Lhasa, Tibet 7 Day Itinerary

No foreign tourist can enter Tibet independently. That sentence determines the entire structure of your trip, so let it be the first thing you understand. Every foreigner needs a Tibet Travel Permit obtained through a licensed tour agency, and you must travel with a government-approved guide and registered vehicle at all times. You cannot book a permit without booking a tour; agencies do not provide permits as a standalone service. Allow at least 15 days before departure to obtain the permit, longer in peak season (May to October). You also need a standard Chinese tourist visa before the permit application can proceed.

Additional permits are required for destinations outside Lhasa. The Aliens’ Travel Permit (ATP) covers Shigatse and the Yamdrok Lake corridor. If your itinerary includes Everest Base Camp or the western regions, you need further military clearance. Your agency arranges these after you arrive, but confirm in advance that the agency you book with covers the specific destinations you want.

Getting There and the Altitude Problem

Lhasa Gonggar Airport sits 85 km from the city at 3,570 metres above sea level. The new expressway and tunnel cut the transfer to 40 to 60 minutes; expect 200 to 300 CNY for a taxi or shuttle. The altitude at the airport itself is already enough to cause symptoms in some people before they even reach the city. Lhasa city sits at 3,650 metres.

Altitude sickness is not a minor nuisance. At these elevations, arriving travellers commonly experience headaches, nausea, breathlessness, and fatigue, ranging from mild discomfort to something genuinely debilitating. Most people begin to adjust within 24 to 48 hours; a small percentage need to descend. The practical rules: drink more water than you think necessary, eat light carbohydrate-heavy meals for the first two days, avoid alcohol for the first 48 to 72 hours entirely, and do not push yourself physically until your body signals it has caught up. Supplemental oxygen is available at the airport and in most hotels. Acetazolamide (Diamox) can reduce symptoms and is worth discussing with a doctor before departure.

Where to Stay

The established options around the Barkhor area and Jokhang Temple put you closest to the old city on foot. House of Shambhala is a well-regarded boutique option; the larger Tibet Hotel is reliable mid-range. Your tour agency will typically book accommodation as part of the package; if you have specific preferences, confirm these when booking.

Day 1: Arrival and Rest

Do not fight the altitude on day one. Your tour guide will meet you at the airport. Check in, lie down, and drink water. Explore the immediate neighbourhood on foot if you feel ready in the late afternoon, but keep the radius small. The streets around Barkhor are interesting and flat.

Eat simply: Snowland Restaurant near Barkhor Street serves reliable Tibetan staples (thukpa noodle soup, momo dumplings, tsampa porridge) for around 50 to 80 CNY per person. Tibetan Family Kitchen a short walk away charges around 60 CNY for a meal including a drink. Avoid butter tea on the first night if your stomach is uncertain; it is an acquired taste even for acclimatised visitors. Avoid alcohol.

Day 2: Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple

The Potala Palace is the thing. Built by the Fifth Dalai Lama from 1645 on a hill previously sacred to Buddhist kings of the Yarlung dynasty, it rises 13 storeys above the valley floor. The daily visitor quota is 2,300 tickets, which consistently sells out in peak season weeks in advance. Your tour agency books these for you, typically 10 or more days ahead; confirm this when you book the tour and do not assume it is covered without asking. Entry costs 200 CNY, divided into morning and afternoon time slots, each lasting two hours. The climb up the ramp into the palace is steep: at altitude, take it slowly.

The interior holds the tombs of eight Dalai Lamas, chapels containing thousands of statues, and treasure rooms with relics dating back to the seventh century. Photography is restricted in many interior chapels; follow the rules.

After the Potala, walk east to the Jokhang Temple, Tibet’s most sacred pilgrimage site. Built in 647 AD, it draws thousands of devout Tibetans daily, many of whom arrive after walking or prostrating for hundreds of kilometres. The main courtyard and the prayer wheel circuit are open to tourists; some inner chapels require a guide. The golden roof terrace above the entrance gives one of the best views in Lhasa across the old city.

Dinner at Makye Ame on the southeast corner of Barkhor Street is worth the slight step up in price (around 100 CNY per person). The name comes from a love poem attributed to the Sixth Dalai Lama, who is said to have met a woman here. Live traditional music some evenings.

Day 3: Barkhor Circuit and Sera Monastery

The Barkhor is the pilgrimage kora (circumambulation route) encircling Jokhang Temple. Walking it clockwise with the pilgrims in the early morning is one of the genuinely unrepeatable experiences in travel. Go before 8am. Prayer flags, incense, monks, and traders who have worked these stalls for generations fill the lanes. Do not buy cheap souvenirs here; the quality varies enormously and the pressure to buy is constant. Thangka paintings from reputable shops are a legitimate purchase if you can distinguish quality, but that requires knowing what you are looking at.

Sera Monastery is a 20-minute drive north of the city. It was one of the three great Gelug monasteries before 1959 and retains a working monastic community. The monk debate sessions in the courtyard, held every afternoon except Sunday from around 3pm to 5pm, are spectacular: monks slap their hands sharply as punctuation when making a logical point, a tradition developed to sharpen philosophical argument. Entry is around 50 CNY. The debates are genuine religious practice, not performance; observe quietly.

Day 4: Norbulingka and Drepung Monastery

Norbulingka Palace, the summer residence of the Dalai Lamas, is a large walled park of gardens and small palaces on the western edge of the city. The New Summer Palace of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama (the current one, who fled in 1959) still has his personal effects and furniture, preserved as he left them. It is a quieter, more intimate experience than the Potala. Entry around 60 CNY.

Drepung Monastery, a short drive west, was the largest monastery in the world before 1959 with over 10,000 monks. Several thousand monks remain today. The complex sprawls across a hillside and takes two to three hours to explore properly. The Coqen (main assembly hall) holds a collection of butter sculptures, thangkas, and ritual objects. Entry around 55 CNY.

Day 5: Day Trip to Yamdrok Lake and Gyantse

This requires an ATP permit which your agency arranges. Yamdrok Lake sits 90 minutes south of Lhasa at 4,441 metres, a turquoise saline lake ringed by snow peaks. The drive over the Kamba La pass (4,794 metres) is the highest point of the trip; have water and move slowly at the viewpoint. The lake is exceptionally photogenic and does not require long to appreciate.

Gyantse is a further two hours south, one of the best-preserved traditional Tibetan towns. Pelkor Chode Monastery and the Gyantse Kumbum (a stupa containing 77 chapels spread across nine floors) together justify the drive. The Kumbum is architecturally unlike anything else in Tibet. Eat lunch in Gyantse at a local restaurant for 30 to 50 CNY and allow time for the return drive.

Day 6: Tibet Museum and the Old Quarter

The Tibet Museum reopened after a major renovation and covers the archaeology, history, and culture of the region from prehistory through the present. Entry is free. The collection is substantial and the building is climate-controlled, which makes it a good option for a day with variable weather or if acclimatisation has not fully settled. Allow two to three hours.

Spend the afternoon in the old Barkhor Quarter on foot, not on a scheduled visit. The lanes south of the Jokhang contain coppersmith workshops, incense sellers, and wood-carvers working in a tradition unchanged for centuries. This is better seen slowly without a guide pushing you to the next site.

For a final dinner, Lhasa Kitchen on Barkhor Street has a broad menu covering Tibetan, Nepalese, and Indian dishes. The Nepalese dal and the Tibetan hot pot are both reliable. Prices average 50 to 80 CNY per person.

Day 7: Departure

Lhasa Gonggar Airport requires arriving 2 to 3 hours before departure. Your guide will arrange the transfer. The drive back through the valley in the morning light is worth staying awake for.

Things to Know

Cash is essential. Many smaller restaurants, market stalls, and monasteries do not accept cards. Bring adequate CNY in mixed denominations; ATMs in Lhasa city centre work for most international cards but availability at rural stops is unreliable.

Photographs of the Dalai Lama are prohibited in Tibet. This is enforced, and having such images in your luggage or on your phone is a genuine risk if discovered. Photograph monks only with permission.

The dry plateau air dehydrates you faster than you expect. Headaches that feel like altitude sickness in the first two days are often partly dehydration. Water first, then rest, before assuming the worst.

The permit and guided-tour system means you cannot take the spontaneous detours most travellers enjoy elsewhere. Build some flexibility into your agency itinerary where possible, and discuss in advance which days you want less structured time.