Tibet, also known as the 'Roof of the World', was unfamiliar to the rest of the world until the beginning of the 20th century. Some of the highest mountains in the world surround Tibet, from Kunlun Mountain to the north, the Himalayas to the south and the Karakoram to the west. Tibet was traditionally the  dream land of all adventurers and mountaineers and has held a grip on popular imagination for a long time. Its magnificent scenery, mysterious and exotic religious culture, and wonderful people leave tourists with an everlasting and unforgettable impression.

Reasons to visit:
Tibet has unique human natural relics. Presently, the region has four tourist areas of Lhasa and the west, the south and southwest available for visiting. In western Tibet is Ngari Prefecture, the so-called "rooftop atop the world's rooftop", which attracts visitors for its great religious significance. The southwest Tibetan district is a place for mountaineers, many of whom are Nepalese who came to Tibet through the Zhamu exit port. In southern Tibet, around Nyingchi, one can pass through the four seasons of the year in a single day. Other particular events of note are the Shoton Theatrical Festival in Lhasa, the Qangtam Horseracing Festival in the North Tibet Plateau and the Yarlung Culture and Arts Festival in Shannan.

Major Attractions: The Potala Palace: the palace lies on Hongshan Mountain in Lhasa, the capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region. In the seventh century, King Songtsan Gambo of the Tubo Dynasty had the princesses of Nepal and Tang emperor as his concubines. To mark the marriage, he built the 999-room palace, encompassing an area of 410,000 square meters. The palace is the essence of ancient Tibetan architecture and is listed as a World Cultural Heritage site. The Buddhists later named it Potala Palace, meaning the 'sacred land of Buddhism'.

The Jokhang Temple:
originally built in 647 AD, this is situated in the centre of old Lhasa. According to legend, the wife of King Songtsan Gampo, the Tang Princess Wen Cheng, chose the site. It was built by craftsmen from Tibet, China and Nepal and therefore characterizes diverse architectural styles. As the spiritual center of Tibet, pilgrims walk there everyday from every corner of Tibet. Some of them prostrate themselves full length on the threshold of the temple. They also fuel a myriad of flickering butter lamps with yak butter, or honor their deities with white scarves (Kha-btags or Hada) while murmuring sacred mantras to show their piety to the Buddha.

Barkhor Street: the oldest street in Lhasa and a must-see for tourists. This traditional street displays Tibetan culture, economy, religion and arts assemble.

Sera Monastery: this is at the foot of Tatipu Hill in the northern suburb of Lhasa City. It is one of three celebrated monasteries in Lhasa along with the Drepung Monastery and the Ganden Monastery. The Sera Monastery is dedicated to the Gelugpa or Yellow Hat Sect, a branch of Tibetan Buddhism founded by Tsong Khapa. The monastery was named Sera, because this word means wild rose in Tibetan, and when the monastery was built the hill behind it was capped with wild roses in bloom.

Drepung Monastery: Drepung Monastery is the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism. It situated at the foot of the Mountain Gambo Utse, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the western suburb of Lhasa. Seen from afar, its majestic, white construction makes the monastery looks like a heap of rice. In the Tibetan language, it means 'Monastery of Collecting Rice'.

Norbulingka Jeweled Garden: built near a medicinal spring in the western suburbs of Lhasa, the Norbulingka Jeweled Garden began as a summer palace for the Dalai Lama. It is known as 'the park within the park'.

Food:
Traditional Tibetan food includes meat and dairy products. In this high altitude, vegetables are inadequate. Tsampa is the staple food of Tibetan people, which is consumed daily. For Tibetan people, yoghurt is the most important daily dairy. Dried beef and mutton stripe are also popular foods in Tibet. In addition, big joints of beef and mutton boiled with salt, ginger and spices are also popular food among Tibetans. Guests will be treated with breasts and spare ribs, and distinguished guests with a tail of white sheep. Blood sausage, meat sausage, flour sausage and liver sausage are also favored by many Tibetans. Other foods are Momo (Tibetan dumplings), Thenthuk (Tibetan noodles) and yak tongue.

Shopping :
Make sure to buy whatever practical items you need in Lhasa before you head to more remote towns. Department stores on Yuthok Lu will supply your daily needs. The largest and best known department store in Lhasa is Lhasa Department Store, located on the west end of Yuthok Lu. Practical items like cotton clothing, mugs, canned food, towels, and toothpaste, plus local handicrafts, are available here. Exotic Tibetan opera masks and costumes are good ones to take home, and there are also coloured, beautifully homespun Tibetan rugs.