Potala Palace area
Lhasa, China (Tibet)
The district surrounding Lhasa's most iconic landmark, with several luxury hotels offering palace views.
Places in Potala Palace area
- Hotel lounge bars Lounge bars within the city's luxury hotels, useful for a relaxed evening while acclimatising to the altitude.
Practical notes for Lhasa
- Best time to visit
- April to October offers the most accessible weather, though altitude acclimatisation should be planned for regardless of season.
- Getting around
- Central Lhasa around Barkhor Street and the Potala Palace is walkable, though the altitude makes a slower pace essential; a car and permit are required for excursions beyond the city.
- Currency
- Chinese Yuan (CNY)
- Language
- Tibetan and Mandarin Chinese. English is limited.
- Timezone
- CST (UTC+8)
- Current trends
- A gradual increase in luxury hotel openings near the Potala Palace is giving visitors more comfortable options for acclimatising to the altitude, while tour operators increasingly build in extra rest days given the health demands of the elevation.
Other neighborhoods in Lhasa
- Barkhor Street area — The old town's pilgrimage circuit around Jokhang Temple, dense with Tibetan restaurants, street food, and handicraft stalls.
- Old town residential quarters — Traditional Tibetan neighbourhoods surrounding the main pilgrimage sites, offering a quieter look at daily life.
Read the full Lhasa guide