9 Days Tsurphu to Yangpachen Trek

Transfer to Lhasa downtown after arriving in the Lhasa Gongar airport or the Lhasa train station. Have a rest in Lhasa to acclimatize the high altitude.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Go sightseeing inside Lhasa in the first two days in Tibet. Visit fabulous and typical Buddhist and historic sites, such as Potala Palace,Jokhang Temple,Barkhor street, Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery.

In Potala palace, explore the grandest of this myriad chapel, 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, figures of the Buddha.

You will visit three important monasteries in Lhasa, the first and foremost is Johkang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism, which attracts pilgrims all over Tibetan Area, built during songtsen gonpo's reign by princess wencheng of tang dynasty, 647 A.D. The other two, Monasteries Sera and Drepung Monastery, locate in suburb of Lhasa, are hosted by hundreds of Monks, learning, praying, studying, and living there. The famous Monks debiting held in the courtyard of Sera Monastery in the afternoon.

You will also explore the circular pilgrim route barkhor while traveling at Johkang Temple, contact local folks, and if possible purchase some traditional Tibetan artifacts, religious implements, antiques, books, Tibetan music instrument, Thangkas, and tradition Tibetan clothes etc.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

It takes several hours to drive to Tsurphu Monastery from Lhasa, The altitude will be up to 4300m and it takes half a day to acclimatize for the following trekking. Tourists will visit Tsurphu Monastery after lunch.

Camping

The first day trekking takes 4-5 hours, 11km, by walking along a green valley crisscrossed with mountain streams. Tourists may also stand on the lookout for various species of mountain goats disguised in gray rocks. Several small nomadic communities camp here for the summer herding months, you will walk on a high plateau with a scattering of rock-enclosed huts, and look for a flat area for camping. From day one, the scenery becomes breathtaking, while the landscapes feature typical Tibetan beauty.

Camp

Today, you will walk along a long big valley, up to the highest spot Lasar La(5400m). Have your first small pass, the Damchen-la(5200m), bear to the left at the cairns at the crest, and descend into a magical valley,meandering streams and expansive, powder-blue sky. Three hours later, you will cross the Lasar La(5300m) and descend into the Yangpachen valley, with its wide open plateaus, and then head towards Bartso. Camp near Bartso, a drokpa (nomad) village of five or six houses, surrounded by the juniper used for incense all over the Tibetan world.

Camping around Bartso

Leaving the village of Bartso behind, head towards a wide trail leading across the valley and over another ridge, from where you will be rewarded with views of Nyenchen Tanghlha (7111 m), the holiest mountain in central Tibet. Then you merge at Tajung village, and then climb gently up rolling hills where young nomadic boys and girls on the plateaus as they watch their yaks and sheep graze. The vistas are, again, just amazing! Mid-day, you should reach the small Djore Ling Ani Gompa (nunnery), near which you will set up camp. It's possible that these nuns, some of the friendliest in Tibet, will drag you into the Nunnery's tea-house and pass around a heaping plate of yak meat (use the bowie knife provided to hack a piece off) before getting into the requisite photo session.

Camp near Nunnery

Today trek the 14km from the Droje Ling nunnery via Tsaburing valley to the monastery of Yangpachen. After the trekking, drive back to Lhasa. 

(In recent years, a concrete road link has been constructed to Dorje Ling and places further up the valley, so if you feel like driving back to Lhasa instead of trekking on the last day, you can ask your tour guide to arrange the drive for you.)

Stay overnight in Lhasa

Lhasa airport/Train station dropping off, end the service. On the other hand, if you prefer to stay longer in Tibet, you can extend your trip to other parts of China like Gyantse,Shigatse, Everest Base Camp,etc. – if you need, please ask us.