Discover the artistic treasures of the Gu-ge Kingdom

The Kingdom of Gu-ge ruled western Tibet from the 9th to the 17th centuries. Its strong links with India and Ladakh made Gu-ge the instigator of the Buddhist revival on the Tibetan Plateau. There were once over 100 monasteries in this area, particularly famous for their incredible art.
And apart from the history, the area is scenically spectacular. The Sutjej River cuts through the valley with its amazing eroded sides.

Where are you going?
Day 1: Drive from Darchen to Namru, making a short detour to the hot springs at Tirthapuri.
Day 2: The drive to Tsamda zigzags over passes and through fantastically eroded gullies to the Sutlej Valley. Here the monastic complex of Tholing was founded in the 10th century and here Atisha spent 3 years before traveling to central Tibet. Whilst much of the complex was destroyed during the 1960s, three buildings and some incredible wall murals survive.
Day 3: Tsaparang was once capital of Gu-ge and it is an amazing place, seemingly built into the very structure of the landscape. As well as the surreal landscape Tsaparang is renowned for its marvelous tantric wall murals.
Day 4: Long days’ drive back to Darchen.