7 Days in Lhasa and Tibet
Seven days is our 6-day itinerary plus Shigatse and Tashilhunpo Monastery, the deepest version of this itinerary before you’re genuinely into Everest Base Camp territory. No foreign passport holder can visit Tibet independently: you travel with a licensed agency that provides a guide, a private vehicle, and arranges the Tibet Travel Permit on your behalf, applied for 20 to 30 days before you fly.
Book these before you go:
- Tibet Travel Permit: 20-30 days lead time, apply before booking any flights
- A hotel in the new city or Barkhor edge : confirm your agency’s booked zone for the Lhasa nights
- A licensed Tibet operator : compare inclusions, especially whether Shigatse is covered by your permit as booked
| 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 | Namtso, several hours each way |
| 7 | Shigatse, Tashilhunpo Monastery, departure | ~4-5 hours each way |
Day 1: Arrival and absolute rest
Lhasa’s altitude, 3,656 meters, is high enough to cause acute mountain sickness in healthy people. Drink water consistently, avoid alcohol for the first 48 hours, and eat light meals. Do not plan anything strenuous today; this is the day the rest of the week depends on.
Day 2: Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor kora
The Potala Palace is quota-controlled at roughly 2,300 visitors a day; your agency must book it in advance, tickets are not sold at the gate. Entry runs CNY 100 to 200 by season. The Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor kora, walked clockwise, fill the rest of the day.
Day 3: Ganden Monastery and Sera Monastery
Ganden Monastery , 4,300 meters and about 90 minutes out, is the first step beyond the city. Back in Lhasa by afternoon for Sera’s monk debates, held most weekday afternoons from roughly 3 to 5pm.
Day 4: Norbulingka and the market streets
A deliberate lower-key day: Norbulingka’s gardens, then the Barkhor market streets in the afternoon. This also banks you a third full acclimatized day before the week’s bigger drives.
Day 5: Yamdrok Lake
Yamdrok Lake sits over the 4,800 meter Kamba La pass, roughly 3 to 4 hours from Lhasa each way, turquoise water against bare mountains the whole drive.
Day 6: Namtso Lake, or a second Lhasa day
Is Namtso worth the detour this late in the trip? Only if you’re genuinely well acclimatized and have the following day free to recover; Namtso sits near 4,700 meters and is a longer drive than Yamdrok. If you’re at all still feeling the altitude, skip it and spend the day back at the Barkhor or revisiting Sera instead. Either way, get real rest before day 7’s longer drive.
Day 7: Shigatse, Tashilhunpo Monastery, and departure
Shigatse sits roughly 4 to 5 hours from Lhasa by road, home to Tashilhunpo Monastery , the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama. Whether this leg still needs a separate Aliens’ Travel Permit is genuinely unsettled as of this year, some agencies report the requirement dropped for the Shigatse route, others still list it, so confirm the current scope with your operator before you count on it. Treat this as a long day: an early start, a few hours at the monastery, and the drive back to Lhasa in the evening for an onward flight or train the next morning.
Is this the point to extend into Everest Base Camp instead? Only with real planning. EBC on the Tibet side needs its own permit confirmation, several more days than this itinerary has, and proper acclimatization well beyond what a 7-day Lhasa trip banks. Check Everest Base Camp Tibet-side tour options on Viator if you’re already planning that follow-up trip, and don’t bolt it onto this one without adding the days it actually needs.