Lhasa
There is usually monk debating here on weekday afternoons from around 3pm to 5pm, which provides a welcome relief from peering at Buddhist iconography…
Must-see attractions in Tibet
Ngari
South of Chiu Monastery on the shore of Manasarovar, this charming 16th-century monastery has long been part of the Manasarovar kora but can now be…
Tsang
The 12th-century Kagyud hermitage of Drakkar, or Chakar, is famous as the site where 11th-century Tibetan yogi and poet Milarepa spent nine years…
Ngari
One excellent half-day or overnight excursion from Tsochen is to Tsari (Zhari) Nam-tso, a huge and spectacular salt lake that remains totally undeveloped…
Eastern Tibet
This tranquil 17th-century Nyingma-sect monastery is set on a pine-clad hill overlooking the valley, and is home to 52 monks. The main prayer hall…
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About 1km northwest of town is the Drigungpa-school Dzongsar Monastery. A short but steep climb brings you to a monastery located on a jagged slope; its…
Tsang
Dazzling Yamdrok-tso is one of Tibet's four holy lakes (the others are Lhamo La-tso, Nam-tso and Manasarovar) and home to wrathful deities. Its turquoise…
Ngari
The citadel of Tsaparang, 18km west of Zanda, is one of Western Tibet's great hidden gems. Dozens of ruined residences and chapels dot a naturally…
Ngari
The dramatically situated Drapsang Monastery is a worthy detour off the main highway. Nuns will show you a skull-shaped rock and statues of Guru Rinpoche…
Lhasa
To the east of the Assembly Hall's Ser Trikhang (Golden Throne Room) and slightly uphill, this residence contains the living quarters and throne of the…
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Hepo Ri is the hill some 400m east of Samye where Guru Rinpoche vanquished the demons of Tibet. A 30-minute climb up the side ridge brings you to an…
Ngari
This large turquoise lake is one of Tibet's most beautiful and is a fine place to camp if you’re prepared for the cold and especially the altitude (around…
Ngari
Founded by Rinchen Zangpo in the 10th century, Thöling Monastery was once Ngari’s most important monastic complex. Atisha stayed here for three years…
Ngari
Seralung was built in 1728 to atone for a war against Ladakh. The most revered image is the central Jowo Katasapani; to the right is a statue of Kunchog…
Ngari
The village of Piyang (4180m) lies at the foot of a large ridge honeycombed with thousands of caves and topped with a ruined monastery and two caves with…
Ngari
Down the Sutlej Valley, 3km past Khyunglung (曲龙, Qūlóng) village, is the extensive ruined cave city that is thought to have been Shangshung, western Tibet…
Ngari
Fans of inner Asian art should visit Dungkhar (4250m) for its 800-year-old Kashmiri-Central Asian style wall paintings. There are three main caves in a…
Lhasa
For those with an interest in Tibetan Buddhism, Drak Yerpa hermitage, about 30km northeast of Lhasa, is one of the holiest cave retreats in Ü. Among the…
Shigatse
It’s a treat for the traveller when a sight is both a pleasure to explore and of great artistic importance. Such is Shalu Monastery, which dates back to…
Lhasa
This significant but small monastery is jam-packed with ancient relics and hidden treasures. It’s only 30 minutes' drive southwest of Lhasa and is worth a…
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A fine, tapering finger of a structure that sprouts from a craggy ridge overlooking the patchwork fields of the Yarlung Valley, Yumbulagang is considered…
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Along with Mindroling Monastery, Dorje Drak (3520m) is one of the two most important Nyingmapa monasteries in Ü, both considered among the six great…
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Although a small monastery was founded at the present site of Mindroling as early as the 10th century, the date usually given for the founding of…
Eastern Tibet
Bönri is the Bön religion’s most sacred mountain, a sprawling massif where Bön founder Tonpa Shenrab fought and defeated his arch rival Khyabpa Lagring,…
Lhasa
This monastery, 10 minutes’ walk downhill from Drepung Monastery, is worth a visit for its historical role as the seat of the Tibetan State Oracle until…
Tsang
Near the shores of Yamdrok-tso, about 10km east of Nangartse, Samding Monastery is situated on a 4550m-high ridge that separates two smaller lakes…
Eastern Tibet
On pretty Bakha Island in the middle of the Parlung Tsangpo sits Bakha Gompa, an 800-year-old Nyingma monastery which was previously the seat of power in…
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Dynamited by Red Guards and with ruins still visible in the green fields of the Pak-chu Valley, the sprawling monastic complex of Taklung is around 120km…
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Ruins dwarf the rebuilding work at Nalendra, but it's still an impressive monastery. Founded in 1435 by the lama Rongtonpa (1367–1449), a contemporary of…
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Founded in 1056, Reting Monastery was completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Once the seat of the Reting Rinpoche, several of whom served as…
Ngari
The atmospheric blood-red Korjak Monastery (3790m) has been an important centre for the Sakya order since it was founded by Rinchen Zangpo in 996 as the…
Lhasa
In 1530 the second Dalai Lama established the Ganden Podrang, the palace that was home to the subsequent Dalai Lamas until the fifth built the Potala. It…
Eastern Tibet
The monastery (Fortress on the Lake) is a small Nyingmapa chapel tucked into the forest on a tiny islet off the shore of Draksum-tso. Associated with the…
Lhasa
For your first visit to the Barkhor, enter from Barkhor Sq, a large plaza that was cleared in 1985. The square has been a focus for violent political…
Summer Palace of the Panchen Lamas
Shigatse
Though it ranks far below Tashilhunpo, if you have extra time in Shigatse, pay a visit to this walled palace complex at the southwestern end of town. The…
Tsang
If you want to get off the beaten track, make an 8km detour south off the Friendship Hwy from the road between Nangartse and Gyantse, across a huge,…
Tsang
Although religious centres have existed in the region since around the 8th century, Rongphu Monastery (4980m) is now the main Buddhist centre in the…
Lhasa
Ngagpa is one of Drepung’s four tratsang (colleges) and was devoted to Tantric study. The chapel is dedicated to bull-headed Dorje Jigje (Yamantaka), a…
Lhasa
Loseling is the largest of Drepung’s colleges, and studies here were devoted to logic. If you have time, pop into the small debating courtyard west of the…
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The tombs of the Tibetan kings at Chongye represent one of the few historical sites in the country that give any evidence of a pre-Buddhist culture in…