Ganden to Samye Trek

12 Days/11 Nights

Lhasa-Ganden-Samye-Tsedang

This is an excellent trek, combining the historical sites with the natural beauty of the high nomadic areas. The trek begins from Ganden Monastery-the principal seat of the head of Gelugpa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. We visit the monastery and take warm up kora hike around the monastery. We leave behind the last village and take a gradual but steady climb .We will cross the first pass on the second day and come into the high altitude pastures inhabited by nomads with their yaks in the summer months. The next two days take us over a lower pass and into a sheltered valley containing the hidden retreat site of Yamalung. Finally, we shall enter the broad valley of the Yarlungdzangbo-Tibet’s major river which runs west to east draining all of central Tibet before dropping south to become the Brahmaputra in India. We include a visit to the active hillside hermitage of Samye Chimphu before setting up camp in the fields near the main monastery of Samye itself. Samye is Tibet’s first monastery founded in the 8th century by the Indian master, Guru Rinpoche. The entire monastic complex is designed as a structural Mandala and contains a wide range of architectural and artistic styles from India, China and Tibet.

We regain motorized transport to leave this wondrous complex amidst sand dunes to cross the wide Tsangpo valley and spend our last night in Tsedang, the cradle of Tibet’s early dynastic Kings. Take an extra day in Tsedang to visit the Tibet’s first palace-Yambulakhang, Tradruk Temple and other highlights.