In Search of Happiness and Well-being

Theme: Mindfulness

Upon arrival at Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport or Xiahe Airport, you'll be met by your English-speaking Tibetan guide and transferred to your hotel in Xiahe (altitude 2,900m). After settling in and a brief rest, we begin our journey with a visit to a traditional Tibetan physician (Amchi) . This consultation is not a diagnosis but a conversation about your constitution and how to maintain balance during your time in Tibet—and beyond.

In the late afternoon, we introduce you to the heart of Labrang: the world's longest prayer wheel corridor. For over an hour, you'll walk the 3km circuit, turning each of the 1,813 brass cylinders one by one. This is not a race; it is a mindfulness practice. Feel the cool metal beneath your palm, hear the soft creak of wheels and the murmur of mantras, and notice when your mind wanders. This simple act—done with full awareness—prepares you for the days ahead.

Overnight: Hotel in Xiahe

Theme: Compassion (Loving-Kindness)

Wake early to the sound of conch shells calling monks to prayer. Enter the monastery as dawn breaks, witnessing the morning chanting in the main assembly hall—hundreds of crimson-robed monks filling the space with deep, resonant vibrations. Afterwards, stroll through the monastery grounds, observing Tibetans making offerings, burning juniper incense, and prostrating before sacred images. In one of the chapels, your guide will explain the practice of letting go—releasing attachment to past hurts and regrets.

After lunch, we hike into the forested hills behind the monastery. Here, we engage in a simple but powerful act: collecting litter left by careless visitors. As you cleanse the outer environment, reflect on cleansing your inner landscape. This is compassion in action—for the earth, for future pilgrims, and for yourself.

On our way back, we may encounter the old nun who each day brings packaged milk to a wolf she has kept in a cage for years, or the Tibetan woman who scatters barley for the birds. These small, daily acts of mercy speak louder than sermons. In the evening, a monk will guide you through a formal loving-kindness (metta) meditation, beginning with yourself and gradually extending to all beings.

Overnight: Hotel in Xiahe

Theme: Selflessness (Anatman)

After breakfast, we drive one hour north to the vast Ganjia Grasslands, home to nomadic families and the spectacular Trakkar Gompa (White Rock Monastery), which clings to a sheer limestone cliff. Above the monastery, on a hillside dotted with prayer flags, lies a sky burial site. Sky burial is Tibet's traditional funeral practice: the body is offered to vultures, who carry it skyward—a final act of generosity, returning the physical form to nature.

Here, away from the crowds, you'll learn about the Tibetan Buddhist understanding of death and the cycle of rebirth. Your guide will explain the concept of anatman (no-self) —the idea that what we call "self" is a temporary aggregation of elements. If circumstances allow, you may witness a ceremony; if not, the place itself, with its scattered bones and circling birds, will speak deeply. You'll leave with a new appreciation for life's impermanence and the freedom that comes from letting go.

In the late afternoon, we continue to Repgong (Tongren), the "art capital of Amdo," for overnight.

Overnight: Hotel in Regong

Theme: Emptiness (Shunyata)

A two-hour drive brings us to the mountaintop Shachong Monastery, one of the oldest and most revered Gelukpa institutions in Tibet. It was here that the great master Tsongkhapa (founder of the Gelukpa order) studied from age 6 to 16, before departing for Lhasa to become one of Tibet's most influential figures.

At first, the monastery may seem austere—a cluster of whitewashed buildings against an endless sky. But your guide leads you to a cliff edge, and suddenly the world opens: far below, the Yellow River winds through a vast valley, with snow peaks gleaming on the horizon. "Emptiness," a resident monk will explain, "is not nothingness. It is like a door—when you open it, you see an infinite world."

We then begin a breathtaking 3-hour descent of over 700 meters, following an ancient pilgrim trail. Black kites whistle overhead as the valley gradually reveals itself—first the river as a silver thread, then fields and villages, until finally we stand on the north bank of the Yellow River, having traversed millennia of geological and spiritual history. At dusk, we drive to the serene Kamra Forest (Kanbula National Park), where we'll stay in wooden cabins nestled among pines.

Overnight: Kamra Forest Cabins

Theme: Peace (Shanti)

Today is a day of stillness and sensory awakening. Kamra Forest, with its sculpted red cliffs and dense pine woods, is a natural sanctuary. Here we meet a remarkable young monk who is also an oil painting artist. He will guide us in a workshop that uses all five senses as supports for meditation.

• Sight: Observe the play of light on leaves, the texture of bark, the colours of a distant cliff. Then, with brush in hand, translate that observation onto canvas—not to create a masterpiece, but to practice mindful seeing.
• Sound: Sit by a stream and simply listen to water, birds, wind—without labelling or judging.
• Smell: Inhale the scent of pine, damp earth, wildflowers.
• Touch: Feel the roughness of stone, the softness of moss, the coolness of a stream.
• Taste: Savour a simple meal of tsampa and tea, eaten in silence.

If painting doesn't appeal, you may explore the forest's hidden hermitages and meditation caves on your own, using the techniques you've learned. The goal is not achievement, but presence.

Overnight: Kamra Forest Cabins

Theme: Love (Maitri) & Unity

After a final morning in the forest, we take a short ferry ride across the jade-green waters of the Yellow River (a surreal experience in this loess plateau) or drive through scenic valleys to Qunjia, home to Dzitsa Gonpa, a monastery renowned for its rigorous philosophical training and often called "the second Nalanda."

Here, colourful temples and debating courtyards buzz with intellectual energy. Monks in heated dialogue slap their hands together—the iconic Tibetan debating gesture—as they test their understanding of Buddhist logic. You'll have time to explore the monastery's art and architecture, and then, most importantly, an opportunity to sit with the monks and ask questions. Any questions: about love, about unity, about the nature of mind, about daily life in a monastery. This is your chance for genuine dialogue.

As dusk falls, we retreat to our lodging in Qunjia—a cosy log cabin with panoramic windows overlooking the grasslands. After a delicious dinner, you may choose to join local Tibetans in a circle dance (gorshey) under the stars, or simply gaze at the Milky Way from your cabin.

Overnight: Qunjia Log Cabin

Theme: Conclusion & Integration

Our final morning is spent in the peaceful Qunjia Forest, walking slowly, sitting quietly, and reflecting on the week's experiences. Your guide will lead a closing circle, inviting each person to share one insight or practice they wish to carry home. Then we drive to Xining (approximately 3 hours), where you can catch an afternoon flight or train onward.

The journey ends, but the inner work has just begun.

Meals: Breakfast