Potala Ticket In Advance
The Potala Palace is a must for every visitor to Lhasa. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the former winter palace of the Dalai Lamas and one of the most famous buildings in the world. Visitor numbers are strictly controlled, so you need to book in advance.
Daily limits: the number of visitors each day is limited, and tickets are sold for a set time slot. In summer, tickets can sell out days ahead.
1. How to Book Your Ticket
- Through your Tibet travel agency — the easiest way. Foreign visitors normally book through their tour company, which reserves your ticket and time slot with your passport details.
- Through the official booking system — in Chinese only, and it needs a Chinese ID or phone number, so it is mainly for Chinese visitors.
Don’t count on getting a ticket on the day in the busy season (May to October).
2. Entry Fees & Opening Hours
| Ticket price | higher from May to October, lower from November to April |
| Opening hours | from morning to late afternoon |
| Time inside | about one hour, following a set route |
| Booking | at least one day ahead, with your passport |
On our tours, the Potala ticket is included in the tour price.
3. What to Expect Inside
The Potala has two main parts: the White Palace, once the living and working quarters of the Dalai Lamas, and the Red Palace, with chapels and the golden tombs of past Dalai Lamas. You follow a set route through dim corridors and halls full of murals, thangkas, statues and golden stupas.
- the route has many steep stairs, which is hard work at 3,700 m
- the rooms are dim, so give your eyes time to adjust
- the tomb of the Fifth Dalai Lama is the most magnificent, covered in gold and jewels
4. Photography Rules
Photography is not allowed inside the palace. You must put your camera and phone away in the chapels and halls. You can take photos outside, from the palace terraces and from Potala Square below, which is especially beautiful at sunrise and in the evening.
For the classic view, walk to the hill of Chakpori, opposite the Potala, or to the Zongjiao Lukang park behind it, where the palace is reflected in the lake.
5. Dress Code & Behaviour
- dress modestly: no shorts or bare shoulders
- walk clockwise around chapels and sacred objects
- don’t touch statues, thangkas or murals
- speak quietly: the Potala is still a sacred place
- hats off inside the chapels
6. Physical Fitness Tips
The Potala stands on the Red Hill (Marpo Ri), and the climb from the entrance to the top is like climbing a ten-storey building, at high altitude. It is hard work even for fit visitors.
- spend at least two full days in Lhasa before visiting the Potala
- climb slowly and rest often
- carry a small bottle of water (you can’t take liquids inside, so drink before you go in)
- if you have heart or lung problems, ask your doctor first
7. Combine Your Visit
The Potala goes well with other sights the same day:
- Jokhang Temple — Tibet’s holiest temple, about 15 minutes by car or a longer walk
- Barkhor Street kora — the pilgrim circuit around the Jokhang
- Norbulingka — the Dalai Lamas’ summer palace and gardens
- Potala Square — for the classic photo of the palace lit up at night
We answer within 12 hours, Monday to Saturday.