Tibet has been considered one of the world’s most beautiful places to visit. It has unique geographical features and excellent historical sites. Their rich culture and tradition attract numerous tourists from all around the world. So here are the top ten places to visit in Tibet.
Potala Palace
Location: Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region
Best Time to visit: April to February
Highlight: Dalai Lama’s residence, a colossal statue of Buddha Maitreya
The Potala Palace is the highest in the world. It is the landmark of Tibet. Once upon a time, it was the winter palace of Dalai Lama until 1959. It is a museum for tourists and a pilgrim site for the local Tibetans. It is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites in Tibet.
You will fall in love with this fantastic authentic architecture that has stood for centuries and represents the face of Tibet. You will also get to know more about the old heritage of Tibet and its people. This might be your place to visit in Tibet.
Samye monastery
Location: Shannan Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region
Best Time to visit: April to February
Highlights: Pagoda of Sangye Temple, Statue for Guru Padmasambhava, 108 retreat caves near the monastery.
It is the first monastery in Tibet built by King Trisong Detsen under the guidance of Guru Padmasambhava and Khenpo Bhodisatova. Samye monastery has the blending architectural design of Chinese, Indian, and Tibetan. It has an amazing design that represents the universe according to Tibetan Buddhist scriptures. This centuries-old structure has been the symbol of Tibetan Buddhism. It receives thousands of pilgrims across Tibetan Regions.
Jokhang Temple
Location: Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region
Best Time to visit: April to February
Highlight: Life-sized sitting Buddha Statue, Barkhor Street
Jokhang Temple is one of the most famous and sacred sites in Tibet. It is located at the old markets in Tibet, Barkhor Street. The Jokhang temple has played a significant role in developing Buddhism in Tibet and symbol of friendship between the Tibetan Emperor and the Chinese emperor. It has been listed among the UNESCO World Heritage sites and receives millions of pilgrims and travelers every year.
Namtso Lake
Location: Damxung County of Lhasa Prefecture and Baingoin County of Nagqu Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region.
Best Time to visit: June to September
Namtso Lake is one of the three most sacred lakes in Tibet; It is a mountain lake located on Lhasa Prefecture and Nagqu Prefecture in Tibet. Namtso Lake is considered one of Tibet’s most beautiful natural lakes and receives thousands of pilgrims and tourists every year. And is one of the most famous places for wedding photography sites.
Lake Yamdrok
Location: Shannan Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region
Best Time to visit: May to July, September to mid-November
Lake Yamdrok is among the three largest and sacred lakes in Tibet. It is a freshwater lake that stretches around 72 km long. Snow-capped mountains surround lake Yamdrok. It is one of the most famous destinations in Tibet for tourists. This is where you can take photos with Tibetan Mastiff dogs, as you might have seen on social media.
Mount Kailash
Location: Nagri Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region
Best Time to visit: April to Mid-October
Mount Kailash is one of the most sacred snow mountains in Tibet. It is the most famous pilgrim site for many religious practitioners like Hindus, Jains, Bons, and Buddhists. Every year, thousands of pilgrims and trekkers visit Mount Kailash. It is considered one of the most exciting places to trek in Tibet.
Lulang Forest
Location: Nyingchi County, Tibet Autonomous Region
Best Time to visit: All year round
Tibet is a genuine standard gallery of plants, facilitating the qualities of various plant species, which frame a showcase of the whole Asian vegetation. LuLang signifies “Loong King Valley” in Tibetan dialect, or “a spot that will make you overlook your home.” It is situated by the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, around 80 km from Nyingchi County. In summer, the blooms will bloom. In Spring, full-chestnut azaleas are everywhere throughout the backwoods, which draws in swarms of flying creatures. The most famous Cherry blossom festival is in the Spring.
In Summer, you can see brilliant wheat waves with freshening breezes in Lulang Forest. In Autumn, the leaves turn yellow and afterward red aside from the evergreen pines. In Winter, snow falls on the woods and in addition on the icy masses.
Sakya Monastery
Location: Sakya County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region
Best Time to visit: July to September
Highlights: Large collection of Sutras, Ancient Tibetan Buddhist Murals, and Holy corn shell
Sakya Monastery happens to be an incredible Buddhist monastery situated on the road to Tingri in the Tibet Region. It is the seat of the Sakya Tibetan Buddhism Sect. The sanctuary complex is divided into two parts by the Trum Chu River. One aspect of the complex remains on the hillside and the other on the valley side.
The best part of the monastery is its architecture on the exterior, which is just amazing. You will come across high grey colored walls on all sides with specially built watchtowers. The structure is painted in the holy colors (White, grey, & Red) of Buddhism, which symbolizes Wisdom Buddha (Manjushri), Compassion Buddha (Avalokiteshvara), and Vajrapani. The most fantastic thing that this monastery has is the old library which has hundreds of ancient Tibetan Buddhist Sutras texts piled up along the main chapel of the monastery.
Mount Everest Base Camp in Tibet
Location: Tingri County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region
Best Time to Travel: April-May and September- Mid November
The Mount Everest base camp is located near the border of Nepal and Tibet. It is situated at an altitude of 6200m above sea level. It is one of the most famous places to visit in Tibet. Spending a night under the clear sky seems like you can touch the stars. The morning sun hits on the face of the world’s tallest mountain, and you are witnessing everything in front of you. How amazing that would be.
Mana Sarovar Lake
Location: Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region
Best Time to visit: April to Mid-October
The third most famous and sacred lake in Tibet is the Mana Sarovar Lake, located next to Mount Kailash. It is particularly holy to Hindus and has been strolling around for almost 2000 years. Every year thousands of pilgrims travel around Mount Kailash and the lake. The Mana Sarovar lake is situated at an altitude of 4560 m and is one of Tibet’s largest freshwater lakes.