Lhasa拉萨

The city has a history more than 1400 years which can traced back to the 7th century when the King Srongtsen Gampo moved the capital to here. Lhasa, literally the place of the Gods, is the hub of Tibet for transportation, education, religion etc. with a population of 550,000 (2013) and 83% are Tibetans. The altitude of Lhsa is about 3600 meters, it is highly suggested to acclimatise for your first day to do nothing. You can choose flight or trains from various cities in China to Lhasa, such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Xining, Lanzhou, Beijing, Xian and Shanghai. It is a once-in-the-life experience to take the train from Xining to Lhasa, on the way you can endless snow-covered mountains, green lakes, Tanggula Range(5200 meters), yaks, etc. The climate in Lhasa is quite warm during the daytime as the sun shine is very strong, but quite chilly in the night even in Summer. In winter, it is still very nice to visit Lhasa, you can wander in the daytime around Potala Palace and Jakhang Monastery, Barkhor Street.

Major Attactions:
Potala Palace布达拉宫
It was used by Dalai Lama in the past, and now it is the major attraction of Lhasa. You can view the palace standing on the hill like a fortress to guard Lhasa. The earliest history can be traced back to the 7th century AD, when King Songtsen Gampo built a palace here. The layout of the Potala Palace includes the rooftop White Palace and the central Red Palace. As the entrance tickets are limited and are very difficult to acquire in Summer, you can contact us to assist you on this.

Jokhang Monastery大昭寺
In 7th century, King Songtsen Gampo go married with 2 girls, one was from Nepal. the other one was from China. The Chinese Wencheng princess brought the statue of Budda which was made as per Buddha´s 12-year-old image, which was stored in the temple late on. Jokhang means chapel of the Jowo. It is the most revered temple in Tibet by all Tibetan Buddhists as it housed the holy statue here.

Bakhor Street 八角街
Around the Jokhang Monastery, the street is called Bakhor that is the commercial center of Lhasa from the ancient to now, filled with various shops selling different goods. But the most impressive kora, pilgrim circuit, is clockwise around the Jokhang Monastery. You can immerse into the crowd of pilgrims in the later afternoon.