Things to Do in Lhasa: Potala Palace, Jokhang, Barkhor and a 3-Day Plan

In short

The top things to do in Lhasa are the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple, a clockwise walk around the Barkhor, the monk debates at Sera Monastery, and Drepung Monastery and Norbulingka. Plan at least three days. Lhasa sits at about 3,650 metres, so rest on day one and leave the Potala's long stairs for day three. You cannot visit alone: foreign travellers need a Tibet Travel Permit and a licensed guide, booked through an agency. Potala tickets are timed, time inside is limited, often to about an hour, and the palace closes on Mondays, so let your guide plan your route.

The main sights in Lhasa

From our Tibet itinerary, checked on 5 November 2026. Your guide will confirm details on the day.

Potala Palace

This is the reason many people come. The former winter palace of the Dalai Lamas rises in white and red from Marpo Ri, at about 3,700 metres according to UNESCO, which lists it with the Jokhang and Norbulingka as a World Heritage Site. Visitors follow a fixed one-way route through the chapels and burial stupas. Daily numbers are limited and entry is by timed ticket. Full-price tickets are normally 200 yuan from May to October and 100 yuan from November to April. Entry is reported as free from 15 October 2026 to 15 March 2027 under Tibet's winter tourism scheme, though you still need a booked ticket, and your guide will confirm whether it covers your group. Since 21 September 2026 the palace has closed every Monday, except on national holidays. Photography is not allowed inside. On our trips, the ticket and booking are included and handled by your guide. Take the outer stairs slowly, with rests.

Drepung Monastery and Norbulingka

Drepung Monastery, founded in 1416, sits on a hillside about 8 km west of the centre. In the 1930s it was described as the largest monastery in the world, with some 7,700 monks. Walk through its colleges and its great kitchen at an easy pace. Norbulingka, about 2 to 3 km west of the Potala, was the Dalai Lamas' summer palace, and it hosts the Shoton Festival each summer. The Tibet Museum next door is a good optional stop. General entry is listed as free, and the museum closes on Mondays, so your guide will confirm it.

More things to do in Lhasa

• Photograph the Potala: the classic view, much like the one on the 50 yuan note, is from the platform on Chakpori Hill, opposite the palace.
• Drink sweet tea: sit in a local teahouse near the Barkhor, where a small glass costs very little and local people stay for hours. It is an easy way to rest.
• Try Tibetan food: momos, thukpa noodles and tsampa, the roasted barley flour. Eat light in the first two days. Many restaurants offer vegetarian dishes. Lhasa has halal restaurants around the Great Mosque in its Muslim quarter, but they may not be near your route, so tell us early.
• See Ramoche Temple: a quieter 7th-century temple, north of the Barkhor, if you have spare time.
• Visit Ganden Monastery: a beautiful hillside monastery, about an hour and a half by road east of Lhasa and higher than the city. Go only once you feel well.
• See a festival: Saga Dawa brings large crowds of pilgrims, and the Shoton Festival fills Norbulingka in summer. Dates follow the Tibetan calendar, so ask us early.
• Take a lake day trip: Yamdrok Lake is on our Discovery Tour, by way of a road pass at about 4,800 metres. Namtso Lake, reported at about 4,718 metres, is a long day much higher than Lhasa, so do it only after several good days.

What to do in Lhasa at night

Lhasa uses Beijing time, the same as Singapore, but it lies far to the west. So the sun rises and sets later than you expect. In summer it stays light until about 9 pm, and in winter the sun may not rise until nearly 9 am. That gives you long, slow evenings.

• See the Potala lit up: go to the square in front of the palace after dark, and ask your guide when the lights come on. Dress warmly, as nights are cold for most of the year.
• Walk the Barkhor at dusk, when the old town is still busy.
• See a show: Princess Wencheng is a large outdoor performance that runs in the warmer months. Check whether it is on during your dates.
• Keep your first two nights quiet. The CDC advises against alcohol for the first 48 hours at altitude.

A 3-day plan for Lhasa

This is the order we use on our Tibet Discovery Tour. It starts low on effort and leaves the hardest stairs until last.

Day 1: arrive and rest

Flights from Singapore connect in China, often through Chengdu or Chongqing, and land at Lhasa Gonggar Airport. It is about an hour to the city. Keep the rest of the day slow and see how you feel. Our Tibet altitude sickness guide explains what is normal and what is not.

Day 2: monasteries and gardens

Go to Drepung in the morning at an easy pace, then Norbulingka and the optional Tibet Museum. Reach Sera for the debates in the afternoon, and have an early night. The CDC advises only mild exercise for the first 48 hours, so drop a stop if you feel the height.

Day 3: the Potala, the Jokhang and the Barkhor

Climb the Potala at your timed entry, on any day except a Monday, have lunch, then visit the Jokhang. Finish with a walk around the Barkhor and an evening view of the Potala.

With a fourth day, add Ganden or a lake trip, or simply rest. With fewer than three days, we suggest you do not go, since you would spend most of your time adjusting to the height.

Before you go: permit, guide and flights

• Permit and guide: a Tibet Travel Permit must come through a licensed agency, with a guide for the whole trip. Allow at least three weeks.
• Visa: Singaporeans do not need a China visa for stays of up to 30 days under the current rules, but you still need the Tibet Travel Permit.
• Flights and fares: our Singapore to Lhasa guide has the routes from Changi.
• When to go: April to May and September to October suit most travellers. Tibet can close to foreign visitors for some weeks around February and March, often at short notice, so check with us before you book.
• What to wear: we suggest covering your shoulders and knees in temples. Take off hats in chapels, and pack layers and sunscreen.
• Medical check: see your doctor in Singapore before booking, and ask about acetazolamide (Diamox).

Which trip should you choose?

Each of these trips includes time in Lhasa. Prices are per person, twin share, on 5 November 2026:

• Tibet Discovery Tour, 7 days: from S$2,900, with Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake, Gyantse and Shigatse. It includes your Potala, Jokhang, Drepung, Norbulingka and Sera tickets, and oxygen in the vehicle.
• Everest Base Camp Tibet Tour, 8 days: from S$2,200. Compare it with Nepal in Everest Base Camp: Tibet or Nepal side.
• Tibet and Nepal Grand Journey, 12 days: from S$3,890.

For sacred walks further west, read our Mount Kailash guide. For what is and is not included, see our Tibet tour cost guide or browse Tibet tours from Singapore.