the Potala Palace in front of mountains in Lhasa
rooftops of Plaza De Armas in Cusco, Peru
sunset over downtown Windhoek, and the nearby Christ Church
a monk in the Thimphu Dzong
a snow-covered Santa Fe, New Mexico
a mounted policeman in San Miguel de Allende
a night view of Quito with the volcano Pichincha on the horizon
the town of Innsbruck, Austria, set in the Alps
the view over Addis Ababa to Mount Entoto
1 of 9
Lhasa, Tibet, ChinaAt an altitude of 11,975 feet (3,650 meters), Lhasa is higher than any other city on our list. The 17th-century Potala Palace, former home of the Dalai Lama, hovers above the city like a giant Buddhist scroll. (See 21 gorgeous photos of China's World Heritage sites.)
Photograph by Michael Yamashita, National Geographic

9 high-altitude cities worth a visit

Elevate your travel experiences.

ByNational Geographic Staff
March 26, 2019

From Cusco’s vibrant rooftops to Bhutan’s fortified monasteries, these high-altitude cities will whisk you through steep mountain passes, medieval palaces, and colonial towns. Here are nine high-altitude cities that will elevate your travel experience. (Explore 25 of the world most iconic mountains.)

This list originally appeared in the book The World's Best Cities. This story was published in 2014 and updated in 2019.

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Get a FREE tote featuring 1 of 7 ICONIC PLACES OF THE WORLD

Related Topics

Go Further