Lhasa to Ganden Monastery Walking Tour
Overview
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After breakfast, we will set out for today’s exciting tour. The tour will start from the splendid Potala Palace, which is the first must-visit attraction for every visitor to Lhasa. Standing in the center of Lhasa, Potala Palace is not only an iconic landmark of the city, but also a symbol of the snowy Tibetan Plateau and a museum of Tibetan culture. It covers an area of 360,000 square meters, with over 2,000 rooms and 34 Buddha halls. The general layout of Potala Palace includes the White Palace for the living quarters of the Dalai Lama and the Red Palace for religious functions.
In the afternoon, we come to Jokhang Temple, which is 1300 years old and one of Tibet’s holiest shrines. It is Jokhang Temple that makes Lhasa the holy city. Located in the center of the old town of Lhasa, the temple was built by the contribution of the craftsmen from Tibet, Nepal and inland China, which makes the different architectural styles of the temple. Outside Jokhang Temple is the famous bazaar of Barkhor Street. With a history of more than 1,300 years, the Barkhor is essentially a pilgrim circuit, which is followed clockwise round the periphery of the Jokhang.
Afterwards, learn to prepare Tibetan food at a local restaurant. Before that, our guide will escort you to a vegetable and meat market to buy some raw material. After the cooking course, enjoy Tibetan food cooked by yourselves.
Meal: B, L
Picked up from hotel in the morning, then transfer to Pabongka, here you will start a half day hiking trip to Dodi Valley. It is one of the best hikes in Lhasa. Along the way, you will have a chance to visit the live sky-burial. Pabongka is about 8 kilometers away from Lhasa city, and built on a huge rock. The thousand-year-old monastery has many historical legends and cultural relics, originally built by Songtsen Gampo.
Walking along the path that beside the boulder on the east of Pabongka Monastery, you can reach Tashi Qulin Monastery. Take a overlook from there, you can see the sky-burial platform of Pangbangka. Sky-burial is an ancient and unique custom in Tibetan areas, and most Tibetans take the funeral in this way. Continue hiking up the mountain, you will see the Buddhist nun practicing place, it is said that some practitioners have stayed in a room for decades. The next stop of the trekking route is Sera Wutse Monastery. Once upon a time, the monastery was a hidden meditation place for Master Tsongkhapa. The color of the outer wall is yellow and it is easy to find in the distance. Standing at the Sera Wutse Monastery, you will see the whole picture of Sera Monastery and even the whole Lhasa city. After walking down the mountain along the path to Dodi Valley, your driver with vehicle has been waiting there.
Then ransfer to visit Sera Monastery where you will also see the excellent Buddhist debating among lamas. The debating takes place from 3:00 pm everyday in the garden next to the central assembly in the center of the monastery. After the tour, the car will drive you back to hotel for having a good rest.
Important Notes:
- This hiking trail, mainly consisting of rugged mountain roads, requires much physical strength. The altitude of this route is about 3,700-4,000m. Moreover, some parts of the road are precipitous and steep, so those who are afraid of heights should be careful.
Meal: B, L
This morning, we will drive to Ganden Monastery situated high up on the Gokpori Ridge about 45km east of Lhasa. It is one of the “great three” Gelukpa university monasteries in Tibet. Other two are Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery. The Ganden Monastery consists of over 50 structures. The main halls in the monastery are the Main Assembly Hall, Zhacangs, Khangtsens and Myicuns. In addition, there are a number of rare and precious cultural relics, such as Qing Dynasty armor and embroidery in Ming Dynasty. Ganden Monastery lies in a hilly natural amphitheater. You can obtain a fabulous view if standing on the top of the Ganden Wangpo hill and Kichu valley behind Ganden monastery.
Today we will have a leisure hike around the monastery (1-2 hours) and take a bird’s-eye view of the valley. Afterwards, let’s drive to Trupshi village and visit a local Tibetan family. Warmly welcomed by the host, you will be treated by a cup of Tibetan tea, then enjoy the time freely- chatting with the hosts. Taste some Tibetan snacks or have a leisure walk around. Before driving back to Lhasa, we will jaunt to Drayerpa Monastery situated in a charming valley with an astonishing topography. Drayerpa Monastery has a history of more than 1500 years. It is said that there were 108 caves where the famous lamas practiced meditation. However, only 10 of them existed today. After a full day tour visiting, we will drive back to hotel in Lhasa city.
Meal: B, L
There are no arranged site visits or activities today. At appropriate time, transfer to airport or train station and move to your next destination.
Meal: B
