With an altitude of 3650 meters (11,975 feet), Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world. It has the highland temperate semi-arid monsoon climate. Annual rainfall here is considerable and mainly falls from the June to September Most of the time it rains at night. The air in Lhasa is thin and the temperature is comparatively low. The temperature differences during a single day can be large. Comparatively from March to October, the climate becomes mild and humid: this is the best season to travel in Tibet. The spring and winter in Lhasa are dry and windy.

• Barkhor Market
• Jokhang Temple
• Norbulingka
• Potala Palace
• Ramoche Temple

Qingke
Qingke (Highland Barley) is the main ingredient of tsampa. Tsampa is actually barley flour made from parched barley, un-husked and ground into fine flour and then eaten with butter. People also make tsampa by mixing qingke flour and peas. Tsampa made from qingke is a Tibetan traditional food, severed in the restaurants of Lhasa to accommodate the visitors from all over the world. At religious festivals, Tibetans will shed tsampa as a way of blessing.

Beef and mutton
Tibetans mainly live on beef, mutton and milk products. In the pastoral areas, people don’t eat vegetables. In this area even in the whole Tibetan area the diet is monotonous, rich in fat and protein. As is known, beef and mutton is rich in calories, which is good for people living on the tableland to keep warm. It’s interesting that the Tibetan has a custom to eat raw meat. If you go to a herdsman’s or a farmer’s home, you will see the air-dried beef and mutton hung inside the house or tents. And the host will treat you to such meat, which can only be tasted on the tableland.

Mashed yak meat
Tibetan medicines are mysterious. Mashed yak meat is the mixture of some Tibetan medicines and mashed raw beef, blood red, pungent, and you will feel hot inside after eating it. It’s said that Tibet is a place where time can stop, and people today still like to enjoy the sunshine at the foot of the Potala Palace after such a good meal, feeling rather satisfied.

By air
To get to Lhasa, most foreign travelers arrive by plane. Chengdu, Beijing, Xian, Chongqing, Xining, Lanzhou and Guangzhou are all the starting points to Lhasa. Travelers in Nepal may fly from Katmandu to Lhasa.

By train
Traveling by train to Lhasa is another choice. The first section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway between Xining and Golmud was put into use in 1984. The second section between Golmud and Lhasa began to operate on the 1st of July, 2006. With a total length of 1,956 km (around 1,215 miles), Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the longest plateau railway and also the highest in the world. There have been three routes for trains - daily trains running from Beijing to Lhasa, and on alternate between Chengdu-Lhasa and Chongqing-Lhasa, and between Xining-Lhasa and Lanzhou-Lhasa. As of Oct 1st, 2006, two more trains from Shanghai and Guangzhou to Lhasa have been officially set for operation on alternate, and both of the two trains run every other day.

Night Market
The most famous night market in Lhasa is the Tianhai Night Market in the western suburb of the city. Visitors will be enchanted by the many stalls of snacks, fruits, and handicrafts lining the street. Each night, the street is crowded and illuminated. The Tianhai Night Market is known for its great variety of goods and for being cheaper than the market on Barkhor Street.

Baguo Coffee Bar
Baguo Coffee Bar has 40 seats and reasonable prices, which specializing various coffees and Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Italian dishes. There is also a cyber bar, a gallery, tourist info, and IC telephones. It is popular with foreigners.
Add: South Jokhang Monastery Square
Tel: 0891-6326892

Mayke Ame (Maji A'mi)
Mayke Ame (Maji A'mi) is the most enchanting place which travelers like to go. It is not only an excellent restaurant but also a bar full of ethnic characters. One of the interesting things you will find is the many volumes filled with stories written by former visitors. Of course, you can leave you own story when you go there, too. Mayke Ame also features a convenient internet bar as well.
Add: Barkhor Street, Lhasa

Shoton Festival
It’s one of the Tibetan traditional festivals. In Tibetan, “sho” means “Yoghurt” and “ton” means “banquet”. So Shoton Festival is also called the 'Yoghurt Festival'. In the old Tibet, the activities of the Shoton Festival went like this: on the 29th of the sixth month, troupes all through Tibet would go to the Potala Palace and registered in the local government. Curt performances were given at the ceremony and then they would worship Dalai at Norbu Lingka, and returned to Dreprung Monastery in the evening. On the 30th, Zang opera would be performed all day at Dreprung Monastery. On the 1st of July, all the troupes would give performances together at Norbu Lingka. From 2nd to 5th of July, troupes from Gyantse , An’ rang?Nanmulin and Lhasa performed one day in turn. During the festival, the Gesa government took a holiday. All the officials would assemble at Norbu Lingka and enjoyed the performances with Dalai. At noon, a banquet was given to treat all the officials, and Yoghurt was served. The residents in Lhasa and peasants from suburb would dress up, take along food and drinks and go to Norbu Lingks for the performances.

Yalong Cultural Festival
Yarlong culture is an important part not only of Tibetan culture but also of the world's. The festival is a combination of both art and economy, which displays the old brilliance and the new expectations at the same time. There are colorful activities like national sports contests, singing, dancing, Tibetan opera, ethnic costume shows and trade fairs.

Butter Lamp Festival
The Butter Lamp Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month every year by the Tibetan in Qinghai and Gansu provinces. It’s the last day of the Great Prayer Festival. To honor the victory of Sakyamuni in a debate against Heretics,people assemble at the Barkhor Street in Lhasa, worshiping the Buddha in the daytime and by nightfall. People usually light thousands of lamps filled with butter in an intriguing assortment of designs including immortals, animals, flying birds, beasts, and flowers.. The whole festive will last all night. People sing and dance in great joy throughout the night.

Saga Dawa Festival
Held by the Dragon King Pond, it was celebrated on the 15th of the fourth month for the Lord Buddha Sakyamuni’s birth, enlightenment, death and Songtsan Gambo’s wedding with Princess Wencheng sent by Tang Dynasty (618-907). The people including monks and laymen, men and women in Lhapulun don’t eat or drink or speak for a day and two nights, it is called "Niannai" festival.

Death of Tsongkapa
Tsongkaps, the great reformer of Tibetan Buddhism and founder of the Gelukpa sect, died on December 25th, 1419. In memory of the day, every house hold burns countless butter lamps on roof tops and chant prayers in his honor. Late in the evening, Tibetan dumpling is served for supper.

Tibetan New Year
The Tibetan New year, known as Losar, is the most important local festival which is celebrated for 2 weeks during the month of December and January as per the lunar calendar.
Losar festival commemorates the arrival of New Year, celebrated by people who live in Ladakhi or Tibet. The festival is marked with ancient ceremonies,the performance fights between good & evil, chanting and passing the fire torches through the crowds. The dance of the deer and the exciting battles between the King and his ministers make the festival more joyful. This festival is full of dancing, music and merry-making.