Things to Do in Lhasa in January

January turns the Barkhor Circuit into pure magic, Tibetan grandmothers in sheepskin coats shuffle clockwise past the Jokhang Temple while morning sun turns prayer flags into stained glass. The 1 km (0.6 mile) walk takes longer because locals insist on sharing yak butter tea with freezing tourists. Your camera lens won't fog in the dry air, making this the best month for photography.

January access lets you experience the palace as pilgrims do, in near-silence, with guides who have time to explain the difference between 17th-century murals and 20th-century renovations. The 400-year-old butter sculptures in the Red Palace stay well preserved in the cold, and you'll smell the ancient juniper incense that has soaked into the wood after centuries of use.

January is when locals crowd tea houses for warmth and gossip, the sweet, slightly rancid smell of yak butter tea becomes your guide to authentic spots. Try Tromsikhang market's second-floor tea house where 70-year-old Ama Tsering has been churning tsampa into tea since the 1970s. The steam from boiling tea creates its own weather system inside these places.

The January air is so clear that Mount Everest appears 160 km (100 miles) away from certain Lhasa viewpoints. Walk the hills behind Sera Monastery at 7am when first sunlight hits the mountains, turning everything rose-gold. The dry air means your equipment works well, no condensation issues, and the cold keeps batteries lasting longer than usual.

Sera Monastery's famous debates happen year-round, but January adds a surreal element, watch red-robed monks stomp and clap in clouds of breath vapor while debating Buddhist philosophy. The debates start at 3pm sharp when winter sun finally hits the debating courtyard, throwing dramatic shadows on the gravel.