Ganden to Samye Trek

A morning flight from Kathmandu will take you over the Himalaya to Lhasa, the exciting capital of Tibet. You will be met at the airport by a representative of Purple Journeys in Lhasa and transferred to hotel, where rooms have been booked for you. Evening free.

Today will be spent exploring palaces. First on your list will be the Potala Palace.The place of the Dalai Lama a treasure of Tibetan culture was, till 1965, the seat of both religion and politics in Tibet and quite possibly, the singularly most important building in all Tibet. It was built in the seventh century by Tsongtsen Gampo as a fort and later renovated by the fifth Dalai Lama in the seventeenth century to its present specifications. Your next stop will be norbulingkha the winter palace of the Dalai Lama which was built in the eighteenth century.

Today you will visit the Drepung monastery. This is the largest monastery in the world and once housed 10,000 monks and nuns. It was built in 1491 and the second, third and fourth Dalai Lamas lived and were entombed here. A visit to the kitchen of this monastery is a must. Look out for the washing machine in which the monks mix their butter tea! Your next stop will be the Jokhang Temple. This is the holiest shrine in Tibet and houses a golden statue of the Buddha which was brought to Tibet by the Chinese princess”Wen Chen”. You then stop off at Barkhor Bazaar outside the Jokhang monastery. This is a bustling flea market and is, the place to buy souvenirs and meet other tourists.

Drive eastward to about 72 kms. to Ganden, one of the Tibet’s three major monasteries, and then on to Gyama, overnight camp near village of Jogsumba.

Today you will begin the trek from the Ganden complex. This is also the beginning of the Ganden circuit and you will most likely meet pilgrims on their way to circumambulate the monastery. Arriving at a fork take the lower left which contours along one side of the Wangku Ri. The upper Hebu valley can be seen below, to the left of the ridge. It branches into two side valleys. A village stands near the entrance of the nearer one. The path down from the saddle passes this village. Walk from the saddle to Hebu village. After passing a steep cliff face, camp.

Starting early for the hard day ahead from the nomad camp, continue up the Hebu valley. The path heads due south by following the river’s right bank. Past the entrance of two side valleys opening to the right ad left continue climbing to Jooker la. From the top of Jooker la you can seem a grand panorama of mountain ranges. There is a long waterfall ahead. From the pass walk down slopes strewn with rocks zigzagging along the higher stretches of the ridge before straightening out once the trial becomes distinc. Next to the entrance of a side valley may be Nomad tents and across the valley are stone enclosures for animals. The path to Samye turns right up this side valley, following the west bank of the river.

From the first side valley walk up to Sukhe La which is lower and easier than the Jooker la Climb gradually except for a short steep section near the top of the pass and descend past two glacial lakes ringed by large rock formations. Beyond this the valley narrows into a gorge befre opening to grassy meadows, a lovely section of the walk, Camp.

The trail gets wider and easier as following it through scrub forests in the main valley with beautiful streams and lush forests surrounded. The next few hours are arguably the most delightful part of the entire trek. Enjoy the more than 15 types of scrub trees, blooming rhododendrons, and vast meadow on the trail. Continue to Changtant. This is the major village since Hepu. Further down is Nyangohere from where you take a tractor to Samye Monastery. Overnight at Guest house.

Today visit Samye Monastery which is the oldest monastery in Lhasa, cross the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahamputra) River by Ferry, followed by a short drive to Tsetang. Sightseeing of Tsetang. Overnight at hotel.

We hope that you enjoyed your Tibet trekking with Purple Journeys! Our representative will transfer you to the airport approximately 3 hours ahead of your flight time. We bid you farewell and hope to see you again, soon.