7 Days in Tibet

Airport about 60 km out; keep the first day to one slow Barkhor circuit of roughly one kilometre, water, and an early dinner. Acclimatisation is the itinerary.

1. barkhor street

Timed entry at the Potala — 13 storeys and about 117 metres, no photos inside, hundreds of metres of stairs at altitude. Jokhang after lunch, dusk on the Barkhor.

1. potala palace
2. jokhang temple

Drepung's hillside kora in the morning, Sera's courtyard debates from about 15:00 in the afternoon. Taxis reach both from the old town within the hour.

1. sera monastery
2. drepung monastery

About 60 kilometres northeast in Dagze district — the road climbs to a site above 4,000 m. The hillside kora takes two to three hours; carry layers and move slowly. Back in Lhasa by evening.

1. ganden monastery

A recovery day between the two big excursions — the summer gardens and pavilions, then the museum (free with ID, closed Mondays). Early night.

1. tibet norbulingka
2. tibet museum

About 240 km northwest across Damxung County, over the 5,190-metre Nagenla pass to the lake at 4,718 m — a 10-to-12-hour round trip, best from June to September. Warm layers even in summer; the pass is windy.

1. namtso lake

Honestly labelled dip south — the road tops the 4,990-metre Kambala pass to look down on Yamdrok at 4,441 m in Shannan's Langkazi direction, roughly three hours each way. Short on time? Swap in a second Potala-side morning and fly out midday.

1. yamdrok lake