries
  • Extra cost due to natural and political causes such as landslides, unrest, snow, strikes etc.
  • All personal expenses of food & drinks, laundry, telephone, Tips to Guide, Porters, driver, restaurant etc. (customary)
  • Due to any reason, expenses of any extra transfer, hotel accommodation & other services abandoning the trip (trekking/expedition) before/after scheduled.
  • Any other service not mentioned in the service includes column

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