Private or small-group tour
Foreign visitors travel through Tibet only on organized tours. The German Foreign Office asks for an accredited travel agency and for transport and a guide from that agency along the whole route, and the Tibet Travel Permit is applied for through such an agency. Potala Palace tours are therefore built as organized programs, either private with a guide and a vehicle of your own, or as a group program that shares both.
The packages on this page cover a range. Short Lhasa programs centre on the palace, the Jokhang Temple and the monasteries around the city. A longer program of 8 days continues from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp and includes a Potala visit. A 6 day group program covers Lhasa and Shigatse, and a 6 day program covers Central Tibet. Check on each card whether the program is private or shared.
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The four-day Lhasa tours fit a short stay, the Shigatse group tour and the central Tibet tour add more days on the road, and the Everest Base Camp tour is the one for the mountain. Check the card for what each tour says about permit and entrance fees.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
8-day Lhasa to Everest Base Camp tour with permit
- Tibet Travel Permit application
- Visit to Potala Palace
- Tent guesthouse at Base Camp
Three hotels with breakfast, oxygen supply and travel insurance are included. Flights or trains to and from Tibet are extra.
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6-day Lhasa and Shigatse group tour
- Airport or railway transfer
- Hotel accommodation
- Guided tours and entrance fees
Breakfast is included. The listing does not name a permit service, so check this before booking.
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6-day central Tibet small-group tour
- Entrance fees for itinerary sites
- English-speaking Tibetan guide
- Tibet travel permit
Hotels with breakfast and airport pickup and drop-off are included, with a welcome dinner at the first group meeting in Lhasa.
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4-day guided Lhasa city tour
- 3 nights in 3-star lodging
- Permit with express delivery
- Entrance fees in the itinerary
A local English-speaking guide, a vehicle and breakfast are included. Book well in advance, as the permit has to be arranged first.
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4-day Lhasa group tour with airport pickup
- 3 nights in a 3 or 4-star hotel
- Tibet Travel Permit and express service
- Airport pickup and drop-off
Pickups from the airport run at 9:30 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm on the first day, drop-offs at 8:30 am, 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm on the last day. The transfer is part of the package, not a separate service.
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4-day Lhasa small-group tour
- Entrance fees for itinerary sites
- English-speaking Tibetan guide
- Tibet travel permit
A vehicle with driver, with petrol included, and hotels with breakfast. A welcome dinner is held when the group meets in Lhasa.
Check availability →Potala Palace tours from Lhasa
Guided Lhasa programs, from short city stays to Everest Base Camp and Central Tibet, with live prices and availability.
What Lhasa tours include
Read the includes, not just the title.
A typical Lhasa tour package lists a guide, a vehicle with a driver, hotel nights with breakfast, pickup at the airport or the railway station and the entrance fees of the program. Several packages state that the Tibet Travel Permit is handled for you, and one 4 day program adds an express delivery of the permit. Others add emergency oxygen, drinking water or a welcome meal.
Not every package covers the same things. The 6 day group program through Lhasa and Shigatse lists transfers, a hotel, breakfast, guided tours and entrances, but no permit service, so ask the agency who arranges the permit before you book. Lunch and dinner are often extra, and a visa for China is a separate step in every case. Where a package names the Potala Palace among its entrances, the visit still depends on the palace reservation and its open days.
If a plan includes hotels, the package names a category such as 3 star or 4 star rather than a specific building. Where you want to stay in the city is covered on the where to stay page.
How far ahead to book
Two clocks run at the same time: the permit and the palace slot.
According to the German Foreign Office, processing of the Tibet Travel Permit usually takes 5 to 7 working days, and the issue date is not guaranteed. The agency needs your passport scan, your visa scan and information about your occupation. One private program asks for passport details well ahead of travel, at least 20 days before. Book the tour before you buy flights or train tickets, so that the permit has time.
The palace itself has its own reservation through the official WeChat mini program. Reserve early and check the current lead time in the mini program. Your agency usually handles the reservation inside a package, so ask which date your palace visit is booked for. A booked time slot has to be kept; it can be cancelled online but not moved. Details on fares and hours are on the tickets page, and the permit steps are explained on the Tibet Travel Permit page.
Monday closure since 21 September 2026
Plan the palace for Tuesday to Sunday.
The palace administration announced on 5 September 2026 that the Potala Palace is closed on Mondays all year, except on statutory days off. A tour that lands in Lhasa on a Sunday evening therefore has the Monday for the Jokhang Temple, Norbulingka or the monasteries. See the things to do in Lhasa for those days. Ask your agency to confirm the day of the palace visit in writing before departure.
From 1 November to 30 April the palace opens at 09:30 with the last entry at 15:20. From 1 May to 31 October it opens at 09:00 with the last entry at 15:40. The last entry is the time after which visitors are no longer admitted, not the time the halls close. Want a longer route? The Tibet tour page compares multi-day programs beyond Lhasa.
Frequently asked questions
Do Potala Palace tours include the permit?
Most packages state in their includes that the Tibet Travel Permit is handled for you. One group program lists no permit service. Check the includes and ask the agency before you pay.
Is the Potala Palace open on Monday during a tour?
No. Since 21 September 2026 the palace is closed on Mondays all year, except on statutory days off, so the visit is scheduled for another day.
Can I join a Lhasa tour without a guide?
Foreign tourists travel in Tibet with a guide and a vehicle from an accredited agency along the whole route, so a tour without a guide is not the usual way.
Are hotel nights included in the packages?
Most packages list hotel nights with breakfast, stating a category. One private program does not list hotel nights in its includes, so read the card before you assume a room.