What to Do in Lhasa Tibet: Top Things You Must Do in Lhasa during Your Tibet Tour

Known as the “City of Sunshine”, Lhasa is the regional capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, and also the world’s highest capital city at 3656m above sea level. Famous as being the most popular tourist destination in Tibet, Lhasa boasts iconic Potala Palace, the former seat of the Dalai Lama’s power in Tibet, as well as being home to the famed Jokhang Temple, the most sacred building in the region.

The center of Tibetan Buddhism for more than 1,300 years, Lhasa is a delightful city that sees millions of tourists swarming through its streets every year, yet retains its mystical and mythical qualities, especially in the old quarter of the city. Flickering butter lanterns mix with the smell of burning incense and juniper wood, as pilgrims prostrate their way around the famous Barkhor Street.

This ancient and modern city is the epitome of any trip to Tibet, and has more attractions that you really must visit than many cities twice its size. Here we will introduce you an insider tips from our local experts about top things to do in Lhasa.

Explore the Potala Palace

A visit to the famous Potala Palace will always be recommended during a normal 4-day Lhasa city tour. Once the seat of power in Tibet for the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism and the Dalai Lama, the Potala Palace stands proud and immense on top of the hill in the middle of Lhasa, overlooking the city. Built in the 17th century on the site of a 7th-century fortress, this towering winter residence of the Dalai Lama is the cardinal landmark of Lhasa, and can be seen for miles around the city.

Rising 13 storeys from the top of Marpo Ri, the Red Hill, the palace is made up of the Red Palace and the White Palace, and contains more than 1,000 rooms. The White Palace is the residential building for the Dalai Lama, while the Red Palace is the religious aspect of the Potala, containing dozens of chapels and the golden chortens of the previous Dalai Lamas. Inside the White Palace, the three floors that are occupied by the personal apartments of the Dalai Lama give visitors an insight into the life of the Tibetan Buddhist leader.

Taking more than 50 years to complete, the palace still includes part of the original fortress that was built in the 7th century as a Dzong to protect the city of Lhasa, commissioned by the 33rd King of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo after moving the Tibetan capital from Tsedang to Lhasa.

Pray at Jokhang Temple

The spiritual heart of Tibet, the Jokhang Temple is one of the oldest buildings in the city, and one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Tibet. Located in the old quarter of the city, this golden-roofed and ancient temple is the focal point for thousands of Tibetan pilgrims who travel to Lhasa every year, often trekking hundreds of kilometers across the plateau on their holy pilgrimage.

The temple was built in the 7th century by the Tibetan King, Songtsen Gampo, the temple is located in Barkhor Square, and is considered to be the most sacred temple in Tibet in Tibetan Buddhism. Built as part of a series of temples designed to subdue a wild demoness, Jokhang was built to subdue the heart of the demoness, and the small lake on the site was filled in in order to build the temple. Completed in around 652 AD, the temple has been enlarged several times over the flowing 900 years, with the last renovations being done in the 17th century.

One of two temples built in Lhasa at the time, the other being the Ramoche Temple, Jokhang originally housed the Jowo Mikyö Dorje, the statue brought to Tibet by Princess Bhrikuti from Nepal, with the Jowo Rinpoche being located in the Ramoche Temple. The Jowo Rinpoche was hidden in a secret room in the Jokhang in the late 7th century, and then placed in the central chapel in around 710 AD, with the Jowo Mikyö Dorje being moved to the Ramoche Temple.

Kora around Barkhor Street

Barkhor Street is the name of five streets that circle the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, and is the main kora route for Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims around the sacred temple site. This sacred devotional pilgrim circuit around Jokhang Temple is the most sacred of kora circuits for pilgrims to Lhasa, and it is common to see dozens of pilgrims making their way clockwise around the temple, spinning prayer wheels and reciting sutras as they go. You will even see some prostrating for the entire route around the kora, and on completion, all go to the gate to pray and prostrate in front of the temple, before going in to pray at the sacred relics and statues inside.

Barkhor Street is also more than just the kora route around Jokhang Temple, it is also the main market street in this part of Lhasa, as well as hiding some of the best restaurants in Lhasa. The street market around Barkhor is filled daily with traders and peddlers that come into the city to sell their goods, and is lined with shops along both sides. The shouts of the street vendors echoes out over the city, selling anything from prayer wheels and butter lamps to Tibetan incense, Thangkas, local meats, and much more.

Watch Monks Debate at Sera Monastery

The debating monks at the Sera Monastery to the north of central Lhasa is one of the most popular attractions for tourists to the Tibetan capital. Filled with extravagant gestures, loud statements, and lots of hand clapping, the monks debate on all kinds of theological and philosophical topics, as part of their training. One of the most famous debating sites for monasteries of Tibet, Sera Monastery is one of the three major university monasteries of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism, and provides a university-level education for its monastic scholars.

In Tibet, Buddhism is a religion based on wisdom, realizations, and the insights of Buddha, and philosophical debate is one of the many paths to wisdom, which can lead to enlightenment. In Tibet, debating on the philosophies of Buddha through the opinions of both parties is so valuable in the teaching of monks, that the loser is compelled to accept the arguments of the winning debater.

In Buddhism, debating has a long history, dating back to the days of Buddha Sakyamuni, who found that, in order to clarify the teachings of his beliefs, he would need to argue his point with others. With practice Buddha became so compelling in his arguments, that many were forced to accept his views and arguments, and this practice has been a major part of the training of Tibetan monks.

Visit the Samye Monastery

Located around 170km to the south of Lhasa, in Dranang County of Lhoka Prefecture, to the north of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. Reputed to be the first monastery in Tibet, Samye was constructed in the 8th century, during the reign of the 34th Tibetan king, Trisong Detsen, who sought to revitalize Buddhism in the Empire. The monastery is famous not just for its status in history, but also for its unique Mandala design, with the central hall representing the legendary Mount Meru, the center of the universe.

The outer temples of the monastery represent the various oceans, continents, and other features of the Buddhist cosmology, and include Dajor ling, Dragyar ling, Bétsa ling, Jampa ling, Samten ling, Natsok ling, Düdül ling, and Tamdrin ling. The main temple of the monastery is filled with ancient religious artifacts, murals, and statues, and some of the most important relics in Tibetan Buddhism. One of the major destinations for pilgrims in Tibet, Samye Monastery is also a popular tourist destination in Tibet.

As well as being a major attraction, Samye is said to be the location where Padmasambhava defeated the malicious local mountain gods and malevolent spirts that had been preventing the monastery from being completed, performing one of the sacred Cham dances for which he was renowned to subdue the gods and spirits and bound Pehar Gyalpo to become the head of the Buddhist protective spirits.

See Heavenly Namtso Lake

One of the must-see attractions of Tibet are the three sacred lakes, and Lake Namtso, to the north of Lhasa city, on the boundary between Lhasa and Nagqu, is one of the most stunning lakes in the world. The largest lake in Tibet and the highest saline lake in the world, Namtso is known as the “Heavenly Lake” in Tibet, and lies at an altitude of 4,718 meters above sea level. It is just 240 km from Lhasa city.

Located between Damxung County and Baingoin County, Namtso has long been a sacred site for pilgrimage, and its kora route is known to be one of the most sacred in the region. The lake also has five small islands, which were historically used as summer hermitage retreats. The monks and lamas would walk across the frozen ice of the lake to the islands, and spend more than half of the year in their retreat, only able to return to the mainland once the winter comes and the lake freezes over again.

Bounded to the east by the high Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains, part of the Transhimalaya that crisscross the Tibetan plateau, and on its other sides by the vast Changtang Grasslands, Lake Namtso has some of the most beautiful scenery and landscapes in Tibet, and is popular with photographers and tourists alike. If you adore beautiful natural scenery of Tibet, just add a Namtso visit to your Lhasa tour with convenient getaway from the city.

Conclusion

Lhasa is not just a city, it is a whole prefecture, and while it is not the largest, it does have the most amazing attractions on the plateau. No trip to Tibet is complete without exploring the delights of the city, the attractions of the area, and the stunning views. And if you are short on time for your t rip to Tibet, Lhasa is the best place to travel to for a short plateau break. For the best tours of Lhasa and the surrounding area, you can join in on one of our amazing Lhasa Group Tours, and experience the wonders of the City of Sunshine for yourself.