In the morning, pick-up from hotel and take city Sightseeing tour of Potala Palace – the world famous Potala Palace is located on “Red Hill”, to the west of old Lhasa. The 13-story palace stands 117 metres high and has over 1,000 rooms. It covers an area of 130,000 square metres. The entire building is made of stone and wood, with walls averaging 3 metres thick. After the peaceful liberation of Tibet, the Potala was listed as a cultural relic under the special protection of the state, which is the universal symbol of the Tibetan people. It is a vast white and ochre fortress that used to be the residence of the Dalai Lama and the seat of Tibetan Government.
In the afternoon, continue to visit Jokhang Temple. The Jokhang Temple is one of Tibet’s holiest shrines, originally built in 647 A.D. in celebration of the marriage of the Tang Princess Wencheng and the Tubo King Songtsen Gampo. Located in the centre of old Lhasa, the temple was built by craftsmen from Tibet, China, and Nepal and thus features different architectural styles. The temple is also the spiritual center of Tibet and the holiest destination for all Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims.
Barkhor Street is found in the heart of Lhasa circling the Jokhang Temple. It means “a pilgrim’s inner circuit”, and is the earliest street of old Lhasa city. It dates back to the foundation of the Jokhang and is an essential pilgrim route. Houses and small inns were built all around the street. As time went on, shops and businesses also set up in the Barkhor, and it slowly became a prosperous area.).