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I joined the 3 week group tour from Lhasa to Mt Kailash via Everest in June 2018 and had the most amazing journey. Jamin and Phurphu made sure that every day was an adventure filled with everything from small spontaneous hikes to visits to local Tibetan houses and restaurants to close-up meetings with nomads and yaks. Our wishes and needs were always heard and the program was altered and customized during the trip itself to accommodate for preferences and weather. This flexibility together with both Jamin and Phurphu's knowledge and passion for Tibet and its people shared through stories on the road or over a cup of butter tea made the trip a very memorable and special experience. And for a mountain lover like me all the impressive peaks we got to see! I will definitely travel with Himalaya Journey again and would highly recommend them to everyone who really wants to not only see but truly experience the Himalaya region. Camilla—Sweden—June 2019
Our trip to Tibet & Nepal was possibly the most amazing trip of our lives. These are parts of the world you need to be introduced to, you don’t end up visiting as a casual tourist and you’ll certainly need a guide. When we researched our trip it seemed that “all the roads lead to Jamin” and to Himalaya Journey - and rightly so.
Jamin is incredibly experienced and charismatic. He leads from the heart and speaks from his own, very unique, personal experience. It was important for us to know that our visit was going to benefit the people of Tibet and we were delighted to find out that Jamin cares about that very much. Jamin’s guides, Nyima Dolma and Jamyung in Tibet and Ashok in Kathmandu were also so knowledgable and simply amazing with their kindness and attentiveness. We feel so happy and honoured to have met them.
There were many highlights on this trip, from experiencing the holy city of Lhasa to finally seeing Everest (I’m obsessed with all things Everest) but mostly we loved experiencing people’s kindness and hospitality. I truly can’t wait to travel with Himalaya Journey once again and would recommend travelling with them in a heartbeat.
We miss you Jamin & everyone at Himalaya Journey! Lucia—Italy—April 2019
I had an amazing trip with Himalaya Journey! Tibet is such a special place! All the crew was very knowledgeable and sweet and the service was impeccable. Claudia—Malta—April 2019
We really couldn't have wished for a better trip to Tibet. We were lucky with health and with the weather. But the contributions of so many people went well beyond luck, and into the realm of professionalism and really great service. The pre-trip information was fantastically comprehensive and useful; the office organization impeccable; the guide awesome (a really amazing person to travel with); and the driver safe and steady over many hundreds of kilometres. In all, it was a wonderful experience, and we're already looking forward to travelling with you again one day! Linda—New Zealand—April 2018
Tashi Delek! I recently went on a 23 day tour with Himalaya Journey, led by Jamin with his amazing staff Phunstok, Tenzin Ngodrup and Anna to the Western Tibet area of Mt.Kailash and the Guge Kingdom as well as Lhasa, Mt Everest base camp and many other memorable places in Tibet. Their sheer dedication, genuine concern for myself and the group’s welfare was displayed unceasingly, and I was very impressed by the team’s professionalism and knowledge. Phuntsok was a careful and considerate driver, Tenzin Ngodrup was a very experienced tour guide who knew the answers to my never-ending questions and Anna was a remarkable intern looking after us all!
Being a regular trekker of the Himalayas, I can say this was by far the best trip I ever went on, led by someone who is experienced, knowledgeable but more importantly, someone who made sure everything was fine throughout the journey, from start to finish. Despite the high altitude, Jamin looked after myself, and the tour group members all the time, and ensured our safety was paramount, up to the highest point of 5640m at the Drolma La Pass around Mt.Kailash. I have left Tibet now with unforgettable memories, new friendships and the knowledge that I went through a tour agency that supports the Tibetan people. I am grateful for everything the agency organised for me, both before and after the journey (Jamin personally helped me book and organise a train from Lhasa to Xining, Qinghai) and was still checking up on me to see if I am alright. This speaks alot about a genuine, kind and remarkable human being, helping the local Tibetans, by employing local staff, and staying at local-run hotels and home-stays.
Thank you so much for everything Jamin. This was the trip of a lifetime and I have absolutely no regrets at all going through your company, and will highly recommend my friends and family to do so in that amazing part of the world. Rejoice in what you do for the Tibetan people and hope we can travel again together to the Himalayas! All the best! Thujechey. Benny—Australia—May 2017
I recently returned from an adventure: I spent 23 days on an amazing journey through Tibet organized by Himalaya Journey. From the very beginning till the departure from Lhasa, everything was perfectly well done. I couldn’t expect any better. Jamin’s passion and knowledge about Tibet, its culture, its history and its people was impressive. That increased our interest towards the real situation of tibetan people. We can not see Tibet and its people the same way we did before. He was always professional and very helpful when asked for. I’d also like to thanks to Ngodup (Tibetan guide), who taught us about Buddhism. As we had a few Buddhists in our group (9 people), it naturally enriched out visits to many temples. After Tibet, I also visited Nepal for a few days and thanks to Ashok (Nepal office manager for Himalaya Journey), everything also went extremely well. I do recommend Himalaya Journey for anyone interested in real Tibet and Nepal. Thanks! Sergio—Brazil—May 2017
I returned last month from Himalaya Journey’s May 2017 Lhasa, Everest, Mt Kailash Trek and Guge Kingdom tour. It really exceeded my expectations – the landscape, culture and people of Tibet were amazing, while Jamin and all his crew were tireless in guiding us on this adventure. Touring in such a remote area was often challenging but I’m grateful that I decided to pay a little more and go with Himalaya Journey – I saw many other groups and always felt that we had the best leadership, logistics and accommodations available. Most of all, Jamin’s total passion for Tibet opened up a whole new understanding for me of Tibet and the region generally. I’d recommend this outfit for anyone traveling in the area and hope to do so again with them in the future! Johnny—Canada—May 2017
Almost without exception, travels have both an objective and certain expectations that need be met for the outcome to be judged successful. For me a ‘journey’ implies somewhat more than this….there is a sense of challenging the unknown, including one’s own inner self. And then if you add to ‘journey’ the word ‘Himalaya’, one of the world’s most majestic and inspiring regions with landscapes that are often beyond belief, then you have something very, very special indeed.
Prior to October 2016 I had travelled solo, with a guide and transportation, on all my journeys, including the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), giving me the flexibility and freedom to stop at will, modify plans and so on. But having vowed to go back to the far west of the TAR (Ngari) to do the kora of Mount Kailash and visit the Guge Kingdom I was faced with exorbitant costs if travelling alone. I knew I had to find an alternative, and that alternative proved to be Himalaya Journey.
I had been in touch with Jamin York, Himalaya Journey’s Owner and Lead Guide, several times previously with general questions about travelling in ‘Greater Tibet’ and so it somehow seemed natural to approach him regarding making my Kailash dream materialize. One thing led to another and by the time 2015 melted into 2016 I was committed to joining Jamin’s small (10 person) group embarking on a 23-day journey in October which would take us across the TAR from Lhasa slowly westwards via Everest and Shishapangma Base Camps to Lake Manasarovar, Mount Kailash and the Guge Kingdom, and then back…a total land journey of around 4,000km.
My initial concerns about being in a group and having to keep to a strict schedule proved groundless. Jamin was only too willing to stop for sudden photo ops—the appearance of a Tibetan fox, a glorious view, a nomad encampment and so on. He also actively encouraged us to explore on our own when the itinerary permitted: in my case that meant spending special moments wandering through the Barkor in Lhasa and watching sunrise on the shore of Manasarovar. Only once were we ‘chivvied’ in any sense, and that was during the Kailash kora on top of the Drolma-la. Jamin, with his vast experience of the mountains, was aware not only of the time constraints that day but more importantly that staying too long at that altitude (5,630m/ around 18,400’) was not to be recommended.
From a practical standpoint, everything throughout the journey was seamlessly arranged: we travelled in a small bus which gave us space to spread out and with a driver whose skills made going over 5,000m+ high passes again and again seem effortless! The hotels and guest houses, especially once we got beyond Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse, were always the best available: I had paid a single room supplement, fully expecting to have to share in these remote areas, so I was delighted that there were only two nights on which I could not have some much appreciated privacy. The meals were generally of a high standard, and even in Ngari Jamin managed to rustle something tasty up for us or produce snack bars and packets of instant oatmeal out of his proverbial hat.
What also emerged strongly throughout our journey was Jamin’s love for and commitment to Tibet and its people, not to mention his in-depth knowledge. His assistant on our journey, Nordrup, was himself Tibetan; we frequented Tibetan-owned restaurants, hotels and guesthouses whenever possible; and Jamin, fluent in Tibetan as well as Mandarin, regaled us while we were on the road with both incidents from Tibetan history and his own personal experiences of living there.
It was an unforgettable journey…indeed, although I left Tibet many weeks ago now, my journey is still on-going as I look back at my photos and notebook and try to weave it all into a story on my laptop.
I have the greatest respect and admiration for Jamin both as a person and journey-leader and have no reservations at all in recommending him and his company. Indeed, I hope to join him again in the future on a journey to Ladakh, ‘Little Tibet’: I believe that is the strongest recommendation of all. Lesley—UK—October 2016
I would like to acknowledge and thank lead guide and owner, Jamin York, co-guide Tenzin Ngodup, and staff at Himalaya Journey for a fantastic trip to Far Western Tibet in October 2016. Not able to secure permits in the past to the TAR area of Tibet, I wasn’t confident it would ever happen until I talked with Jamin York. He assured me and my two travelling companions that he could make it happen, and he did. I am still on a “Tibet High” after our 23 day journey to Mt. Kailash, the Guge Kingdom and every experience in between! Additionally, because of Jamin’s careful planning of our itinerary and attention to our acclimatization to altitude, we were able to successfully complete the Kora of Mt. Kailash! The dream of a lifetime!
The trip far exceeded my expectations and I will definitely use Himalaya Journey again. I highly recommend Himalaya Journey to others who want to experience this hauntingly beautiful place called Tibet! Sue—USA—October 2016
I took a fabulous and life changing tour of western Tibet with Jamin and Himalaya Journey last October. Highlights include Lhasa, Everest and Shishapangma Base Camps, a pilgrimage kora around Mt. Kailash, a visit to the Guge Kingdom, and interactions with Tibetan people. Jamin’s knowledge and passion for the Tibetan people is evident in his descriptions and stories throughout the journey. He is a master story teller – telling detailed personal accounts of his 14 plus years of experience living in Tibet. He wants to support the Tibetan people, and he does this by staying and eating in Tibetan run hotels and restaurants and by hiring excellent Tibetan guides whom he trains.
Jamin wants you to experience the lives of Tibetans. During our trip, we made impromptu stops to visit nomads, interact with locals in small villages or on farms, and to experience their passionate religious lifestyle during Pilgrimage walks around the Jokhang, the Potala Palace, Tashilhunpo Monastery, and Mount Kailash. I was able to interact and hear stories from two of Himalaya Journey’s Tibetan guides – Ngodup and Champa. They shared so much of their lives and personalities – it was priceless. At the end of our journey, Ngodup gave us an opportunity to experience a Tibetan nightclub in Shigatse, Tibet’s second largest city. The music, dancing, and hospitality etched a positive image that I will never forget. During a free afternoon in Lhasa, Champa took me on a souvenir journey to a local Tibetan market (free of westerners) and to the Muslim quarter where you could see wholesalers trading caterpillar fungus known for its medicinal properties. If you go on a Himalaya Journey trip and Champa offers a shopping or side trip, take it!
If you are a photographer, a trip with Himalaya Journey is a must. Jamin and his guides allow ample time for photos. Jamin is an accomplished photographer as evident from his website. When the light is just right, our small bus made several stops to capture the moment. We stopped frequently to photograph wildlife.
Finally, Jamin did an amazing job organizing everything and planning our trip. He’s like a close friend, checking in on how you are doing – how you are dealing with the altitude. If there are any issues, he deals with them promptly and knowledgably. Jamin, thank you for such a great trip!
Tom—USA—October 2016