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A one-day private introduction to Lhasa at 3,650 metres, built around the two buildings that define the city. The morning goes to the Potala Palace, the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas, where entry is by timed reservation and the daily visitor number is capped; your agency books the slot in advance. The afternoon moves to the Jokhang, the holiest temple in Tibet, and then out onto the Barkhor, the pilgrim circuit that runs around it.
This is a good first day in Tibet, and a sensible one: the walking is moderate but the altitude is not, and the pace is deliberately unhurried. Inside the Potala the route is one-way and climbs steadily, so it is worth saving your energy rather than racing up. Photography is prohibited through most of the interior, and your guide will tell you where the line falls in the chapels.
Foreign visitors cannot travel in Tibet independently. A Tibet Travel Permit is required, you travel as an arranged group with a licensed Tibetan guide, and a private vehicle with driver is with you for the whole day — all of which is arranged for you. Travellers over 60, and anyone with a heart or lung condition, should consult a doctor before booking. Please see the booking notes below for the full entry and health requirements.
Morning — Potala Palace (timed entry)
The Potala rises thirteen storeys over Lhasa from Marpo Ri, the Red Hill, and served as the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas and the seat of Tibetan government for centuries. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994. Entry is by timed reservation and the daily number of visitors is capped, so your agency books the slot in advance; your guide collects you early and walks you up through the ramps to the White Palace, the administrative half, and then into the Red Palace, which holds the chapels and the gold-roofed stupa-tombs of the previous Dalai Lamas. Inside, the light is low, the corridors are narrow, and the route is one-way.
Cultural Insight
The split is worth understanding before you climb: the White Palace was where government and daily life happened, the Red Palace is where religion and burial happened. Photography is not permitted in most of the interior.
Lunch
A Tibetan restaurant in the city — momos, thukpa noodle soup, or a plate of yak with rice — with hot sweet tea or butter tea if you want to try it.
Afternoon — Jokhang Temple
The Jokhang is the holiest temple in Tibet and the point that Lhasa grew around. It was founded in the seventh century and its innermost chapel holds the Jowo Rinpoche, a statue of the Buddha at the age of twelve, which Tibetan tradition says was brought to Lhasa by the Tang princess Wencheng. Pilgrims arrive all day to offer yak butter to the lamp rows in front of it, and the queue of faith outside the door is as much a part of the visit as the building.
Late afternoon — Barkhor Street and the kora
Barkhor is the pilgrim circuit that runs clockwise around the Jokhang, and it is the most honest street in Lhasa: prostrating pilgrims, prayer wheels turned in passing, incense, and shops selling everything from prayer flags to silverwork. Walk it with your guide in the correct direction, at the pace of the people doing it rather than the pace of the people shopping, and stop for tea at a rooftop café overlooking the square.
Meals
Lunch
Accommodation
Day tour - no hotel night included.
| Group Size | Adult(Age:8-80) Price/p.p | Child(Age:4-7) Price/p.p | Infant(Age:0-3) Price/p.p |
| 2 PAX | from $395 | / | / |
| 4 PAX | from $256 | / | / |
| 6 PAX | from $212 | / | / |
| 8 PAX | from $189 | / | / |
| 10 PAX | from $174 | / | / |
| 20 PAX | from $139 | / | / |
| 30 PAX | from $128 | / | / |
Before booking, please read the entry and health notes below. Tibet is not like the rest of China: entry paperwork, altitude and the pace of travel all need planning, and some of it cannot be arranged at short notice.
Entry formalities. Every foreign visitor needs a Tibet Travel Permit (often called the TTP or 入藏函) in addition to a Chinese visa. Independent travel is not permitted: you must travel as part of an arranged group with a licensed Tibetan guide and a licensed vehicle with driver throughout. For areas beyond Lhasa prefecture — Shigatse, Everest Base Camp and the border counties among them — additional permits are required on top of the TTP. We handle the paperwork, but it takes time, so please book well ahead and send passport details early. Permits are issued at the discretion of the authorities and can be withdrawn at short notice if policy changes.
Altitude. Lhasa sits at 3,650 m and much of this programme runs higher. Acclimatisation days are built into every multi-day itinerary for a reason: guests who fly in and drive straight up do not enjoy the trip. Expect some breathlessness and disturbed sleep for the first day or two, drink more water than usual, avoid alcohol on the first nights and keep the first day gentle.
Health. Travellers over 60, and anyone with a heart or lung condition, high blood pressure, or who is pregnant, should consult a doctor before booking and bring a medical certificate. Please tell us about any relevant condition when you enquire. Oxygen is carried in the vehicle on all high-altitude days.
Pace and conditions. Road distances in Tibet are long and journey times depend on road works, weather and checkpoint queues, so treat all driving times as approximate. Accommodation outside Lhasa is simpler than in the big eastern cities, and at Everest Base Camp it is basic. Photography is prohibited inside many chapel interiors; your guide will tell you where.
Q: Do I need a Tibet Travel Permit, and do you arrange it?
A: Yes. Every overseas visitor needs a Tibet Travel Permit in addition to a Chinese visa, and for Shigatse, Everest Base Camp and the border counties further permits are required as well. We arrange them as part of the booking. You cannot apply for them yourself, and you cannot travel in Tibet independently, so please send clear passport scans early — processing needs lead time.
Q: Can I travel independently or join a fixed-departure group?
A: Independent travel is not permitted for foreign visitors in Tibet. You travel as your own private group — just your party — with a licensed Tibetan guide and a licensed vehicle with driver for the whole trip. That is what these itineraries are priced for.
Q: How bad is the altitude, and what do you do about it?
A: Lhasa is at 3,650 m and the high passes and lakes on these routes are considerably higher. Most people feel some breathlessness and sleep lightly for the first day or two. We build in arrival and acclimatisation time, keep the first days light, carry oxygen in the vehicle and run the itinerary so that you gain height gradually rather than all at once.
Q: I am over 60 / I have a heart or lung condition. Can I still go?
A: Many travellers over 60 do these trips without difficulty, but you should talk to your doctor first and bring a medical certificate. The same applies to anyone with heart or lung disease, high blood pressure, or who is pregnant. Please tell us before booking so we can advise honestly and, if needed, suggest a lower-altitude alternative.
Q: What standard is the accommodation, especially at Everest Base Camp?
A: In Lhasa we use comfortable city hotels with heating. Outside Lhasa, standards are simpler and facilities are more limited. At Everest Base Camp, accommodation is basic — shared facilities and very cold nights — and this is a fixed condition of visiting, not something that can be upgraded.
Q: Are the entrance fees and sightseeing buses included?
A: All admission fees listed in the itinerary are included, and where a scenic area requires its own shuttle or environmental bus — the Everest reserve is the main example — that is included too. Potala Palace entry is by timed reservation and is subject to the daily visitor cap, so we book it as early as we can.
