Top Things to do in Tibet
Top Hotels in Tibet
- 1. The St. Regis Lhasa Resort
- 2. Shangri-La Lhasa
- 3. Lubhum Tsang Boutique hotel
- 4. InterContinental Lhasa Paradise
- 5. Songtsam Choskyi Linka Lhasa
- 6. Tashitakge Hotel
- 7. Holiday Inn Express Lhasa Potala Palace
- 8. Jinjiang Star Hotel the View, Potala Palace, Lhasa
- 9. Songtsam Rumei Lodge（Markam）
- 10. Kyichu Hotel (Jiqu Fandian)
What to do and see in Tibet, China: The Best Places and Tips
Discover the best top things to do in Tibet, China including Yamdrok Yumtso Lake, Lake Namtso, Mt. Everest Base Camp, Tashilunpo Monastery, Mount Kailash, Palkhor Monastery and Kumbum Stupa, Sakya Monastery, Samye Monastery (Sangye Si), Yumbu Lakang, Nnamjagbarwa Mountain.
Restaurants in Tibet
1. Yamdrok Yumtso Lake
Overall Ratings
5 based on 188 reviews
Reviewed By belmfgo4 - Malaysia
Yamdrok is one of Tibet’s 4 main holy lakes and is regarded as one of the most beautiful lakes in the Himalaya. Just stunning to catch up all part of scenic view in your camera.
2. Lake Namtso
Overall Ratings
5 based on 244 reviews
This holy body of water, located 15,475 feet above sea level and covering more than 730 square miles, is the highest saltwater lake in the world.
Reviewed By GoranWembley
This was an amazing experience: the landscapes on the way, the pass and views from the pass, the lake and the surrounding landscapes. The sunset views from the cliffs are nice and so was the morning khora. Not recommended doing Lake Namtso without proper acclimatisation in Lhasa.
3. Mt. Everest Base Camp
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 327 reviews
We provide Mt. Everest base camp trekking from both Tibet and Nepalese side. From Tibetan side it is about a 10 days tour on a four wheel drive and walking. Whereas from Nepalese side EBC trekking is a 16 days trek. First we fly to Lukla and and walk for 14 consecutive days with 2 day rests at Namche and Dingboche.For further information and enquiries please email to Mr Pandey at Thamel Travels and Tours Kathmandu wish you happy journey to Nepal and Tibet.
Reviewed By Factsnotfiction71 - Colchester, United Kingdom
We trekked to Everest Base Camp in April. Amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience. We booked all our tea-house accommodation in advance although there are lots along the trek up until Dingboche - once you pass Dingboche there are less and less. The altitute started to affect us from Dingboche too but we took it slowly and drank lots and we were fine. All in all, the more time you can spend acclimitising, the better the experience you will have.
4. Tashilunpo Monastery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 196 reviews
Tashilhunpo Monastery is situated in Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. In 1447, the first Dalai Lama built it and it has been one of the six great Gelugpa monasteries. If you go to Shigatse, you cannot miss the marvelous monastery where you will see a lot of precious religious statues and stupas.
Reviewed By Brian M - Oxford, United Kingdom
This is a very important monastery for both its spiritual and cultural impact situated in in Shigatse, Tibet's second largest city. There is no doubt that if you are Buddhist a visit to this monastery is a must because it was founded by the first Dalai Lama in the 15th Century. The monastery belongs to the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the second most important spiritual leader of Tibet. There are quite a few chapels to visit, with some inevitably better decorated than others. In the afternoon, you can also watch the monks debating among themselves, old and young alike, having what appeared to be a great time. A word of caution, the place has seen better days in the past and the facilities are not as good as one would expect. Still, it's worth spending time here, especially towards the end of the afternoon.
5. Mount Kailash
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 133 reviews
Gangs Rin-po-che is the Tibetan name of Mt. Kailash which is considered as a sacred place in four regions: Bon Religion, Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. Every year, thousands make a pilgrimage to Kailash for the faith they believed that circumambulating Kailash by foot will bring good luck and clear the sins. The trek begins and ends at Darchen which is at 4,575m elevation.Mount Kailash trekking is one of the most challenging and sacred treks in the world. The trek is widely known as Mt. Kailash kora which is scared in four religions, Bon Religion, Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. What’s more, this holy mountain is also the headstream of four famous rivers in Asia: Indus River (also called Shiquan River in China), Sutlej River (a major tributary of the Indus River), Yarlungzangpo River (also called Brahmaputra River) and Ganges River. Every year, thousands make a pilgrimage to Kailash for the faith they believed that circumambulating this holy mountain by foot will bring good luck.
Reviewed By Sjakie S - Hoorn, The Netherlands
Me and my wife are quite fit, and got used to the altitude in the two weeks before (stays in Kunming, Lijiang, Shangri-la and Lhasa) . Our doctor advised us to take medicine against altitude sickness in advance as a precaution, in Shigatse. Everything worked out fine. No need for oxygen canisters and according to our guide, we were pretty fast, hurray!
Be prepared to bring warm clothes for day and night, as it can get really cold. The guesthouses you'll visit don't have heaters and little isolation against the coldness outside. We wore thermo shirts, dry fit t shirt, fleece vest and wind breaker jacket during the day (a Buff and gloves cam also come in handy) and basically slept in this clothes at night. In a cocoon bag, sleeping bag, under one or two blankets. Also bring a headlight, and we found walking poles to be very convenient. The guesthouses aren't always able to deliver electricity so a powerbank can come in handy as well. They all have hot water so we brought oatmeal for breakfast and ate instant noodle soup for lunch (you can get that everywhere). They can all make a simple dinner.
Was it worth the effort? Every bit and every step! If you're not too fit: you can skip some parts by taking the shuttle bus (don't know the costs, it will only take you a few kilometers further) or rent a horse (our guide said it was 3000 yuan).
I hope these tips will help you, good luck!
6. Palkhor Monastery and Kumbum Stupa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 92 reviews
Built in 1414, this monastery consists of 17 Dratsang (colleges) that belong to the three sects of Sagya, Kadam and Gelug. Palkhor also has the spectacular Bodhi stupa, or Kumbum in Tibetan, which was built in 1412.
Reviewed By GaryandLesleyTravel - Auckland Central, New Zealand
Kumbum stupa within the Palkhor Choede Monastery is the largest Stupa in Tibet. At this monastery (mainly for the tourists benefit) you can also watch the Monks debate, which is all part of their learning. They use a lot of hand signals and clapping which is quite amusing to watch. Philosophy is the main area of discussion and their topics are picked randomly by their teachers. The monastery was built in 1418 and is one of the Buddhist centres where multiple sects co-exist in harmony and peace and although not the best monastery out of all that we saw one of the few that for a fee we were aloud to take photos of the inside. The Kumbum stupa stands 34.2m high and was built in 1427 and includes 108 alters and also houses 100,000 Buddhist images enshrined as murals and statues.
7. Sakya Monastery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 47 reviews
Sakya Kloster is famed as the 'Second Dunhuang' due to its colossal collection of numerous Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, murals and Thangkas. According to statistics, about 40,000 volumes of scriptures are housed there. A wooden bookshelf which is about 57 meters (187 feet) long, 11 meters high (36 feet) and one meter wide (three feet) has 464 grids. More than ten thousand scriptures are housed on the shelf. Among them, the most precious is Burde Gyaimalung, which records Tibetan religion, history, philosophy, literature, agriculture and animal husbandry. It is 1.8 meters (six feet) long, 1.3 meters (four feet) wide and 0.67 meter (two feet) thick and boasts the biggest scriptures in the world. Additionally, it also houses 21 volumes of Buddhist scriptures written on Pattra leaves in Sanskrit. Each consists of one hundred to two hundred pages and four-color illustrations. They are the most precious sutras in the world.
Reviewed By Wilcoxm51 - Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
Sakya Monastery from the outside looks more like a fort or castle than a Monastery. It's historical association with China spared it from much of the destruction and vandalism that took place during the cultural revolution. The main temple is a massive structure with a number of chapels. For us the highlight of the visit was the library in the main chapel which is truly breathtaking.
8. Samye Monastery (Sangye Si)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 43 reviews
Samye Monastery, Tibetan’s first monastery and first college, locates in Shannan Region. It was constructed by the King Trisong Detsen of the Tubo Kingdom, and the monastery was also presided over by the Buddhist master Padmasambhava or Gulug Rinpoche. Detsen took part in the foundation ceremony and later he ordained seven descendants of blue blood to cultivate the monastery. They were called ‘Seven Enlighten Disciples of Samye’. Since then, Buddhism has widespread within Tibetan plateau. Samye was destroyed several times by civil war, fire and earthquakes respectively. Today, only partially of its original 108 buildings survive or have been rebuilt.
Reviewed By GoranWembley
Another not often featured attraction on the fixed itineraries, but Samye was stunning in so many ways. The landscapes approaching Samye follow the big river, cutting through the barren Mountains with prayer flags passes, crossing sand dunes and passing an occasional patch of green. The monastery grounds cover half of the town and the sunset views of the surrounding area from the hill above the town were spectacular. Wonderful!
9. Yumbu Lakang
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 30 reviews
Yumbu Lakang was built for the first Tibetan King, Nyatri Tsanpo, in the 2nd Century BC and became the Tibetan Kings’ palace since then. It then became the summer palace for Princess Wenchen and Songtsen Gampo, that was during the reign of Songtsen Gampo himself. The palace became a Gelugpa monastery during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama after Songtsen Gampo moved to the capital Lhasa in the 7th Century. The name“Yumbu” means female dear named after the shape of the Jormo Zhaxi Ceri Mountain which looks like a female dear. “lagang” meaning Sacred palace . Hence the name of Yumbulagang” the sacred palace of mother and son” in Tibetan dialect.
Reviewed By Andyrock81 - Rockhampton, Australia
Quite a small temple to visit, the location is the main attraction here. Visitors can choose to hire a horse to ride up the winding trail, or walk up a combination of stairs/pathway. There is also a hill behind the temple that can be climbed for an even more stunning view. Not the fanciest temple we saw in Tibet, but a spectacular location
10. Nnamjagbarwa Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 22 reviews
Reviewed By tensaisimon - Beijing, China
We joined a bus tour to the Great Canyon of Yarlon Tsangpo. From certain points we were told to watch the Nnamijabarwa Peak. But as the mountain was covered by cloud and mist, we could not see anything halfway up. Then for a very brief moment cloulds gave way and there she was, the Peak stood like a colossal pyramid over the clouds, glowing with white snow and golden Sunshine. Majestic, exilarating and mysterious. Then in a few seconds it was covered again by mist. We were not even able to snatch a photo. That experience made us understand why she is called a Sacred one, and why we saw faithful local Tibetans kneel and kowtow towards her.
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