Derge Classic Tour - 5 Days

Arrive Derge first by flying to Ganzi Gesar Airport and arrive by midday. Then we will drive to central Derge and Chola Mountains directly after arrival. The drive will be on G317 highway and if time allows we will have a visit to Yurlong Monastery by near Manigange before drive over mountain pass to the heartland of Derge by Dzongsar (Maisu). Please note the altitude by Derge in general is very high. The road we drive after arrive by airport(elevation by 4100m) is at around 3800m and we will drive over a road pass that is at around 4600m. We have planned this route carefully so that your first overnight place is at a relatively lower at 3500m for safer acclimating.

IThis is a ground tour. Some days will involve long hours of driving and sitting in the car. Please make preparation in accordance including power bank for your phone, neck pillow, etc. Please remember to have a day pack with you to take necessary items for each day's visit, sometimes including packed lunch (or simple snacks) in order to have flexibility/sufficient time on the visits. You are also recommended to keep the following handy: drinking water recommended 1L minimum, sunglasses, rainproof, warm-keeping clothes and hat, sun block and lip oil, etc. It is also wise to keep rainproof and warm clothes with you all the time. The roads you’ll be driving on can be winding and bumpy while some sections of driving can have delays due to temporal disruption of landslides, road repairs especially when you are on a smaller road. Thus your planned schedule may fall behind. Please bear the patience with this we’ll them make necessary adjustment where possible and necessary.

Driving 4-5h, visiting 1h; easy pace

Overnight Dzongsar 3400m

Today we will first go to visit Dzongsar Monastery. Dzongsar Monastery (Zongsa Monastery) is an important monastery of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, and is even more renowned as the birthplace of the "Rimé movement" (the nonsectarian movement). It is not merely a temple, but a sacred site that integrates profound history, religious culture, and traditional craftsmanship.

After around 2-3 hours visiting at Dzongsar and walking by around the monastery we will drive further into Dopu Valley to admire the hidden land of wonderful nature of Derge. Dege Dopu Valley is a little-known natural wonderland with top-tier scenery. Hidden deep among the mountains of western Sichuan, it is praised by many visitors as "unrivaled in western Sichuan" for its unique landscape combining lush vegetation, clear streams, and snow-capped peaks. Dopu Valley remains exceptionally peaceful, shielded by the surrounding mountains and non-touristy at all. We will do a short walking near the river if time allows.

After the visit and photo time we shall continue drive to Payul for another 2hours to Payul. You are flexible to make stops along the drive whenever you see anything interesting and worth to stop for. After arrive Payul we will drive directly to the hill side to Payul Monastery and have a visit before check in to hotel and relax.

After the hiking we will then drive back to hotel in town.

Visiting 5-6h Driving 3-4h; moderate pace

Overnight Payul 3000m

Today we will visit two more famous Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries in Kham region: Katok and Palpung Monastery.

After breakfast we will first drive for around 1 hour and visit Katok Monastery (Gatuo Monastery). Kathok Monastery is the origin of Nyingmapa Monastery of Tibet. It is the very first mother monastery of Nyingma Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Kathok is also a Buddhist school of Nyingmapa. Kathok Monastery is also called Kathok Gompa by local people. Derge was once one of the three cultural centers of Tibet. The Buddhist School in Sertar is called Larung Gar Wuming Budddhist School, Wuming is 5 Enlightment. Kathok is called Shiming Buddhist School, 10 Enlightment. The complex can accommodate 2000 monks to study. "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," "school of the ancient translations" or "old school". Padmasambhava is venerated as the "second Buddha" by the Nyingma school. In modern times, the Nyingma lineage has been centered in Kham near Derge. We shall visit and wonder around Katok where we are allowed for around 2-3 hours before we drive to our next stop.

After Katok we will continue to Palpung Monastery for another 1.5h on road. Palpung Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhists' monastery first established in 1729 in Qing Dynasty. It was built on a mountain platform in the alpine valley. Constructions of Palpung Monastery are immense. Palpung is famous for its knowledge of medicine and painting. Many great painters are from here. It is also a collection of precious paintings and earth statue. According to some Buddhists, it is believed to be the best monastery in Kham in terms of its colorful Buddha statues and splendid decorations. It is the only Kagyu monastery ever survived after 1959 in Sichuan. Buddha statues in this monastery are as many as over 10000 and plated in gold or copper. Other collections include over 10000 Thankhas, over 32400 Buddhist books, 129000 blocks of Buddhist scripture used for printing. It was reopened in 1981.

After visit in Palpung Monastery we will then drive to Derge town for 2 hours and check in hotel and relax.

Visiting 5-6h Driving 4-5h; moderate pace

Overnight Derge 3300m

Today we will have a morning visit to Derge Parkhang, Derge Sutra Printing Temple, is the institution printing and preserve Tibetan Literature and Buddhist's works. It is an important cultural and historical centre in Tibet. It is renowed as "the encyclopedia of Tibetan culture" or "Cultural pearl at the foot of Snow Mountain". This Buddhist shrine has been a national heritage since 1996, with a total cover of 9000 square meters. It was first built in 1729, and today it is still under function. Books and sutras are printed every day. Hand-made wood locks and cinnabar are used in the printing process. Construction of Derge Parkhang is with an ancient Kham style: flat roof and red walls. The Parkhang is also regarded as a sacred site by Tibetan Buddhists. Groups of Buddhists would be doing a temple kora from morning till evening every day. We will also have a visit to the neighboring Gonchen Monastery afterwards before drive out to Dzogchen for 2 hours over the mountains.

We shall arrive Dzogchen Monastery in early afternoon and start to visit this big shrine by the foot of snow-capped mountains. Dzogchen Monastery is situated in Gengda of Dzogchen in northern Derge with an elevation of almost 10000 ft. It is the monastery of Holy Reincarnation. This Nyingmapa monastery is one of the six great Nyingmapa schools in Tibetan Buddhism of Tibet. It was built in 1685 and during the past 300 years, nutured many Buddhist masters. Buddhist caves used for meditation scatter the mountains in which Dzogchen Monastery is located. With over 500 monks and about 100 schools in Kham, Dzogchen Monastery has great significance in Tibetan Kham. It was built on a meadow against a hill, there is excellent natural view in front of Dzogchen Monastery.

We will spend most time of the afternoon visiting Dzogchen at multiple temples if available and possibly talk to the monks, nuns if possible. Afterwards we will leave by around 5pm and drive to Manigange for overnight.

Visiting 6-7h Driving 3h; moderate pace

Overnight Derge 3800m

Today we will check out hotel and drive directly to airport to catch your flight out of Kham. Your Kham Tibet Tour ends by seeing you off by Gesar Airport.

Driving 1h, easy pace.