Things to Do at Norbulingka Palace

Norbulingka Palace charges 60 CNY (about $8 USD) and opens 9:00 to 18:00, sitting 2 km west of the Potala in a walled garden compound that served as the Dalai Lama's summer residence from the 1780s until 1959. The complex spans 36 hectares and contains over 370 rooms across multiple palace buildings, but the New Summer Palace (Takten Migyur Potrang), built for the 14th Dalai Lama in 1956, is the highlight: its private chambers still hold his personal radio, a bathroom with modern plumbing installed in the 1950s, and wall murals depicting the entire history of Tibet from mythical origins to the mid-20th century. The throne room ceiling is painted with a mandala in gold leaf and crushed mineral pigments so vivid they look wet. The gardens surrounding the palaces hold over 100 species of plants, and in summer the scent of roses and juniper mixes with the cool air drifting off an artificial lake where the Dalai Lama once kept a small boat. During the Shoton Festival in August, opera troupes perform traditional Tibetan lhamo on outdoor stages while families picnic under canvas tents and drink butter tea from thermos flasks. Visit on a weekday when you can wander the palace rooms without crowds, and bring a flashlight because the interior lighting is deliberately kept dim to protect the murals.

Norbulingka sits 3 kilometers west of central Lhasa. Most people grab a taxi for 15-20 RMB or hop on organized tours that bundle it with other attractions. Skip the hassle entirely. Public buses run along Beijing Road, though you'll walk from the main road to reach the entrance. The 30-40 minute walk from central Lhasa cuts through local neighborhoods-you'll get a real feel for daily Tibetan life. Worth the extra time.