Best Time to Visit Tibet

The beauty Tibet has to offer is just incomparable. With a plateau climate and picturesque landscape, the place offers to be a perfect tourist destination.

Deciding what’s the best time to visit Tibet is an important question. Generally speaking, April to October is the best time to travel to Tibet. But the specific month depends entirely on your interest, or what you want to see and to do. In fact, Tibet can be visited at any time of the year, but at certain times of the year is better than other times.

1. Best Time to Visit Lhasa

Lhasa is suitable to be visited all year round. In spring, everything in Lhasa comes back to life with a landscape full of greenery. Summer is the peak season and the air is humid. You can walk around the unique highland temples and Barkhor Street.  Although the air in Lhasa is a little bit drier in autumn, it is suitable for hiking.  There are several classic trekking routes around Lhasa such as Lhasa--Tsurphu Monastery—Yangpachen or Lhasa--Ganden Monastery--Chimpuk--Samye Monastery. Winter in Lhasa is cheap and warm, making it a good time to see the snow-capped mountains.

Monthly temperature overview of Lhasa,

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2. Best Time to Visit Everest Base Camp

April-June and September-October are the best time to visit Everest Base Camp. In the spring and autumn season, there is less rain and more sunny days so tourists are more likely to see the summit of Mount Everest clearly.

July-August is the peak tourist season for Everest Base Camp. This season is the rainy season in Tibet, and the air is warm and moist. But it’s the most comfortable season for tourists. Tourists who are worrying about altitude sickness can choose to travel in summer. During this period, they will get the best physical comfort experience in Tibet.

Monthly temperature overview of Everest Base Camp in Tingri,

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3. Best Time to have Kailash Manasarovar Yatra

A “yatra” is a pilgrimage with a religious purpose and a kora is a circuit around a sacred site. The best time for a Mount Kailash Manasarovar yatra and kora is May to October. This is due to the warmer temperature and higher oxygen content.

From July to August, although it's the rainy season in Tibet, it usually rains at night. So it's still a great time to have a kora around Mt.Kailash due to the warmer temperature and higher oxygen content.

Monthly temperature overview in Ngari,

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4. Best Time to Visit Namtso

The best time to visit Namtso Lake is from May to September. The weather is pleasant and not hot even in July and August. There is a clear blue sky, green meadows, many nomads, rare birds, wild cattle and sheep. Autumn is a good time to see the starry sky at Namtso. It is not recommended to visit Namtso in winter or spring as the lake is frozen and there's no accommodation.

Monthly temperature overview of Namtso,

5. Best Time to Experience Tibet Culture

If your wholesale reason to visit Tibet is to see their nomadic culture then June through early September would be the best choice. There are several big festivals meanwhile, such as Saga Dawa Festival in Jun, Samye Dolde in Jul, Shoton Festival in Aug, etc.

These summer months let you see nomads who are on the high grasslands with their sheep and yaks. These months undoubtedly bring some clouds & rain. However, to see their culture, no other month would be as appropriate as June and all the way to September. Tibetan people are very glad to invite you to attend the celebration. It’s a time to experience Tibet folk customs and Buddhist culture.

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6. Best Time to Trek in Tibet

The trekking season in Tibet is from late April through late October, out of which the most suitable months are:

• Starting in May until the end of June
• Early September through late October

These months give you good views of the mountains along with the ideal conditions for trekking and camping as it is generally dry during this period. Trekking in the summer months is not advised as it will rain in these months at least 3 times per week. There will be a cloudy sky, and you'll not witness any clear skies during the daytime. Proper trekking equipment and clothing can make your trekking time delightful and hassle-free.

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7. Best Time to Be a Part of The Tibetan Horse Festival

The Horse Racing Festival is an important part of Tibet culture, especially the daily life of people in Tibet. Horse Racing Festival is the most distinctive holiday in Tibet especially in the pastoral areas of Tibet. From July to August, it is the most beautiful season in grasslands with lush aquatic plants, so a Horse racing festival will be held in these months.

It usually lasts about 10 days. At present, the influencing horse racing festivals in Tibet are Nagqu Horse Festival (around August ) and Gyantse Horse Race (around July). On the eve of the horse racing festival, thousands of herdsmen wear colorful costumes, riding horses to go to the horse racing festival. Around the racetrack, a tent village was pulled out in the twinkling of an eye, and the grand horse racing festival suddenly brought a spectacular, fully functional tent city to the prairie. The whole event can be divided into two major categories: horse racing and horse riding skills. In the evening, the herdsmen will ignite a pile of bonfire in the prairie, staying around the flaming fire, singing and dancing happily.

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8. Best Time to Visit Tibet for Budget Travelers

From November to April of the following year, traveling to Tibet is relatively cost-effective, and it is the best season for travelers with a tight budget. Winter is the off-season in Tibet, with relatively lower consumption in scenic spots, transportation, accommodations, etc. Excluding some places like Namtso Lake, Mt. Kailash and some trekking routes, all other destinations in Tibet can be visited in the winter.  By the way, Tibet's winter is not as cold as most people imagine. Instead, it's warm due to the intensive sunshine.

Note:

From February to March, most of the Tibet area is closed to foreign travelers, because February and March are sensitive months for Tibetans. The authorities usually stop issuing Tibet travel permits from the beginning of February. However, Tibet will reopen in early April.

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Summary

The most suitable time for your visit to Tibet is based on the reason for your visit.

• January- February, April- May and then October- December is considered to be the best months to see Everest clearly.
• June to September is the ideal period for seeing the Tibetan nomadic lifestyle.
• The perfect months for trekking in Tibet are April through late October.
• The major cities of Tibet can be traveled all year round even during winter.
• February- March, Tibet usually gets closed till April.