Shangrila

Dukezong Old Town

Guesthouses in rebuilt Tibetan houses; walkable to the museum and the dancing square. Quiet at night.

New town along Changzheng Road

Cheaper hotels, ATMs and the bus station at the north end; 10–15 min walk to the old town.

Songzanlin area

A few guesthouses near the monastery; only useful if you want the monastery at opening.

Etiquette

• Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
• Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
• Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
• Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
• Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
• Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
• Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
• Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4

Scams and watch-outs

• Altitude: 3,300 m. Take the first day easy, drink water, and do not fly in and hike out the same day.
• The old town burned down in January 2014 and was rebuilt; expect new construction, not historic fabric.
• Napa Lake road checkpoints charge a ¥60 ticket; villagers can be firm if you refuse.
• Some old-town bike rental shops have refused repair kits and charged for flats — inspect the bike first.
• Winter nights drop well below freezing; many guesthouses have no central heating.