10 days Damshung Namtso trek

nam-tso, or the heavenly lake lies 190 km north-west of lhasa at an elevation of 4718 m and is the second largest salt-water lake in tibet. surrounded by spectacular snow-covered mountains, it is a place of desolate beauty and the site of a holy hermitage that draws pilgrims from all over tibet.

our trek passes through glaciated valleys and mountains of the nyenchen thanglha range to the pebbled shores of the lake. during the summer months the wide open spaces are filled with nomad herders and their herds of yaks and tents - an intoxicating sight. we shall also visit sacred spots, holy shrines, and the bird sanctuary.

10 fixed departures in 2013:
19-28 april, 05-14, 19-28 may, 02-11, 16-25 june
02-11 july,  18-27 august,  03-12, 17-26 september, 04-13 october

if there are 2 or more people, we will manage your own departures anytime from april to mid october.

iitinerary

day 1 arrive in lhasa, pick up by your guide and private car, then drive to your hotel or guesthouse, have a good rest for acclimatization
day 2 visit jorkhang temple, barkhor street, drepung monastery in lhasa
day 3 visit potala palace, sera monastery in lhasa
day 4 begin trek
day 5 trek (7-8 hrs)
day 6 (6-7 hrs)
day 7 to tashi do and namtso lake (7-8 hrs)
day 8 rest and exploration day at tashi do
day 9 namtso - lhasa
day 10 depart tibet for your next destination

day to day program:

day 1 arrive in lhasa, pick up by your guide and private car, then drive to your hotel or guesthouse, have a good rest for acclimatization

once you arrive at gonggar airport or lhasa train station, an easy one hour or half an hour drive will take you to your hotel (the traditional shangbala hotel, kyichu hotel, yak hotel etc.) or guesthouse. the remainder of the day can be spent relaxing and exploring some of the many sights in lhasa.

day 2 visit jorkhang temple, barkhor street, sera monastery in lhasa

on this second day morning we will take an easy visit to jokhang temple. this temple is the most revered shrine in all of tibet and is constantly bustling with devout worshippers. we will also be given the opportunity to shop in barkor, the crowded central market of lhasa. in the afternoon we will visit sera monastery, a fifteenth century sprawl of golden roofs and whitewashed walls. this well preserved monastery is located just a few miles north of lhasa and is home to several hundred monks. its famous debating activities are happening 3-4pm quite regularly, so remind our guide not to miss it.

day 3 visit potala palace, drepung monastery in lhasa

a trip to tibet would not be complete without experiencing the vital potala palace. this palace is lhasa's cardinal landmark and is a wonder of eastern architecture. your first site of this massive structure will be a magical moment remembered for years to come. it has been a palace since the fifth or sixth century and was once home to the dalai lama. this truly amazing day will ended with a visit to the drepung monastery. once the world's largest monastery, housing 10,000 monks, drepung monastery lies hidden in rocky ridges just beyond the city. surprisingly much of the building was left untouched throughout hundreds of years.

day 4 begin trek

drive along the tibet-qinghai highway to yangpachen (4324 m) and further on to damshung,(4130 m) a windblown roadside town. our trek begins from here. today we will only have a short trek and goes up through a beautiful meadow. we will also visit a monastery en route. camp.

day 5: trek (7-8 hrs)

today we pass through glaciated valley and reach a herder's camp where we camp for the night.

day 6: (6-7 hrs)

we cross kong la from where you have spectacular views of namtso lake and the nyenchen thangla ranges. descend to a broad basin and hike along green meadows.

day 7: to tashi do and namtso lake (7-8 hrs)

we hike along green meadows and pass through several nomad camps and their herds of animals. we have lunch by the lake. we then follow the jeep trail all the way to tashi do hermitage. camp.

day 8: rest and exploration day at tashi do

rest day for self exploration of tashi do hermitage and the lake.

day 9: namtso - lhasa

head for yanpacheng. cross over the lhachen la and stop at damxung to have lunch. afterwards drive about 2 hours along the qinghai-tibet highway to come to yanpacheng. yanpacheng is 90 km to the north of lhasa and is rich in terrestrial heat and densely distributed with various fountains, geysers, hot springs, boiling springs as well as hot-water lakes. it is a wonderful enjoyment to take a bath in an indoor swimming pool, which is supplied by fresh hot springs of yanpacheng. in the afternoon drive back to lhasa.

day 10 depart tibet for your next destination

your guide and driver with the private vehicle will see you off to the lhasa train station or lhasa gongkhar airport, your tibet tour with our agency ends

10 fixed departures in 2013:
19-28 april, 05-14, 19-28 may, 02-11, 16-25 june
02-11 july,  18-27 august,  03-12, 17-26 september, 04-13 october

if there are 2 or more people, we will manage your own departures anytime from april to mid october.

service included:

* hotels or guesthouses in lhasa, gyantse and shigatse, other places camping * tibetan english speaking tour guide * transportation by private vehicle * tents & sleeping bags with good mattresses, etc (all necessary trekking equipments) * lhasa local cook * full board meals during the trekking days * sightseeing tickets per the itinerary * all necessary travel permits including tibet entry permit * yaks & yak man during trekking days

service not included:

* lunches and dinners excepting the trekking days above * personal natural expense like laundry, idd calls, internet café * bank telex wire transfer processing fee * tips for guide and driver