This is the Ü chapter from Lonely Planet's Tibet guidebook.

Ü is the Tibetan heartland and - due to its proximity to Lhasa - the first taste of rural Tibet that most visitors experience. A 'Tibet-in-miniature', it has just about all the landscapes you'll find across the plateau; from shifting sand dunes and wide rivers to soaring peaks and alpine forests.

• divine your future by peering into the mystical waters of Lhamo La-tso
• maps
• take a scenic river journey across the Yarlung Tsangpo to the spectacular circular complex of Samye, Tibet’s first monastery
• transport
• hike the Yarlung Valley, including the iconic Yumbulagang - the first building in Tibet - and the ruins of Rechung-puk
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Tsurphu Monastery, Nam-Tso, Lhundrub County, Talung Monastery, Reting Monastery, Drigung Til Monastery, Tidrum Nunnery, Yarlung Tsangpo Valley, Gongkar, Dorje Drak Monastery, Drak Yangdzong, Dratang Monastery, Mindroling Monastery, Samye Monastery, Namseling Manor, Tsetang and Yarlung Valley.