Visits run on timed tickets that your guide books in advance, often several days ahead in summer. You enter at the base and climb a long ramp of stone steps up the south face, which can take 20–30 minutes at a gentle pace. Rest at each landing; the altitude is about 3,700 m and the steps are steep. Water bottles and lighters are not allowed past security.
Inside, the route passes through the White Palace, with the former living quarters of the Dalai Lamas, and into the Red Palace with its chapels and the gilded tomb stupas of eight Dalai Lamas, the largest that of the 5th. Butter lamps, murals and thousands of statues line the dim rooms. Visitors are given about an hour inside, and photography is forbidden in the chapels.
You leave by the back of the hill and walk down to the Potala's kora path, where pilgrims spin prayer wheels around the base. For the classic photograph of the palace, go to Chakpori hill opposite, the viewpoint shown on the 50-yuan note. Late afternoon light on the white walls is the best.
Good for
- First-timers
- Couples
- Families
- Photographers
Questions travellers ask
How much time is allowed inside the Potala Palace?
Visitors are usually allowed about an hour inside the palace once past the entry gate, and the route is one-way. Allow 2–3 hours overall including the climb and descent. Guides must book a time slot in advance, so the visit is fixed in your itinerary, often on the second or third day in Lhasa.
Is the Potala Palace climb difficult?
It is a steady climb of several hundred steps to about 3,700 m, which feels hard if you arrived in Lhasa the previous day. Most people manage at a slow pace with rests. That is why we schedule the Potala on day two or three, after a gentle first day.
Can I take photos inside the Potala?
No. Photography is not allowed in the interior chapels and halls, and staff enforce it. You can photograph the exterior, the courtyards and the views over Lhasa from the terraces. Chakpori hill opposite gives the classic full view of the palace.
