GANDEN TO SAMYE TREKKING TOUR
The Ganden to Samye trek is one of the most beautiful treks in Tibet. The level of difficulty is moderate, you will go over two high passes: Shuga-la Pass (5,250 meters) and Chitu-la Pass (5,210 meters).
The Ganden to Samye itinerary allows time for acclimatizing before the trekking. We will spend three days in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet at the altitude of 3900 before heading towards Ganden monastery, where our adventure begins. The trek is usually 4 days long and at the end, we reach Samye monastery, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet.
KEY FACTS
The total ascent on the trek: 1,600 meters
The total descent: 2,100 meters
Max elevation: 5,250 meters
Trekking length: 60 km
GANDEN TO SAMYE ITINERARY
Day 1 – Arrive in Lhasa by plane or by train
You arrive at the Lhasa Gonggar Airport or the train station. The airport is 62 km/ 39 miles away from the city, and it takes approximately one hour to get to the hotel from there. On the way to Lhasa, you will enjoy beautiful views of the mountains. The train station is located in Lhasa, and you will only need a short transfer to the hotel.
Depending on the time of your arrival, you might have some free time to spend in Lhasa. Our guides will be happy to advise you on what you can do with your time in Lhasa. Remember, that Lhasa is located at 3,650 meters/ 12,000 ft above sea level and you will need some time to acclimatize.
After you check in the hotel, you are welcome to explore the city, visit nearby temples, do some shopping, try delicious Tibetan food in one of the local restaurants, or just take a rest.
Walking around Barkhor Street can be an excellent choice for your first day in Lhasa. You will join crowds of pilgrims, local Tibetans, and monks circumambulating the Jokhang Temple.
Most importantly, on your first day in Tibet, be sure to relax, enjoy your day and allow some time for acclimatizing. It is essential to acclimatize to the high altitude of Tibet to prepare for the upcoming trek.
Day 2 Lhasa Sightseeing: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street (Walking Tour)
This tour visits the two most important religious sites in Tibet.
The Potala Palace was the seat of the Dalai Lamas since the 17th century. First, the guide will take you to the Chak Pori Hill to take photos of the majestic Palace. We will then go inside and spend approximately 1.5 – 2 hours there. While there, you will see many of its most famous artifacts.
There will be free time for lunch after visiting the Potala Palace.
Time permitting, you can walk around the Potala Palace and join many of the local Tibetans.
Next, we will walk towards the Jokhang Temple. It was built in the 7th century to display the Jowo Shakyamuni Statue – the statue of the 12-year-old Buddha before his enlightenment. The statue was created at the time when the historical Buddha lived. It is elaborately decorated with gold, jewels, and precious stones.
After visiting the temple, we recommend taking a walk around Barkhor Street.
Day 3 – Lhasa Sightseeing: Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery
We are visiting the two most important monasteries in the capital.
We will first visit Drepung Monastery, which once was the largest monastery in the world with over 10,000 monks living there. It was the residence of Dalai Lamas before the Potala Palace was built.
There will be free time for lunch after the Drepung Monastery.
In the afternoon we are visiting Sera Monastery. It was founded by Tsongkhapa’s disciple in the 15th century. Nowadays it is famous for monks debate that you can witness. Debates are a very important part of learning and understanding Buddhism. Monks gather in the courtyard in the shade of the trees to refine their knowledge.
In the evening you will have some time to pack for our trek and prepare everything you might need.
Day 4 – Ganden Monastery – Drive to Taktse Gyato – Trek to Ngako Dingka (10 km, ~5 hours; B, L, D)
We begin the day with a scenic drive from Lhasa to Ganden Monastery, situated at 3,900 meters on the Wangbur Mountain ridge. As the founding monastery of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, it holds great spiritual and historical significance. You’ll explore the main assembly hall, chapels, and the tomb of Tsongkhapa, the school’s founder.
After our visit, we descend to the Taktse Gyato valley, our starting point for the Ganden to Samye trek. Here we meet our yak men and pack animals, who will carry all the camping gear and food. Once ready, we start a gentle uphill trek along a pastoral trail. The path offers expansive views of the valley and is surrounded by traditional farmlands.
By late afternoon, we arrive at our campsite in Ngako Dingka, a peaceful spot surrounded by green meadows and hills. This is an excellent opportunity to rest and acclimatize to the altitude before crossing high passes in the coming days.
Day 5 – Ngako Dingka – Shuga La Pass – Shergo Campsite (10 km, ~5 hours; B, L, D)
Today is a challenging but rewarding day. We start early and ascend to Shuga La Pass, also spelled Chitu La, reaching an altitude of approximately 5,400 meters. The climb is gradual but demanding due to the elevation, and our team will pace the group carefully to allow for safe acclimatization.
From the top of the pass, you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the surrounding mountains. The descent takes us past Nyenpo Tso, a tranquil alpine lake nestled in the valley. After taking time to rest and appreciate the natural beauty, we continue for about 1.5 hours to reach Shergo Campsite, located at 4,800 meters. The area is open and exposed, offering incredible views and often stunning night skies.
Day 6 – Shergo – Downhill to Gunye Thako (15 km, ~7 hours; B, L, D)
This is the longest day of trekking, but it is less strenuous as we descend most of the way. The trail follows a pristine stream that winds through forests and small alpine meadows. You may spot wildflowers and hear the sounds of Himalayan birds.
The path leads us into a remote and rarely visited area that gives a glimpse into traditional Tibetan nomadic life. After 7 hours of steady trekking, we reach the Gunye Thako campsite at 4,500 meters, set near a stream and often used by nomads during the summer pasture season.
Day 7 – Gunye Thako – Shodral – Nyego Village – Drive to Samye (23 km, ~8–9 hours; B, L, D)
Today marks our final and most extended day on the trail. We begin early from Gunye Thako, trekking along a stream and passing through several nomadic encampments from the Samye region. This scenic stretch offers glimpses of traditional Tibetan nomadic life, with opportunities to observe yaks grazing and local herders tending their animals.
The landscape gradually becomes greener as we lose elevation. After approximately 6 hours of trekking, we reach Shodral, a serene highland meadow at about 4,400 meters. Here we take a short rest and enjoy lunch.
From Shodral, we continue for another easy 3 hours downhill through lush valleys and terraced fields until we arrive at Nyego Village. This small settlement marks the end of our trekking adventure.
At Nyego, our vehicle will be waiting. We say farewell to our yak men and animals, who will return on foot. Â
We are now only 16 km away from Samye. The driver will take us to the monastery hotel, where will rest. If time permits, we can visit the Samye monastery, alternatively we will visit it in the morning the next day. You can freely walk around the monastery complex or walk a kora (circumambulation) around the monastery wall.
Day 8 – From Samye monastery to Tsedang: Samye monastery, Yumbulakhang.
We will start our day by visiting the Samye monastery. It is the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet built in the 8th century. The monastery complex is incredibly beautiful. It resembles the universe with the main temple Utse representing Mount Meru, four continents and subcontinents, and the Sun and the Moon Temples. There is a beautiful park and a debating courtyard where monks master their knowledge.
After visiting the monastery we will drive to Tsedang. Before reaching it, we will visit the first fort and the oldest building in Tibet – Yumbulakhang. The architectural style is different from everything else that you previously saw in Tibet. Yumbulakhang was the first palace for Tibetan kinds before the Potala Palace construction.
We will stay Overnight in Tsedang.
Day 9 – Tsedang return to Lhasa
Day 10 – Lhasa to Airport/Train Station
Please prepare in advance for your departure. It takes approximately one hour to drive to the airport and around thirty minutes to reach the train station. We will arrive at the airport three hours before your departure flight if you travel to Nepal and two hours before any domestic flight.
INCLUDED WITH THE TOUR
INCLUDED
EXCLUDED
TOURS YOU MIGHT LIKE
OLD TINGRI TO EVEREST TREKKING TOUR
A beautiful and exciting journey, starting in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet and going to the Everest Base Camp. The tour visits Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera, Drepung and Tashilhunpo monasteries, Kumbum Stupa, Yamdrok Lake and Karola glaciers.
We arrive in the Old Tingri, from where our 3 days trek to the Everest Base Camp begins. We will hike over high passes, valleys, and rocky mountains before reaching the Base Camp.
9 DAYS TSURPU TO YANGPACHEN TREKKING TOUR
This four days trek is running through the Central Tibet. We start our adventure in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. We spend there two days to acclimatize and visit Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Drepung, and Sera monasteries. After that, we will drive to Tsurpu, one of the most important monasteries in Tibet and the seat of Karmapa. Karmapa is the head of the black hat sect in Tibet.
We start trekking from Tsurpu, going along the mountain river, crossing high passes until we reach the Yangpachen monastery. At the end we will stay one night at the hotspring area, where we can unwind and rest, swimming in the hotspring swimming pools.
8 DAYS LHASA TO EVEREST TOUR
A beautiful and exciting journey, starting in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet and going to the Everest Base Camp. The tour visits Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera, Drepung and Tashilhunpo monasteries, Kumbum Stupa, Yamdrok Lake and Karola glaciers.
Both group and private tours are available
TREKKING TOUR INQUIRY
TREKKING INFORMATION
ABOUT TIBET TOURS
PACK ANIMALS AND YAKS
For most of our trekking tours, we use yaks to carry heavy items that we don’t use during the day. Yaks are walking very fast. Usually, we will see them in the morning and in the evening when we reach our campsite. It allows hikers to carry only the day pack with small amounts of necessities and some snacks and water.
On some trekking tours, we can use horses. Horses can carry lighter loads, but a horse can walk alone with a horseman, while yaks only walk in groups.
CARS IN TIBET
For our group tours, we use a variety of cars depending on group size and weather conditions. On some of the days, we will be driving long hours and we are trying to arrange the most comfortable car for your journey.
Here you will find photos and descriptions of cars: Transportation in Tibet
