The Potala Palace on the roof of the world
Lhasa sits at about 3,650 metres on the Tibetan plateau, and its skyline is dominated by the Potala Palace, the former winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, rising in white and red walls above the city. In the old town, pilgrims walk clockwise around the Jokhang Temple, Tibet's holiest shrine, along the Barkhor circuit. The great monasteries of Drepung and Sera, where monks debate in the courtyard, lie on the outskirts. Foreign visitors need a special permit and must travel with a registered guide, so plan through an agency.