4-Day Pure Play Tour of Lhasa, Tibet and Surrounding Areas

🌟 I happened to be on a business trip to Lhasa, so I flew directly from Chengdu to Lhasa. I rested a little to adapt to the high altitude. I really like Lhasa, a city of integration, with ancient palaces, mysterious temples, modern shopping malls, and beautiful Tibetan clothes. There are many places worth visiting, such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Yaowang Mountain, Sera Monastery, Barkhor Street, and the Tibet Museum. 🏨 I stayed at the Pingcuo Kangsang Hotel in Lhasa, which is a favorite place for self-driving travelers. It is very clean, not far from the Lhasa market, and has a great environment and breakfast. 🍲 As for the food in Lhasa, I like to eat and drink in the mall, with milk tea and dry pot shrimp. The traditional Tibetan yak hot pot is worth trying, and a cup of goat milk is also good to try occasionally. 1⃣️ On the first day, I took a taxi from the hotel to the Potala Palace. The opening hours of the Potala Palace are different, from 9:00 to 16:30 in the peak season and from 9:30 to 15:00 in the off-season. The ticket price is CNY 200 in the peak season and CNY 100 in the off-season. You need to make a reservation in advance, and it is a little difficult to make a reservation because it is so popular. The tour route of the Potala Palace starts from the main entrance, and you can visit the White Palace, Red Palace, Hall of Dharma King, Hall of Bodhi Path, and Hall of Sounding Copper in turn. Note that the Potala Palace Square is the best place to take panoramic and night photos of the Potala Palace. It is recommended to hire a tour guide. ➡️ Then go to Jokhang Temple, which costs CNY 85 and also needs to be reserved in advance. The tour route starts from the main hall of Jokhang Temple to the small hall of Sakyamuni Hall to the second floor of Jokhang Temple to the Golden Roof. ➡️ It is a must to visit Barkhor Street, where you can buy some meaningful souvenirs, such as Thangka paintings, gold barrels, silver earrings, turquoise, and saffron. 2⃣️ On the second day, I visited the Tibet Museum. Although it is a provincial museum, it is far less valuable than the Potala Palace. The museum displays the history, culture, and art of Tibet, with many precious cultural relics. ➡️ Then go to Yaowang Mountain, which is the shooting location of the pattern on the back of the CNY 50 banknote, where you can overlook the Potala Palace and Lhasa. Prepare a CNY 50 banknote, and you can take a photo with the Potala Palace. The Yaowang Mountain viewing platform is a great place to take photos of the Potala Palace. 3⃣️ On the third day, I took a taxi to Norbulingka, which is the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas of all dynasties, with beautiful garden landscapes. In the afternoon, I went to Sera Monastery to watch the debate. Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery, and Ganden Monastery are known as the three major monasteries in Lhasa. The debate here is very famous, and the monks try their best to debate. 4⃣️ On the fourth day, I drove from Lhasa to Yamdrok Lake and Puma Yumco. The wind at Yamdrok Lake is strong, but it is super beautiful. Is the holy lake more beautiful when the wind is stronger? The water of Puma Yumco has frozen into a huge ice surface. Of course, the little potato from the south, who has never seen the world, will not miss the opportunity to enjoy the ice. At the end of the lake is the sacred mountain of Kula Kangri. After enjoying the lake, I went back to the hotel and continued to work on my business trip.