Itinerary

Day 1

FLY TO TIBET (11,152’) After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport and board the flight to Tibet. In
1981 the great climber, photographer, and writer Galen Rowell made his first journey to Tibet and the
northern side of Mount Everest (it was on this trip—the first time Americans had been allowed into the
Tibetan backcountry—that Geographic Expeditions was born). In his magnificent book Mountains of the
Middle Kingdom, written shortly after his return, Galen described flying on a similar route and seeing
…hundreds of snow peaks in all directions, a vision off the scale of my experience...I saw
distant peaks that looked Everest-sized. They rose on the horizon behind an ocean of lesser
whitecaps...more miles of more jagged peaks, with a greater feeling of height, than anything
I knew existed on the planet.
Half way to Lhasa we pass the great
white citadel of Minya Konka (called
Gongga Shan by the Chinese), at
24,783 feet the highest mountain in
China proper. Now we fly over the
Hengduan Range and the deep,
gloomy valleys of three of Asia's
greatest rivers, the Salween, the
Mekong, and the Yangtze. As we near
the Plateau we’ll likely catch sight of
another impressive peak, 25,439-foot
Namcha Barwa, the easternmost
rampart of the Himalaya. (The western
end of the chain is Nanga Parbat,
thirteen hundred miles away in
northern Pakistan.)
Upon arrival at Gongkar Airport, two hours outside of Lhasa, we will meet our Tibetan guide and driver, and
together we commence our journey to the holy city. Along the way we'll stop for pictures and scan the huge
countryside for the first glimpse of the Potala Palace.

Days 2 & 3

EXPLORING LHASA We have two full days to leisurely explore this fabled city. Lhasa means “country of
the gods,” and for followers of Vajrayana Buddhism, it was literally so; here, after all, dwelled the Dalai
Lama, the very incarnation of Chenrizig, or Avalokiteshvara, the essence of compassion for all sentient
beings. Vajrayana (the Tibetan form of the Mahayana, or Great Vehicle branch of Buddhism) is an extremely
complex and profound philosophy, and one of the subtexts of this story-filled journey will be getting
acquainted with its deities, saints, and Buddhas as we roam Lhasa’s temples and monasteries.
Tibet's spiritual and governmental nexus was the Potala Palace. In 1845, the Abbe Huc, one of the first
westerners to visit Tibet, wrote in Travels in Tartary, Tibet, and China, “The palace of the Tale [Dalai] Lama
merits, in every respect, the celebrity which it enjoys throughout the world.” As Robert Thurman, perhaps the
West’s greatest interpreter of Tibetan Buddhism, has written, “Tibetan architecture sought to instill a sense of
exaltation, security, and delight in a person’s nervous system. Thus the Potala expresses to the beholder that it is
the residence of the bodhisattva of compassion: It is powerful yet inviting, secure and stabile, yet fantastic and
delightful.” We’ll visit the Potala and explore the grandest of its myriad rooms, its audience halls, the immense, jeweled
burial chortens of past Dalai Lamas, and its chamber after chapel after shrine of statuary, frescoes, and
thangkas. Atop the Palace, grandly overlooking the country of the gods, we’ll visit the apartments of the 14th
Dalai Lama, who came here as a young lad from eastern Tibet after being recognized as the reincarnation of
his predecessor, called the Great Thirteenth. (Time inside the Potala is limited to one hour.)
Tibet's holiest temple, the Jokhang, was often referred to by early
Western visitors as Lhasa’s cathedral. “An endless, three-story high
flight of chapels surrounds [the statue],” the pioneering Tibetologist
Guissepe Tucci wrote, “decorated with the smiling and sneering
Buddhist pantheon. Blissful and terrific gods fill the shade of the
cells and peer unexpectedly out of their mystery.” Built by King
Songsten Gampo in 647 A.D., no place in Tibet attracts so many
pilgrims, so much spiritual longing.
The Jokhang is circled by the Barkhor, Lhasa's old market. Much has
changed in Tibet since the Abbe Huc's visit, but the Barkhor still has
the air of a medieval bazaar. In today's Barkhor we can bargain goodnaturedly
for dorjes, phurbas, thangkas, and other religious
implements, for Tibetan hats and boots, books, turquoise jewelry,
everyday exotica, wall hangings, and maybe even some yak butter.
We’ll get to know the proud, red-tasseled Khampas from eastern
Tibet, the monks, mendicants, and pilgrims who circumambulate the
Jokhang, and enjoy bantering with the astute and engaging merchants
of this bit of old Tibet.
Also during our Lhasa stay, we visit two of the great monasteries of central Tibet: Drepung (due west of Lhasa)
and Sera (just north). Drepung Monastery was once home to 10,000 monks and the Dalai Lamas – it was the seat
of central government until the Fifth Dalai Lama built the Potala – and Sera housed almost as many. Of the
Gelugpa monasteries in Tibet, Drepung and Sera are the two greatest. If we are lucky, we may quietly ease inside
to hear the lilting, booming chanting of the sutras. Or perhaps we’ll sit under a willow tree and watch as the
monks engage in theatrical debate.

Day 4

LHASA TO THE DRIGUNG VALLEY VIA GANDEN As we set out this morning we may think of
Tucci’s melancholy goodbye: “Departing from [Lhasa] is like seeing a dream image vanish, without knowing
if it will ever appear again.” Lucky for us, it will!
Just an hour outside of Lhasa we will at Ganden Monastery. Ganden, terribly injured during the Cultural
Revolution, has been exactingly rebuilt in the past decades. Founded in 1409 A.D. by the great religious
reformer and initiator of the Gelug School, Tsongkhapa, Ganden was the foremost Gelugpa monastery; it was
here that the young Dalai Lama received his geshe degree (a kind of doctorate) in the 1950s, before he entered
exile. Surrounding the monastery is a magnificent, hour-long kora that offers spectacular views of the valley
floor below, which we’ll hike before having lunch.
After our stop at Ganden we set off for the Drigung Valley. This fertile valley, through which runs the
Drigung Chu (‘chu’ means ‘river’), is a picturesque place that surprisingly few foreigners take the time to
visit. Upon arrival we’ll get our bearings and stretch our legs with a walk down the valley, taking time to
visit with the locals and perhaps peek into one of their homes. This evening we’ll rest at our deluxe camp and enjoy the serene, impressive landscape, with a delicious dinner
served either in our dining tent or under the stars.

Day 5

THE DRIGUNG VALLEY We have today to further explore the Drigung Valley, walk the kora around
Drigung Til, and visit the nearby Tidrum Nunnery.
Nestled on the high, steep ridge of the valley wall is Drigung Til
Monastery, home to the oldest seat of the Kagyupa sect. The
Kagyupa sect emphasizes tantric meditation and the process of
phowa, loosely translated as “the practice of conscious dying.”
Followers of the Kagyupa sect undertake phowa in order to
achieve enlightenment in the period between death and rebirth.
Perched on a rocky hillside overlooking the Drigung Chu river,
the Drigung Til is also home to the holiest sky-burial site in
central Tibet.
Tidrum Nunnery, wedged into a steep, rocky gorge adjacent to
the Drigung Valley, is better known for its hot springs than its
history (it was established in the 8th century by Yeshe Tsogyal,
wife of King Trisong Detsen, one of Tibet’s three ‘Dharma
Kings’). Open-air, stone bathing pools are filled with what is
said to be magical healing water, and both tourists and locals
come her to enjoy the treatment. Unfortunately, the baths have
become rather dirty in recent years, but taking a dip is certainly
an option.
After visiting with the nuns and exploring the gorge, we’ll
return to our Drigung Valley campsite for the night.

Day 6

DRIGUNG TO RETING Today we set off for Reting Monastery, located amid a beautiful juniper forest in
one of central Tibet’s greener valleys. The area is truly magnificent, and the Dalai Lama has said that if he
could return to Tibet, he would live here. Dating to 1073 A.D., the monastery was largely leveled during the
Cultural Revolution, but what remains is an inspiring look into the past, and many of the structures are
currently being rebuilt.
Reting is important for many reasons, not the least of which is that the regent who tutored the current Dalia
Lama was from here. The regent, the fifth Reting Rinpoche, was responsible for finding the Dalai Lama’s
next reincarnation, and between 1933 and 1947 he held significant sway over all of Tibet. The monastery is
also a treasure trove of Tibetan relics, including several impressive murals and statues.
Upon reaching the monastery we can enjoy a walk around the kora. And depending on time we’ll take a hike
to Samtenling Nunnery either late this afternoon or tomorrow morning. There we can enjoy some butter tea
with the nuns as we take in the splendid views. And while we explore the Reting Tsangpo Valley we’ll also
take the time to visit a village home, where we can become acquainted with the basic lifestyle of traditional
Tibetans.

Day 7

RETING TO THE DROLMA VALLEY From Reting we drive further northwest and eventually join the
Qinghai-Tibet Highway, but not for long. After driving parallel to the stunning Nyenchen Tanglha Range for
a short time, we turn west again and cross into the Drolma Valley (literally “Goddess Valley”). This valley
was only recently opened to foreigners, and it contains a pristine environment, both natural and cultural. On
our way in we’ll pass by many curious nomads, or drokpas, who graze their yaks in this area virtually year
round. Our camp here will not be too dissimilar from theirs, save the modern tents and amenities.

Day 8

DAY HIKE TO YUMTSO LAKE From our campsite we set out to explore the valley and hike up to
Yumtso Lake. If we didn’t have time to visit it last night, our first stop will be Barong Gompa, a wellpreserved
and historically significant Kagyu monastery and nunnery. The kora around the monastery takes
about one hour.
A couple of hours beyond the monastery, after hiking on a
fine trail with stunning views of Samtang Kangshar
mountain, we’ll reach Yumtso, a small glacial lake that
drains to Namtso. Here we’ll enjoy lunch and the chance
to scamper around in the pristine wilderness, and then in
the afternoon we’ll return to the monastery and hop in our
vehicles for the drive to Namtso.
After crossing the Nyenchen Tanglha twice we finally
reach Tibet’s largest saltwater lake. Namtso, sometimes
called Heavenly Lake, is only a thousand feet lower than
Mount Everest’s North Face base camp (at Namtso we’re
at just over 15,000 feet). However, after our full week in
Tibet our bodies will be prepared for the elevation gain,
and the rewards are many. Set within an amphitheatre of
high mountains, Namtso is as picturesque a lake as one can
imagine, with impossibly turquoise-blue water and a
backdrop of grassland valleys that give way to snowcapped
peaks. Once at the lake we’ll set camp near the lake but
away from the road and settlements, where we’re sure to
get some peace and quiet.

Day 9

AT NAMTSO, RETURN TO LHASA After an early breakfast we’ll set out on a walk to Tashi Dor, the
holy site on the lake, before the day trippers from Lhasa arrive.
Set on a point at the edge of the lake, Tashi Dor is a small but stunning complex. Comprised of a nunnery
and several hermitages, with caves scattered all over the hillside, the main structure of Tashi Dor is a set of
simple chapels that stand beneath two sharp pinnacles of rock. The rocks have many meanings and our guide
will share the stories that surround this special outpost. We’ll hike the kora, which takes about an hour,
exploring the mysterious caves and carvings that litter the route as we go. The views of Mount Nyanchen
Tanglha, the highest mountain in sight at 23,300 feet, are fantastic. About the time the first bus pulls in, we’ll bid farewell to Namtso and set out for Lhasa. We drive back over
the Nyenchen Tanglha range and then follow it to the southwest, past Yangpachen, down the Damxung
Valley, eating lunch en route. We reach Lhasa in time for a hot shower and dinner.

Day 10

DEPART TIBET After breakfast and a final morning at leisure in Lhasa, we depart Lhasa for Gongkar,
arriving at the airport in time for our afternoon flight out of Tibet.

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