9Days Ganden–Samye Trek

Day 1: Arrival in Lhasa [3650m] 


Arrive in Lhasa by flight or by train. Upon arrival, you will greet by local Tibetan tour guide and driven to Lhasa old town. it takes around 1hrs from airport to Lhasa for 60Km and around 20-30minute from Train station to old town for 15km, rest in Lhasa to acclimatize the elevation. The guide will introduce the dos and don’ts to avoid being suffer from altitude sickness.

Overnight at kyichu or Similar, which is a Tibetan style hotel located in Lhasa city center.

Day 2: Lhasa guided tour


City sightseeing schedules are coordinated based on the timing of pre-booked tickets for the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple. As a result, the itinerary may be adjusted to ensure that visitors are able to enter these attractions at the designated times. However, the travel company assures that all four sightseeing attractions listed in the itinerary will still be visited, even if the order of the visits is adjusted. So, even if there are changes to the schedule, travelers can still expect to see all the sights that were originally included in the itinerary.

We can start with visit to summer palace, Norbu lingka is developed as the summer palace of the Dalai Lama from the mid-18th century, it is divided into three areas: palace, the government buildings and the opera grounds, it comprises of hundreds of different species of trees and flowers and few amazing Tibetan architecture palaces with amazing murals and small beautiful lakes park. In after lunch, we can visit Sera monastery, which is one of six biggest monastery of Gelug sect, it was found during the beginning of the 15th centuries, you can sit somewhere in debating courtyard with your tour guide and experience the Buddhist philosophy debate and take the photo of monk’s debate.

Overnight at kyichu or Similar, which is a Tibetan style hotel located in Lhasa city center.

Day 3: Lhasa guided tour


In the morning we can visit  Potala palace which is winter resident of the Dalai lama which is built in 7th century and rebuild to present size during the 5th Dalai lama in 17th century, it is most majestic building all over Tibetan plateau with several thousand of statues and different funeral tombs of Dalai lama and different chapels. In the afternoon we can visit Jokhang temple which is founded same time as Potala palace by king Songtsen Gampo during 7th century and thousands of local pilgrims visit monastery every day; after visiting temple you can have free time to go around monastery or spend time to famous local tea house.

Overnight at kyichu or Similar, which is a Tibetan style hotel located in Lhasa city center.

Day 04: Lhasa -Gaden monastery drive to Drupshi trek to Yamado (Camping)

4km/ 400M Ascent /4200M/

A visit to the earliest Gelug Pa (Yellow hat tradition of Buddhism) monastery to be founded in Tibet by the great founder of the yellow hat tradition, the source of the great traditions of Dalai Lamas, Penchen Lamas and various other highly respected Buddhist personages!

Its history dates to the 15th century. We will have a picnic lunch in the vicinity of the monastery. In the afternoon we start our trek from Drupshi to the Yamado with 

Overnight camping site at the base of Shuga la pass valley.

Day 05: Yamado -Tsotup chu  4600m


5-7HOURS/10KM/1000M Ascent/450M Descent/

This is the day we tackle the highest pass on the trek” The Shug Ga La pass at 5240 meters “, In the morning in the first hour we will have a steep ascent, but will take it easy and do it slowly, as we will have plenty of time. Our planned duration of trek is for your holiday trek, NOT for local herders! Never push yourself too hard, particularly when you at such altitudes! You will make it to the summit of the pass in a reasonable time, benefiting from your exercises the previous days! Being at the pass after such a challenge on your own legs is so beautiful, you have made it! We will have our lunch at the pass if it is not too windy and cold.

Treks ahead will become easy for you now! As we descend from the pass, the scenery will be quite different. We will continue to trek across a small river and head on to our camp, next to a tiny high-altitude lake at the entrance of Chi Tu Valley, which we are going to explore the next day!!! Arrival at the camp after the satisfying day and having some coffee and tea while looking out at stunning nature will be so relaxing. It will have been such a perfect day—but NOT yet! We are forgetting our special camp dinner, which will top off our day gloriously!

Overnight at Tso tup chu Campsite.

Day 06: Tsotup chu-Nying go sumdo(Herders Camp-3800m


5-6HOURS/14KM/300M Ascent/400M Descent/


This day we will trek through the Chi Tu Valley, crossing the Chi Tu Pass at 5090 meters. Passing a few tiny lakes at the pass, we have a beautiful, deep descent. The scenery changes a lot down the valley, which makes the day so different, beautiful and easy! We will have lunch at a cozy meadow corner on our descent from the pass!!! Our camp will be at Nying Go Sumdo junction, a nice meadow campsite between two rivers. We can also have an evening fire if weather permits!

Overnight a Herders campsite.

Day 07: Herders  camp- Yamalung-drive to Samye monastery 


2-3HOURS/19KM/800M Ascent/


An easy and beautiful day, it will be nice to be in bustling Tibetan farming villages and to visit a big monastery after being out in the nature for a couple of days! Arrival at Yamalung driver will come to pick us and drive to Samye, Yak and herders will go back to Drupshi village. After our lunch break, we visit the monastery (the very first Buddhist monastery founded by the 37th king of the Yarlung Dynasty with the participation of the famous Indian tantric master Guru Padmasambhava and Shantrarakshita in the 8th century. This is the monastery where the first 7 Tibetan monks were ordained and translated the Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit and Pali into Tibetan), the structure of the monastery is so distinctive and fascinating!

An awesome day—a bit of trek and a beautiful monastery! 

Overnight at Samye monastery hotel.

Day 08: Samye to Tsethang


Morning drive Tsethang and visit Yumbu Lhakhang Palace it was the earliest palace built in Tibet between 400 BC and 200 BC, during the reign of the first King Nyatri Tsanpo,It is built like a fortress, on the apex of Mt. Tashi Tseri on the east bank of Yarlung river then After that visit the Tradurk temple built in 641 AD in Tsedang, is one of the earliest Buddhist temples in Tibetan history. King Songtsan Gampo built this temple as a protection to his kingdom from the demoness or Ogresses. In later years, it was the winter palace of the King and Princess Wencheng. The temple has precious relics. like Pearl Tangka, which is 2 meters made of 29,026 pears studded with precious stones.

Overnight at Tsethang Hotel or similar.

Day 09: Depart Tibet


Depart  from Tsethang or you can possible to extend the tour by add some extra trip like North Face Everest base Camp, Tibet -Nepal Overland Mt Kailash tour etc., 

Reshuffle your bag and prepare in advance for your departure. It takes approximately one hour to drive to the airport. We must arrive at the airport two hours before your domestic flight. Last moment of your Tibet trip and explore around city until your guide and driver meet you at the hotel lobby to drop off to the airport