Lhasa · Visitor Guide
Jokhang Temple (大昭寺, Dà Zhāo Sì)
The Jokhang is the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism and the end point of every Tibetan pilgrim's life. Built around 647 CE by King Songtsen Gampo to house a Buddha statue brought from Tang China by Princess Wencheng, it predates the Potala as Lhasa's focal point. Most guidebooks lead with the Potala, but ask any Tibetan which matters more and they will say the Jokhang.
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Quick Answer
Is Jokhang Temple worth visiting?
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.
Quick facts
| Ticket | ¥85 CNY for tourists (as of 2026); an extra ~¥50 CNY fee applies for rooftop photography (verify). Tibetan pilgrims enter free. |
|---|---|
| Hours | Approximately 7:00 AM - 5:30 PM daily (as of 2026, verify). Mornings are dense with prostrating pilgrims; afternoon tourist access is generally smoother. |
| Recommended duration | 1.5-2 hours inside the temple, plus 30-45 minutes to walk the Barkhor kora around it. |
| Best time to visit | April-May and September-October. Mild weather, thinner crowds, clear light. Summer (June-August) is peak domestic-tourist season and packed. Winter is cold but cheapest and least crowded — only go if you tolerate sub-zero nights. |
| How to get there | No metro in Lhasa. Walk from old-town hotels (5-15 min), take a city bus to Barkhor Square, or use DiDi/taxi for ¥10-20 within the center (as of 2026). From Lhasa Railway Station: ¥30-40 by taxi. From Gonggar Airport (~60 km): ¥100-200 by car or ~¥30 airport shuttle bus. |
| English signage | partial |
| Wheelchair accessible | partial |
| Built | ~647 CE (7th century, King Songtsen Gampo) |
| Size | ~25,100 m² complex |
| UNESCO | 2000 (extension of Potala Palace, inscribed 1994) |
| Altitude | 3,656 m (12,000 ft) |
| Holiest object | Jowo Sakyamuni Buddha statue |
| Status | Most sacred temple in Tibetan Buddhism |
What to expect
You approach across Barkhor Square through juniper incense smoke and the slap-slap of pilgrims prostrating on wooden boards in front of the entrance. Inside, the light is low and butter lamps line the chapels. The route is a one-way clockwise circuit through narrow corridors past dozens of shrines — Tara, the protectors, the Dalai Lamas — before you reach the main hall and the Jowo Sakyamuni, a gilded, life-sized Buddha that is the single most sacred image in Tibetan Buddhism. Expect crowds, body heat, and the smell of yak butter. After the chapels, climb to the rooftop for the golden dharma wheel and deer and a long view west to the Potala.
The temple was built around 647 CE under King Songtsen Gampo, the founder of the Tibetan empire, to house two Buddha statues brought by his wives: Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal and Princess Wencheng of the Tang court. The Jowo Sakyamuni, brought by Wencheng, became the most revered object in Tibet and the reason pilgrims walk for months to reach this building. The Jokhang survived the Cultural Revolution better than most Tibetan monasteries — it was damaged and looted but not leveled — and was restored in the 1980s. It was added to the UNESCO Potala Palace World Heritage listing in 2000 as the spiritual counterweight to the Potala's political weight.
This is a working pilgrimage site, not a museum, and that shapes everything. Mornings belong to Tibetans doing their devotions, and the chapels can feel overwhelming and slow. Photography inside the halls is forbidden; a separate ticket buys rooftop photo rights. Guards move you along if you linger. Most visitors rush the Potala in the morning and arrive here in the afternoon, which is backwards — come early, eat the chaos, then do the Potala later.
How to get there
Lhasa has no metro system. The temple sits in the middle of the old town, so most central hotels are a 5-15 minute walk away. By bus, city routes stop near Barkhor Square. A DiDi or taxi anywhere within the city center runs ¥10-20 (as of 2026). From Lhasa Railway Station, a taxi is about ¥30-40 and takes 20-30 minutes. From Lhasa Gonggar Airport, roughly 60 km south, an airport shuttle bus costs about ¥30 and a private car ¥100-200 with a 1-hour drive. Once in the old town, the final approach is on foot through Barkhor Street, which is pedestrian-only.
Best photo spots
- The rooftop, beside the golden dharma wheel and two deer, with the Potala Palace visible on the western hill — the classic Jokhang shot (requires the photo-fee ticket).
- Barkhor Square in front of the main entrance, where pilgrims prostrate on wooden boards in front of the doorway — best in early morning light.
- Barkhor Street circuit, framed by the temple wall on one side and prayer-flag stalls and old-town rooflines on the other, with pilgrims walking the kora.
- The gilded roofs and yak-butter lamp hallways from the interior courtyard, shot upward against the sky.
Tips
- Go early — ideally 7:00-8:00 AM — to catch pilgrims prostrating at the entrance and in the halls. This is the real Jokhang, not the afternoon tourist version.
- Most tour groups do the Potala in the morning and the Jokhang in the afternoon; flip it and you'll have the chapels nearly to yourself before 9 AM.
- Pay the extra ¥50 for the rooftop photo ticket — the ground-floor chapels are photo-free, and the roof is where the money shot with the golden deer and the Potala in the distance actually is.
- Dress modestly: covered shoulders and knees, no hats or shorts, or you will be turned away. Remove sunglasses inside the halls.
- Walk the Barkhor kora clockwise with the pilgrims after your visit, not against the flow — going counter-clockwise here is both wrong and conspicuous.
- Acclimatize before you climb the temple's interior stairs; at 3,656 m even two flights can leave you winded if you arrived yesterday.
Scams to avoid
- 'Monks' or robed figures near Barkhor offering a quick blessing, bead, or red string then demanding a large 'donation' — ignore them and walk on; genuine monastics do not solicit tourists this way.
- Guides and taxi drivers who steer you to 'government-approved' thangka, turquoise, or yak-bone jewelry shops where they collect commission; the goods are routinely mass-produced and overpriced.
- Touts selling 'antique' Tibetan ritual objects or old singing bowls around Barkhor — almost all are newly made and artificially aged.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Jokhang Temple ticket?
Tourists pay about ¥85 CNY (as of 2026); Tibetan pilgrims enter free. A separate ¥50 fee covers rooftop photography. Prices change, so confirm at the gate.
When was Jokhang Temple built?
Around 647 CE, in the 7th century, under King Songtsen Gampo, who built it to house Buddha statues brought by his Nepalese and Tang Chinese wives. That makes it over 1,370 years old.
What are the opening hours?
Roughly 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily (as of 2026). Mornings are dominated by pilgrims; tourist flow is smoother in the afternoon.
How long should I spend at Jokhang Temple?
About 1.5-2 hours inside, plus 30-45 minutes for the Barkhor kora. Add buffer if you want to photograph the rooftop or sit and watch pilgrims.
Can I take photos inside Jokhang Temple?
No. Photography is banned inside all chapels and halls. You can buy a separate ticket (about ¥50) to photograph the rooftop and golden roofs.
How do I get to Jokhang Temple?
There is no metro in Lhasa. Walk from any old-town hotel (5-15 minutes), take a city bus, or use DiDi/taxi for ¥10-20 within the center. From Lhasa Railway Station a taxi is ¥30-40; from Gonggar Airport expect ¥100-200 by car.
Is Jokhang Temple a UNESCO World Heritage site?
Yes. It was added in 2000 as an extension of the Potala Palace listing (originally inscribed in 1994). The full property is called the Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa.
What should I wear to visit the Jokhang?
Cover shoulders and knees, remove hats and sunglasses, do not point at statues or monks, and walk clockwise. Shorts and tank tops will get you turned away.
Is it better than the Potala Palace?
Most do Potala-in-the-morning, Jokhang-afternoon, but the reverse is better. Come to the Jokhang early to catch pilgrims prostrating, then visit the Potala later.
Will the altitude be a problem?
Very. Lhasa sits at 3,656 m, and many visitors fly in from sea level. Rest the first day, hydrate, avoid alcohol, and consider acetazolamide. Walk the temple slowly.
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Barkhor Street
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.
Yamdrok Lake
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Namtso Lake
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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.