House of Shambhala

Top choice in Lhasa

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Hidden in the old town in a historic Tibetan building, the romantic, boutique-style Shambhala mixes the neighbourhood's earthy charm with buckets of style and a great rooftop lounge, making it perfect for couples who prefer atmosphere over mod cons. The 13 rooms, decorated in natural wood and slate with antique Tibetan furniture, vary only in size.

The fabulous rooftop terrace makes up for smallish and dim rooms and is a great place to relax over a Baileys-and-masala-chai cocktail (¥68) or a yak tikka masala. Low-season discounts of 20% are available in April, May, November and December.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • The Potala Palace in Morning Sunlight

    Potala Palace

    1.09 MILES

    The magnificent Potala Palace, once the seat of the Tibetan government and the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, is Lhasa's cardinal landmark. Your…

  • Tibet, Lhasa, monks chanting at Jokhang temple

    Jokhang Temple

    0.21 MILES

    The 1300-year-old Jokhang Temple is the spiritual heart of Tibet: the continuous waves of awestruck pilgrims prostrating themselves outside are a…

  • Drepung monastery, Lhasa, Tibet, China

    Main Assembly Hall

    5.48 MILES

    The main assembly hall, or Tsogchen, is the principal structure in the Drepung complex and is the one chapel you must not miss. The hall is reached…

  • Sera Je College

    Sera Je College

    3.04 MILES

    This is the largest of Sera’s colleges, generally accessed from a western side entrance. It has a breathtaking main hall, hung with thangkas and lit by…

  • Tomb of Tsongkhapa

    Tomb of Tsongkhapa

    21.72 MILES

    The red, fortress-like structure of Tsongkhapa’s mausoleum is probably the most impressive of the reconstructed buildings at Ganden. It’s above a…

  • Main Assembly Hall

    Main Assembly Hall

    3 MILES

    The main assembly hall (Tsogchen) is the largest of Sera’s buildings and dates to 1710. The central hall is particularly impressive and is noted for its…

  • Assembly Hall

    Assembly Hall

    21.75 MILES

    The recently renovated tsogchen (assembly hall) has statues of the 16 arhats (literally ‘worthy ones’) and two huge statues of Tsongkhapa (only visible…

  • Main Debating Courtyard

    Main Debating Courtyard

    5.4 MILES

    If you’re here in the afternoon, save some time to watch the monk debating (lots of shouting, hand slapping and gesticulation) between 2.30pm and 4pm in…

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Nearby Lhasa attractions

1. Meru Sarpa Monastery

0.06 MILES

The wood-block printing press in the middle of this traditional housing compound doesn’t welcome visitors, so head instead to the atmospheric chapel in…

2. Gyüme Tratsang

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Gyüme was founded in the mid-15th century as one of Tibet’s foremost Tantric training colleges, second only in Lhasa to the monasteries of Sera and…

3. Perdu Ambam Yamen

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A recent addition to the northeast side of the Barkhor Circuit is the Perdu Ambam Yamen, a politicised museum firmly aimed at local Chinese consumption …

4. Barkhor Mani Lhakhang

0.14 MILES

On the northern section of the Barkhor Circuit is a small building on the right, set off from the main path. This is the Mani Lhakhang, a chapel that…

5. Jampa Lhakhang

0.16 MILES

On the northern Barkhor Circuit, 10m down a side alley, is the entrance to the Jampa Lhakhang, on the right. The ground floor has a huge two-storey statue…

6. Meru Nyingba Monastery

0.16 MILES

This small but active monastery is a real delight and is invariably crowded with elderly Tibetans thumbing prayer beads or lazily swinging prayer wheels…

7. Zhambhala Lhakhang

0.17 MILES

This small chapel on the western side of the Meru Nyingba Monastery has a central image of Marmedze (Dipamkara), the Past Buddha, and a small inner kora…

8. Gongkar Chöde Chapel

0.17 MILES

This small Sakyapa-school chapel is up some narrow stairs above the Zhambhala Lhakhang, just off the Barkhor Circuit.