La doped nanocrystalline TiO2 photocatalyst was developed by sol-gel method. The prepared La-TiO2 photocatalysts with anatase phases were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD),UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy,and photoluminescence spectra (PL). The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of phenol in solution under sunlight irradiation. The results show that the crystallinity of anatase is improved by La doping. Moreover,La not only suppresses phase transition from anatase to rutile but also exhibits an absorption in the λ≥ 400 nm range. The photocatalytic activity of La-doped TiO2 photocatalysts exceeds that of pure TiO2 photocatalyst prepared by the same method when the molar ratio of La to Ti is kept at 0.3%.