As foreigners can only visit Tibet on a guided tour with a recognized provider, travelers almost always visit the Potala with a guide. The palace is Tibet’s must-see sight, meaning that tickets are limited, and time slots have to be booked several days in advance—woe betide you if you miss your precise slot.
Tours typically explore both the White Palace, a rooftop area that formed the living quarters of generations of reincarnated Dalai Lamas, and the Red Palace, used for religious worship. For a more intimate experience of this majestic monument, it’s worth considering a private Potala Palace tour.
The Potala Palace sits atop the 427-foot (130-meter) Red Hill at the heart of Lhasa, about a 1.5-mile (2.5-kilometer) walk from the Jokhang Temple. It’s a surprisingly bracing hike up the hill from the parking lot, especially if you have yet to acclimatize to altitude.
The Potala Palace is open from morning until mid-afternoon seven days a week, with slightly reduced hours during the winter season. Your guide should ensure that you arrive at the palace around an hour before the time slot on your ticket to guarantee entry.
The current Dalai Lama, head of the Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism, is the 14th man to hold his role—and Tibetan Buddhists believe he is a reincarnation of previous leaders. Until China occupied Tibet in 1959, it was a religious state with the Dalai Lama at its head and the Potala Palace as its government seat. When the Dalai Lama dies, his successor’s name will come from an urn in the Potala Palace.