Things to Do in Lhasa

Potala Palace sunrise circuit

Arrive before the ticket office opens and follow the kora path that loops the palace hill. Prayer flags snap overhead and you'll hear boots crunching frost while the white-and-ochre walls shift from grey to honey-gold. The view across Lhasa valley shows the first ribbon of wood-smoke curling from rooftops, sharp against snow-dusted peaks.

Jokhang Temple roof terrace

Climb the narrow wooden stairs at the back, squeeze past monks timing their chanting with coffee-tin drums, and step onto the roof where butter-lamp smoke stings your eyes and the city's metallic prayer-wheel hum drifts upward. From here the Barkhor square looks like a swirling kaleidoscope of fur-trimmed cloaks and gleaming scalp.

Sera Monastery debating courtyard

At 3 p.m. the courtyard erupts: crimson-robed monks slap their hands and stamp, each clap echoing off whitewashed walls while the scent of pine-shaving incense spirals overhead. The rapid-fire Tibetan sounds like a sport even if you catch none of the philosophy.

Barkhor kora at dusk

Join the clockwise river of pilgrims as shop lights flicker on; you'll smell juniper smoke and hear the soft clack of beads while vendors offer yak-butter lamps that leave greasy fingerprints on your gloves. The pavement stones are polished smooth, concave from decades of prostrations.

Namtso Lake day trip

Cross the 5,100 m Laken-la pass and the turquoise sheet of water appears so suddenly it feels like a mirage. Wind whips gravel against your shins and the air tastes metallic. Prayer stones line the shore, black-necked cranes sometimes lift off like paper planes, and the surface mirrors Everest's distant cloud plpon to a perfect blue.

Old-town Barkhor lanes: timber doors, prayer-wheel traffic at dawn, budget guest-houses with rooftop Potala views

Beijing Road mid-strip - three-star hotels with lift oxygen, five-minute walk to Potala, plenty of Sichuan restaurants

Norbulingka neighbourhood: quieter gardens, Tibetan-style boutique lodges, closer to zoo and summer palace

Yuthok Road south: newer builds, thicker walls against winter cold, easy airport-bus access

Dongcheng district: high-rise business hotels, international breakfast spreads, a bit soulless but reliable Wi-Fi

Duodi Road backpacker pocket - cheap dorms, laundry service, travel agencies touting permits on every corner