CITY · TIBET AUTONOMOUS REGION
Lhasa
拉萨 · Lāsà
Overview
Capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, on the Yarlung Tsangpo plateau at 3,656m. Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, the Barkhor pilgrimage circuit. Independent travel is restricted; Tibet Travel Permit required.
Lhasa, at 3,656m above sea level, is one of the highest major cities in the world. The Potala Palace, former winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, dominates the skyline; the Jokhang Temple is the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism, surrounded by the Barkhor pilgrimage circuit where pilgrims circumambulate prostrating themselves. The city's cultural landscape is unlike anywhere else in China: Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, prayer flags, butter-tea tea houses and the surrounding peaks.
Visiting Lhasa requires the Tibet Travel Permit, issued only through licensed travel agencies — independent travel is not permitted. Most visitors arrange a multi-day Lhasa-plus-Shigatse-plus-Everest Base Camp package. Altitude sickness is a real risk; spend the first day resting and hydrating. Acetazolamide (Diamox) is widely used as preventive medication.
Cultural & access notes
Tibetan Buddhism dominates daily life. Walk clockwise around stupas and monastery prayer halls. Photography inside worship halls is often restricted. Don't touch monks' robes or religious objects.
What to see
- Potala Palace (UNESCO)
- Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor
- Drepung Monastery
- Sera Monastery (afternoon debate sessions)
- Norbulingka — the summer palace
- Yamdroktso Lake — day trip
What to eat
- Tibetan momos (dumplings)
- Yak butter tea
- Tsampa (roasted barley flour)
- Yak meat dishes
Getting there
Lhasa Gonggar (LXA) airport, 60 km southwest. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway from Xining/Beijing/Shanghai is a 22-30 hour journey, scenic but altitude-intense. Most international visitors fly in.
Getting around
Walking the Barkhor area. Tour vehicles for monasteries.
Where to stay
Around the Barkhor for atmosphere. Hotels licensed to host foreign guests are mandatory.
We list neighbourhoods, not specific hotels — we don't endorse hotels.
When to go
April–June, September–October. July–August is the rainy season but greener. Winter is cold but the Potala is reliably clear.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥500 |
| Mid-range | ¥900 |
| Comfortable | ¥2000 |
Safety notes
ALL foreign travellers require the Tibet Travel Permit, arranged through a licensed agency. Independent travel is not permitted. Altitude sickness is common; acetazolamide and gradual ascent are recommended. Photography of religious figures and political installations may be restricted. Permit verified May 2026 — confirm current rules with your agency before booking flights.
Nearby attractions
Barkhor Pilgrim Circuit 八廓街
1 km clockwise pilgrim circuit around the Jokhang Temple. Pilgrims prostrate themselves around the route; Tibetan-traditional shopping plus daily life.
Drepung Monastery 哲蚌寺
Once the largest monastery in the world (10,000+ monks). 8 km west of Lhasa. Active Gelugpa monastery; debating courtyard sessions in the afternoon.
Ganden Monastery 甘丹寺
The mother monastery of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, founded in 1409 by Tsongkhapa atop Wangbur Mountain 47 km east of Lhasa, offering sweeping plateau views and an important kora trail.
Jokhang Temple 大昭寺
The most sacred Tibetan Buddhist temple, founded 7th century. The spiritual centre of Lhasa and Tibet, surrounded by the Barkhor pilgrim circuit.
Nam Tso Lake (Namtso) 纳木错
The highest saltwater lake in the world at 4,718 m, stretching 1,920 km² across the Tibetan plateau north of Lhasa, with sacred Tashi Peninsula where pilgrims circumambulate ancient cave hermitages.
Norbulingka 罗布林卡
Summer palace of the Dalai Lamas in western Lhasa. UNESCO-listed; gardens, pavilions, the rooms where the 14th Dalai Lama lived before his exile.
Potala Palace 布达拉宫
Former winter palace of the Dalai Lamas (founded 7th century, current structure 17th century). 1,000+ rooms, 13-storey palace on a 130m hill in central Lhasa. UNESCO-listed.
Tashilhunpo Monastery 扎什伦布寺
The seat of the Panchen Lama in Shigatse, 280 km west of Lhasa. The largest functioning Gelugpa monastery in Tibet today.
More on Lhasa
Itineraries visiting Lhasa
- Tibet — 8 days with permit guidance
8d · Lhasa, Yamdrok, Shigatse and Gyantse — the standard agency-tour Tibet circuit.
- Tibetan Plateau — Lhasa, Shigatse and Everest Base Camp, 10 days
10d · Ten days on the Tibetan Plateau visiting Lhasa's monasteries and palaces, the Tashilhunpo at Shigatse, and the Rongbuk Monastery approach to Everest Base Camp — with practical permit guidance.
- Overnight train romance — soft-sleeper journeys across China, 10 days
10d · Ten days structured around China's overnight soft-sleeper trains — Beijing to Xi'an, Xi'an to Chengdu, Chengdu to Lhasa — experiencing the transition from one landscape to the next at a human pace, through the night.
- Three weeks deep — adds Yunnan and Tibet
21d · Two weeks comprehensive plus Yunnan loop (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang) and a Tibet permit-tour to Lhasa.
Food of Southwestern China
- Baba Flatbread粑粑
Yunnan's daily flatbread — a thick wheat or rice-flour round cooked on a griddle and eaten plain or stuffed.
- Bang Bang Chicken棒棒鸡
Cold poached chicken shredded by hand, dressed in chilli oil, sesame paste and Sichuan peppercorn.
- Boiled Fish in Chilli Oil水煮鱼
Fish slices submerged in a deep pool of chilli oil and Sichuan peppercorns. Served bubbling.
- Chongqing Hotpot重庆火锅
The original mala hotpot — a simmering cauldron of beef tallow, Pixian doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorn for communal dipping.
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