The hook
The historic heart of Tibetan Buddhism, high on the plateau at 3,650 metres, where the vast white-and-red Potala Palace rises over the city and pilgrims still shuffle and prostrate their way around the old temple at its centre.
01Why it's worth it
Lhasa sits high on the Tibetan Plateau, and it is the spiritual centre of Tibetan Buddhism. The Potala Palace, the former winter home of the Dalai Lamas, climbs a whole hillside in tiers of whitewashed and ochre walls, a labyrinth of chapels, tombs, and halls that is one of the most striking buildings in Asia. Below it, the Jokhang temple is the holiest in Tibetan Buddhism, and the Barkhor, the pilgrim circuit around it, is the living heart of the city, thick with pilgrims turning prayer wheels and prostrating full-length on the stones. The culture, the altitude, and the light give the place an intensity found nowhere else. Visiting requires official permits and an organised guide, and the political and cultural situation is sensitive, which should be understood and respected rather than ignored.
02How to experience it
Arrange the required permits and guide well ahead, and build in days to acclimatise to the altitude before exerting yourself. Walk the Barkhor circuit with the pilgrims, clockwise, respectfully, and visit the Jokhang and Potala. Engage the culture with humility and awareness of its sensitivities.
The honest note
Access is the first thing to understand, and travellers state it plainly: "you have to use a tour company in Lhasa, it's mandatory. You can't get a Tibet Travel Permit otherwise." Independent travel is not an option — the permit is issued through an agency, with a fixed itinerary and guide, on top of a Chinese visa. Plan around that rather than hoping to improvise, and factor the altitude: Lhasa sits at 3,650 m, higher than most people have slept before.