Lhasa sits in the Kyi Chu valley at 3,656 m, ringed by bare brown hills. The Potala Palace, thirteen storeys of white and red walls on Marpo Ri hill, was the winter seat of the Dalai Lamas and dominates the city. A few kilometres east, the Jokhang temple, founded in the 7th century, is the holiest shrine in Tibet, and pilgrims circle it clockwise on the Barkhor with prayer wheels and prostrations from dawn until late evening.
For travellers from Nepal, Lhasa is the easiest way into Tibet: a flight of about 75–90 minutes from Kathmandu to Lhasa Gonggar airport, then about an hour by road to the city. Most tours spend three or four nights here to adapt to the altitude while visiting the Potala, Jokhang, Sera and Drepung monasteries and the Norbulingka summer palace. Lhasa is also the start of overland journeys west to Shigatse, Everest's north side and Kailash.
Independent travel is not allowed for foreigners. You travel with a licensed Tibetan guide on a set itinerary, with a Chinese group visa issued in Kathmandu for most nationalities and a Tibet Travel Permit arranged by the agency. Tibet usually closes to foreign tourists for several weeks around February and March, and rules for Indian passport holders differ. Check current status before you travel.
What to see and do
- Potala Palace
The 17th-century palace holds the tombs of eight Dalai Lamas, assembly halls and private apartments. Entry is by timed ticket with about an hour inside, after a climb of several hundred steps that is hard work at 3,700 m. Photography is not allowed in the interior chapels.
- Jokhang and the Barkhor
The Jokhang houses the Jowo Shakyamuni statue said to have come with Princess Wencheng in the 7th century. Outside, the Barkhor circuit of about 1 km fills with pilgrims, juniper smoke and stalls selling butter, incense and prayer flags.
- Monks debating at Sera
On most weekday afternoons, monks at Sera Monastery gather in a walled courtyard to debate Buddhist philosophy, clapping and stamping to make each point. Visitors watch from the edge; it is one of the liveliest sights in the city.
- Drepung, once the largest monastery
Founded in 1416 on the hillside west of town, Drepung once housed thousands of monks. Its white buildings climb the slope, and the kitchens with giant pots and the Ganden Palace give a sense of its old scale.
- Norbulingka summer palace
The walled park of the Dalai Lamas' summer residence has gardens, pavilions and the palace built for the 14th Dalai Lama in the 1950s. During the Shoton festival in August or September it hosts Tibetan opera.
- Day trips out of the city
Yamdrok Lake (≈ 110 km) and Ganden Monastery (≈ 50 km) are full-day trips. Namtso lake, at about 4,718 m, is a long day or an overnight and needs good acclimatisation first.
Experiences in Lhasa
How to reach Lhasa
Air
Direct flights connect Kathmandu with Lhasa Gonggar in about 75–90 minutes, operated in recent seasons by Chinese carriers such as Air China, Sichuan Airlines and Tibet Airlines. Schedules thin out in winter; check current status before you travel. Sit on the left from Kathmandu for Himalayan views.
Road
Overland from Kathmandu via Kyirong, Saga or Old Tingri and Shigatse takes 4–6 days, rising over passes above 5,000 m. The Rasuwagadhi–Kyirong crossing was damaged by floods in 2025 and again in August 2026; check current status before you travel.
Rail
The Qinghai–Tibet railway reaches Lhasa from Xining and other Chinese cities. It is useful only if you enter China elsewhere; travellers from Nepal fly or drive.
Where to stay
The old town around the Jokhang and Barkhor is the most atmospheric base, with Tibetan-style hotels within walking distance of the temple. Beijing East Road has long-running mid-range hotels such as the Yak Hotel. For more space and calm, the upscale properties lie a short drive away: the St. Regis Lhasa Resort on Jiangsu Road, about 1.5 km from the Jokhang, and the Shangri-La Hotel Lhasa on Norbulingka Road, close to the Norbulingka and the Potala. Our Lhasa tours use 3-star, 4-star or 5-star rooms depending on the package, all with heating and many with room oxygen on request.
Tips from our trip managers
- Keep the first afternoon free of sightseeing and climbing stairs; most visitors feel the altitude in the first 24 hours.
- Carry your passport every day; police checkpoints around the Barkhor and Potala check documents.
- Walk the Barkhor clockwise and do not photograph pilgrims prostrating without asking.
- Book Potala tickets early in May to October; your guide must reserve a time slot, often days ahead.
- Drink no alcohol for the first two days and plenty of water and sweet tea.
