# Ganden Monastery (甘丹寺)

Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region · Southwest, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/ganden-monastery
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥50
- **Opening hours:** 7：00—17：00
- **Time needed:** 2–3 hours
- **Address:** In Dagze District, about 40 km east of Lhasa
- **Getting there:** A direct minibus to Ganden Monastery leaves from Lubu Parking Lot (路布停车场) near the Jokhang Temple, usually at 6:30. The one-way fare is ¥10 per person and the journey takes 2 hours. The same bus leaves at 15:00–16:00 to return. It stops at Sang'a Monastery on the way for sightseeing. No entrance ticket is required for this stop.
- **Good for:** Temples

## About Ganden Monastery

The first monastery of the Gelug school. Ganden Monastery, together with Sera and Drepung monasteries, is known as Lhasa's Three Great Monasteries. It was built by Tsongkhapa in 1409, and his body is enshrined in a stupa inside the monastery. The monastery has two dratsang, more than 50 buildings, and a set quota of 3,300 monks.

## Tips from the guidebook

- Photography: This is a sacred site of Tibetan Buddhism, made up of striking peaks, odd rocks, streams, meadows, caves and temples, so it is also a great place to take photos. Be sure to bring a camera. If you want to photograph inside the temple, you must get permission first.

---
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 545. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.