Lhasa
Place of Gods
The seat of the Dalai Lamas and the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism. Lhasa sits at 3,656 m on the Tibetan Plateau — where the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple have anchored a thousand years of pilgrimage.
Trips Starting from Lhasa
Hand-crafted itineraries that start in Lhasa — from a single sunrise day-trip to multi-week Himalayan expeditions.
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Kailash Mansarovar Heli Tour
10 daysFrom $4,010
Mount Shishapangma Expedition
44 daysFrom $11,900
Cho Oyu Expedition
44 daysFrom $27,000
Mount Kailash Tour with Everest Base Camp
15 daysFrom $2,999
Kailash Mansarovar Overland Tour
18 daysFrom $2,550
Best of Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet
21 daysFrom $3,375
Kailash Mansarovar via Limi Valley
25 daysFrom $3,899
A Thousand Years of Pilgrimage
Lhasa — "place of gods" in Tibetan — sits on a plateau at 3,656 metres, one of the highest cities on Earth. King Songtsen Gampo founded the city in the 7th century, choosing the site for his Jokhang Temple after a vow with his Chinese and Nepali queens to spread Buddhism across the kingdom. The Jokhang remains the most sacred Buddhist building in Tibet — pilgrims walk the Barkor circuit around it daily.
The Potala Palace, looming above the city on Red Hill, was the residence of the Dalai Lamas from the 17th century until the 14th Dalai Lama's exile in 1959. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1994, expanding the listing to include the Jokhang and Norbulingka summer palace in 2000 and 2001. The complex has 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and 200,000 statues.
Lhasa is the natural starting point for travel to Everest Base Camp (north side), Mount Kailash, and the trans-Himalayan overland route to Nepal via the Friendship Highway. Foreign visitors must hold a Tibet Travel Permit and travel with a licensed guide — no independent travel is permitted. Most Lhasa itineraries combine 3-4 days in the city with onward visits to Shigatse, Gyantse and the holy lake Yamdrok.
Things to do in Lhasa
Standout experiences hand-picked by our local guides.
- 01Potala PalaceThe 13-storey former residence of the Dalai Lamas. 1,000 rooms across two halves: the Red Palace (religion) and White Palace (political).
- 02Jokhang TempleTibet's most sacred building, founded c. 642 AD. The Barkor pilgrimage circuit around it is the spiritual heart of Lhasa.
- 03Sera MonasteryFamous for its daily debating courtyard (3-5 pm) where monks practice traditional Buddhist logic with rhythmic hand claps.
- 04Drepung MonasteryOnce the world's largest monastery with 10,000 monks. The Ganden Phodrang here was the Dalai Lama's seat before the Potala.
- 05Norbulingka Summer PalaceThe Dalai Lama's traditional summer residence — 36 hectares of garden, pools, and pavilions on Lhasa's outskirts.
- 06Barkor BazaarThe pilgrimage circuit around Jokhang doubles as the city's biggest market — thangkas, prayer wheels, butter tea and turquoise.
- 07Yamdrok Lake Day TripA sacred turquoise lake at 4,441 m, 3 hours south of Lhasa. The pass above gives one of Tibet's classic photographs.
- 08Tsetang Tombs Day TripThe Yarlung Valley — birthplace of the Tibetan people and home to the ancient kings' burial mounds at Chongye.
Best time to visit Lhasa
Spring and autumn are the most stable. Summer brings monsoonal rain to lower valleys; winter is cold but clear.
- ★ BEST SEASONSpringMarch – MayStable post-winter weather, Saga Dawa festival in late May (Buddha's enlightenment day), and the start of trekking season.0°C – 18°C
- MONSOONSummerJune – AugustTibet's mini-monsoon. Lhasa stays warm and mostly dry, but the southern routes to Everest BC and Nepal see afternoon rain.10°C – 24°C
- ★ BEST SEASONAutumnSeptember – NovemberThe clearest skies of the year. October's harvest festivals in the Tibetan villages around Lhasa are remarkable.0°C – 18°C
- GOODWinterDecember – FebruaryCold but the days are crystal clear. Fewer tourists, lower prices, and the Losar (Tibetan New Year) festival in February.-10°C – 8°C