Norbulingka or the Summer Palace is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site since 2001 as an extension of Potala Palace, is located about 1km south of the Potala Palace.
Norbulingka is a complex with buildings, pavilions, gardens,small temples and woods -Is the biggest and nicest garden in Lhasa, with trees and lots of flowers.
The buildings are traditional Tibetan, as expected, but scattered through the woods.

A must see

not only the place but the people who go for pilgrimage

Norbulingka in Lhasa, Tibet is rightly described as a world cultural hertitage site but the conditions for the poor animals in the zoo there need much improvement. They are in small cages without water or any stimulation. The snow leopard cub was in such a cage and I wonder if it's still alive. I watched people throw things at the 2 unfortunate lions, one of whom seemed to be in pain. There was garbage in the cages. I would have to say that it is one of the most upsetting zoos that I have ever seen.

Norbulingka, literally "Treasure Park", was established as a summer residence for the 7th Dalai Lama in the 1740s. It was added onto throughout the centuries, including palaces that were added by the 8th Dalai Lama, the 13th Dalai Lama, and the 14th Dalai Lama. Of these, by far the most impressive is Takten Migyur Potrang, which was built for the 14th Dalai Lama in 1954. In here, you'll find a solid gold throne room, and many interesting tankahs. This palace got the name of "New Summer Palace", and is surrounded by flowers, a fountain, a beautiful fish pond with gazebos, and lots of color.

Norbulingka is now a public park, and many Tibetans come here to lounge and enjoy time with their families during the summer months, when the park is abloom in floral beauty. This is only June through August, though, so it is much less attractive when the flowers go out of bloom. We visited in September, and recommend if visiting this time of year to just go to the 13th and 14th Dalai Lamas Palaces, skipping the 7th and 8th, which are much less impressive, and getting some buns to feed the fish, swans, geese, and turtles inside the pond areas. There is a very small zoo onsite, we could see a Camel through the fence. These areas are also the most kept up, the other areas were kind of run down.

Entrance is 60 RMB per person, and the park is located just outside of town.

I think the Summer Palace is best visited on your own - visit during summer, bring a picnic with you and just relax for half a day, checking out the palaces, and taking some nice photos at the pond areas. The palaces here are much less impressive than the Potala Palace, and this isn't nearly the attraction of that site. It is really little more than a nice park with a couple of smallish palaces inside to add to the attraction. This was the summer residence of the Dalai Lamas.