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Trip.Best Top 14 Best Things to Do in Lhasa [2024]

Explore the best things to do in Lhasa! Uncover top activities and experiences for an unforgettable visit.
Updated Nov 2024
  • top_1
    󰺂8.5
    4.8/5
    18819 Review
    From7800.5
    "We must praise Director Sun. The whole journey was three hours. Miss Sister spoke very carefully, and she had her own research on many Tibetan teaching history, and she would not be completely stuck to some fixed routines. The most important thing is that the itinerary is well controlled, and most people will not feel obvious discomfort. It is highly recommended."
    Lhasa.Potala Palace/Sun Island
    224m from downtown
    UNESCO World Heritage - Cultural SitesTemplesHistorical ArchitecturesNighttime sightseeing
    Featured in 2024 Asia 100 - Best Things to Do
    Highlights: World Heritage Site | Architectural marvel | 370-yr-old palace & place of worship | Over 200K statues & shrines
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  • top_2
    󰺂7.9
    4.6/5
    3874 Review
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 310 reviews
    "Namcuo is located in the southern Tibetan Plateau, in Danxiong Bango County, with an altitude of 4,700 meters. It is the highest lake in the world, and the third largest lagoon in China and the second largest lagoon in Tibet. Namcuo is Tibetan, Namu means heaven, and the wrong means lake, so Namcuo is also called talent. With Ma Pangcuo, Yang Zhuoyucuo, and known as the three major holy lakes in Tibet, the best travel time to play Namco is April to October. During this time, the weather is stable and sunny. Adult tickets are 210 yuan in peak season and 85 yuan in off-season. After arriving at the visitor center, take a sightseeing bus to the lake and play by the lake. You can also take the scenic shuttle bus to travel around the island along the Tashi Peninsula for a week."
    Damxung
    >100 km from downtown
    LakesMountain Climbing
    Highlights: Namtso is 240 kilometers from Lhasa. It is one of the three largest holy lakes in Tibet and is also a famous holy site for Tibetan Buddhism. The endless snow-capped mountain beside the lake is the Nyainqentanglha Mountain. On a beautiful day, the snow-capped mountains are reflected in the lake, giving a sense of peace and tranquility. There are numerous secular believers who come to Namtso every year on April 15 of the Tibetan calendar to celebrate the Saga Dawa Festival.
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  • top_3
    󰺂7.5
    4.6/5
    3764 Review
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 1232 reviews
    "If there is no information reserve in advance, it is recommended that you ask a tour guide, otherwise you will be watching the flowers and you will not understand the historical background. The sample tour guide is very enthusiastic and responsible, and the explanation is comprehensive and serious. Take care of it, remind it in place, just like friends. Looking forward to getting together again, thank you."
    Lhasa.Barkhor Street/Jokhang Temple
    1.5 km from downtown
    TemplesHistorical Architectures
    Highlights: Jokhang Temple, called "Jokhang" in Tibetan, also known as "Zulakang", is the end point of the pilgrimage for Tibetan Buddhists. In their hearts, the sacredness of Jokhang Temple is no less than that of Potala Palace. Whether from the geographical location or in the minds of Tibetan Buddhists, Jokhang Temple is a veritable holy place and center of Tibetan Buddhism, and has an extremely lofty and holy status in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. Jokhang Temple was first built in the middle of the seventh century AD. It was built by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo to place the 8-year-old life-size statue of Sakyamuni brought from his hometown Kathmandu by his wife, Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal. In 1409 AD, Master Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect, promoted Buddhism in Jokhang Temple and held a grand ceremony to spread the Buddha's teachings, thus establishing its important position in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. In the eighth century AD, the 12-year-old life-size statue of Sakyamuni brought from Chang'an by Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty when she entered Tibet was enshrined in Jokhang Temple, becoming the treasure of the temple and one of the must-see attractions for tourists and pilgrims.In addition, there are nearly a thousand-meter-long Tibetan murals "Princess Wencheng Entering Tibet" and "Construction of Jokhang Temple" in the temple, as well as two Ming Dynasty embroidered guardian deity thangkas, which are rare art treasures. There are three prayer paths in Lhasa, namely "inner, middle and outer", all of which are centered around Jokhang Temple. Among them, the inner circle around the Jokhang Hall along the Thousand Buddha Hall in the temple is called "Nangkor"; the circle around the Jokhang Temple is called "Bakor"; the circle around the Potala Palace, Yaowang Mountain, Jokhang Temple and Jokhang Temple is called "Lingkor". Scenic spot guide After entering the Jokhang Temple through the main gate, there is a patio-style courtyard. There are several rows of butter lamps on the east side of the courtyard. Because believers add butter every day, they are always burning. Behind the butter lamps is the main entrance of the Jokhang Temple. On the left side of the gate is Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of the Red Sect, and on the right side is Jampa Buddha, that is, Maitreya Buddha, also known as: Future Buddha. On the right wall is a mural about the story of the Jokhang Temple's construction, mainly about the appearance of the Potala Palace in the 7th century and the scene of the Jokhang Temple being built by filling the lake. Going clockwise, you will see the Buddhist Hall dedicated to the Yellow Sect's founder, Master Tsongkhapa, and his eight disciples. Continue to circle right, passing through the Yaksha Hall and the Dragon King Hall on both sides. Behind hundreds of butter lamps is the famous "Jokhang" Hall. It is not only the main body of the Jokhang Temple, but also the essence of the Jokhang Temple. The center of the Jokhang Hall is the Great Sutra Hall, where the lamas chant and practice on weekdays. There are many small sutra halls around it. Among them, the Sakyamuni Buddha Hall in the middle is not to be missed. It enshrines the life-size golden statue of Sakyamuni at the age of 12 brought by Princess Wencheng. This is the center of the Jokhang Temple and a holy place that devout pilgrims yearn for. There are stairs next to the courtyard leading to the second and third floors. On the second floor, there is the Dharma King Hall, which enshrines the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wencheng, and Princess Bhrikuti, and the Bandan Lhamo Guardian Hall, which enshrines the Goddess of Good Fortune. Standing on the wide terrace on the second floor, you can overlook the Potala Palace, which is a great place to take photos. The golden roof on the third floor is also one of the highlights of the Jokhang Temple, but the third floor is not open to the public most of the time. If you are lucky enough to go up to the third floor, the four magnificent golden roofs will be breathtaking.
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  • No.

    4

    󰺂7.4
    4.5/5
    3275 Review
    "To watch the show, you have to climb the mountain, not suitable for friends who arrive on the first day, it is easy to high-reverse. In the process, artificial rain and snow will be rained, so the front row will be very cold, but close to the stage. The medical room is very good, with glucose, hot water, cylinder oxygen. With the mountain as the background, the scene of the longitudinal horse is very spectacular. The Potala Palace is made of a lift platform and the stage effect is very good. In addition to the lyrics, I hope to have more scene background introductions to facilitate understanding of the plot."
    Lhasa.Princess Wencheng Live Theater
    4.5 km from downtown
    Featured performanceLive Show
    No.1 of Night Attractions in Lhasa
    Highlights: The starry sky is the scene, the mountains and rivers are the scenes, the grandeur is magnificent, and the soul is shocked. The classic epic masterpiece of the Tibetan culture, Princess Wencheng, is a large-scale real-life drama. It is based on the natural mountains and rivers of Lhasa. Under the starry sky of the plateau sanctuary, it tells the story of Datang Wencheng. The story of the princess and the Tubo king Songtsan and the pro. The whole drama is full of magnificent scenes, magnificent momentum and ups and downs. It is awesome with beautiful music, touching stories and distorted emotions. It brings Chinese real drama to a new level.
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  • No.

    5

    󰺂6.2
    4.5/5
    583 Review
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 278 reviews
    "In the afternoon, visit the nearby Robrinka, the ticket is 80 yuan, and the electronic explanation is 30 people. As the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, some lamas' palaces are not exposed to the sun in the garden and the trees are forested."
    Lhasa.Lobrinka
    2.4 km from downtown
    Gardens
    Highlights: Norbulingka is a palace and surrounding park in Lhasa, Tibet, which has a lot of relics and treasures remained. As a huge and exquisite park of Tibet, there are more than 300 rooms in it. Norbulingka has a beautiful scenery surrounded by various types and numbers of plants and flowers, which is like a wondering place of the earth.
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  • No.

    6

    󰺂6.0
    4.5/5
    307 Review
    From7812.5
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 718 reviews
    "Just in time for the annual law meeting of the New Year, I saw the big change, the support of people and other activities, the content is rich, and the tour guide Tashi explained in detail, warm and thoughtful, and we have almost three hours, very attentive!"
    Lhasa.Sera Monastery
    4.9 km from downtown
    Temples
    Highlights: The Sera Monastery is called salad Dalai Chau. It is located at the foot of the Seraulu Mountain in the northern suburbs of Lhasa City. It was built for the disciples of the Tsongkhapa Master Minchin Ching-chih and the Ming Dynasty Yongle. Sera Monastery is a large-scale temple built on a hill. It is one of the three largest temples in Lhasa and one of the six temples of Gelugpa (Yellow religion).
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  • No.

    7

    󰺂6.0
    4.5/5
    280 Review
    Free
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 211 reviews
    "The basic exhibition hall of the Tibet Museum is composed of "People closest to the sun - Tibetan Folk Culture" (first floor), "Snow Field Song - Tibetan History and Culture" (second floor). The museum has more than 520,000 cultural relics and more than 40,000 precious cultural relics. Town Hall treasure: Bi-body pots were unearthed at the site of Qamdo Karuo, Tibet, and have a history of more than 4,000 years. Zhu Mo colored bi-body pots are fine sandy yellow pots, caliber 11.3 cm, bottom 84 cm, height 19 cm, and the mouth is horn-like. The abdomen is connected to two identical bag-shaped pots, and the surface is decorated with a large number of carved and ink, so it is called "Zhu ink colored double body pots". Baye Sanskrit "Eight Thousand Songs Prajna Polomedo Sutra" was made from the 7th to the 8th century, 42 cm long, 7 cm wide, a total of 47 pages, 7 lines of text per page. Each page has a picture in the center, depicting the eight phases of Sakya, Guanyin, Dumu, etc. The picture also has decorative belts on both sides, the middle punching, and the upper and lower depicting the pagoda. Ancient India did not have paper, usually written on the Bedoro leaves, called the Bayeux Sutra. The non-empty achievement of Buddha is a Dansati style statue. It is one of the Buddhist tantric "five-party Buddha", representing the ability to achieve all the business and the cause of all beings with great wisdom. This platinum bronze is not empty to achieve Buddha made in the 15th century, 37 cm high, 22 cm wide base, right hand when chest knot statement printing, left hand in front of the knot Zen printing, bare feet full [ji] [f] sitting on the lotus seat, under the base of the lotus seat carved on the vortex-like branches of lotus flowers. The portrait of Yuan Basiba Tangka is displayed as a canvas portrait of Basiba. The picture of Basiba wearing three French clothes, his right arm is exposed, his right hand is printed with chest knots, his left hand is placed in the front knot of Zen, and his bare feet are sitting on the throne of the moon with the lotus. The embroidered Tangka of Dacifa was also lost for Shakya, and in 1434, Shakya also lost the "King of Dacifa" of the three kings of the law, and the emperor of Xuande ordered the court to make and reward him for this portrait of Tangka. Tangka left above the woven Zhu Yin side, the printing for nine stacks "the seal of the best and great mercy king" eight words, is in accordance with the original woven. On the top right of the screen, weave the full text of the seal "Wanxing Miaoming True as above, Shengjing Ruo Zhaopu should be supplemented by the state Xianjiao, the best and the best of Dacifa King Xitian Zhengjue as from in Dayuantong". Xianhua Wang Yin Xianhua Wang was the hereditary seal of the Pazhuyu leader who controlled the local regime in Tibet at that time. In 1388, Zhu Yuanzhao's fifth consul, Zhaba Jianzan, was the "Guarding Guoshi". In 1406, Zhu Yujiafeng Zhaba Jianzan was the "Guarding Guoshi Xianhua Wang" and gave this seal. The folded branches of the lotus are made during the Qing Qianlong period. It consists of two parts of the instrument cover and the body, and the body is decorated with green and flower patterns such as the branch lotus pattern, the folded branch lotus pattern, the back pattern, the auspicious eight treasures, and the outer book blue and flower "Daqing Qianlong Year System" six characters and three lines of the book. The "Eight Treasures" is a traditional auspicious pattern popular in Tibet, which is based on eight kinds of supplies of Tibetan Buddhism."
    Lhasa.Lobrinka
    1.9 km from downtown
    Museums
    Highlights: The Tibet Museum is located across the road in the east of Norbulingka in Lhasa City. It is the first museum with modern functions in Tibet. There are many precious cultural relics in the museum, showing the splendid culture and long history of the unique charm of the Tibetan nation. The museum is divided into three floors, the first floor is a tourist souvenir shop, the second floor is a Tibetan history exhibition, and the third floor is special exhibitions and temporary exhibitions such as thangkas, animals and plants, and jade. The exhibition hall of the museum consists of four major parts: prehistoric culture, indivisible history, culture and art, and folk culture. Each exhibition hall displays a wealth of treasures in the collection, such as statues of Buddha and Bodhisattva in various textures and shapes, handwritten Tibetan classics dipped in gold powder, silver powder, coral powder, etc. Jade sticks used in rituals, colorful thangkas, various musical instruments and instruments, handicrafts with distinctive national characteristics, pottery with unique styles, etc., from Tibetan history, culture, art, religion, folk customs, etc. It shows the audience the splendid culture and long history of the Tibetan people's unique charm. The prehistoric culture exhibition hall displays the stone chips, stone cores and other Paleolithic tools of daily life excavated in northern Tibet in the early days, as well as stone adzes, stone axes, stone chisels and stone clusters, bone cones, bones unearthed in Qamdo in the late Neolithic Age. The needles and various red, grey and black pottery utensils completely reproduce several representative eras before Tibet entered a civilized society: the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age. The inseparable history exhibition hall intuitively reveals that Tibet has been an important and inseparable part of China since ancient times through some precious historical materials. The two exhibition halls of culture and art and folk culture vividly show the audience the long history and splendid culture of Tibet with exquisite Buddhist statues, thangkas, pottery, scriptures and other precious cultural relics. A must-see in all the collections of the Fifth Golden Seal is the Fifth Golden Seal. At that time, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso went to Beijing for pilgrimage in order to obtain the support of the central government of the Qing Dynasty, and he was bestowed upon him after the fifth Ngawang Lhasang Gyatso was enshrined in Shunzhi. The golden seal is made of pure gold and weighs 8.5 kilograms. The seals are written in Han, Tibetan, Manchu and Mongolian. In addition, there is also a legend that Princess Wencheng drew a "witch map" thangka about the terrain of the Tibetan area. In the picture, a witch is lying on her back. There are temples built in twelve important parts of her body, such as the joints and the heart. The Jokhang Temple is located at the heart of the witch, which has a profound meaning. Audio guides are available in the museum and can be rented for free at the gate. Entering the exhibition hall, in front of different exhibits, you can hear the explanations of the exhibits in four languages including Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese and English. For the protection of cultural relics, the museum stipulates that photography is not allowed in the exhibition hall, please follow the regulations.
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  • No.

    8

    󰺂5.7
    4.5/5
    93 Review
    Free
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 14 reviews
    "Zaki Temple is really worth going to Lhasa once. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are very crowded. The incense is full. It is a temple of wealth. You can buy a 3-piece set of Zaki Niang outside the temple. There are many people inside."
    Lhasa.Zhaji Temple
    3.3 km from downtown
    Temples
    Highlights: Zaki Temple is located on Zaki Road in the northern suburb of Lhasa. It is the only temple of wealth in Tibet. Although the temple is small, the incense is very prosperous. The temple is the deity of the Auspicious Heavenly Mother-Zakiram Buddha Hall, with strong incense, monks with cultivation bases anointing the guests with blessings and precious gifts. Dharma protectors in the world still have a relationship with all living beings, so many times they will transform into human figures and come into contact with all living beings. Goddess Zaki belongs to such gods and is particularly effective. Many Tibetans and Han people come here every Wednesday to worship Buddha. The main god of Zaki Temple is addicted to alcohol, so people who come to Zaki Temple to worship will not only bring Hada and Sangzhi, but also white wine or highland barley wine.
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  • No.

    9

    󰺂5.5
    5.0/5
    1062 Review
    "From Tibetan medicine, Tibetan calendar, planet to aerospace, everything is available, the explanation is patient, and there are many interactive experience areas inside. There are fixed-time exhibitions in the 3D cinema, which is worth visiting by adults and children."
    Lhasa.Duolong Deqing District and Surroundings
    10.6 km from downtown
    PlanetariumsScience & Technology Museums
    No.1 of Family-friendly Attractions in Lhasa
    Highlights: The Tibetan Planet Astronomy Experience Hall is the first astronomy-themed science and technology experience hall in Tibet. It is currently the largest immersive interactive astronomy experience hall in the country, and it is also an astronomy science popularization experience hall at a very high altitude. Venue at2019Year12moon14Officially opened on the same day, the venue is located next to the Tibet Astronomical Tourism Park on the banks of the Lhasa River in the Lhasa Economic and Technological Development Zone. It is one of the highlight projects of the Lhasa Economic and Technological Development Zone. Popular science infrastructure. The venue is designed with visitors' first sensory experience as its design guide, with the theme of "perceiving the universe, recognizing the universe, exploring the universe, and discovering the universe". Through interactive projection, immersive suspended projection, dome theater, object tracking, human body capture, Somatosensory interaction,VR Technology and other high-tech means show the mystery of Tibet and reveal the mysteries of the universe.The first floor of the venue is a chapter of "Eternal Times Connecting to the Present, Perceiving the Universe".7personal exhibition area,15Individual exhibition items. Through information and data sharing with Ngari and Yangbajing Observatory, you can see an exhibition of giant starry sky paintings taken across Tibet, learn about the development of astronomy in ancient and modern times at home and abroad and Tibet’s astronomical calendar, and display the physical objects and classification distribution of meteorites.The second floor of the venue is dedicated to the chapter "Studying Things to Learn and Understanding the Universe".6display area,21A solo exhibition project to gain a comprehensive understanding of the universe in which we live. Including the earth-moon system, the solar system, the Milky Way, the universe, etc., it mainly presents the Big Bang, star constellations, cosmic wonders (black holes, gravitational waves and adventures on Mars),UFO Decryption etc.The third floor of the venue is the chapter of "Sword Expanding the Sky and Exploring the Universe". 3 personal exhibition area,15 The solo exhibition mainly displays the origin of life, human exploration methods, the construction and use of astronomical telescopes, and the development process of space exploration and lunar exploration projects, etc.The fourth floor of the venue is the chapter of "Learning is Endless and Discovering the Universe", which mainly includes astronomical telescopes, dome theaters,VR experience, space classroom, derivatives area, etc. Visitors can have close contact with astronomy through game interaction in any area, and fully embark on a journey of exploring the mysterious universe. At the same time, Tibetan Planet is also an astronomy-themed tourist venue. In addition to displaying astronomical culture, it also focuses on displaying traditional Tibetan culture through high-tech means; including Tibetan medicine, Tibetan medicine, and Zang Tianwen’s calendar. At the same time, the project strives to become a highlight project in the Tibet-wide tourism reform pilot project, providing a unique tourism experience for tourists entering Tibet, and also providing local residents with a leisure destination for parent-child travel and technology travel.
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  • No.

    10

    󰺂5.3
    4.6/5
    216 Review
    From7812.5
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 323 reviews
    "It is still a worth visiting attraction, Lhasa in-depth tour recommended! The first time you come to Lhasa, you will definitely arrange the Potala Palace and Balang Street first. We invited a special professional local Tibetan guy as a tour guide at the door, and the explanation was very exciting."
    Lhasa.Drepung Monastery/Jinzhu West Road
    6.9 km from downtown
    Temples
    Highlights: Drepung Monastery is found in the foothills of the western suburbs of Lhasa. The architectural complex of the monastery is large-scale. White houses and red halls line up onto the mountainside. They look like huge piles of rice which are spectacular when photographed. It is a monastery with a high status among the Gelug factions of Tibetan Buddhism. It has an impressive internal architectural atmosphere and is filled with many beautiful treasures.
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FAQ

What Best Things to Do are there in Lhasa?
These are all Best Things to Do in Lhasa:Potala Palace, Namtso, Jokhang Temple, Princess Wencheng Drama, Norbulingka
What are some highly-rated Best Things to Do in Lhasa?
Some highly-rated Best Things to Do in Lhasa include:Potala Palace:4.8, Namtso:4.6, Jokhang Temple:4.6, Princess Wencheng Drama:4.5, Norbulingka:4.5
At what locations in Lhasa can Best Things to Do in Lhasa be found?
The Best Things to Do in Lhasa are mainly located in:Potala Palace:Lhasa, Namtso:Damxung, Jokhang Temple:Lhasa, Princess Wencheng Drama:Lhasa, Norbulingka:Lhasa
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