Entry & permits for Tibet (Xizang)
Foreign tourists need Tibet entry approval, commonly called a Tibet Travel Permit, and an organised visit arranged through a specialist travel agency in China. Confirm your approved route before booking transport. Requirements differ for Taiwan residents and for travellers using mainland or Hong Kong/Macao Chinese resident documents; check the document guide before you book.
Check the travel-document requirements →Policy scope verified: 2026-09-06. UK FCDO: China regional travel advice ↗ State Council Taiwan Affairs Office: Tibet entry approval ↗ Xizang Department of Culture and Tourism: Medog border permit notice ↗
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Explore the region
About Drepung Monastery
Founded in 1416, it grew through colleges with distinct teaching traditions. The Ganden Phodrang was the Dalai Lamas’ residence before the Potala became their principal palace, adding a political and residential layer to the monastery’s religious history. The assembly hall, college buildings and former residence provide a useful framework for exploring the extensive hillside complex.
What to look for
- Ganden Phodrang, the residence associated with the Dalai Lamas before their move to the Potala.
- The Tsokchen assembly hall and the Gomang and Loseling college areas.
The surrounding area
Palaces, monasteries, museums and a working old city with a strong tea-house culture.
Location & getting there
Getting to Drepung Monastery
Use Drepung Monastery at the foot of Mount Gephel, west of Lhasa’s urban centre, as the road destination.
- The buildings climb the hillside; choose the open hall and college route from the entrance rather than treating every visible lane as a public path.
Combine your visit
Suggested order for this visit:
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Tsokchen assembly hall
Start with the monastery’s communal worship space.
-
Ganden Phodrang
Explore the connection between the monastery and the former Dalai Lama residence.
-
College courtyards
Finish by comparing the buildings of Drepung’s teaching institutions.
This is an editorial sequence based on the features described in the sources. Confirm access locally; no walking time, shared admission or guaranteed interior access is implied.
Find Drepung Monastery
哲蚌寺 · 拉萨
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
Norbulingka 罗布林卡
5 km awayNorbulingka combines summer palaces with gardens on Lhasa’s western side. The Kelsang Palace began the complex in the eighteenth century, while later Dalai Lamas added residences and pavilions. The Lake Palace introduces a…
View guide →Tibet Museum 西藏博物馆
6 km awayThe Tibet Museum’s rebuilt galleries use archaeology, objects and reconstructed settings to introduce the region’s history and everyday life. The second-floor ‘Song of the Snowlands’ exhibition includes a reconstruction of a…
View guide →Potala Palace 布达拉宫
7 km awayThe Potala rises from Marpo Ri, Lhasa’s Red Hill, as a stepped mass of white walls surrounding the crimson Red Palace. Its former residential and ceremonial spaces trace the history of the Dalai Lamas, while chapels and gilded…
View guide →Sources & visit information
The linked encyclopedia sources support background and place descriptions. Current opening hours, ticket prices, booking rules and transport schedules have not been independently verified for this guide. Confirm them with the venue or operator before travelling.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1367094385.