From the four chapels at the base of Tsaparang, the path to the top climbs up through the monastic quarters and then ascends to the palace complex atop the hill via a dramatic tunnel. The Summer Palace, at the northern end of the hilltop, is closed and empty, with a balcony offering wonderful views. The Sutlej Valley is just to the north.
The small but quite well-preserved red-painted Mandala (Demchok) Lhakhang in the centre of the hilltop ridge once housed a wonderful three-dimensional mandala with Tantric murals, only the base of which survived the desecrations of the Cultural Revolution. It is often closed to visitors.
