Drak Yerpa
Drak Yerpa
4.5
About
In the middle of the 7th century, Songtsan Gampo and his team built Drak-Yerpa for his wife. Songstan Gampo (604-650) was the 33rd king of the Yarlung Dynasty. And he was the first emperor of a united Tibet. It was said that there were 108 caves at Drak Yerpa in the past but now only a dozen of them remain well. And the earliest among these caves is the cave of Songtsan Gampo. Many individual temples were built around the cave, then after several expansions, they were consolidated forming the well-known temple. This site is very peaceful and has stunning views. To walk and hike where Songtsan Gampo and the later Guru Renpoche and the later Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche (late 8th to early 9th century) have walked is really aspiring.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
88 reviews
Excellent
67
Very good
19
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Lisa P
Singapore261 contributions
Nov 2013 • Solo
Located 4885m above sea level, Drak Yerpa is one of the holiest caves in Tibet. I found this trek to be very much easier than that of the Chimpu Caves. I visited in the second half of November and saw only 4-5 tourists but many local Tibetans. Around the vehicle parking space, you could still have food and drink at the eatery nearby before the trek.
At the start of the trek, there were sellers peddling prayer flags, incense and other stuff etc. You can buy the flags and the sellers will hang the flags up. You just have to trust them to do the job and move on.
As I trekked higher and higher, I turned back to look down the Yerpa valley. It was so beautiful. There are many caves there and if you have the time, it is good to explore them slowly. At one of the caves, I was given some sacred grains to keep. They looked like barley. The whole place has an amazing feel and at the end of my visit, I felt so reluctant to leave.
On our way down (a different route from the way up), the guide, driver and I stopped at a spot to drink some "Guanyin holy water", which I was told, flows naturally from the mountains. I also collected some with my own plastic water bottle. There was a man selling the holy water in bottles too. But the collection point was just right in front of my feet ! We also stopped at a small "roadside stall" to have some snacks, and tasted rice noodles served in mini bowls and some potatoes. They were heavenly! And I just had to have 3 bowls of the noodles (different versions). :) The women-sellers knitted and sewed in-between selling their snacks.
Drak Yerpa is definitely worth a visit. The cave temples and houses are beautiful, and the surroundings, awesome. It is an easy trek even for amateurs. Do go there early to enjoy the sights, take pictures and walk around. During lunch hours, some caves may be closed.
At the start of the trek, there were sellers peddling prayer flags, incense and other stuff etc. You can buy the flags and the sellers will hang the flags up. You just have to trust them to do the job and move on.
As I trekked higher and higher, I turned back to look down the Yerpa valley. It was so beautiful. There are many caves there and if you have the time, it is good to explore them slowly. At one of the caves, I was given some sacred grains to keep. They looked like barley. The whole place has an amazing feel and at the end of my visit, I felt so reluctant to leave.
On our way down (a different route from the way up), the guide, driver and I stopped at a spot to drink some "Guanyin holy water", which I was told, flows naturally from the mountains. I also collected some with my own plastic water bottle. There was a man selling the holy water in bottles too. But the collection point was just right in front of my feet ! We also stopped at a small "roadside stall" to have some snacks, and tasted rice noodles served in mini bowls and some potatoes. They were heavenly! And I just had to have 3 bowls of the noodles (different versions). :) The women-sellers knitted and sewed in-between selling their snacks.
Drak Yerpa is definitely worth a visit. The cave temples and houses are beautiful, and the surroundings, awesome. It is an easy trek even for amateurs. Do go there early to enjoy the sights, take pictures and walk around. During lunch hours, some caves may be closed.
Written December 20, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mlasser
Denver, CO72 contributions
May 2012 • Couples
at about 16,500 feet the altitude really hit my wife hard. Beautiful place and they are building a bunch of new support infrastructure.
Written May 23, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gcap_11
Poughkeepsie, NY81 contributions
Apr 2017 • Friends
This was an unplanned trip on our last day in Lhasa. It was supposed to be rest day in the City before leaving Tibet, but we decided to ask about other options and our guide recommended this trip. It was probably an hour or so drive outside the city, so easy to do in a day. Very interesting landscape and history on this monastery. The location was one of the most beautiful we saw in Tibet, and that's hard to say because all of Tibet was very pretty.
Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the cool mountain air up top. It's a great place to walk and climb and then relax with a bite to eat. Plus, I found this less crowded than some of the more popular places, like Potala and Jokhang. While I wouldn't miss either of those, being outside of the city allows Drak to feel more comfortable and less crowded.
Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the cool mountain air up top. It's a great place to walk and climb and then relax with a bite to eat. Plus, I found this less crowded than some of the more popular places, like Potala and Jokhang. While I wouldn't miss either of those, being outside of the city allows Drak to feel more comfortable and less crowded.
Written July 9, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hanoded
Maarsbergen, The Netherlands54 contributions
Sep 2011 • Business
The view from the hermitage of Drak Yerpa is simply other worldly. It is a definite must see! The best thing about it? Not too many tourists make it up the steps!
Written August 24, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen C
Sydney, Australia135 contributions
Oct 2011 • Couples
We visited Drak Yerpa with our guide in a landcruiser from Lhasa. It is about an hour's drive from Lhasa. You climb a long way above the valley and the views are fantastic. When you finally reach the carpark for the monastery, it is about 4,800m high and then you look up to see all the temples and caves scattered about the mountain, reached by small rocky paths. Not for the faint-hearted! Don't go here on your first couple of days in Tibet, you need to be acclimatised! You climb well over 5,000 metres. There are many small temples, built into caves in the cliff and meditation caves. It is quite fascinating and worth it for the views alone.
Written February 23, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wanderer308151
Vancouver, Canada9 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
This was the highlight of our trip. Not sure why it is not part of every tour as it is the most unique and beautiful location of all the typical Lhasa sites. However, this meant we were the only visitors on the day so we had the area to ourselves along with some locals. The short journey up the hill is very doable for the average walker. Slow and easy was the pace with lots of stops to catch our breath. Well worth a half-day visit.
Written April 7, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nikki
Sydney, Australia104 contributions
Feb 2017
Seriously why is this place not on more itineraries ? Then again I'm glad it isn't because the calm away from the tourist crowds is part of the magic of the place.
I'll let the pictures speak for themselves - but I will also say that we were particularly lucky to get snow and sunshine - it doesn't look like this everyday !
A word of warning: you can't technically come here alone as a foreigner, but if you are Chinese in appearance you can get the public minibus bus near Jokhang Temple 大教寺 at 6am for 30rmb return (just ask the locals for the bus to 扎叶巴寺 Zha ye ba si) and it départs the temple at 1pm. Only one bus a day so don't miss it ! When you get there it might still be dark but you can sit in the waiting hall, eat noodles and drink hot butter tea ^^ Entrance to the temple is also 30rmb.
If all of that sounds too complicated, choose an itinerary that includes this stop, or plan for an extra day in Lhasa and ask your agency to arrange a day tour for you.
But seriously you must go there, it was the most amazing place I visited during my 8 days in Tibet.
I'll let the pictures speak for themselves - but I will also say that we were particularly lucky to get snow and sunshine - it doesn't look like this everyday !
A word of warning: you can't technically come here alone as a foreigner, but if you are Chinese in appearance you can get the public minibus bus near Jokhang Temple 大教寺 at 6am for 30rmb return (just ask the locals for the bus to 扎叶巴寺 Zha ye ba si) and it départs the temple at 1pm. Only one bus a day so don't miss it ! When you get there it might still be dark but you can sit in the waiting hall, eat noodles and drink hot butter tea ^^ Entrance to the temple is also 30rmb.
If all of that sounds too complicated, choose an itinerary that includes this stop, or plan for an extra day in Lhasa and ask your agency to arrange a day tour for you.
But seriously you must go there, it was the most amazing place I visited during my 8 days in Tibet.
Written February 2, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AustinAnna
Austin, TX52 contributions
Jun 2014 • Family
You'll be breathless when you see the caves, partly from the long hike up at altitude, but mostly from the mystical feel of the place and the amazing views of the valley and distant mountain peaks. The mountainside is absolutely covered in prayer flags - Not to be missed!
Written July 25, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hilda A
Trier, Germany39 contributions
Oct 2013 • Solo
I visited this frequently-ignored site at the suggestion of my travel agency in Tibet, and I'm so happy I did. Just the amazing vistas and the mystical vibes from both the monks and the pilgrims were worth the 1-hour trip away from Lhasa. The place was so high and covered in fog, that I literally felt like I was in a cloud, and the mountainous background and colors of the landscape were so unreal and gorgeous, I could only compare them (without doing them justice) to a magnificent, vibrant painting. The small temples inside the caves where Buddhist monks calmly meditate were fascinating, and more interesting than other monasteries I visited in Lhasa. An added bonus was that there were hardly any tourists (or any Chinese) in this holy place. Only Tibetan pilgrims come from afar seemed to be the sole visitors that morning, which added on the authenticity of this cultural site. Lovely place all in all.
Written October 27, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katie F
11 contributions
Oct 2019 • Friends
After some snow fall we had to alter our plans, so we decided to visit Drak Yerpa after a recommendation. This was not part of our standard tour itinerary, but so glad we visited as it was my favourite place around Lhasa. It is about an hour drive out of Lhasa, and because it is not on most tour itineraries, we were the only foreigners. At 4,400 metres, it helps to be acclimatized as there are quite a few steps with the monastery and meditation caves being on the side of a mountain. The views are spectacular and the buildings are well maintained. Allow at least half a day to not feel rushed.
Written October 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are you only able to get there with a tour or is there public transportation? Are you able to go without a guide or is a guide necessary?
Written April 24, 2019
You need a tour guide to visit Tibet.
Written April 24, 2019
What transportation is available to Drak Yerpa from Lhasa? Cost of transportation to Drak Yerpa? Thank you.
Written November 18, 2016
Sorry for long delay in response. There are no regular tours or local transport to this site. As all foreign travelers must be accompanied by a guide you should be able to arrange this directly with your guide or through travel company. This is off the regular Lhasa "tourist path" but is well worth the time. The scenery along the way is beautiful. Allow at least 1/2 day to travel/tour/return to Lhasa.
Written January 6, 2017
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