- 2-9 days
- Riding or hiking, optional yak packing (instructional)
- Land of nomadic yak herders and high plateau lakes, with wolves, blue sheep, and snow leopards
- Some trips are very remote and visit isolated villages and temples.
- Private tours only
- From CNY1320/$190
Plateau Horse Pack trips — Ride or Hike
Yibei Lake Out-and-Back (2 or 3 days):
Yibei is a sinkhole lake high on the plateau west of Lhagang, extremely deep, with drop-offs visible just off shore. Great for cold swimming. It sits at the high border of 2 nomadic areas, the Drapa and the mainstream nomads of Lhagang.
Choose between 2 days direct out and back, or 3 days with nomad stay and workshop.
From $190/Y1320 Hiking, $310/Y2170 Riding
high plateau Short loop (3 or 4 days)
This loop takes you through nomad high pastures and into wild areas high on the plateau. Camp by deep Yibei Lake, thread your way across misty marshes, view lammergiers in their cliff nests, and tour our guides’ ancestral temple.
Choose between 3 days (car return) or 4 days, doing the whole loop on foot or horseback. Possible to add on a night with nomads before the trek. Good for yak packing.
From $480/Y3390 Hiking, $660/Y4650 Riding
Lookouts and Deep Valleys -Drapa Lands (7 Days)
With nomad stay
Travel further into the grasslands, visiting deep dramatic valleys, with small villages and temples belonging to Choyu-speaking Drapas, before ending on the high plateau and staying with the nomads. Can be done hiking, riding, or yak packing.
From $680/Y4810 Hiking, $1130/Y8000 Riding
*A note about guide choice: Tibetan nomads usually speak only Tibetan. Their Chinese and English are minimal. Our well-trained and experienced nomad horsemen are usually able to manage logistical issues without translation, through experience and an occasional phone call. But please be forewarned that communication issues with them do, of course, exist. We offer nomad-led trips without translators in order to keep prices within reach as much as possible (and for some people, trying to communicate adds to the adventure.)
An English speaking guide (Tibetan) is highly recommended for richness as well as a smoother trip. They are educated in Tibetan traditions and will tell you the stories of the places you visit, the details of the temples, and help you get to know your hosts. Plus, an English-speaking Tibetan guide gives you a dedicated person to care for your well-being and to attend to your needs. With issues like altitude sickness, this can be very helpful.
These routes also available as Yak Pack Trips.