Private tour — on your dates
9 Days Trekking Tour from Tsurphu to Yangpachen
9 Days $1,200 per person Overview Itinerary Tips & FAQ Lhasa Potala Palace Tsurphu Monastery Lasar La Pass (5,300m) Bartso Valley Dorje Ling Nunnery Yangpachen Hot Springs This route begins at Tsurphu Monastery — seat of the…
- 9 Days / 8 Nights
- Lhasa → Potala Palace → Tsurphu Monastery → Lasar La Pass (5,300m) → Bartso Valley → Dorje Ling Nunnery → Yangpachen Hot Springs
- Challenging pace
- Best: May to early October
- No Deposit — Ever
- Cancel Free Before Permit Issued
- Full Refund except $100 Permit Fee
- Bring 7, Your Spot Is Free
- Our Own Office in Lhasa, Since 1999
The trip at a glance
- Lhasa → Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple
- Lhasa → Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery
- Lhasa → Tsurphu Monastery (79km)
- Tsurphu to Leten (11km, 4h)
- Leten to Bartso over Lasar La (5,300m) → (15km, 5 → 6h)
- Bartso to Dorje Ling Nunnery (15km, 4h)
Day by day
Lhasa → Potala Palace → Tsurphu Monastery → Lasar La Pass (5,300m) → Bartso Valley → Dorje Ling Nunnery → Yangpachen Hot Springs
Day1
Arrive Lhasa — Rest and Acclimatize
Airport pick-up and hotel check-in. Rest for the day.
Day2
Lhasa — Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple
Visit the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple.
Day3
Lhasa — Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery
Visit Drepung and Sera Monasteries.
Day4
Lhasa — Tsurphu Monastery (79km)
Drive 79km west of Lhasa to Tsurphu Monastery — the principal seat of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and the traditional residence of the Gyalwang Karmapa. Explore the monastery complex and prepare for tomorrow’s trek.
Day5
Trek Day 1 — Tsurphu to Leten (11km, 4h)
Begin trekking from Tsurphu Monastery. The route climbs gradually through the Tsurphu valley, passing nomad camps and yak herds, to the small settlement of Leten. 11km, approximately 4 hours.
Day6
Trek Day 2 — Leten to Bartso over Lasar La (5,300m) — (15km, 5–6h)
The most challenging day — ascend to the high Lasar La Pass at 5,300m with extraordinary panoramic views of the Himalayan range. Descend to the remote Bartso valley, a landscape of striking desolation and beauty. 15km, 5–6 hours.
Day7
Trek Day 3 — Bartso to Dorje Ling Nunnery (15km, 4h)
Trek 15km through a dramatic high valley to the remote Dorje Ling Nunnery — a community of Tibetan Buddhist nuns in an extraordinary mountain setting. The scenery here is spectacular.
Day8
Trek Day 4 — Dorje Ling Nunnery to Yangpachen Hot Springs — Lhasa (14km, 4h)
The final 14km of trekking brings you down to Yangpachen Monastery and the celebrated Yangpachen Hot Springs — a wonderfully restorative ending to the trek. Drive back to Lhasa.
Day9
Lhasa Departure
Transfer to airport or train station for departure.
Meals: Breakfast Tibet Permit — Required for All Visitors Every visitor to Tibet must hold a Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit. It is mandatory, cannot be obtained on arrival, and differs by nationality. We handle the full application once you book — please allow at least 15 days before your departure date.
What is included
Included
- Tibet Entry Permit and all necessary trekking permits
- All entrance fees for tourist sites listed in the itinerary
- Professional English-speaking local tour guide
- Private vehicle with driver for all non-trekking road sections
- All lodging listed in the itinerary (hotels and/or camping)
- Shared oxygen tank in the vehicle
- Tourist accident/casualty insurance and first aid kit
Not included
- Single room supplement — free of charge for any group booking 5 rooms or travelling with 10 or more.
- Flights or trains to/from Tibet
- Meals not specified in the itinerary (approximately USD 3–15 per meal)
- Porter or yak hire on trekking days (arranged locally, optional)
- Tips for guide and driver
- Personal expenses (laundry, snacks, optional activities)
Photos from this route
Questions travellers ask
How large will my group be?
Join-in departures run with a minimum of 3 travellers — usually 3–8 pax, and never more than 16. You choose the departure date, the starting point and the itinerary length that suits you; guests on different day counts travel together on the shared legs, and each group leaves when their own itinerary ends. If you prefer, this route can also run as a private tour for your own party only. A 3–8 group costs a little more per person and is quieter, with more freedom to change the day on the road; a 3–16 group costs less per person and gives you more people to travel with.
Which permits does this tour need?
We arrange all required Tibet permits for you as part of the booking — you only need a valid passport. Depending on the areas visited this can include the Tibet Travel Permit (TTB), the Aliens’ Travel Permit (PSB), the Frontier Pass and, for sensitive areas, a Military Permit.
How do I get to the starting point of the tour?
The tour starts in Lhasa. You can reach it by flight or by the Qinghai–Tibet railway — either way we meet you on arrival. Many travellers fly in and take the train out (or the other way round) to see both faces of the plateau. We are happy to advise on flights and train tickets as part of your booking.
Can this tour be customized?
Yes — every tour on this site can also run as a private departure with your own dates and pace, arranged by our own office in Lhasa. Send us your dates, group size and interests and we will adapt the itinerary around you.
Before you send your inquiry
- No deposit — ever. Your dates are held with a free inquiry, and nothing is due until we confirm. On fixed group departures, book early to secure your seats.
- Cancel free before your Tibet Travel Permit is issued — full refund, every dollar.
- After the permit is issued: the USD $100 permit fee is non-refundable, everything else is refunded. Refunds within 7 business days.
- Bring a group of 7 and your spot is free (7+1).
- Single room supplement — free of charge for any group booking 5 rooms or travelling with 10 or more.
- Tell us your dates and route on the form below — you will have a written itinerary and an item-by-item quote within 12 hours, with no obligation to book.
- Prices depend on group size, hotel standard, season and how you travel into Tibet, so we quote each trip individually rather than from a price list.
- Hotel details — the exact hotels we use — come with your quote. Ask below for the standard you would like and we will match it.
- A Lhasa-based Tibet tour operator since 1999 — our own guides, vehicles and office in Lhasa, 7,200+ travellers from 40+ countries, 4.9★ on TripAdvisor.
