Lhasa

Lhasa at 3,650 Metres Altitude Takes the First Day From You

Your first day in Lhasa should involve nothing strenuous. The altitude is not a suggestion to take seriously; it is a physiological fact. Most visitors experience some degree of altitude sickness at 3,650 metres: headache, fatigue, breathlessness at minimal exertion. A proportion experience severe symptoms that require medical attention. Plan the first 24 to 48 hours as rest days regardless of how you feel on arrival. The Potala Palace climb, the Jokhang Temple, and Sera Monastery will all still be there on day two.

Lhasa has been the political and religious centre of Tibet for fourteen centuries. Its most famous structure, the Potala Palace, rises 117 metres above the valley floor on Red Mountain. It was the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas from the 17th century until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959. The city is now administered as the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Entry Requirements

Independent travel to Tibet is not permitted for foreign nationals. You must book through a registered Tibetan travel agency that will obtain a Tibet Travel Permit on your behalf. The permit cannot be obtained outside China and cannot be applied for independently. In practice, you book a package with a Lhasa-based agency – many operate online – they handle the permit, and you receive a letter of authorisation. Additional permits are required for sites outside Lhasa including Everest Base Camp. These are arranged by the same agency.

You enter by train (the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, a remarkable journey across plateau sections above 5,000 metres) or by plane from Chengdu or Chongqing. Both require having your permit letter.

The Potala Palace

The palace’s red and white exterior is one of the most recognisable buildings in Asia. It functions now as a museum managed by Chinese state authorities. Entry requires a timed ticket obtained in advance; visitor numbers are capped daily. The interior includes former Dalai Lama apartments, meditation halls, chapels with thousands of Buddhist images, stupas containing the preserved remains of past Dalai Lamas, and an extraordinary collection of thangka paintings. The climb from the base involves significant steps; at altitude, it takes longer than you expect. Allow at least three hours.

Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street

Jokhang is the most sacred Buddhist temple in Tibet, built in the 7th century and housing the Jowo Shakyamuni – a statue of the 12-year-old Buddha said to have been brought to Tibet as a dowry by a Chinese princess. Outside the entrance, pilgrims prostrate themselves full-length on the flagstones, some having continued this practice for hundreds of kilometres of travel to reach the temple. The interior atmosphere – butter lamps, incense, murmured prayers – is unlike anywhere else.

Barkhor Street is the circular pilgrimage circuit around Jokhang, about a kilometre around. Pilgrims walk it clockwise, turning prayer wheels attached to the walls. Between them are market stalls; the vendors are persistent.

Sera Monastery

Each afternoon until about 5pm, monks at Sera hold formal debates in the courtyard: one group sits while others pace and gesticulate, clapping sharply to emphasise logical points. It is a traditional format for philosophical argumentation that has continued for centuries, and visitors can watch from the courtyard edge.

Practical Notes

Photography of military checkpoints and personnel is prohibited and can result in serious difficulties. Follow posted rules inside temples. ATMs are available but coverage of international cards is not guaranteed; bring sufficient cash.