Lhasa is the capital of Tibet and one of the most extraordinary cities in Asia. Sitting at 3,650 metres on the Tibetan Plateau, it is a place where saffron-robed monks turn prayer wheels along the Barkhor pilgrimage circuit, yak butter candles flicker in ancient temples, and the thin mountain air carries the sound of chanting from a dozen monasteries.
The Potala Palace, the former winter residence of the Dalai Lama, dominates the city from its hilltop perch — thirteen storeys and a thousand rooms of white and ochre walls rising above the valley. Below it, the Jokhang Temple in the old town is the most sacred site in Tibetan Buddhism, built in 647 AD and still drawing prostrating pilgrims from across the plateau. The Barkhor, the pilgrimage circuit around the Jokhang, doubles as Lhasa's most atmospheric market street.
Lhasa can be reached by air from Chengdu (two daily flights) and Beijing. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway from Golmud is one of the world's great train journeys, climbing to over 5,000 metres. From Nepal you can fly or come overland. All foreign visitors need a Tibet Travel Permit arranged through a licensed tour agency — independent travel is not currently permitted.