Mask dance, Kham, Tibet

In Tibetan mask dances, deities and demons represent the struggle between good and evil. Our Kham journey experiences a thriving Tibetan Buddhist culture as we explore the monasteries and villages of remote Kham in eastern Tibet.

Photo by Craig Lovell

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Heart of Kham

Sacred Mountains and Hidden Monasteries of Eastern Tibet

The wild and untouched region of the Tibetan Plateau known as Kham is home to magnificent monasteries set amid emerald hills, dazzling displays of wildflowers, and snow-capped peaks soaring over turquoise lakes. This is the land of the famous Khampa warriors, with their tall leather boots, turquoise jewelry, and swashbuckling style. Our cultural journey is a spectacular one as we head out across these remote mountain highlands to explore ancient trading towns, ethereal temples, and pilgrimage paths along exquisite holy lakes. Camping allows us to experience a region far from the traveled routes. Our June departure visits the holy peak of Mt. Genyen and our July departure witnesses the spectacular annual Litang Horse Festival.

Highlights

  • In-depth experience of traditional Khampa culture
  • Day hikes, visits with Tibetan pilgrims and nomads, colorful markets of Litang and Kandze
  • Full-service camping with our experienced camp staff

Details

  • 15-day trip begins and ends in Chengdu, China
  • 6 nights in hotels, 8 nights full-service camping
  • All meals included
  • Easy to moderate day hikes, altitudes between 8,500-13,200 feet

Tour Costs

$5295 (12-15 members)
$5595 (9-11 members)
$5895 (6-8 members)

Single supplement: $495

Lhasa Extension from: $985

Prices are for 2010 date

Departures & Leaders

Jul 29-Aug 12, 2010  Kathy Butler

Suggested Reading

Reading list, click here.

Itinerary at a Glance
Heart of Kham route-map

Days 1-3
Chengdu, China / Kangding

From Chengdu, we drive from rice-growing plains to the mountainous foothills to the small city of Kangding (8,580'). Here we begin to sense that we have reached the cultural boundary between China and Tibet.

Days 4-5
Pha Lhagang Monastery

Passing through the historic old Tibetan trading towns, we camp at ancient Pha Lhagang Monastery (11,400'), with its fine examples of sacred art, and enjoy a day hike in the mountains.

Days 6-7
Litang Horse Festival or Mt. Genyen

We ascend further onto the Tibetan Plateau, crossing the Gye La (14,100') to arrive at our camp on the vast grasslands of mountain-ringed Litang (13,169'), one of the highest towns in the world. Khampas from across eastern Tibet come to Litang to trade all kinds of goods from sheepskins to yaks to large pieces of turquoise. Our June trip heads out to the holy peak of Mt. Genyen, an important pilgrimage site at the head of the sublime Genyen Valley, while our July trip enjoys the horse races and folk dancing of the Litang Horse Festival.

Days 8-9
Kandze

We visit ancient Nyarong Gompa en route to Kandze (11,770'). We explore Kandze’s lively bazaar then ascend on foot through the many temples of Kandze Gompa, set on a hill with spectacular views of snow-capped peaks, and hike further to the lovely setting of Lamdrak nunnery.

Days 10-11
Zhara Yumtsho Lake

On the shores of the holy lake of Zhara Yumtsho (12,000'), we camp and hike the pilgrim circuit (kora), the perfect setting for enjoying Kham’s incredible displays of summer wildflowers and meeting the nomads and pilgrims that visit this exquisite mountain setting.

Days 12-15
Siguniang / Chengdu

We enjoy a walk to the town of Shol, where dozens of 18th century defensive stone towers rise from the mountain slopes, and hike in the forested valleys below the holy peak of Siguniang. At journeys end, we descend back to the lowlands to Chengdu. Depart from Chengdu on Day 15.

This is the Itinerary-at-a-Glance. For the complete trip description, Download Full Trip Brochure

Optional Extensions

If you would like to extend your adventure, we offer the following option: