Best Time to Travel to Tibet
» What is the best time to travel to Tibet?
Seasonal Guide to Tibetan Trekking
As thrill seeking adventures become more popular, people are turning more towards activities that are both physical and rewarding. There is something especially beautiful about traversing through lands and trails that pioneers and explorers once used. Carrying nothing but the pack on your back and your sense of adventure, trekking through Tibet allows you the opportunity to physically become one with nature. Tibet travel is best in late autumn (from late September to late November) but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy one of Tibet’s trekking trails all year long depending on your route.
Fall/Spring
September-October/March-May: As Tibetan tourism is opening back up during this time of year; fall and spring are two of the busier seasons for Tibet traveling. Ideally, these two seasons work best for trekking through the Tibetan mountainside. The weather is warm and the skies are considerably clear. You can expect some wind and little amounts of rain as the ice from the winter has melted, therefore unblocking routes that were once impassible weeks before during the winter months.
Winter
November-February: During these months, you can expect cooler temperatures, cool winds, and definitely snow. Even though the sun is still shining, it is still considerably cold during these months. During the winter, Tibet experiences 5-6 months of frost, creating less than ideal conditions for trekking. Visiting lower elevations like Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse and Nyingtri may be your best bet during these months as fewer tourists will be around and the temperature is more moderate there during this time.
Summer
June-August: Due to the fact that Tibet is a high altitude plateau, you can still expect some snow to fall only in the mountains at high altitude. However, summer is the best time for trekking in some places as the weather is generally warm to cool and the oxygen content in the air is higher during the summer than most other seasons. Light rain and cool conditions make for a beautiful green landscape ideal for trekking.
Since trekking involves climbing, going off roads, and venturing down various paths not often traveled, weather plays a vital role in the route you choose to take. For more information and to plan your trekking adventure contact .
The best time for trekking in Tibet is from May till mid-October. If you like to trek in Kangshung valley which is in the south east of Mt. Everest, borderd to Nepal, we do not recommend to trek in Aug as Aug is the biggest monsoon period of time in Tibet so in this valley, it rains quite much as it is bordered to Nepal and it is green.
The monsoon season from mid July to end- Aug is not the best time to be guaranteed a view of Mt Everest if you just have one night at Rongbuk monastery, but even then the weather is often clear around sunrise and sunset.
Although the monsoon rains can at times cause minor landslides at the bordered area between Nepal and Tibet or from Yunnan to Nyingtri by overlanding, it is still a good time to visit Tibet because of the lush green grasslands, vivid wild flowers, and agricultural crops that flourish at this time of year.
Besides, the monsoon in Tibet is not as heavy as Nepal or other lower altitude places. Since Tibet is already a dried high altitude place, it does not rain much during the monsoon coparing to the lower places like Nepal, mainland China etc.
The average temprature from May till Mid Oct is 10-20 degrees during the day time in the cities like Lhasa, Nyingtri, Shigatse, Gyantse, Tsetang and around Mt. Everest, Mt. Kailash during the day time and it will be around 5-15 degrees during the night time.
Since the fascility of the accommodation, roads, vehicles, restaurants, have been improved a lot during the last five years, we also recommend to make a trip in the central Tibet during the winter time from November till end of Febuary to those of the places, Nyingtri, Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, Samye and Tsetang. The temprature from November till end of February in those places will be 3-8 degrees during the day time and it will be below 3-12. But you always have heater in the hotel during the night time.
The good thing to travel in the winter is that there are very less tourists, 30% discount with Tibet Shambhala Adventure, very clear weather, blue sky all the time, more Tibetan pilgrims, day time is not cold at all. It is always sunny.
