Potala Palace 布达拉宫Bùdálā Gōng

Why go to Potala Palace

Climbing in tiers of white and red walls up Marpo Ri, the Red Hill above Lhasa, the Potala Palace was the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas from the 17th century and is one of the great buildings of Asia. Inside, a one-way route climbs through chapels, assembly halls and gilded burial stupas, lit by butter lamps and filled with murmuring pilgrims.

The story

The Fifth Dalai Lama began the present palace in 1645 on a hill where the 7th-century king Songtsen Gampo had built a palace. When he died before it was finished, his regent kept the death secret for years so that work could continue.

What to see at Potala Palace

• White Palace 白宫: The administrative and living wing of the palace, which the Dalai Lama and his government moved into in 1649; you pass through its courtyards and audience halls on the way up.
• Red Palace 红宫: The crimson heart of the Potala, added in 1690–94, with the principal halls, chapels and the gilded burial stupas of past Dalai Lamas; the route winds through dim, butter-lamp-lit rooms.
• Golden roofs 金顶: The gilt canopies crowning the Red Palace are similar to those of the Jokhang; the roof itself is closed to visitors but is the best part of the view from outside.
• Kora path round the base 转经道: Pilgrims walk clockwise round the foot of Marpo Ri, spinning prayer wheels and giving a fine ground-level look at the walls, especially at dusk.

How to visit Potala Palace

Entry is by timed slot booked through your agency at least a day ahead; you climb the zigzag stairs on foot and follow a one-way route through the chapels, where the time inside is limited to about an hour. The palace is closed on Mondays, except on public holidays and during the summer school-holiday period, so check the current notice. Keep your slot, plan for a slow pace at altitude and leave time for the kora path afterwards. A half-day covers the visit and a stroll round the base.

How to get to Potala Palace

The palace stands in central Lhasa, walkable from the Barkhor and Jokhang area; Lhasa is reached by air from major Chinese cities or on the Qinghai–Tibet Railway from Xining.

Where to stay

Stay in central Lhasa, either in the Barkhor old town or in the streets west of it, both an easy walk or taxi ride from the palace.

What to eat

• Yak butter tea 酥油茶: Hot tea churned with yak butter and salt, served everywhere on the plateau and more of a warming broth than a tea.
• Tsampa 糌粑: Roasted highland-barley flour, usually kneaded by hand with butter tea into a doughy ball; it is the staple of Tibetan cooking.
• Momo 藏式包子: Steamed or fried dumplings, typically filled with yak or mutton, a simple and filling Tibetan staple.

Tips for visiting Potala Palace

• Foreign visitors need a Tibet Travel Permit and must book through a licensed agency, which provides a guide and arranges your timed entry; the palace is usually closed on Mondays.
• Spend a day or two acclimatising in Lhasa (about 3,650 m) before tackling the palace's many stairs.
• Photography is not allowed inside; outside, walk clockwise with the pilgrims on the kora path around the base.

Nearby

• Jokhang Temple & Barkhor 大昭寺与八廓街 under 10 km
  Tibet's holiest temple, ringed by the pilgrim circuit of the Barkhor
• Yamdrok Lake 羊卓雍措 70 km
  A turquoise, snow-ringed sacred lake revealed from the Kamba La pass

Also within 30 km: Drak Lhalupuk Cave Temple 查拉鲁普石窟 (under 10 km), Ramoche Temple 小昭寺 (under 10 km), Tromzikhang (Qing Ambans' Office Museum) 冲赛康 (under 10 km), Tibet Museum 西藏博物馆 (under 10 km), Lhasa Nanshan Park 南山公园 (under 10 km), Norbulingka 罗布林卡 (under 10 km).

Trips with Potala Palace

• Tibet: Lhasa, Namtso and Everest Base Camp 7 days · Lhasa and Shigatse

On the map

Open Potala Palace on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Official website
• UNESCO World Heritage
• Wikipedia (Chinese)