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Norbulingka (Jewel Park), Lhasa

PreeChina · Sight Guide

Historic Architecture Near Lhasa

6 sights within 87 km of Lhasa. Pick the ones you want and PreeChina can build a private, custom or tailor-made tour around them.

6 sightsLhasaWithin 87 kmFrom USD 305 per person, 2 travelers

At a Glance

Quick Facts

City
Lhasa
Sights
6 historic architecture sights
Range
1.2 to 87 km from the centre
Closest
Potala Palace
Farthest
Yumbulagang Palace
Length
Set in your private plan

Price

Price of This Private Tour

Per person, in US dollars. The price covers the guide, the ground service, and the transport, meals and tickets in the itinerary, and it falls as the group grows. This route is customized for the region, so the figures are a starting point. What a price includes and leaves out.

Estimated price per person for Historic Architecture Near Lhasa, by number of travelers
Travelers246810152030
Day tripUSD 305USD 220USD 185USD 175USD 160USD 155USD 145USD 135

Premium hotels and first-class rail raise the price: the selectors on Private Tours show by how much. The final price is confirmed in writing before anything is booked.

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Why These Sights

Historic Architecture Within Reach of Lhasa

6 historic architecture sights lie within 87 km of central Lhasa, from Potala Palace at 1.2 km to Yumbulagang Palace at 87 km. They are: Potala Palace, Norbulingka (Jewel Park), Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery, Samye Monastery, Yumbulagang Palace.

This page lists the sights and how far each one sits from the city centre. It does not set a length for the trip: your private itinerary decides which sights to combine, the order and the number of days.

The Lhasa city guide covers the city itself.

Map

Map of the Sights

The gold marker is central Lhasa. Numbers run from the closest sight to the farthest.

Sight by Sight

The 6 Sights

Within 50 km from Lhasa

Potala Palace, Heritage Site
1
Heritage Site

Potala Palace (布达拉宫)

1.2 km from central Lhasa, straight line

The Potala Palace stands on Red Mountain in Lhasa at 3,700 metres. UNESCO dates its role as the Dalai Lamas' winter palace to the 7th century. It joined the World Heritage list in 1994, and the listing later added the Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka.

Norbulingka (Jewel Park), UNESCO Site
2
UNESCO Site

Norbulingka (Jewel Park) (罗布林卡)

2.9 km from central Lhasa, straight line

The summer palace and garden of successive Dalai Lamas. Tibetan opera plays here during the Shoton Festival.

Sera Monastery, Heritage Site
3
Heritage Site

Sera Monastery (色拉寺)

4.6 km from central Lhasa, straight line

Famous for its daily Buddhist debating sessions, monks clap, stomp, and gesture while arguing about Buddhist philosophy, a 600-year-old educational tradition still practised every afternoon.

Drepung Monastery, Heritage Site
4
Heritage Site

Drepung Monastery (哲蚌寺)

7.5 km from central Lhasa, straight line

Recorded as the largest Buddhist monastery in the world, once home to 10,000 monks and built as a white town up a mountainside. At Shoton the festival unrolls a 500-square-metre thangka down the hill at dawn.

Samye Monastery, Heritage Site
5
Heritage Site

Samye Monastery (桑耶寺)

49 km from central Lhasa, straight line

Tibet's first true monastery, the first to have Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, built as a 3D model of the Buddhist universe (mandala), with the main hall representing Mount Meru surrounded by continents and sun-moon temples.

50 to 150 km from Lhasa

Yumbulagang Palace, Historic Building
6
Historic Building

Yumbulagang Palace (雍布拉康)

87 km from central Lhasa, straight line

Tradition says Nyatri Tsenpo, the first Tibetan king, built it in the 2nd century BCE, which makes it the earliest building recorded in Tibetan histories. A tower-style main building stands on a ridge in the Yarlung Valley, and Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng spent summers here.

Distances

Distance From Central Lhasa

#SightTypeStraight line
1Potala PalaceHeritage Site1.2 km
2Norbulingka (Jewel Park)UNESCO Site2.9 km
3Sera MonasteryHeritage Site4.6 km
4Drepung MonasteryHeritage Site7.5 km
5Samye MonasteryHeritage Site49 km
6Yumbulagang PalaceHistoric Building87 km

Straight-line distances from the centre of Lhasa. Road and rail distances are longer.

Independent Travel

Visiting These Sights Independently

Arranging these 6 stops yourself keeps the budget lower. It also means booking each one and the transfers between them. Compare a private tour with independent travel, or ask PreeChina to plan it.

Custom Tour

Turn This Into a Private, Custom Tour

This route is a starting point: 1 day and 6 stops. PreeChina plans it as a private, tailor-made trip and changes the stops, the days and the pace to your group.

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Questions

FAQ

How many historic architecture sights are near Lhasa?

This page lists 6, all within 87 km of central Lhasa in a straight line.

Which sight is closest to Lhasa?

Potala Palace, at 1.2 km from the centre in a straight line.

How far is Yumbulagang Palace from Lhasa?

87 km in a straight line. The road distance is longer.

How many days do I need?

It depends on which sights you combine. Your private itinerary sets the number of days, the order and the pace with you.

Who is this route not a good fit for?

A traveler who cannot manage long transfers or limited facilities. This route runs through a remote region, so plan for long travel days and a slower pace.

Explore More

This route is in Tibet. The province page lists its city guides, themes, museums and other routes.

Related

Keep Exploring Lhasa

Routes and day trips

Theme maps

Background reading

Plan a Trip Around These Sights

Tell us when you arrive in Lhasa, who is travelling and how much time you have. We build the route around your group.

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