Things to Do in Lhasa in February

Ring the 8 km (5 mi) Lingkhor pilgrimage path at sunrise when frost glitters on the prayer flags and only elderly Tibetans muttering mantras share the trail. February's dry air makes the 200 m (656 ft) gentle climb behind Drepung Monastery effortless compared with summer's thin, dusty gusts.

The palace opens at 9 AM; in February the sun angle is low enough to light the White Palace's windows without blown highlights, and the queue is short enough to walk straight in. Bring gloves - the stone balustrade is ice-cold but you'll want to linger for the 360 ° snow-dusted mountain ring.

A handful of nunneries in the old Tibetan quarter run hour-long sessions where you mold yak-butter dough into lamps the nuns later light for Losar. The room smells like warm ghee and juniper smoke - February's chill makes the butter set quickly so your clumsy first efforts hold shape.

Follow a clockwise loop from Tromsikhang market to Ramoche Temple, stopping at four teahouses that each salt the tea differently. Winter butter is richer - yaks eat dry fodder, not grass - and February regulars judge a brew by the greenish sheen on top. You'll drink six small bowls. The salt and warmth fight altitude headaches better than plain water.