A visit to Samye, on the north bank of theTsangpo River around 50km southeast of Lhasa, is a highlight of Tibet. A unique monastery and walled village rolledinto one, it is situated in wonderful scenery and, however you arrive, the journeyis splendid. You can climb the sacredHepo Ri to the east of complex for excellent views (1 hour); it was here thatPadmasambhava is said to have subdued the local sprits and won them over toBuddhism.

Tibet’s first monastery, Samye was foundedin the eighth century during King Trisong Detsen’s reign, with the help of theIndian masters Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita, whom he had invited to Tibetto help spread the Buddhist faith. Thefirst Tibetan Buddhist monks were ordained here and are referred to as the “SevenExamined Men”. Over the years, Sayme hasbeen associated with several of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism – Padmasambhava’sinvolvement in the founding of the monastery makes it important in the Nyingmaschool, and later it was taken over by the Sakya and Gelugpa traditions. Nowadays, followers of all traditions worshiphere, and Samye is a popular destination for Tibetan Pilgrims, some of whomtravel for weeks to reach it.

Something of a showcase for foreignvisitors, the large complex of Tashilunpo Monastery is situated on the westernside of town just below the Drolma Ridge – the gleaming, golden roofs will leadyou in the right direction. Tashilunpowas founded in 1447 by Gendun Drup, Tsongkhapa’s nephew and disciple, who waslater recognized as the First Dalai Lama. It rose to prominence in 1642 when the Fifth Dalai Lama declared thatLosang Chokyi Gyeltsen, who was his teacher and the abbot of Tashilunpo, was amanifestation of the Amitabha Buddha and the Fourth reincarnation of thePanchen Lama (Great Precious Teacher), in what has proved to be an ill-fatedlineage. The Chinese have consistentlysought to use the Panchen Lama in opposition to the Dalai Lama, beginning in1728 when they gave the Fifth Panchen Lama sovereignty over western Tibet.

In the same compound as Gyantse Kumbum, thePelkor Chode Monastery was built by Rabten Kunsang some twenty years earlierand used for worship by monks from all the surrounding monasteries. Today, the main assembly hall contains twothrones, one for the Dalai Lama and one for the main Sakya Lama. The glitter and gold and the sunlight andflickering butter lamps in the chapels make a fine contrast to the gloom ofmuch of the Kumbum. The main Chapel,Tsangkhang, is at the back of the assembly hall and has a statue of Sakyamuniflanked by deities amid some impressive wood carvings – look for the twopeacocks perched on a beam. The secondfloor of the monastery contains five chapels, and the top level just one,Shalyekhang (Peak of the Celestial Mansion), with some very impressive, 2m-widemandalas.

The original Gyantse Dzong dates from themid-fourteenth century, though the damage caused by the British in 1904 means alot of what you see in a reconstruction. Having climbed up to the fort, visitors are allowed into the MeetingHall, which houses a waxworks tableau, and the Anti-British Imperialist Musuem,where weapons, used by the defenders against the British, are on display. Climb higher and you reach the upper andlower chapels of the Sampal Norbuling Monastery. A few of the murals in the upper chapel datefrom the early fifteenth century, but most of the other artefacts are modern. The best views are from the top of thetallest tower in the north of the complex. You will need to climb some very rickety ladders, but the scenery iswell worth it.

From Chusul Bridge, on the westernoutskirts of Lhasa, the southern road climbs steeply up to the Kampa La Pass(4794m); at the top, a car park offers stunning views of the turquoise watersof the sacred Yamdrok Tso, the third-largest lake in Tibet. It is a good place to take a picture, andthere are plenty of Tibetans armed with baby goats, yaks and TibetanMastiffs-dogs traditionally used by nomads to fend off wolves – who will beonly too happy to pose with you. It issaid that if the lake ever dries up then Tibet itself will no longer supportlife – a tale of heightened importance now that Yamdrok Tso, which has nosignificant inflowing rivers to keep it topped up, is powering a controversialhydroelectric scheme. From the pass, theroad descends to Yamtso village before skirting the northern and western shoresamid wild scenery dotted with a few tiny hamlets, yaks by the lakeside andsmall boats on the water.

Farther than the other main temples, GandenMonastery is 45km east of Lhasa, the final 6km of the journey along a windingtrack off the Lhasa – Sichuan Highway. It is also the most dramatically situated, high up on the Gokpori Ridgewith excellent views over the surrounding countryside.

Founded by Tsongkhapa himself in 1410 on asite associated with King Songtsen Gampo and his queens, the main hall was notcompleted until 1417, two years before Tsongkhapa died after announcing hisdisciple, Gyeltsab Je, as the new Ganden Tripa, the leader of the Gelupgaorder. The appointment is not based onreincarnation but on particular academic qualifications. The Chinese have always particularly targetedGanden, possibly because it is the main seat of the Dalai Lama’s order, andwhat you see today is all reconstruction.

Sera Monastery, 4km north of central Lhasa,will be included on most tour itineraries. Established in 1419 by Sakya Yeshe, one of the main disciples ofTsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa order, Sera is situated below a hermitagewhere the great man spent many years in retreat. Spared during the Cultural Revolution, the buildingsare in good repair, although there is always a fair amount of ongoing buildingwork. Pilgrims proceed on a clockwisecircuit, visiting the three main colleges – Sera Me, Sera Ngag – Pa and Sera Je– and the main assembly hall, Tsokchen. All are constructed with chapels leading off a central hall and morechapels on an upper floor. They aregreat places to linger and watch the pilgrims rushing about their devotions.

Situated in the west of town, theNorbulingka (Jewel Park), the Summer Palace of the Dalai Lama, is not in thetop league of Lhasa sights, but is worth a look during the festivals of the Worshipof the Buddha(July) or during Shotun, the Yoghurt Festival ( Aug/Sept), whencrowds flock here for picnics and to see masked dances and traditionalopera. The park has been used as arecreation area by the Dalai Lama since the time of the Seventh incarnation.

The Jokhang – sometimes called Tshuglakhang(Cathedral), and the holiest temple in the Tibetan Buddhist world – can beunprepossessing from afar, but get closer and you will be swept up by the anticipationof the pilgrims and the almost palpable air of veneration. It stands 1km east of the Potala Palace, inthe centre of the only remaining Beijing Dong Lu and Jinzhu Dong Lu. Inside, you are in for one of the mostunforgettable experiences in Tibet. Devout pilgrims turn left to move clockwise and enter each chapel inturn to pray and make offerings, though they do not hang around; Tibet, it isoften difficult to know exactly what you are looking at. Some of the statues are original, others weredamaged during the Cultural Revolution and have been restored either slightlyor extensively, and others are replicas; in any event, all are held in deepreverence by the pilgrims. The best timeto visit is in the morning, when most pilgrims do the rounds.

The main entrance to the Jokhang is fromBarkhor Square, which is to the west of the temple. Two bulbous incense burners in front of thetemple send out juniper smoke as an offering to the gods, and the two walledenclosures here contain three ancient engraved pillars. The tallest is inscribed with the Tibetan –Chinese agreement of 821AD and reads: “Tibet and China shall abide by thefrontiers of which they are now in occupation. All to the east is the country of Great China; and all to the west is,without question, the country of Great Tibet, Henceforth on neither side shallthere be waging of war or seizing of territory.”

Perched 130m above Lhasa atop Marpo Ri (RedMountain), and named after India’s Riwo Potala - holy mountain of the godChenresi - the Potala Palace is dazzling inside and out, an enduring landmarkof the city. As you revel in the viewsfrom the roof, gaze at the glittering array of gold and jewels and wend yourway from chapel to chapel, you will rub shoulders with excited, awestruckpilgrims from all over ethnic Tibet, making offerings at each of thealtars. But be aware that, beyond theareas approved for tourists and pilgrims, the Potala Palace is a shadow of itsformer self: most of the rooms are off limits, part of a UNESCO World Heritagegrant was spent on a CCTV system and the caretaker monks are not allowed towear their robes.

Though close enough to town to reach onfoot, do not tackle the Potala on your first day at altitude – the Palace is along climb, and even the Tibetans huff and puff on the way up; you will enjoyit more once you have acclimatized. Morning is certainly the best time to visit, when the place bustles withpilgrims. Photography is banned inside,and neither, bizarrely, are you supposed to take pictures of the fabulous viewsfrom the roof. Snapping away in thepalace’s courtyards is tolerated, however.