6 Days in Lhasa and Tibet
Six days is our 5-day itinerary plus a day-six decision most itineraries don’t let you make honestly: Namtso Lake, or a second easy day in Lhasa instead. You cannot simply book a flight to Lhasa and go; every foreign traveler needs a Tibet Travel Permit arranged through a licensed agency before boarding, and a guide has to be with you from the moment you land.
Book these before you go:
- Tibet Travel Permit: 20-30 days lead time through a licensed agency
- A hotel in the new city or Barkhor edge : confirm your agency’s booked zone
- A licensed Tibet operator : required before the permit process can start
| Day | Focus | Distance from Lhasa |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival, rest | In Lhasa |
| 2 | Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor kora | In Lhasa |
| 3 | Ganden Monastery, Sera Monastery debate | ~90 min each way |
| 4 | Norbulingka, market streets (buffer day) | In Lhasa |
| 5 | Yamdrok Lake | ~3-4 hours each way |
| 6 | Namtso Lake (optional) or a second Lhasa day, departure | Namtso, several hours each way |
Day 1: Arrival and acclimatization
At 3,656 meters, the plan for day one is simple: do almost nothing. Skip alcohol, drink more water than feels necessary, and let your body catch up. Mild headache and breathlessness climbing stairs are normal in the first 24 hours; anything worse and a call to your guide is the right move, not toughing it out.
Day 2: Potala Palace and Barkhor Street
The Potala runs a real-name reservation system with a hard daily cap around 2,300, booked through your agency well ahead, using your actual passport. Entry costs CNY 100 to 200 depending on season. In the afternoon, walk the kora around the Jokhang Temple through Barkhor Street, in the direction the pilgrims move, clockwise.
Day 3: Ganden Monastery and Sera Monastery
Ganden Monastery , once the seat of the Gelug tradition’s founder, sits 4,300 meters up a ridge about 90 minutes from the city. Back in Lhasa by afternoon for Sera’s monk debates, held most weekday afternoons.
Day 4: Norbulingka and the market streets
Norbulingka , the Dalai Lama’s former summer palace, is a quieter, greener contrast to two straight days of monasteries. Spend the afternoon in the Barkhor market streets, where bargaining is expected and starting at half the quoted price is normal.
Day 5: Yamdrok Lake
Yamdrok Lake , one of the three sacred lakes of Tibet, sits over a 4,800 meter pass roughly 3 to 4 hours from Lhasa each way. Turquoise water against bare mountains the whole drive, and a genuinely full day.
Day 6: Namtso Lake, or a second Lhasa day, then departure
Is Namtso worth doing as a rushed sixth-day trip? Our honest answer is usually no. Namtso sits close to 4,700 meters, higher and further than Yamdrok, longer in the car each way, and cramming it into a single day on top of a departure is exactly the kind of push that turns a great trip into a miserable last 24 hours. If you’re genuinely well acclimatized and your onward flight is a late one, it’s spectacular. If either of those isn’t true, skip it and spend the morning back at the Barkhor or revisiting Sera instead, then head to Lhasa Gonggar Airport with plenty of buffer. Keep small yuan notes on hand for the road, and dress modestly at every religious site along the way.