Sera Monastery
Sera Monastery
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
The Sera Monastery (founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey of Sakya Yeshe, disciple of Tsongkhapa) is just located at the foot of Tatipu Hill,located 1.25 miles (2.01 km) north of Lhasa and about 5 km (3.1 mi) north of the Jokhang and it is about 6 km to the northeast direction of Potala Palace. It is famous for the Buddhism activities of” Monks Debate” which happens in afternoon from Monday to Saturday. This is one highlight attraction for travel in Lhasa Tibet.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Plan your visit
The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
15 within 3 miles
Attractions
48 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
718 reviews
Excellent
365
Very good
269
Average
72
Poor
9
Terrible
3
xcschlr
Milwaukee, WI816 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
This monastery is higher up in the mountains, and the white buildings with many large boulders in the background look stunning. The most interesting part of the visit for many people is perhaps to watch the monks debating in the early afternoon. Many of them seemed to be having fun, waiving and clapping their hands with a slight grin on their face.
Written August 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KidKodak88
Nanjing, China36 contributions
Dec 2021
If a monk stops by your group, ASK him questions. We were lucky but we should have asked him more questions. We were treated to an amazing debate among the monks. Such emotion and passion. We didn't understand what was happening. But we saw our new monk friend Danny! Super impressive display of shared discourse.
Written December 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vmimartins
Guimaraes, Portugal1,532 contributions
Aug 2011
The Sera Monastery is located in the northern suburb of Lhasa City.
Nice buildings and location. In my opinion the highlights of this monastery are the “Debating of Buddhist Doctrines”, with some traditions of body language like clapping their hands pushing their partners for an answer, and the two Mandalas in exhibition.
The debate is a part of the monks study: The debates are about their comprehension of the Buddhist Holy Books so they later can advance in the studies level.
The sand Mandalas are exquisite with plenty of amazing details and colors – a must see.
The buildings are Tibetan tradition like, with colorful details in some windows, ceilings and walls.
Nice buildings and location. In my opinion the highlights of this monastery are the “Debating of Buddhist Doctrines”, with some traditions of body language like clapping their hands pushing their partners for an answer, and the two Mandalas in exhibition.
The debate is a part of the monks study: The debates are about their comprehension of the Buddhist Holy Books so they later can advance in the studies level.
The sand Mandalas are exquisite with plenty of amazing details and colors – a must see.
The buildings are Tibetan tradition like, with colorful details in some windows, ceilings and walls.
Written September 15, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dcm
Orlando, FL184 contributions
May 2019
A vist to Lhasa without spending several hours at Sara monastery is inconceivable. Watching the dialog among the Sera monastery monks gave us a better understanding of what elightment means.
Written July 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bmick1920
Fort Myers, FL85 contributions
Oct 2019
The Monastery is beautiful . The "debates" by the monks were the highlight, I suppose, although I had no idea what was going on, other than an overview by our guide.
Written September 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cindy R
169 contributions
Dec 2019
Sera Monastery is nestled in front of some of Lhasa's beautiful mountains. Here it is possible to watch and listen to monks debate philosophical points or to spend time touring the monastery's interior. Each room is adorned with beautiful statues, art, or cultural decor.
Written December 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eric L
Atlanta, GA73 contributions
Oct 2019 • Solo
Observing the monks debate the daily lesson is spell bounding as it is so different from what most usually experience. You see the monks striking one hand down on another to ward off ignorance, various levels of intensity and, if you stay long enough / time it accordingly, the reversal of roles in terms of who gets to ask vs. answer the questions. I was only able to spend about 30 minutes watching the debate and would have loved to stay an hour or so.
Written November 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emad_10
Edmonton, Canada132 contributions
Oct 2019
Very live and vibrant, lots to see, try to attend part of the chanting service ans watch the monks in groups.
Written November 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alesia K
Munich, Germany15 contributions
Oct 2019 • Couples
Interesting monastery to see. Large area and pleasant walk if the weather is good.
At certain time (for us was around 15:00) all the Buddhism students are getting together for a debating class in a countryyard.
At certain time (for us was around 15:00) all the Buddhism students are getting together for a debating class in a countryyard.
Written October 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PSP-Adel
Adelaide, Australia151 contributions
May 2019
Tibet is full of surprises. Sera monastery is one these. Our walk up the monastery was pretty mundane. Some food stalls and vendors selling sunglasses etc. even entering the monastery was pretty ordinary but as we got to the top we encountered around 20-30 monks in what appeared to be an animated debate. Some seemed to be having a serious debate while others seemed to be more playful. We Enjoyed this unique visit.
Written August 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing