Lhasa is about one hour from the airstrip, and on the way you'll begin to get a feel for just how rugged and forbidding the place is: a land where the rivers and valleys determine where people traditionally have settled, eking out a spare, nomadic existence under towering peaks.

There are many wonderful things to see and do around Lhasa, which, taken as a whole, tells the story of Tibet's unique past and the intertwining of religion with history. Don't miss the great temples: circumambulate the Barkor around the Jokhang, explore Sera and Drepung. And of course plan to tour the Potala palace and Narbulinka. Most of the holy temples retain magic and mysticism and demonstrate the absolute faith in Tibetan Buddhism so integral to the character of the Tibetan people.