Package Includes
- All required travel permits to Tibet
- English speaking Tibetan tour guide
- Pick up and drop off service
- All ground transportation in Lhasa
- All meals and accommodations for your guide
- All lodging as stated in itinerary
- Entrance fees for the attractions listed in the itinerary
- One time welcome meal for the group
- Daily Breakfast in Lhasa, Samye and Tsetang
- All meals during the trek from lunch on Day 4 to breakfast on Day 8
- Mineral water plus shared Oxygen tank in car
- Travel agency liability insurance
- First aid kit in the Car
- All government taxes
Package Excludes
- Air Tickets and transportation costs to and from Tibet
- Chinese visa fees and passport fees
- Lunch and Dinner in Lhasa, Samye and Tsetang
- Personal expenses (laundry, photography fees, souvenirs etc)
- Tips and Gratuities for the driver and guide
- Meals that are not specified in the itinerary (On average a meal in Tibet cost USD 5 per person)
- Travel insurance covering trip cancellation and emergency evacuation (recommended)
Important Notes:
Travel Gear: Upon joining, each participant will be sent a list of required and recommended gear for this journey that they will be responsible for.
Accommodations: In Lhasa you will stay in a pleasant and comfortable locally rated 4 Star hotel in the Old Town of Lhasa. In Samye you will stay at a basic guesthouse near the monastery. In Tsetang, you will stay in a locally rated 3 Star hotel.
Meals: Breakfast is included in the price for each morning you are in Lhasa, Samye and Tsetang. Lunch and dinner are not included while in Lhasa, Samye or Tsetang, but all meals are included during the trek.
Eligibility: Participants must be in good health and be able to spend each day walking around towns, villages and monasteries and be able to complete this 5 day trek from Ganden to Samye. This journey has 5 days of trekking at elevations between 3500 meters and 5250 meters (11,480 feet to 17,225 feet) above sea level. All of our travel routes are designed with altitude acclimatization in mind to minimize the risk of altitude sickness.
Responsible Tourism: Tibet Highland tours is local-owned, and Tibetan staffed. All of our guides and drivers are local Tibetans who have been working in tourism for many years. It is a top priority for us to support as many Tibetan-owned businesses as possible. During this tour, all of the hotels you will be staying at in Tibet are locally-owned. The preservation of the culture of Tibet, as well as the protection of the environment of Tibet, are extremely important to us. In fact, when we are not out leading and arranging journeys across Tibet, we are working with local Tibetans in numerous eco-tourism and conservation projects.
Summary
Day 1 – Arrive in Lhasa. Barkhor Square, Old Town
Day 2 – Lhasa Tour: Jokhang temple, Sera Monastery
Day 3 – Lhasa Tour: Potala Palace, Drepung Monastery
Day 4 – Lhasa -> Ganden Trek -> Yama Do
Day 5 – Yama Do -> Tsotup Chu Valley
Day 6 – Tsotup Chu Valley -> Herders Camp
Day 7 – Herders Camp -> Nyango
Day 8 – Nyango -> Samye Monastery
Day 9 – Samye Monastery -> Tsetang
Day 10 – Tsetang – Lhasa. Depart from Lhasa
Pricing
The Trek from Ganden Monastery to Samye Monastery can be done anytime from May through October. This is a fully organized trek that includes all hotel stays before and after the trek, pack animals, trekking guide, a trek cook, all meals on the trek, tents, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, all permits and transportation to and from the trailhead.
Price for 1 person USD 3650
10-Day Ganden to Samye Trek Private Tour
Day 1: Arrival in Lhasa (3600m)
We welcome you to this special 10-Day Ganden to Samye Trek Private Tour! As you touch down in Lhasa, our professional English-speaking guide will pick meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.
The rest of the day will be free for you to explore Lhasa city. Stroll in Barkhor Square for some local delicacies and shopping. Relax as you allow your body to acclimatize to Lhasa’ elevation and weather.
Overnight in Lhasa.
Credit: @scorbsphotographer
Day 2: One-day Lhasa Sightseeing Tour
Today, our first stop will be Jokhang Temple. Jokhang Temple is one of the most respected and revered temples in the whole of Tibet.
In the afternoon, we will stop at the 600-year old Sera Monastery. Enjoy the sight of local monks debating passionately on various Buddhist principles in the monastery ground.
Overnight in Lhasa.
Credit: @tifffany.khor
Day 3: Lhasa full-day city tour
The third day of our 10-Day Ganden to Samye Trek Private Tour in Tibet will be a further Lhasa city exploration. Our first task today is to visit the most famous landmark in Tibet, the Potala Palace. Potala Palace used to be the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas for hundreds of years.
After our lunch, we will go to Drepung Monastery. The trekking path around Drepung Monastery is spectacularly beautiful and it takes about an hour to complete.
Credit: @martinapiganzoli
Day 4: Lhasa – Ganden, Trek to Yama Do Valley (Time: 6 hours, Elevation: 4505m)
Day four of this 10-Day Ganden to Samye Trek Private Tour is the start of our real Tibet quest!
After breakfast, we will go for a 50-kilometer drive Ganden Monastery. This 600-year old monastery is distinctive as it was built along the side of a mountain.
After touring Ganden Monastery, you will begin your 5-day trek to Samye Monastery.
The 1st stage of the trek will take you around the monastery and along the pilgrimage path. You will then head into the mountains in the south and to the open valley of Yama Do.
The trekking distance today is around 17 kilometers and will take around 6 hours to complete.
Credit: @lichtgeschichten_von_olaf_haas
Day 5: Trek from Yama Do to Tsotup Chu Valley (Time: 7 hours, Elevation: 4985m)
Today is the 2nd day of our trek to Samye Monastery.
We will go from Yama Do Valley and across the Shugu La Pass (5250 meters). The Shugu La Pass is the highest Pass along the trek from Ganden to Samye Monastery.
After reaching the top of the pass, you will descend all the way down until the camp site at Tsotup Chu Valley. Along the way, you should encounter some Tibetan nomads with their herds.
Today’s trekking distance is around 10 kilometers and it should take more or less 7 hours to complete.
Credit: @_suse_k
Day 6: Trek from Tsotup Chu Valley to Herders Camp (Time: 5 hours, Elevation: 4465m)
This is the 3rd day and midpoint of your 5-day Samye Trek. You will go to a herders’ camp that is used seasonally. Throughout your trek, you will always have the silent companionship of the majestic mountains and pristine lakes.
You will cross another high pass today, the Chitu La Pass (5210 meters).
Today’s trekking distrance is 15 kilometers and it should take no more than 5 hours to finish.
Credit: @bittenbyagoat
Day 7: Trek from Herders Camp to Nyango Village
The 4th day of this Samye Trek is mostly about descending through forests and villages.
As you trek through some traditional villages, there will be tons of junipers and rhododendrons all around your paths.
The trekking distance today is around 18 kilometers and it will take you another 6 hours to complete.
@namkha555
Day 8: Trek from Nyango Village to Samye Monastery (Time: 5 hours, Elevation: 3630m)
The 5th day and final stretch of your Samye Trek will take you through some immaculate and traditional villages. Along the way, you’ll get your usual dose of imposing Himalayan peaks.
You will eventually reach Tibet’s first ever monastery, Samye Monastery. This great architecture was built in the 8th century under King Trisong Detsen.
Spend the night in a basic guesthouse located a short walk away from Samye.
The trekking distance today is around 18 kilometers and it will take around 5 hours to finish.
Credit: @vika.robertovna
Day 9: Samye Monastery to Yumbulakang Palace and Tsetang City (Elevation: 3520m)
After breakfast, we will go for a 60km dive along the Yarlung River Valley to Yumbulakang Palace. Yumbulakang Palace is arguably the oldest architecture in Tibet and it overlooks the beautiful fertile valley below.
From the Yumbulakang, we will continue along the Yarlung River Valley to the small city of Tsetang city. This is where you will stay for your last night in Tibet.
Credit: @tsangnyon
Day 10: Depart Lhasa
We’ve finally come to the tenth and last day of our 10-Day Ganden to Samye Trek Private Tour in Tibet. This morning, we will transfer you to the Lhasa Airport for your next destination.
Thank you and see you again!
For a similar itinerary on a more affordable group tour arrangement, go for our 11 Days Ganden Monastery to Samye Monastery Trek Group Tour
Another non-Everest Base Camp tour with almost the same number of days, check this 11-Day Yarlung Valley Private Tour
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