Trip to the Potala Palace by Mark Sukhija

By: Mark Sukhija

14th July 2009

Façade of the Potala PalceFaçade of the Potala Palce in Lhasa
Painting at the entrance to Potala PalacePainting at the entrance to Potala Palace
Panoramic view of the Potala Palace seen from the Square oppositePanoramic view of the Potala Palace seen from the Square opposite

While in Lhasa, we visited the Potala Palace - one time seat of the Tibetan Government. It's long been a goal of mine to visit such an iconic building which I had seen many, many times in photographs and on the television.

We arrived at 08:30 in the morning for our 09:00 am entry. Climbing the 500 stairs to the entrance, where we would collect our tickets, was noticably more of a struggle than the equivalent at 3,000 meters above my usual altitude in Zürich.

Our tour took us through the Red and White Palaces as well as the private quarters of the Dalai Lama.

Visitor numbers are limited to 2,300 per day and 1 hour per visit.

Recent posts

Rome - 14 things not to miss My personal advise on what to do and see in Rome
Mt Egmont and King Edward Park Mt Egmont seen from the King Edward Park playing fields in Stratford
Stratford Glockenspiel The Stratford Glockenspeil in Taranaki
The Antelope - the dog friendly pub The Antelope - your local, dog friendly, beer friendly pub
Ancient Rome - 8 must see highlights Must see ancient monuments around Rome
Antwerp - de Kathedraal Historical information about the gothic Antwerp Cathedral
Antwerp - what to do, see, stay and eat What to see, where to stay and eat in historic Antwerp
Austria - recommended places to stay Recommended hotels in Vienna, Salzburg and Bregenz

Further reading

Related posts

Europe - Travel information from around Europe

New Zealand - A personal guide to things to do, see, eat and drink in New Zealand

Berne - Information on and about Berne

Taranaki pictures - A gallery of pictures from my travels in Taranaki

Travel pictures - Pictures from my travels in Switzerland, Italy and New Zealand

Zähringen - Brief history of the Noble family of Zähringen

Auckland - Travel information on about Auckland

Eclipse chasing - Essential total eclipse trip planning information from 2010 to 2019

2011 travel pictures - Pictures and images from my 2011 travels in Switzerland, Antwerp and London

Marlborough Sounds - sunset seen from the Interislander - Sunset over the Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand seen from the Interislander ferry

About Mark Sukhija

Mark Sukhija is a travel and wine blogger, photographer, tourism researcher, hat-touting, white-shirt-wearing, New Zealand fantatic and eclipse chaser. Aside from at least annual visits to New Zealand, Mark has seen eclipses in South Australia (2002), Libya (2006), China (2009) and Queensland (2012). After twelve years in Switzerland, Mark moved back to London in 2012. You can follow Mark on Twitter or Facebook