Welcome to the beautiful city of Lhasa

Explore Lhasa in 5 days and 4 nights with a budget of 2,000 RMB per person! Visit the Potala Palace, circle the Jokhang Temple, stroll along Barkhor Street, gaze at Namtso Lake from afar, and handle altitude sickness calmly with a tested itinerary… This time, I will take you to a city closest to the sky — Lhasa, Tibet. It is not Shangri-La, but it has the sacred glow of the "Sunlight on the Golden Mountain"; It does not have a replica of the Potala Palace, yet it stands authentically atop Red Hill, unshaken for a thousand years; It is not by the sea, but a single sacred lake, Namtso, can move you to tears as if you hear the whisper of the gods. With 5 days and 4 nights, and a budget of 2,000 RMB per person, I have designed a low-budget, high-experience, scientifically adapted high-altitude itinerary to Tibet. Travel by train to Tibet, use public buses and carpool transfers, stay in Tibetan-style guesthouses shared by four people, and experience the most down-to-earth way to enter the land of faith, finding inner peace amid fluttering prayer flags. 📍 Itinerary Overview Duration: 5 days and 4 nights (recommended to reserve time for acclimatization for first-time visitors to the plateau). Budget: 2,000 RMB per person (including round-trip transportation, accommodation, tickets, and meals) Recommended departure: Xining (the most cost-effective way to enter Tibet) Start and end points: Xining → Lhasa (by train) → Lhasa → Xining (return). Itinerary route: Day 1: Xining → Lhasa (Qinghai-Tibet Railway) → Acclimatize to the plateau → Barkhor Street night view. Day 2: Potala Palace + Yowang Mountain Viewing Platform + Longwangtan Park. Day 3: Jokhang Temple + Barkhor Street circumambulation + Xiaozhao Temple Day 4: Yamdrok Lake day tour (carpool). Day 5: Norbulingka + return to Xining. Day 1: Arrive at the holy city See the world’s rooftop on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Transportation: Xining Station → Lhasa Station (Train Z6811, hard sleeper about 224 RMB, 20 hours) Recommended departure: 8:30 PM the night before from Xining, arrive in Lhasa at 4:30 PM the next day. ✅ Highlights: The journey crosses Hoh Xil, Tuotuo River, and Tanggula Pass (altitude 5,072 meters). Outside the window are snow mountains, grasslands, and Tibetan antelopes, like an epic painting. Afternoon: Arrive at Lhasa Station ⚠️ After exiting, move slowly without running or jumping to avoid intense exercise. Take bus No. 24 or taxi (about 15 RMB) to a guesthouse near Barkhor Street. Accommodation: Shared Tibetan-style guesthouse on Barkhor Street (four-person room) with Tibetan carpets, Thangka decorations, and a Buddha altar corner to experience authentic life. Shared room about 130 RMB/person/night. Evening: Lightly walk around the outer Barkhor Street to feel the flow of pilgrims, see Tibetans holding prayer wheels and chanting the six-syllable mantra. It is not recommended to enter temples on the first day to focus on acclimatization. Dinner: Tibetan restaurant near "Majiami" on Barkhor Street. Recommended: butter tea (stomach warming), Tibetan noodles, yak meat buns. Average cost: 35 RMB. Daily expenses: Transportation 224 + Meals 35 + Accommodation 130 = 389 RMB. Day 2: The peak of kings — the millennium watch of the Potala Palace. Morning: Potala Palace (ticket 200 RMB, peak season requires booking one day in advance) The highest palace in the world at 3,700 meters, a sacred site of Tibetan Buddhism. ✅ Money-saving tip: Choose the "basic admission ticket" (does not include the Treasure Hall). Bring your own water and chocolate as there is no food inside. It is recommended to hire a guide or scan QR codes for audio guides (about 50 RMB/person). Suggested route: Enter from East Gate → Red Palace → Palace complex → Exit from West Gate. The whole visit takes about 2.5 hours with many stairs, so walk slowly. Noon: "Canggu Temple Teahouse" outside the palace, a Tibetan courtyard with a strong artistic atmosphere. Recommended: sweet tea (1 RMB/cup), Tibetan curry rice. Average cost: 25 RMB. Afternoon: Yowang Mountain Viewing Platform + Longwangtan Park Yowang Mountain: Take photos with the Potala Palace panorama as seen on the 50 RMB banknote (free). Longwangtan: A local leisure park with lake and mountain scenery, suitable for quiet relaxation. Recommended stay: 1.5 hours. Dinner: "Xigang Zhasa" Tibetan restaurant on Barkhor Street. Recommended: yak yogurt (slightly sour and fragrant), tsampa, dried beef. Average cost: 40 RMB. Stay another night at the Barkhor guesthouse, shared room about 130 RMB/person. Daily expenses: Transportation 10 (bus) + Tickets 200 + Meals 65 + Accommodation 130 = 405 RMB. Day 3: The path of faith — morning light at Jokhang Temple and the circumambulation route. Morning: Jokhang Temple (ticket 85 RMB, includes guide) "Jokhang Temple existed before Lhasa city," it houses the 12-year-old life-size statue of Shakyamuni brought by Princess Wencheng. Highlights: Watch devotees prostrate, feel the power of faith. Climb to the second-floor balcony to overlook the circumambulating crowd on Barkhor Street. Visit the hall with a thousand butter lamps, where light flickers like a galaxy. Recommended stay: 2 hours. All day: Free circumambulation on Barkhor Street + Xiaozhao Temple. Follow Tibetans clockwise to circumambulate and feel the flow of faith. Xiaozhao Temple (ticket 20 RMB): Quiet and serene, a blend of Han and Tibetan styles, suitable for meditation. Lunch: "Jixiang Shengxue" Tibetan restaurant on South Barkhor Street. Recommended: Tibetan pizza (butter tea dough pancake), yak meat hot pot. Average cost: 45 RMB. Afternoon: Free exploration: Thangka shops, handicraft stores, Mani stone carving. Experience: learn to write the six-syllable mantra (free) or buy handmade prayer wheels or prayer flags as souvenirs (30-50 RMB). Dinner: Small stir-fry restaurant near the guesthouse with Sichuan-Tibet flavors. The plateau also needs spice! Recommended: twice-cooked pork, shredded potatoes with rice. Average cost: 30 RMB. Stay at the guesthouse, third night shared room about 130 RMB/person. Daily expenses: Transportation 10 + Tickets 105 + Meals 75 + Accommodation 130 = 320 RMB. Day 4: The heavenly holy land — a daydream at Yamdrok Lake All day: Carpool to Yamdrok Lake (about 300 RMB/person round trip, including driver). ✅ Route: Lhasa → Gangbala Pass (altitude 4,990 meters) → Yamdrok Lake viewing platform, about 2 hours by car. Highlights: Yamdrok Lake is not just a "lake," it is "tears dropped from the sky" — the water changes color with the light from blue to green to purple. Best photo spots: Gangbala viewing platform, lakeside pasture. You can see Nyingchen Kangsar Snow Mountain from afar. ⚠️ Note: It is not recommended to go into the lake or run vigorously. Bring a thick coat as it is windy at the top. Recommended stay: 2 hours. Lunch: Farmhouse restaurant on the way or bring your own food. Recommended: bring bread, chocolate, and a thermos with hot water. Average cost: 20 RMB (simple meal). Return to Lhasa at 3:00 PM. Dinner: "Xueyu Restaurant" on Barkhor Street. Recommended: Tibetan fragrant pork fried rice, butter tea ice cream (a novel experience). Average cost: 38 RMB. Stay at the guesthouse, fourth night shared room about 130 RMB/person. Daily expenses: Transportation 300 + Tickets 0 + Meals 58 + Accommodation 130 = 488 RMB. Day 5: Farewell to the holy city in the summer palace Morning: Norbulingka (Dalai Lama’s summer palace), ticket 60 RMB "The Summer Palace of Lhasa," a model of Tibetan-style gardens and a summer resort. Highlights: See the golden-domed palace, forest paths, Tibetan paintings, and flowers blooming in spring and autumn, perfect for photos. Recommended stay: 1.5 hours. Noon: Buy souvenirs on Barkhor Street. Recommended: Tibetan incense (15 RMB/box), prayer flags, prayer wheels, Thangka postcards. Budget: 50 RMB. Transportation: Lhasa Station → Xining Station (Train Z6812, hard sleeper 224 RMB, recommended departure before 1:00 PM) About 20 hours by train, overnight return, saving accommodation costs. Daily expenses: Transportation 224 + Tickets 60 + Meals 30 + Souvenirs 50 + Emergency reserve 136 = 500 RMB. Total cost summary (per person): Transportation (round-trip train + city bus + carpool) 224×2 + 10 + 300 + 224 = 982 RMB Accommodation (4 nights shared room) 130 × 4 = 520 RMB Tickets 200 + 85 + 20 + 60 = 365 RMB Meals (5 days) 35 + 65 + 75 + 58 + 30 = 263 RMB Emergency reserve & souvenirs 90 RMB Total: 2,000 RMB. Precisely controlled within budget! Helpful tips: 1. Best season: May to October, mild climate, sufficient oxygen, and the most beautiful scenery. 2. Altitude sickness prevention: On arrival day, avoid bathing, washing hair, or intense exercise; drink plenty of warm water. Prepare Rhodiola (take one week in advance) or carry oxygen tablets. If headache or nausea occurs, rest immediately and use oxygen if necessary. 3. Potala Palace tickets are tight; book the next day’s ticket immediately upon arrival. 4. Want to save more? Skip the Yamdrok Lake carpool and join a low-cost day tour (about 260 RMB), reducing the total budget to under 1,800 RMB. 5. Respect faith: No photography inside temples, do not point at Buddha statues, and do not step on thresholds. Lhasa is a city that "writes faith into the wind." It is the golden glow of the Potala Palace, the long prostrations before Jokhang Temple, the fluttering prayer flags over Yamdrok Lake, and the warmth and devotion in a bowl of butter tea.