Top 10 Things to Do in Tibet

Known as the "Roof of the World", Tibet is famous for its sacred monasteries, towering snow mountains, holy lakes, and rich culture. It's a bucket-list destination for many travelers.

Below, we've selected the top attractions and cultural experiences you shouldn't miss on your visit.

1.Explore the Potala Palace

The Potala Palace is the most iconic and famous landmark of Tibet and a must-see for any traveler. It is also featured on the back of the 50 RMB banknote. 

Potala Palace

Stepping inside, you'll be surrounded by breathtaking murals, exquisite thangkas, and the gilded stupas that hold the relics of the Dalai Lamas.

Outside, the palace square is the best spot for a panoramic photo, you can take the grand red-and-white building as your photo's backdrop. You'll also encounter a lot of people come to pilgrimage outside the palace, and Buddhists go there to light a lamp for prayer.

Potala Palace

If you get close to the palace walls, you may notice a faint sweet scent, because the paint is mixed with milk, sugar, and honey. 

During the Buddha's Descending Festival (22nd day of the 9th Tibetan month), locals will come to repaint the walls together, you may even see men on ropes climbing down the outside wall to paint, looks like spiders.

2.Set Eyes on Mount Everest at Base Camp

In any trip to Tibet, there is nothing more sublime than Mount Everest itself. At Everest Base Camp (EBC), the closest spot travelers can reach without a climbing permit, you'll stand face-to-face with the world's highest peak.

The lodging area has been moved near Rongbuk Monastery, where you can spend a night and, if the weather is clear, catch the breathtaking sunrise over Everest's snowcapped summit. On clear nights, you may find the sky above EBC be filled with shining stars.

Starry sky above Mount. Everst

The drive from Lhasa to EBC is about 700 km (400 miles), usually requiring two additional overnight stops (at Shigatse) along the way. Our 8-Day Lhasa to Everest Base Camp Tour will take you past Yamdrok Lake, glaciers, monasteries, and remote villages on the way to EBC.

EBC is at an altitude of 5,150 m (16,900 ft), so, if you have asthma, high blood pressure, or similar conditions you are suggested to consult your doctor before traveling.

It is usually perfectly okay for ordinary people to travel to Tibet, including seniors or kids. The youngest Tibet traveler we served was 7 years old and the oldest was 83 years old.

3.Experience Pilgrimage at Jokhang Temple

No visit to Tibet is complete without stepping into Jokhang Temple, the spiritual heart and the very origin of Lhasa. This sacred site draws countless pilgrims from across Tibet, many of whom spend their entire lives yearning for the chance to worship here.

Outside the temple, you'll see devout Tibetans performing the kora (ritual circuit) around the temple. Some spin prayer wheels as they walk, while others prostrate themselves fully on the ground every few steps. Witnessing this scene of faith and devotion is deeply moving, even for non-Buddhists.

Devout Tibetans

Inside, the halls glow with thousands of butter lamps, filling the air with a strong yet distinctive aroma of yak butter. The temple blends Tibetan, Nepalese, Indian, and Tang Dynasty architectural styles, with its golden roof and red walls leaving a lasting impression. 

Jokhang Temple

Just outside lies Barkhor Street, the busiest quarter of Lhasa. This lively market encircles Jokhang and is lined with shops selling prayer flags, Tibetan crafts, and local snacks. Since many shops close early in the evening, it's best to visit during the daytime and combine it with your Jokhang tour.

4.Watch Monks Debate at Sera Monastery

Watching the monks' lively scripture debates at Sera Monastery is one of the most fascinating cultural experiences in Lhasa. Every afternoon from 3:00–5:00 pm, the monastery's courtyard fills with monks in traditional red robes, debating Buddhist philosophy in a dynamic and engaging way.

Monks Debating

The format is simple: the standing monk poses a question, while the seated monk answers. The one asking may clap, stomp, or gesture dramatically to emphasize his challenge, while the responder must state clearly whether he agrees or disagrees, without countering with another question. 

The energy and rhythm of these debates make them captivating and interesting even for those who don't understand Tibetan.

Note that the monk debates don't take place on Sundays. If you travel with us, your travel advisor and Tibet guide will always be flexible in changing your itinerary to make sure you won't miss this highlight. Check our 4-Day Lhasa Highlights Private Tour.

5.Gaze at the Sacred Yamdrok Lake 

About a 3-hour drive (110 km) from Lhasa, Yamdrok Lake (altitude 4,500 m / 14,800 ft) is one of Tibet's three most sacred lakes and one of the most breathtaking sights on the plateau.

From the viewing platforms along the road, the lake winds like a blue ribbon through the mountains. Depending on the angle and light, the water shimmers in layers of turquoise, sapphire, and emerald, often reflecting the snowcapped peaks in the distance. 

Yamdrok Lake

On a clear day, the sunshine makes the lake sparkle like a giant jewel set in the plateau. You can also enjoy a picnic we prepare for you, making the experience even more relaxing and memorable.

If you walk down to the lakeshore, you can enjoy the serenity and beauty up close: watch the colors shift with the moving clouds, stroll among wildflowers, or simply sit by the rippling water. You can also ride yaks, take a photo with cute lambs on the green grassland, or watch seagulls flying over the lake.

Our clients riding a yak

6.Visit Samye Monastery — Birthplace of Tibetan Buddhism

Nestled in Zhanang County, about two hours' drive from Lhasa, Samye Monastery is known as the very first monastery in Tibet and the cradle of Tibetan Buddhism. Far less commercialized than other sites, it offers a peaceful and authentic atmosphere. You'll not find noisy vendors or crowds, only birds singing under the eaves and wind chimes echoing gently from the rooftops.

Samye Monastery

The Utse main hall is striking with its unique three-level architecture: the ground floor in Tibetan style, the middle floor in Han style, and the top floor in Indian style, crowned with golden roofs in a Nepalese–Bhutanese design. 

Around it stand four vividly painted stupas in red, green, black, and white, along with exquisite murals and prayer wheels that make the monastery feel both sacred and artistic. You can take the colorful stupas' walls as your photo background.

7.Taste Authentic Tibetan Tea & Local Food in Barkhor Street

One of the best ways to experience Tibet is through its food and tea culture. 

Barkhor Street, the bustling heart of Lhasa, is a great place to explore food. It is not only a pilgrimage circuit around Jokhang Temple but also the city's busiest commercial street. You'll find Tibetan tea, steaming bowls of Tibetan noodles, tsampa (roasted barley flour mixed with butter tea), tangy yak yogurt, and hearty meat dishes like stone pot chicken. 

Barkhor Street

Start with sweet tea: black tea mixed with yak milk and sugar, much like milk tea. Butter tea is another must-try, though more of an acquired taste. Made by yak butter, brick tea, and salt, it's warm, salty, and slightly oily, but good for fighting the cold and easing altitude sickness.

Butter tea and Tsampa (roasted barley with butter)

In Tibet, to truly experience Tibetan daily life, you must step into a teahouse. Teahouses are more than just places to drink tea, they are also lively social hubs. We recommend Guangming Gangqiong Sweet Tea House, one of the most popular in Lhasa.

Every afternoon, people gather to share tea and conversations with friends or strangers alike. You can join in just like a local: order a pot of sweet tea, a bowl of Tibetan noodles, and enjoy the laid-back rhythm of Tibetan life.

8.Try Tibetan Incense Making

In Tibet, incense is not only a daily necessity, but also a cultural heritage passed down for centuries, and its craftsmanship has been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage. Tibetan incense is deeply tied to Buddhism, often used as an offering in monasteries, and is made with natural herbs and aromatic medicinal plants that give it a soothing fragrance believed to benefit both body and mind.

Tibetan Incense

Nimu County, near Lhasa, is especially famous for producing hand-made Tibetan incense. Villagers here still follow traditional methods: grinding and kneading the paste, shaping the sticks, and carefully drying them.

You can join the process on your own: learning to identify the raw materials, trying your hand at shaping incense, and finally lighting your own creation to enjoy its calming aroma and a moment of peace. 

Travel with us, for example on our 8-Day Tibet Tsedang, Shigatse, and Lhasa Tour, and we will enable you to explore the Tibetan incense village.

9.Discover Seasonal Blue Glaciers and Peach Blossoms

In winter, Tibet reveals its icy beauty. Laigu Glacier, in Rawok District about 750 km (450 miles) from Lhasa, is one of the best places to witness the surreal blue ice. The best time for Laigu Glacier is from January to February.

You can walk across the frozen Rawok Lake to reach the glacier tongue. On sunny days, the massive ice blocks glow in shades of deep blue, and stepping inside a blue ice cave makes for a truly unforgettable photo. 

Laigu Glacier

Come spring, Tibet transforms into a softer palette. In late March to early April, Nyingchi welcomes travelers with its famous peach blossoms. The most popular blossom-viewing spots are Gala Village, Bomi, and Milin.

Peach Blossoms in Nyingchi

If you're lucky, you might even catch the golden glow of sunset illuminating Mount Namjagbarwa, Tibet's most beautiful peak. See our 7-Day Lhasa, Nyingchi, and Bome Tour.

10.Take the Sacred Kailash Yatra (Pilgrimage Walk)

Sacred Mount Kailash, located in the remote Ngari region of western Tibet, is revered by Hindus and Tibetan Buddhists as the center of the world. 

Every year, countless pilgrims make their way here for a yatra (pilgrimage) and a kora (a worshipful walk around the mountain) around the holy mountain. 

Kailash yatra and kora

The pilgrimage hiking usually takes 2-3 days, covering altitudes from 4,675 meters (15,340 ft) at its lowest to 5,648 meters (18,530 ft) at its highest. The starting point for Mount Kailash kora is the small town of Darchen, about 1,200 kilometers (700 miles) from Lhasa.

Along the way, you will see devoted pilgrims prostrating with every step, a moving sight of faith and perseverance. 

Whether or not you are religious, a Kailash or Lake Manasarovar yatra is a once-in-a-lifetime challenge just waiting for you to undertake. We can give you a helping hand. Check out our 14-Day Tibet Tour including Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.

Explore Tibet with China Highlights

If you are interested in traveling Tibet, please see our popular tours below for inspiration:

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