Barkhor Street Lhasa - Best Place to Feel Tibet's Local Vibe

Barkhor Street located in Lhasa downtown is a famous thousand-year-old circumambulation for pilgrims and popular commercial center. As a public square around Jokhang Temple, it is a polygon, connected by different streets and laneways, with a total length of over 1,000 meters. Being "a saint road" in the eyes of Tibetans, you can feel the local spiritual belief by seeing different pilgrims from all over Tibet with different dresses and dialects to pray devoutly along Barkhor Street. Like a miniature of Lhasa, it shows you another aspect of the Tibetan material life. There is an eyeful of fantastic stores and shops along the street to display the most characteristic items and commodities, including thangkas, prayer wheels, prayer flags, Tibetan-style clothing, milk tea, and more. Barkhor Street is such a great place to buy some souvenirs and soak up the local Tibetan lifestyle.

With over 1300 years of history, Barkhor Street was built along with the Jokhang Temple. It was said during the 7th century, when Songtsen Gampo, the first Tibetan King, ordered the Jokhang Temple to be built in Wotang Lake. In order to oversee the progress of the project, another four palaces were built at the same time for the King and his concubines to live nearby, which became the first buildings of Barkhor Street.

After the Jokhang Temple was built, there were countless pilgrims gathering to view the magnificent building and pray. Gradually, there was a trodden path around the temple, and called the origin of the Barkhor Street. In the latter years, apart from the four palaces, there were more and more buildings constantly being constructed, including shops, hotels, restaurants, etc., and the Barkhor Street has become increasingly prosperous.

Now, as the most crowded trading center in Lhasa, the pilgrimage is still the biggest activity here. Pilgrims hold the prayer wheels to walk clockwise there from dawn to dark, and some of them perform the body-long kowtows along the road. Being a popular tourist attraction, it tells visitors not only the condition of itself but also the glorious history of Tibet.

As the city center, the Barkhor Street still keeps the ancient Tibetan architecture of numerous stores, well-proportioned along the street sides. Mingled with the devout pilgrims, these characteristic shops stretch far away, like a historical scroll awaiting you to explore more.

Barkhor Pilgrim Circuit

Barkhor Pilgrim Circuit is a typical pilgrimage in Tibet. As one of three important circumambulation roads, the Barkhor street circuit is quite grand, especially in the early morning and at nightfall. Long streams of pious Tibetan pilgrims walk clockwise, chanting prayers with their meditation beads, spinning their prayer wheels, or performing full prostrations to the hand-polished stone boards to circle the street to worship the Jowo Rinpoche enshrined in Jokhang Temple. Those pilgrims travel far from all over Tibet, even from some other provinces or countries, to complete this sacred circuit from morning to night. Here, you can view the devoted pilgrims with firm beliefs and piety toward the religion.

Must-Visit Stores

In the Barkhor Street, there are some featured stores worth visiting, like Magyia Ngami Restaurant, etc. This yellow two-story bar stands out clearly against a sea of white buildings. Having a good taste of art, there are paintings, photographs, and handicrafts hanging on the walls. It's said that here was where Cangyand Gyamco had met his lover and written a poem to praise the pretty young girl, called Magyia Ngami in Tibetan. In the south corn, there is a Xueyu Thangka Craft Store, where you can find some exquisite Thangkas and meet the master to learn some craft skills. In the north direction, the Buddha statue store managed by a Nepalese to sell various kinds of elaborate copper and golden Buddhas, is another must-see.

Potala Palace Views

Barkhor Street lies just 1.5 km from the iconic Potala Palace. From some of its restaurant and cafe rooftops, the spectacular "celestial fortress-like" skyline of Potala Palace is visible, and many vantage points frame both the palace's distant grandeur and Jokhang Temple's golden spires. From Barkhor Street Mall's overpass, visitors can capture the Potala towering above bustling crowds, blending imperial majesty with vivid local charm, especially ethereal during dusk's blue hour. As visitors soak in the pilgrimage route's devout vibes, they gaze upon Tibet's sacred sanctuary. This unique perspective makes it one of Barkhor Street's most captivating highlights.

☛ Check more about Best Places to View & Photograph Potala Palace

Barkhor Street is located in the city center area of Lhasa. The unmissable Jokhang Temple is right here. From most of other highlights in Lhasa, Barkhor Street is

● about 1.5 km away from Potala Palace

● about 5 km away from Norbulingka Park

● about 9 km away from Lhasa Railway Station

● about 59 km away from Lhasa Gonggar International Airport

Taxis, buses, private cars are all available to reach Barkhor Street from other attractions or transportation hubs in Lhasa. However, you may find it cumbersome to travel by public transportation and language barriers with local drivers may add to the hassle. Thus, travelling by private car is a good choice. And please be kindly noted that independent travel is not available for foreigners in Tibet. It's highly suggested to travel with us Tibet Discovery if you need support with your Tibet trip. In our Tibet tour packages, we take care of everything for you, including airport/train transfers, ticket, meals, accommodation, etc. Contact us now >>

1. Open Time (for reference only): all day. But Jokhang Temple 8:30-18:30; Murul Nyingba Monastery 8:00 - 20:00; Gendun Chophel Memorial Hall & Langzhixia Exhibition Hall 9:30-18:30 (May-Sep.) 10:00-18:00 (Oct.-Apr.); Former Yamen of the Minister Resident in Tibet 09:00-18:00.

2. Ticket (for reference only): Free. Jokhang Temple CNY 85

3. Bargaining in Shops: Shopping in Barkhar Street for some small souvenirs is a good choice with a negotiable price. Different vendors may sell the same thing at different price. So you'd better ask several vendors and get more information of the articles. Of course, you should also know how to bargain with them. If you are lucky to become the first or the last buyer, the store keeper will offer you a discount, according to the ancient customs.

4. Note for Special Souvenirs: As for some special items, like Tibetan Medicine, you should be caution about the price and its value. For Tibetan knives and some heavy or large souvenirs, you may need to mail and before you buy please ask the local retailer how / where to mail it.