Lhasa · Visitor Guide
Barkhor Street (八廓街, Bākuò Jiē)
Barkhor Street is the roughly 1 km circumambulation path ringing Jokhang Temple in the old town of Lhasa, walked clockwise by Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims for over a thousand years. By day it doubles as the city's densest open-air market for thangkas, prayer flags, and turquoise. The street itself is free; the Jokhang Temple it encircles is part of the UNESCO-listed Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace (Jokhang added in 2000).
Last updated:
Quick Answer
Is Barkhor Street worth visiting?
A 1 km clockwise pilgrim circuit ringing Jokhang Temple, walked by Tibetans for over 1,000 years and now lined with thangka and turquoise stalls. Allow 1-2 hours, and go at dawn to see real kora devotion before the crowds.
Quick facts
| Ticket | Free to walk the street and circuit. Jokhang Temple entry (inside the loop) is about 85 RMB (as of 2026, verify). |
|---|---|
| Hours | The street is public and accessible 24 hours; shops typically open 9:00 am - 8:00 pm. Pilgrim activity is heaviest before dawn and around sunset. |
| Recommended duration | 1-2 hours to walk the loop, browse, and people-watch; the kora itself takes 30-40 minutes at a relaxed pace. |
| Best time to visit | Early morning (6:30-8:00 am) to witness pilgrims performing prostrations along the kora path, before tour groups arrive. May-June and September-October offer the clearest skies and thinnest crowds. |
| How to get there | No metro in Lhasa. Walking: about 15 minutes east from Potala Palace through the old town. Taxi/DiDi: 15-20 RMB from the Potala area, about 30 RMB from Lhasa Railway Station. City buses 7, 8, 20, and 23 serve the area near Barkhor Square. |
| English signage | partial |
| Wheelchair accessible | partial |
| Built | 7th century (circa 647 CE), around Jokhang Temple |
| Length | About 1 km (1,000 m) loop |
| UNESCO | 2000 (Jokhang, as extension of Potala ensemble, list 707) |
| Altitude | About 3,650 m |
| Best time | Dawn for pilgrim kora; May-June and Sept-Oct overall |
| Entry fee | Free to walk; Jokhang Temple inside ~85 RMB (verify) |
What to expect
Barkhor is not really a "street" in the shopping-mall sense — it is a roughly 1 km circumambulation path looping around Jokhang Temple, and Tibetans have been walking it clockwise for some 1,400 years. By day it doubles as Lhasa's densest open-air bazaar: stalls and shopfronts sell thangka paintings, prayer flags, mala beads, turquoise, yak wool, incense, and butter lamps. The route is the middle of three concentric koras around Jokhang (the inner Lingkhor being inside the temple complex, the outer Lingkhor circling old Lhasa), so you will be shoulder-to-shoulder with pilgrims spinning hand prayer wheels and murmuring mantras as you browse.
The circuit dates to the 7th century, built up around Jokhang Temple after King Songtsen Gampo established Lhasa as his capital around 647 CE. What began as a devotional track gradually accrued the merchant stalls that served pilgrims arriving from across the Tibetan plateau — a function it still serves. Jokhang Temple, which the Barkhor encircles, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2000 as an extension of the Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace (originally inscribed 1994; Norbulingka added in 2001), making the whole old-town core a protected zone.
The practical reality: the street itself is free and public, open around the clock, with shops roughly 9 am to 8 pm. Most guidebooks send you in the afternoon for shopping, but the street is actually a pilgrimage route — go at dawn and you will see the real Barkhor before the tour buses unload. Expect cobblestones, altitude fatigue at 3,650 m, and a crowd that mixes dreadlocked Amdo pilgrims, Han Chinese tour groups, and foreign backpackers. Photography on the street is fine; close-ups of prostrating pilgrims without asking are not.
How to get there
There is no metro in Lhasa. Barkhor Street sits in the old town, a roughly 15-minute walk east of Potala Palace through Beijing East Road and the alley network. By taxi or DiDi, a ride from the Potala area costs about 15-20 RMB and from Lhasa Railway Station about 30-40 RMB (about 20-30 minutes depending on traffic). City buses 7, 8, 20, and 23 stop near Barkhor Square; ask for "Bajiao Jie" (八廓街) or Jokhang Temple. Have your destination shown in Tibetan or Chinese script, as few drivers speak English. Note that foreigners must travel in the TAR on an organized itinerary with a licensed guide and driver; independent taxis are technically permitted for short hops but check with your operator.
Best photo spots
- The northwest corner where the kora path bends, framed by prayer-flag-draped rooftops and the white-washed walls of old Lhasa
- The alley of fixed hand prayer wheels along the north side — capture a pilgrim spinning them in sequence
- A rooftop cafe terrace (such as around Makye Ame) for a top-down view of the clockwise human current circling Jokhang
- The prostration boards near the Jokhang entrance at dawn, with pilgrims in full-body prostration silhouetted against first light
Tips
- Walk the kora clockwise, with the flow of pilgrims — going counter-clockwise is disrespectful and will draw stares.
- Arrive before 7:30 am to watch devotees performing full-body prostrations on the boards near the Jokhang entrance; the devout start before dawn.
- Bargain hard at shops — opening prices for turquoise and thangkas can be three to five times the realistic figure, and walking away usually drops the price fast.
- Skip the "antique" thangka shops claiming century-old pieces; genuine antiques are rare and restricted, and most are modern reprints.
- Walk slowly and carry water — at 3,650 m, even a flat 1 km loop feels strenuous on your first day in Lhasa.
Scams to avoid
- Fake antique thangka sellers claiming pieces are 100+ years old — the vast majority are modern reprints, often machine-printed then painted over. Genuine antique thangkas are rare and require export permits.
- Touts in monk's robes offering "special access" to inner Jokhang chapels or blessings for a fee — these are usually not real monks and the access is either nonexistent or already open to ticket holders.
- Cheap "Tibetan turquoise" and amber sold as genuine — real Tibetan turquoise is scarce and expensive; the bright, cheap beads are usually dyed howlite, plastic, or compressed stone.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a ticket to walk Barkhor Street?
No — the street is public and free to walk at any hour. Only Jokhang Temple entry inside the circuit costs money (about 85 RMB, verify).
How long is the Barkhor kora circuit?
About 1 km, a loop that takes 30-40 minutes at a walking pace and longer if you stop to browse shops.
Why do pilgrims walk the route clockwise?
Tibetan Buddhists circumambulate sunwise (clockwise) as a form of merit-making; the Barkhor is the middle of three concentric koras around Jokhang Temple.
When is the best time to see pilgrims prostrating?
Early morning before 8 am, when devotees perform full-body prostrations along the route before the tourist crowds arrive.
Can foreigners visit Barkhor Street freely?
Yes, but only with a Tibet Travel Permit arranged through a licensed tour operator; independent travel in the TAR is not permitted, and you must be on an organized itinerary with a guide and driver.
Is photography allowed on Barkhor Street?
Generally yes on the open street, but ask before photographing pilgrims up close, and photography is prohibited inside Jokhang Temple chapels.
How do I get from Potala Palace to Barkhor Street?
About a 15-minute walk east through the old town, or a 5-minute taxi ride costing roughly 15-20 RMB.
What can I buy on Barkhor Street?
Thangka paintings, prayer flags, mala beads, turquoise, yak-wool textiles, incense, and Tibetan tea — expect to bargain hard, as opening prices can run 3-5x the realistic figure.
What is the altitude and should I be concerned?
Lhasa sits at about 3,650 m; walk slowly your first day, stay hydrated, and avoid the strenuous prostration-style walking until you are acclimatized.
What is the best season to visit?
April through October, with May-June and September-October being the sweet spots for clear skies, mild temperatures, and thinner crowds.
Read next
Other things to do in Lhasa
Potala Palace
13-story Tibetan palace, 3,700m altitude, 1,000+ rooms, tombs of 8 Dalai Lamas. Tibet permit required. Book weeks ahead. 1 hour inside (enforced).
Mount Kailash
Tibet's holiest peak at 6,638m — sacred to four religions. 3-day kora (52 km) around the mountain. Permit required. Remote, high-altitude, deeply spiritual.
Jokhang Temple
Tibet's holiest temple, built around 647 CE, holds the Jowo Sakyamuni — the most sacred Buddha image in Tibetan Buddhism. Budget 1.5-2 hours inside plus the Barkhor kora around it.
Sera Monastery
Sera Monastery (色拉寺, Sèlā Sì) is one of the three great Gelug-school monasteries of Lhasa, founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey, a disciple of Tsongkhapa. The reason most visitors come is the monk debate (辩经), held Monday to Saturday from 15:00 to 17:00 in the debate courtyard — ¥50 entry (as of 2026), allow 2–3 hours including the chapels.
Drepung Monastery
Drepung Monastery (哲蚌寺, Zhébàng Sì), founded in 1416, was once the largest monastery in the world — housing up to 10,000 monks before 1959 — and still clings to a steep hillside 8 km west of Lhasa. Entry is ¥50 CNY (as of 2026); budget 2-3 hours for the climb, the Ganden Podrang palace, and the assembly halls.
Yamdrok Lake
A sacred turquoise lake at 4,441 m and one of Tibet's three holy lakes, reached by a 2.5-hour drive from Lhasa over the 4,794 m Kamba La pass. Plan a half-day; the postcard turquoise only appears in direct sun, so it's a gamble in monsoon cloud.
Namtso Lake
At 4,718 m, Namtso is one of the highest large lakes on Earth and Tibet's largest saltwater lake; the run from Lhasa is about 240 km each way and eats a full 12-hour day, so leave before dawn.
Norbulingka
The Dalai Lamas' summer garden-palace covers 36 hectares next to the Potala Palace and rewards 2–3 hours of unhurried walking — go in summer to catch the Sho Dun festival.
Museums in Lhasa
Tibet Museum
Lhasa's state-of-the-art museum of Tibetan history and culture — thangka masterpieces, prehistoric artifacts, and an essential orientation before visiting the Potala Palace.
Tibet Museum
Comprehensive introduction to Tibetan history, culture, and thangka art in a modern building near the Potala Palace. Free. Tibet Travel Permit required.
Xizang (Tibet) Museum
Reopened in 2022 after a multi-year renovation. Tibetan history from prehistory to modern era, with world-class thangka and Buddhist art collections. Free.