Lhasa (Tibetan: ལྷ་ས་, Chinese: 拉萨 Lāsà) is the capital of the Tibet autonomous region in China. It is 3,650 m (11,980 ft) above sea level on the northern slopes of the Himalayas.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Lhasa, which means "Land of the Gods" and is over 1,300 years old, sits in a valley next to the Lhasa River. In the eastern part of the city, near the Jokhang Temple and Barkhor neighborhood, Tibetan influence is still strong and evident and it is common to see traditionally dressed Tibetans engaged on a kora (a clockwise circumambulation or walk around the Jokhang Temple), often spinning prayer wheels. Long dilapidated, the area has been given a thorough renovation and is now quite pleasant to wander around, and is also by far the most atmospheric area to stay. The western part of Lhasa is more ethnically Han Chinese in character.
The central area with the main tourist attractions (Potala, Jokhang, Barkhor, Ramoche) is easily navigable on foot. Taxis cost ¥10 for anywhere in Lhasa city. Hail them from the side of the street. Be prepared for taxi-sharing - the driver will often pull over if he suspects he can find other passengers heading in the same direction. Each will pay ¥10 and this is a way for the driver to make a better income despite the standard fare. It is possible to use Didi and other Chinese ridesharing apps. Public buses are numerous and cost ¥1. Non-Chinese nationals are permitted to travel on the buses within the city, although you make yourself an attraction by doing so, since this rarely occurs.
1 Barkhor Street. A circular street around the Jokhang Temple in the center of the old section of Lhasa, it is the oldest street in a traditional style in Tibet, where you can enjoy bargaining with vendors for local handicrafts. Barkhor Street is one of the most important religious paths along which pilgrims walk around Jokhang Temple while turning prayer wheels in their hands through centuries. Buddhist pilgrims walk or progress by body-lengths along the street clockwise every day late into the night. 2 Tibet Museum (西藏博物馆), 19 Luobu Linka Rd, Chengguan District (城关区罗布林卡路19号) (bus routes 2, 8, 13 and 24), ☏ +86 891 6835244, +86 891 6812210.
Kora. A meditative circumambulation around a sacred site, such as a temple, practiced by many Tibetans. Langma Opera. literally "royal music", a traditional Tibetan singing and dancing show. Blind Massage, #59 Beijing Middle Road, 3rd floor (at Medical Massage Clinic Lhasa, directly across from the Kichu Hotel), ☏ +86 891 6320870. ¥80/hour. English spoken. A vocational project of Braille Without Borders. Great way to adjust to the altitude or to relax. Lhasa Amusement Park, No.30-32 Sela Road.
See Tibet#Eat for descriptions of typical Tibetan food. A lot of nice and comfortable restaurants are located near the Jokhang Temple along Beijing Zhong Lu (or called Beijing Road Middle) and its tributary road Zang Yiyuan Lu (or called Tibetan Hospital Road). Some of them serve Western food, Nepali and Indian food. Meals can be as cheap as ¥20 per person, including drinks. The smaller Tibetan restaurants, especially the teahouses, may not be decorated as nicely, but are much cheaper than the tourist restaurants and serve more tasty food. Most of the Chinese restaurants serve Sichuan's spicy cuisine.
See Tibet#Drink for descriptions of typical Tibetan drinks. 1 Ganglamedo Café & Bar, 127 Beijing East Rd, ☏ +86 891 6333657. Means 'snowdrop' in Tibetan. It is managed by a Chinese woman from Dalian, Liaoning Province. Visitors are greeted with many elaborate canvases and watercolor paintings. Ganglamedo is well known for its delicious pastry and coffee. Travelers Bar, East Beijing Road. A backpackers' favorite. Low House Music Bar - features music of India, Nepal and Tibetan traditional music.
Read the article on altitude sickness and study its symptoms, precautions, and treatments before traveling to Lhasa. Altitude sickness can easily ruin a holiday and can even be fatal. Lhasa is 3,650 m above sea level, so there is considerable risk of altitude sickness, especially if you fly in from a much lower altitude and your body does not have time to acclimatize: apparently as many as 2% of visitors arriving by plane are hospitalized.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Lhasa typically sees ~24°C daytime highs and 16 rainy days.
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