Potala Palace

Potala Palace: crowds and conditions

Typical pattern: heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning. Been there recently? Post today’s status and it shows here for the next traveller.

Status options for this fort: Open, good conditions · Very crowded · Approach road bad · Closed / not accessible.

Best time to visit Potala Palace

Season: October to February; carry water in summer.

Busiest days: Weekends, public holidays, Sankranti and Dasara breaks.

Crowd: Heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning.

Typical week: Mon busy · Tue light · Wed light · Thu light · Fri busy · Sat packed · Sun packed.

How to reach Potala Palace — distance from nearby cities

Coordinates: 29.65796, 91.11756. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.

Places to visit near Potala Palace

• Monument to the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet · fort · Lhasa · ~1 km · Must-see
• Chagpori · viewpoint · Lhasa · ~1 km · Must-see
• 功德林寺 ཀུན་བདེ་གླིང · Buddhist site · Lhasa · ~1 km · Must-see
• Tsomon Ling · Buddhist site · Lhasa · ~2 km · Must-see
• Ramoche Temple · temple · Lhasa · ~2 km · Must-see
• Jokhang Monastery · temple · Lhasa · ~2 km · Must-see
• Muru Nyingba Monastery · Buddhist site · Lhasa · ~2 km · Must-see
• Tsamkhung Nunnery · Buddhist site · Lhasa · ~2 km · Must-see
• Lhasa Great Mosque · dargah · Lhasa · ~3 km · Must-see
• Tibetan National Museum · museum · Lhasa · ~3 km · Must-see
• Norbulingka · fort · Lhasa · ~3 km · Must-see
• Lhalu Wetlands National Nature Reserve · sanctuary · Lhasa · ~4 km · Must-see
• Sera Monastery · temple · Lhasa · ~6 km · Must-see
• Tsechokling · Buddhist site · Lhasa · ~6 km · Must-see
• Nechung Monastery · temple · Lhasa · ~8 km · Must-see
• Pabonka Hermitage · Buddhist site · Lhasa · ~9 km · Must-see
• Garu Nunnery · Buddhist site · Lhasa · ~9 km · Must-see
• Drepung Monastery · temple · Lhasa · ~9 km · Must-see

See everything within a day’s drive of Potala Palace

Other forts & heritage near Potala Palace

• Monument to the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet · fort · Lhasa · ~1 km · Must-see
• Norbulingka · fort · Lhasa · ~3 km · Must-see
• Gyama Palace · fort · Lhasa · ~67 km · Must-see
• Yungbulakang Palace · fort · Lhoka · ~110 km · Must-see
• Taktsé Castle · fort · Lhoka · ~111 km · Must-see
• Tombs of the Tibetan Kings · fort · Lhoka · ~112 km · Must-see
• 御制十全记碑 · fort · Lhasa · ~0 km
• Imperial Stele Inscriptions of the Pacification of Tibet · fort · Lhasa · ~0 km
• Lhasa Zhol Pillar · fort · Lhasa · ~0 km
• 青藏川藏公路纪念碑 · fort · Lhasa · ~3 km

All forts & heritage in Lhoka

Frequently asked