Introduction
This tour combines the Lhasa cultural sightseeing tour with spiritual adventurous trekking at the foot of Dorje Drak monastery - the celebrate Nyingma (宁玛派)monastery of Tubten. The kora route leads around the "vajra rock" to the hermitageof Dorje Drak Utse, passing en route rock paintings and sacred footprints.

Dorje Drak monastery is located at Gongkar county, southeast of Lhasa, yes, the county where Gonggar airport is. It is at the north shore of one of the three holy lakes - Yamdrok Tso. Dorje Drak maintains the tradition of the Nyingma school known as the Northern Treasures * (Jangter), which derives from Rigdzin I Godemchen Ngodrub Gyeltsen (1337-1409). In 1632, the monastery was relocated on its present site from Tsang, when Rigdzin III Ngagiwangpo was forced to flee the wrath of the kings of Tsang. The monastery was sacked by the Dzungars in 1717, and again obliterated during the Cutural Revolution in the 1960s. It has been greatly rebuilt through the present incarnation of Dordrak Rigdzin and local community. The assembly hall (tshokchen) which has an image of Padmasambhava, painted scrolls depicting the Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities and murals is the main point of interest. It also has an inner sanctum, the oldest chapel that once contained images of the 'three roots' (guru, meditational deity and dakini) and a Protector Chapel.

Grade
Moderate

Day 2: Sightseeing in Lhasa
After breakfast, You will be guided to tour the famous Potala Palace dominating Lhasa's skyline. You will immerse yourself in an array of intricate Tibetan murals, temples, sculptures and tombs of eight past Dalai Lamas. Potala Palace was first built in the 6th century and rebuilt in the 13th century. After lunch, you will visit the most sacred shrine in Tibet - Jokhang Temple. Surrounding the Jokhang is the Barkhor Street - a maze of narrow cobbled streets with stalls of Tibetan merchandise and souvenirs. Enjoy a Tibetan dinner and a traditional Tibetan dance show (optional).

Day 3: Sightseeing in Lhasa
On this day you  will get more acquainted with the mystiques of Lhasa. After breakfast, you will visit  Drepung Monastery where you can observe nuns and monks chanting and performing religious discourses. In the afternoon, you will visit Sera Monastery. You can do the Sera Kora walk for 1 hour and catch the famous debate session of the monks before returning to Lhasa.

Day 4: Lhasa to Yamdrok
The main highway from Lhasa to Gyantse descends to the northern lakeshore of Yamdrok from Gampa La Pass (4,794m/15,728ft) where the visitors from Lhasa and Tsetang will enjoy the unforgettable vista of its pincer-shaped expanse of turquoise water.

Day 5-8: Trekking from Dorje Drak to Lhasa
For details of trekking itinerary please mail us at: enquiry@AccessTibet.com

Day 9: Gonggar Airport, depart Lhasa
You will be transferred to Gonggar airport to catch your flight home.

Note: You may choose to add a day or two into the itinerary to better acclimatize.

For further enquiry please feel free to mail us at: enquiry@AccessTibet.com