Lhasa is a trip you plan months ahead, and the order of the steps matters, because foreign visitors can't travel independently in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. First comes a Chinese visa or visa-free entry for your passport. Second, a licensed travel agency, the only party that can apply for the Tibet Travel Permit. Third, the permit itself, which the agency files for you; allow several weeks, since sources disagree on how long it takes. Fourth, a guide who stays with you at the sights and on the road. The 240-hour transit rule doesn't cover Tibet. So this guide is written for an organized tour, and it separates what the tour fixes (permit, guide, driver, tickets, route) from what you decide (agency, group or private, hotel level, pace, how well you acclimatize). The first three tips below cover the paperwork in that order.
The reward is a place unlike any other in China. At about 3,650 meters Lhasa is the old capital of the Dalai Lamas, and the Potala Palace on its hill was their seat from 1649 until 1959; the Jokhang, begun around 640, is still the spiritual center of the city. Pilgrims walk the Barkhor circuit clockwise through the day, and monks debate in the courtyard of Sera in the afternoon.
Five days is a sensible length because the first one is for rest, and the altitude makes everything slower than it looks on a map. The plan keeps each day compact. Day one is arrival, sweet tea and a first walk around the Barkhor. Day two is the Potala and the Jokhang, day three the great monasteries of Drepung and Sera with the afternoon debate, day four a day trip to Yamdrok Lake over a pass of roughly 4,800 meters, and day five the Tibet Museum, Norbulingka and a last Barkhor stroll. Namtso, the other famous lake, is under More time, with the reasons. Most tours begin in Chengdu, the usual flight or train departure point, and the practical side of traveling in China, from payments to maps, is in the tips. Start on a Tuesday: the Potala and the Tibet Museum are closed on Mondays, and Sera's debates skip Sundays, so this order never touches a closing day.
Every stop from the plan below, colored by day. Pick a day to see its route.
A slow first day: land, rest, sweet tea, then a gentle clockwise walk around the Jokhang.
The Potala at opening, a plain lunch, then the two holiest temples in Lhasa and the Potala Square at dusk.
Two of the great Gelug monasteries and the afternoon debate in the courtyard at Sera.
Over a pass of about 4,800 meters to the turquoise water of Yamdrok Lake, with lunch in Nangartse and a monastery on the shore.
The museum for context, the Dalai Lamas' summer park, a last browse in the Barkhor, and a farewell dinner.
Today you do very little, on purpose. At 3,650 meters the first 24 hours decide how the next four go, so the rule is short walks, lots of water, no alcohol, and an early night. Everything below is flat and within a few hundred meters of the Jokhang, but your guide may swap the order depending on when you arrive and how you feel.
Your guide meets you at arrivals; the Gonggar airport sits at 3,600 meters and 40-60 minutes from town. If you came by train, they meet you at the station exit instead. The permit has been checked on the way in, and from here the guide holds it for the length of the trip.
Check in, drink water, and lie down for an hour even if you feel fine. The CDC treats a quick flight to a place above 3,400 meters as the high-risk case for altitude illness, and fitness doesn't protect you. Skip alcohol for the first 48 hours, eat light, and say so early if you get a headache that doesn't ease with rest and water.
Lhasa runs on sweet tea, black tea with milk and sugar, and the big old teahouses near the Jokhang are where it is served. Locals sit wherever there's a bench and share tables, so you will too. A glass has long cost about a yuan, and the old system is simple: you put your coin on the table, a server fills the glass and takes it, and you leave another coin for the next one.
You may need to buy small notes and coins at the front desk first, since paying by phone doesn't fit the ritual. Some houses also serve noodles. It's not a place for a long meal, but half an hour here tells you more about daily life in Lhasa than a museum can.
The Barkhor is the street that wraps around the Jokhang, about a kilometer in circumference, and it's one of the oldest streets in Lhasa. Pilgrims have walked it for centuries as a kora, a clockwise circuit, spinning prayer wheels and counting beads, and some measure out the whole route in full-body prostrations. You walk with the flow, clockwise, and never against it.
The shops along it sell prayer flags, incense and souvenirs, and prices are negotiable. Look now, buy on day five, when you've seen the real objects in the museums and know what you like. Don't photograph the soldiers or police at the corners and rooftops, and ask before photographing anyone, especially people praying.
The open square in front of the Jokhang is where the temple faces the city. Pilgrims often prostrate in front of the gate, and you can watch from the edge. You see the front of the Jokhang here today and go inside on day two.
The Jokhang was founded around 640 by King Songtsen Gampo, and it holds the Jowo Shakyamuni statue brought by his Tang princess Wencheng. It was attacked by Red Guards in 1966, worship stopped for a decade, and a renovation ran from 1972 to 1980. UNESCO added it to the Potala's listing in 2000. On the first evening the main thing is to stand there, breathe slowly and watch people go round.
Today's dinner is simple on purpose. Momos are the Tibetan dumplings, steamed or fried, filled with yak meat, mutton or vegetables, and you eat them with a chili dip and a bowl of broth. Order a few steamed ones and a bowl of thukpa noodle soup, which is warm, mild and easy on a stomach that's adjusting to altitude.
Restaurants around the Barkhor serve Tibetan, Nepalese and Chinese dishes, and your guide will pick one that suits the group. If you have a headache, skip the beer.
Today is a timed visit, not a stroll. The Potala sells a fixed number of tickets per day with a time slot on each, bought with your passport through the palace's own booking system, and your agency should have them before you land. It closes on Mondays, which is why this guide starts on a Tuesday.
The Potala Palace is a 13-story fortress-palace on Marpo Ri, the Red Hill, at about 3,700 meters, with more than a thousand rooms. The Fifth Dalai Lama began the present building in 1645 on the site of an older palace attributed to King Songtsen Gampo, the White Palace was ready for the court in 1649, and the Red Palace was added by 1694. The 14th Dalai Lama left for India in 1959, and the palace is now a museum. UNESCO listed it in 1994.
What you see is a fixed route through the Red Palace's chapels and the White Palace's rooms, with the longer route taking in all 13 floors. Time inside varies by route, from about an hour to three, so go by the slot printed on your ticket. The climb is roughly 100 meters of height gain at nearly 3,700 meters; take it slower than feels necessary, stop at the landings, and don't try to keep up with anyone.
Expect a passport check at the entrance and bag screening. Photography is not allowed in most halls, and rules vary room by room, so follow the signs and your guide. The palace caps daily entries, so tickets can sell out in the peak season of May to October. Reservations are real-name and cannot be transferred.
After the Potala, lunch is a bowl of beef or yak noodles in a plain family restaurant and a first cup of butter tea. The tea is salty and oily, traditionally made from tea leaves, yak butter, water and salt, and it's an acquired taste. Take a sip, and if it isn't for you, switch to sweet tea.
It is often mixed with tsampa, roasted barley flour, in a bowl. You don't need to finish a cup, and nobody will mind.
The Jokhang is a working temple, and pilgrims move through its chapels alongside visitors. It houses the Jowo Shakyamuni statue brought by Princess Wencheng, and the Jowo Mikyo Dorje brought by Bhrikuti, the Nepalese queen, is now kept at Ramoche, which you visit next. Move clockwise with the crowd, and ask your guide which chapels to stop at.
Tickets are booked a day ahead through the temple's mini program (about 85 CNY this summer), with timed slots in the morning and open entry in the afternoon, so the afternoon is the easier time to go. Your agency handles the booking. Ask your guide whether the roof is open on your day.
North of the Jokhang, Ramoche dates to the seventh century and is considered the most important temple in the city after the Jokhang. After a fire the original was replaced by a three-story building in 1474, which became the assembly hall of the Upper Tantric College of Lhasa.
Damage in 1959 and during the Cultural Revolution, and later restoration, have all left marks on it. The bronze Buddha statue from Bhrikuti was badly damaged by Red Guards, and the lower part was reported found in a Lhasa rubbish tip in 1983. It's smaller and quieter than the Jokhang, which makes it a good 45 minutes between the main sights.
The open square in front of the Potala has no ticket and no time limit, unlike the palace itself, and it's the best place to see the whole building at once.
Come back around sunset if your guide agrees, when the red palace catches the last light.
Tonight is yak. Yak steak is the signature plate, lean, dark and slightly sweet, but you will also see yak with highland barley pancakes, dried yak jerky and yak yogurt. The modern Tibetan restaurants around the Barkhor fill up early, so go early.
Order one yak dish for the table, plus momos and a vegetable plate, and finish with a pot of sweet tea. Your guide's local pick is often better value than the best-known places.
Drepung is the big one, so you see it in the morning while your legs are fresh, then go to Sera for the debate in the afternoon. Both involve steps and long uphill walks at altitude, so pace yourself. Sera's debate usually doesn't run on Sundays, which is the other reason to begin on a Tuesday.
Drepung means Rice Heap, a name that describes how its white buildings pile up on the slope of Mount Gephel, about five kilometers west of the city. Jamyang Choje founded it in 1416, and it grew into the largest of Tibet's great monasteries: the traveler Freddie Spencer Chapman counted around 7,700 monks here in 1936-37. The Dalai Lamas lived in its Ganden Phodrang before the Potala was built, and the name of the Tibetan government comes from that estate. Local sources today put the community at roughly 300 monks.
Your guide takes you through the assembly hall and the chapels climbing the slope. The paths are steep and the air thin, so stop often. Photography inside is limited, and the rules vary hall by hall.
A Tibetan lunch between the two monasteries is usually thukpa, noodle soup with meat and vegetables, which Tibetan cuisine treats as a dinner staple but which is also an easy lunch. Hand-pulled noodle versions are called thenthuk. Pair it with a pot of tea and stay out of the sun for 20 minutes.
Carry water and a snack to Sera, where you'll stand for a long time in an open courtyard.
Sera is the third of the great Gelug monasteries, founded in 1419 on a slope north of the city. The name means wild roses, because the hill behind it was covered with them when it was built. Fighting in 1959 caused severe damage and many of its colleges were destroyed; a parallel Sera was later founded by exiles in India, and the original has been partly rebuilt.
Arrive around 14:00-14:30 to see the main assembly hall and the Chapel of Tamdrin, which draws large crowds, before the debate begins. Most halls close by about 17:00.
In the afternoon the debate courtyard fills with monks in maroon robes who argue in pairs. One stands and puts a question with a sharp clap of the hands, and the other sits and must answer. Dozens of these arguments run at once, and the noise is closer to a sports crowd than a library. It is part of the Gelug school's training in logic and doctrine.
Visitors usually see it from about 15:00 to 17:00, except on Sundays; the monastery sets the timetable, so your guide will confirm it for the week you travel. Stand at the edge, don't step into the circle, and ask before photographing a monk's face at close range.
Dinner after a long monastery day is a bowl of hot soup, a plate of momos and, if you can face it, a taste of butter tea. Save any alcohol, including chang, the traditional barley drink, until you've had a few nights at altitude, or skip it altogether.
You will probably eat close to your hotel. Keep the evening quiet, because tomorrow is a long drive and a high pass.
This is the day trip, and the high point in every sense. The pass is about 100 kilometers from Lhasa, at roughly 4,800 meters, and the road then drops to a lake at 4,441. Nangartse, at the lake's western end, is around 165 kilometers out, so with lunch there this is a full day on the road. It works because the lake is lower than the pass, and day four is the right time for it, after three nights in the city. Namtso, the other famous lake, is higher, farther and more seasonal, and is covered under More time. Leave about 08:00 and plan to be back between 17:00 and 20:00.
The road climbs in long switchbacks until it crests at Gamba La, which OpenStreetMap lists at 4,794 meters, and the whole lake appears below. Prayer flags hang at the viewpoint, as at most passes in Tibet. Published heights range from about 4,750 to 4,990 meters depending on the viewpoint, so treat any number as approximate.
Stay no longer than 20 or 30 minutes, walk slowly and keep your breath even. This is a place where first-time visitors suddenly feel a headache or tightness in the chest. If you're not well, tell your guide, and ask to go straight down. The lake is lower, and a few hundred meters of descent makes a noticeable difference.
Yamdrok Lake is one of the three largest lakes in Tibet, more than 72 kilometers long, and its name means turquoise. The water has no single color; it moves from deep green to bright blue as the sun and clouds change. Local mythology says the lake is a goddess who transformed into water.
Tour operators stop at a couple of viewpoints and walk the shore for 30 to 60 minutes. The light is best from late morning to early afternoon.
Nangartse, called Langkazi on Chinese maps, is the small county town at the western end of the lake. Lunch is almost always a plain noodle or rice dish with some vegetables and meat, along with butter tea or sweet tea. Don't expect anything fancy; your guide will have picked a place that suits the group.
This is a good moment to drink water and sit in the shade. Nangartse is at a similar height to the lake, so if you still feel unwell, tell your guide and head back toward Lhasa.
Samding sits on a hill above the shore, and it is described as Tibet's only monastery led by a female reincarnated lama. It is rarely crowded, and the views take in the lake and snow peaks on a clear day. Not every tour includes it because it adds time to an already long day, so ask your guide in advance.
Some tours add the Karola Glacier on the Gyantse road, a roadside stop near 5,000 meters. That makes 11 hours or more in the car, so pick Samding or Karola, not both.
The last day is gentle on purpose. The Tibet Museum and Norbulingka stand a few minutes apart in the west of the city, so you cover both by lunch, and the afternoon is yours for shopping and packing. Check your flight or train time against this list, because a morning departure replaces everything after the museum. The museum is closed on Mondays, and Norbulingka is a long but flat walk with no steep climbs.
The Tibet Museum opened on 5 October 1999 and was the first large modern museum in the region. Its collection runs to more than 520,000 objects, including pottery, jade and Buddha statues. Entry is free, but you need your passport and a reservation made a day ahead.
After four days of temples it works as context: the displays cover Tibetan history, religion, arts and everyday life, and your guide can add detail. The best use of an hour and a half is to pick one gallery and read it properly rather than rush through all of them.
Norbulingka means Jeweled Park, and it was the Dalai Lamas' summer residence from the 1780s, built from 1755 under the Seventh Dalai Lama on the bank of the Kyichu. The park covers about 36 hectares with 374 rooms, and it was added to the Potala's UNESCO listing in 2001. The Fourteenth Dalai Lama stayed here before leaving for India in 1959.
Your guide shows you the palace buildings and the gardens around them. The grounds are the gentlest walk of the trip, and in summer the park hosts the Shoton yogurt festival.
Lunch today can be anything you've been missing, from fried momos to a Sichuan-style plate of rice and vegetables. Most tours fix some meals and leave others open, so check with your agency which are included.
By day five most people's appetites have returned. Take advantage and try one dish you skipped, such as the flatbread balep, a common breakfast and lunch bread, or the meat and cabbage bread sha phaley.
This is the time for the shopping you postponed on day one. Prayer flags, singing bowls, brass butter-lamp holders, hand-printed paper, incense and silver or turquoise jewelry all sell in the Barkhor, and prices are negotiable. After four days you know what you like, and you've seen the museum pieces.
Be careful with anything sold as an antique: ask about export rules before you buy, and ask for a receipt. Prayer flags, incense and tea are simple gifts that raise no questions.
For the last night, pick the dish you liked best: yak steak, momos, or a Tibetan meal with butter tea. Ask your agency whether a farewell dinner is part of the package or an optional extra.
If you leave at dawn, go to bed early and set an alarm for the airport transfer, which takes 40-60 minutes. Keep your passport in your hand luggage. The guide holds the Tibet Travel Permit, and the agency returns it to the authorities after the trip.
Six places that didn't fit the five days, ordered by distance from Lhasa. Most need an extra day, and some need further permits.
Ganden is the oldest of the three great Gelug monasteries, founded in 1409 by Je Tsongkhapa, who founded the school. The buildings were destroyed after 1959 and have since been partly rebuilt. It's the closest of the big sights and the easiest to add.
Getting there: About 45 km east of Lhasa, roughly an hour by road with your guide
Tsurphu is the traditional seat of the Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage, in a valley at about 4,300 meters. It is a quieter choice than Ganden, and the altitude is higher than Lhasa's, so go after several nights in the city, not on the second day.
Getting there: About 70 km west of Lhasa, roughly 2 hours by road
Samye is the first Buddhist and Nyingma monastery built in Tibet, begun in 763 and completed in 767 under King Trisong Detsen. It was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt after 1988. It makes a full day, often combined with the Yarlung valley.
Getting there: About 150 km southeast of Lhasa, roughly 3-4 hours by road
A glacier close to the highway at about 5,000 meters, often combined with Yamdrok Lake on the same trip. A day that includes Lhasa, the lake and Karola is 11 hours or more in the car, and the altitude makes it a stop for travelers who are already acclimatized. It is shrinking.
Getting there: On the Lhasa to Gyantse road, roughly 3.5 hours by road each way
Namtso, the Heavenly Lake, lies at 4,718 meters, higher than Yamdrok, and the road crosses Laken Pass at 5,186 meters. The lake thaws in May, summer is the easiest season, and snowstorms on the pass can change conditions fast, so ask your agency about road status in winter. A day trip means 8-10 hours in the car, so an overnight in Damxung makes more sense. That is why Yamdrok is the day trip in this guide: lower, shorter and open in more months.
Getting there: About 112 km north-northwest of Lhasa as the crow flies, roughly 4-5 hours each way by road
Shigatse is Tibet's second city and home to Tashilhunpo Monastery, founded in 1447 by the First Dalai Lama and the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama. It is also the gateway to Everest tours. Some places beyond Lhasa need an extra Aliens' Travel Permit that your agency arranges, so decide early if you want to add it.
Getting there: About 280 km southwest of Lhasa, a full day by road
Tibetan food is built for altitude and cold: barley, butter, yak, noodles and hot drinks. Chinese restaurants fill the gaps.
Roasted barley flour, the staple food of Tibet. It is usually mixed with butter tea in a bowl and eaten as a dough or porridge. It is plain and filling, with a nutty taste.
Where to try it: Family restaurants and teahouses around the Barkhor; ask your guide to show you how it is mixed.
Tea leaves, yak butter, water and salt, traditionally churned together. It is salty and oily, closer to soup than to tea. Take a sip to be polite and stop when you have had enough.
Where to try it: Restaurants and teahouses across Lhasa; a family-run place will serve the traditional version.
Black tea with milk and sugar, cheap and everywhere. The teahouses that serve it work as social clubs.
Where to try it: The big old sweet teahouses in the streets around the Jokhang; your guide will know which are open.
Steamed or fried dumplings, usually filled with yak meat, mutton or vegetables and served with a chili dip. They are the most reliable snack in Lhasa and a safe first dinner.
Where to try it: Small restaurants around the Barkhor and near Norbulingka.
Noodle soup with meat and vegetables, a dinner staple in Tibetan cooking. Thenthuk is the hand-pulled noodle version. It is warm, filling and easy on the stomach at altitude.
Where to try it: Noodle shops and family restaurants; a plain bowl costs a few euros.
Yak is the signature meat: served as steak, in stews, as jerky and with barley pancakes. Yak butter and yogurt are part of the same family of foods.
Where to try it: A modern Tibetan restaurant in the Barkhor area; ask your guide for a current pick.
Balep is Tibetan bread eaten at breakfast and lunch, baked or fried. Sha phaley is a meat and cabbage bread, a hearty snack.
Where to try it: Bakeries and small restaurants in the old town.
Yogurt gives its name to the Shoton festival, held at Norbulingka in summer. At the table it is thick, tangy and often served with sugar.
Where to try it: Teahouses and Tibetan restaurants around the Jokhang.
A traditional alcoholic drink made from fermented grain, in Tibet usually barley. Alcohol is a bad idea in your first 48 hours at altitude, so leave it for the end of the trip.
Where to try it: A family restaurant or teahouse; ask your guide before you try.
The Lhasa Brewery Company was founded in 1988, and its beer is the local mainstream choice. It is a plain, light option for the end of a long day, once you have been in Lhasa for several nights.
Where to try it: Restaurants and shops across the city.
Sichuan-style Chinese food is among the usual choices in Lhasa, and it is an easy break from yak and butter. Ask for mild if your stomach is sensitive. Your guide can pick a clean, well-reviewed one.
Where to try it: Streets around the Potala and the Barkhor.
Your tour usually fixes the hotel, so this is about the neighborhood you will end up in, and what to ask your agency.
Best for: Atmosphere and walking to the temple early
Hotels and guesthouses within a few minutes of the Jokhang put you on the pilgrim circuit and a short walk from the sweet tea houses. The catch: the area is busy early in the morning, rooms are often smaller, and you should ask about heating and oxygen before you book.
Best for: A central base with easy car access
The streets around the Potala and the roads leading east to the old town are central and easy for a driver to reach. The catch: it is a longer walk to the Barkhor than staying beside the Jokhang, and the big hotels cost more.
Best for: A quieter stay near the museum and the park
The Tibet Museum and Norbulingka are in the west of the city, with calmer streets around them. It suits a restful trip. The catch: you are farther from the old town's evening life, and you will rely on your driver for most trips.
Pinpoint: click each country on the world map - inside the border for full points, the closer the more you earn.
The practical stuff that makes the first day in Lhasa easier.
Sort out entry to China first; the permit comes later. On the National Immigration Administration's list dated 17 February 2026, citizens of 50 countries can enter visa-free for up to 30 days; agencies say most of these run to 31 December 2026. The United States isn't on the list. Several licensed agencies state that visa-free travelers still need the Tibet Travel Permit and that it can be filed with a passport copy instead of a visa copy. That is an agency statement, not a government notice, so get written confirmation for your passport before you book anything non-refundable. The 240-hour transit rule does not cover Tibet: its 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities do not include the Tibet Autonomous Region. Arrivals from Nepal follow a separate procedure, so ask your agency.
Choose a licensed agency registered in Tibet, or one that works with a licensed local partner, and get these in writing: permit filing, guide, private car or minibus, hotels by name, entry tickets including the Potala, meals and transfers. Ask whether the guide is licensed, what happens if the permit is refused or delayed, the cancellation terms, and whether flights or train tickets are included. Reviews from the past year say more than a polished website. A small group is cheaper and sets its own pace; a private tour costs more and lets you shorten days. Typical figures: small-group tours from around 120 USD (about 107 EUR) a day, and one agency's sample 4-day Lhasa highlights tour at 450-560 USD (about 400-500 EUR) per person excluding flights. Add the flight, a Chinese visa if you need one, tips for guide and driver, and travel insurance that covers altitude and medical evacuation. Potala tickets must be booked in your name, so check they're included.
The Tibet Travel Permit is a confirmation letter issued by the region's authorities, not a visa. Only the agency can apply for it, and processing times are quoted from about a week to a month, so allow several weeks and book flights or trains only once it is issued. The permit lists every place you plan to visit, and it is checked at airports, stations and road checkpoints. Without it you can't board a flight to Lhasa, and you can't change the route on the ground. On arrival it is handed to your guide, who stays with you at the sights and on the road, and the agency returns it to the authorities after the trip. Current entry rules are summarized on Wikivoyage, and your agency should confirm them in writing.
Access for foreigners has been closed or limited before, usually around sensitive dates. Tourist sites were closed from March to June 2008, and agencies report that March was closed to foreigners in most years since: roughly 1 to 18 March in 2024, and about 1 to 20 March in 2025. They also report that no March closure took place in 2026. No schedule is published, and access can still change at short notice. Permit processing also pauses around Tibetan New Year; one agency lists 15 to 26 February 2026. Ask your agency about your dates and keep your plan flexible in February and March.
Lhasa is at 3,650 meters. Acute mountain sickness usually starts 2-12 hours after arrival, often the first night: a headache plus nausea, dizziness, fatigue or loss of appetite, typically settling in 12-48 hours if you don't go higher. Rest and water help. Tell your guide if symptoms get worse despite rest, because the answer is to descend. Confusion, loss of balance, drowsiness, breathlessness at rest, a wet cough or bloody sputum are emergencies, and the treatment is oxygen and going down. Never go higher to sleep with symptoms. Avoid alcohol for the first 48 hours, and ask your doctor about acetazolamide before you leave, since the CDC advice suggests considering it after a rapid ascent.
Flying from Chengdu takes about 2.5 to 3 hours, so you can go from 500 meters to 3,600 in an afternoon. The CDC counts a rapid ascent above 3,400 meters as the high-risk case. The Qinghai-Tibet railway is slower: Chengdu to Lhasa takes about 43 hours on the Z322, which leaves every second day and runs via Xining, Xining to Lhasa takes about 22 hours, and Beijing is just under 48. Wikivoyage notes that the high sections come in the last 12 hours or so, which isn't enough to acclimatize, and the line crosses Tanggula Pass at 5,072 meters. A night or two in Xining (2,300 meters) before either helps. Either way, wait for the permit before buying a ticket.
Don't photograph soldiers, police, checkpoints or security posts, and don't film altercations. Ask before photographing people, especially monks and pilgrims. Photography is banned or charged inside many halls and rules differ chapel by chapel, so follow the signs and your guide. Walk clockwise around holy sites, dress modestly, and speak quietly in temples. Politics and religion are sensitive subjects for everyone you meet, including your guide, so follow their lead and don't push.
Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly: both now let you link a foreign card, and the central bank's branch reported limits of 5,000 USD per payment and 50,000 USD a year in 2024. Foreign cards on their own are rarely accepted outside international hotels and big chains, so carry some cash, especially for sweet tea houses. Google, Gmail, Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia are blocked in mainland China. A roaming eSIM or your home plan with roaming usually gets round it because traffic goes through the foreign network, while VPN use is heavily restricted and unauthorized use can bring fines. Apple Maps works and Amap (Gaode) has an English international version; Google Maps doesn't. Download offline maps, a translation app and your payment apps before you fly. Hotels must register foreign guests with the police, so expect the desk to scan your passport at check-in. For the metro, trains and food in Chengdu, where most tours start, see the Chengdu guide.
No. Foreign visitors to the Tibet Autonomous Region of China need a Tibet Travel Permit filed by a licensed agency and must travel on an organized tour with a guide, which can be private. The order is visa or visa-free entry, then agency, then permit. Tibetan areas in Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan have different rules.
You need to enter China first, with a visa or under the visa-free policy for your country (30 days for 50 countries until the end of 2026; the United States is not on the list). Licensed agencies say the Tibet permit can be filed for visa-free travelers with just a passport; get that confirmed in writing for your passport. The 240-hour transit rule does not cover Tibet.
Yes for the city and one lake. Day one is for rest, which is the part first-timers want to skip and shouldn't. With 4 days you drop the museum or the lake, and with more you add Ganden, Samye, Tsurphu or a longer route to Shigatse and Everest Base Camp.
Mild symptoms such as a headache, nausea and tiredness usually pass in a day or two with rest and water. Tell your guide at once, and don't go higher. Descent is the treatment for worsening symptoms. Confusion, loss of balance, breathlessness at rest or a bloody cough are emergencies and need oxygen and a hospital or descent immediately.
Rules differ by site and hall. Photography is generally banned in the Potala's halls, and many temples forbid it or charge for it. Outside the buildings, photograph the architecture and landscape freely, but don't photograph soldiers, police or checkpoints, and ask before photographing monks or pilgrims.
There is no published schedule. Agencies report that foreigners were not admitted for roughly the first three weeks of March in 2024 and 2025, and that no March closure happened in 2026. Permit processing also pauses around Tibetan New Year, so ask your agency about your dates.
Yamdrok for a day trip: the first viewpoints are about 100 km and 2-3 hours from Lhasa, the lake is at 4,441 meters, and the road is open most of the year. Namtso is a 4-5 hour drive each way, sits at 4,718 meters, and is easiest in summer because snowstorms on the pass can change conditions quickly in winter. Namtso is better with an extra night.
Plan on roughly 100-170 EUR per person per day for a guided tour, with the permit, guide, car, hotel and tickets bundled in. Private tours cost more. Flights, any visa, insurance and tips come on top.
Find Lhasa on the map, learn the flag and check how much you really know about China.
The first capital of China, with a wall you can ride and a noodle as wide as a belt. Five days, planned properly.
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