Cultural Sampler
-07 nights/8 days
Itinerary
Day 01 : Fly
Kathmandu/Lhasa, you will be met by our Chinese
or Tibetan guide and transferred to your hotel.
When you are unpacked and more accustomed to
the thin air, you can take the rest of the afternoon
to explore the fabulous market or Barkhor that
surrounds the Jokhang.
Day 02 : Around
7:30am you head back to the Barkhor and the
Jokhang, spiritual center of Tibet and destination
of millions of Tibetan Pilgrims. The Jokhang,
built in 767AD by Tibet's first Buddhist King,
Songtsen Gampo, is the heart of this Buddhist
world. You walk the kora or pilgrim route, around
the Barkhor with the early morning pilgrims.
After the outside kora you enter the temple
and walk the nangkhor, or inside of the temple.
On the roof of the Jokhang, you can take beautiful
pictures of the market and pilgrims below, and
the Potala on the hill across the square. From
the Jokhang, you will head to the Potala, the
the former winter palace of the Dalai Lama,
built on the escarpments of Red Hill and rising
more than 1000' above the valley floor. You
must be sure to enter through the pilgrim entrance,
up the long path, rather than through the tourist
entrance. Your visit to the Potala, complete,
you can have lunch in one of the restaurants. After lunch visit the Norbulinka,
once named Jewel Park and now People's Park.
The Norbulinka was the former summer palace
of successive Dalai Lamas from 1755, and suffered
extensive damage during the Cultural Revolution.
Much has been rebuilt, and it is fascinating
to see how the Dalai Lama actually lived. Painted
on one of the walls is a picture of the 14th
Dalai Lama and his family - the only one still
prominent in Tibet. Later in the day, if you
are not exhausted, you can visit the Lukhang,
set in the middle of a lake. At one time, one
would take a boat across the lake. Now the area
is a Chinese theme park, and it is fun to see
how the people use the area. The temple is one
of the gems of Lhasa, and contains artwork related
to Tibetan medical practices.
Day 03 : Today
you travel to the suburbs of Lhasa to visit
two of the most interesting of the Buddhist
monasteries. The first, Phabonkha, served as
a meditation site During the time of Songtsen
Gampo, and contains a plaque commemorating the
first Tibetan script. The monastery also serves
as a sky burial site, and if we are early enough,
we can still see the great Himalayan Vultures
circling overhead, waiting for their dinner.
In the last part of the 8th century, the very
first seven Tibetan monks stayed here, after
receiving their ordination from the Indian Shankarakshita.
From here, you will have a simple lunch in a
local restaurant, and then head to Sera, in
time for the 3pm debates. Sera, is a 15th century
Gelugpa monastery, founded by one of Tsong Khapa's
disciples, and is famous for its Tantric teachings.
The name Sera means "Merciful Hail."
Years ago, a rivalry existed between Sera and
Drepung (means "Rice Heap"). The monks
from Sera though their hail would destroy Drepung's
rice, while Sera boasted the "dob-dobs,"
an elite corps of warrior monks, much feared
by other Buddhist leaders.
Day 04 : After
a 3-4 hour morning drive, you arrive in the
valley of Drigung Monastery, founded by the
Kagyupas, descendants of Milarepa. Cut by the
Kyichu, this spectacular valley boasts not only
the monastery, but a nunnery and some wonderful
hot springs in this cold land. Drigung Til was
rebuilt in 1983, and boasts a large Assembly
Hall with Drigung Kyapgon's footprint, his personal
conch and trumpet. On the right side of the
altar are images of Apchi, the protectress of
the temple. Drigung, and the nunnery are primarily
meditation monasteries. Drigung Dundro, up the
hill along the monastery kora, is a power place
for sky burials, and is considered identical
to Sitavana, one of the most famous of the Eight
Indian Charnel Grounds near Bodhgaya. Legend
has it a rainbow connects Sitavana and Drigung
Dundro. Early in the morning, watches for people
climbing up the hill with a body to be devoured
by Himalayan vultures in a traditional Tibetian
burial.
Day 05 : A short
drive to Terdrum takes you to the nunnery or
"ani" gompa with its hot springs attended
by residences of the goddess Apchi. According
to legend, below the lakes is a limestone ridge
that once contained a poisonous lake with fumes
so strong they killed the birds in the sky.
Guru Rimpoche, the teacher who brought Buddhism
to Tibet, threw his dorje, or thunderbolt, at
the ridge and drained the lake. The nuns see
the shape of his dorje protruding from the rocks
below the opening of the tunnel. After bathing
in the springs, you can visit the nunnery or
climb to the Guru Rimpoche cave on the hill.
Day 06 : Leaving
Drigung, you travel to Reteng, a Kadampa gompa
founded in the 11th century by Dromton, the
chief disciple of Atisha. The juniper trees
around the monastery were said to have grown
from the hairs of Dromton. Despite reconstruction,
the monastery, with its extraordinary view of
the Rong Chu valley, will ever be the small
city it once was. Inside the lhakhang (God House)
are important relics, such as the statue of
Jowa Jampa Dorje or the Talking Drolma. You
camp near the monastery.
Day 07 : Today,
you head east and return to Lhasa with the rest
of the day free to wander Lhasa with your guide
and a car available.
Day 08 : Flight
to Kathmandu.
Note
: Designed itinerary is a sample itinerary
intended to give you a general idea of the likely
trip schedule. We can further customize the
itinerary to suit as your needs and interest.
