Plan your Lhasa tour? Visiting Potala Palace is one of your highlights in your Lhasa trip. Many visitors would like to take some photos of Potala Palace bringing their memory back home. There are many places to view and photograph Potala Palace sitting on a hill in the heart of Lhasa city.
You may walk around Potala Palace in a clockwise direction, a religion kora (The Pilgrim Kora in Lhasa) and take some pictures of Potala Palace from different angles and spots. Wandering on the path circling Potala Palace takes you approxi. 40 minutes.
There two best places to have an overview of Potala Palace for pictures taking – the Medicine King Hill and Palubuk Rock Temple both to the southwest of the palace. It takes you 2 yuan to take photos on the viewing platform on the hill. The entrance to Palubuk Temple costs you 20 yuan.
Shooting Potala Palace on the Medicine King Hill
This is the entrance gate leading up to the sightseeing platform on the Medicine King Hill to the southwest of Potala Palace, just a few minutes’s walk from the west gate of the palace.
I zoom in and have a clear and bigger picture of Potala Palace standing on a hill slope, which is mainly composed of two parts – the White Palace and the Red Palace. The White Palace is the former residence of the Dalai Lama. The Red Palace accommodates the Spirit Pagodas.
I zoom in and have a clear and bigger picture of Potala Palace
Shooting Potala Palace from Palubuk Temple
To the southwest of the palace, walking a road rimming the west foot of the Medicine King Hill, soon you will see a temple standing the hilllside. This is the Palubuk temple, a kind of temple built on the rock in the hill.
Palubuk Temple was built during the King Songtsan Gampo’s Time, and has a long history over 1200 years. It is said that the statues of Shakyamuni and his disciples were carved naturally from the rcok in the hill. The King Songtsan Gampo and his two sons all had lived in this temple.
Now we are inside the courtard of the temple and follow the arrow, walk on the steps leading to the different storeys of the temple.
Have a clear and overall picture of Potala Palace from the top floor of the temple.
Shooting Potala Palace from its different sides
Walk around the Potala Place gives you the chance to snap the shots of the temple in different angles. Actually if you have the circular walk in a clockwise direction, you step on a perform kora.
In Lhasa, there are four major kora (cirsuits) – Inner Kora, Middle Kora, Outer Kora and Potala Palace Kora.
Hassle-free Lhasa Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Lhasa:
Lhasa Tour
Tibet Travel
Lhasa Tibet Group Tour
Lhasa Tibet Private Tour
Beijing Lhasa Tour
Lhasa China Tour
Further Readings
Best Time to Visit Lhasa
Top 10 Attractions in Lhasa
Lhasa Tourist Traps, Tourist Scams Lhasa
Where to stay in Lhasa
Makye Ame Lhasa Restaurant – Your Kitchen in Lhasa
Lhasa Airport, Lhasa Gonggar Airport
Xian Lhasa Flight Experience, Xian Lhasa Flight
Lhasa Railway Station Transportation, Taxi, Public Bus
Get around in Lhasa with Pedicab or Trishaw
lhasa Taxi
Best Places to Take Picture of Potala Palace Lhasa
4-Wheel Drive Trip from Lhasa to Ranwu
Tips for Visiting Drak Yerpa (Tips, Photos & Map)
The Pilgrim Kora in Lhasa, Lhasa Pilgrim circuits
How to Visit Sera Monastery in Lhasa
Beijing Road in Lhasa
Lhasa River in the City of Lhasa (Tips, Photos & Map)
Lhasa Great Mosque, the Mosques in Lhasa
Lhasa Yamdrok-Tso Lake Road Trip
Qushui Bridge in Qushui County, Tibet (Tips, Photos & Map)
Nagarzê County and Scenic Road Trip to Gyantse
Gyantse County and Road Trip to Shigatse
Shigatse Trip (Tips, Photos & Map)
Shigatse Lhatse Tingri Road Trip
Drive from Tingri to Mt.Everest Base Camp
Gangkar Town ( Gangga Town ), Tingri County
Tingri County （Tips, Photos & Maps）
Nyalam Town & Nyalam County (Tips, Photos & Maps)
Zhangmu Port & Zhangmu Town (Tips, Photos & Maps)
Any questions, just drop a line.
