The climate in Tibet is usually freezing throughout the year due to its location on its highest plateau. May and October are generally the best time to Visit Tibet for the azure skies.
Nevertheless, You can visit most area of the region anytime from April and November. It is warm during those months despite the high altitude of Tibet.
It is cold during the month between December and March. Yet it is not extremely cold like the cities of Beijing and New York. It is my favourite time, as there will be less tourist and lots of Tibetan pilgrims coming to Lhasa valley for pilgrimage.
It is possible to visit Mount Everest Basecamp in the winter month, but travelling to Mount Kailash region is impossible.
In the following paragraphs, we will discuss monthly basis to understand how the weather will be and what the Tibetan festival will fall on the month of your visit.
Visiting Tibet in January
It’s cold, dry and sunny in January. The temperature will drop below freezing in the night time. Because it is the windiest month, it also makes it the dustiest month of the year.
The harsh weather conditions will most likely concentrate your Tibet holiday in Lhasa valley. If you are willing to face coldness, you can visit right up to Mount Everest Base Camp.
Visiting Tibet during winter is cheaper, and you will have the site to yourself pretty much due to less tourist.
Visiting Tibet in February and March
The weather is freezing during these two months, and it is likely to be snowy. The Tibet tourism bureau usually stops issuing the Tibet travel permit from the second half of February until April 1st. So it is only possible to visit during the first half of February.
Tibetan New Year falls in these two months. If it is in the first half of February, you can visit Tibet for the Tibetan New year. The New year in Tibet is a week-long festival of dancing, family gathering and pilgrimage.
Travelling to Tibet in April
As a result of rising temperature more site begins to open for visitor in April. Usually, the Tibet tourism bureau will start issuing Tibet Travel permit to enter Tibet from April 1st.
April is usually wet, and we often get rain and snowfalls all over Tibet. Hence it is not an ideal month for hiking and visiting mount Kailash.
Visiting Tibet in May
May is usually warm and sunny. It offers excellent views of the Himalayas with no clouds blocking it. The window period best time to submit Mount Everest falls in this month, and you will find mountaineers camp from Everest Base Camp.
The famous month-long festival of Saga Dawa usually falls on this month. It is an ideal time to visit Mt Kailash for its well known three days hiking around it.
Tibet in June
The temperature in June is a bit warmer than may, yet the rainy season starts to begins from mid-June. The entire month is cloudier than in April and May, yet it is the beginning of peak season for Tibet tourism.
Visiting Tibet from July to August (Rainy season)
The three months of July, August and September are the rainy seasons in Tibet, often cloudy. In these months, you are not likely to get clear views of mountains, including Mt Everest and Landscape.
Additionally, it is the busiest month in Tibet tourism due to the summer holidays. So it is a little harder to get the train and flights ticket to and from Lhasa. It is recommended to book the tickets with your local Travel agency in Tibet.
Visiting Tibet in September
The rainy season usually gets over by mid-September, making it an ideal month for visiting Tibet. The second half of September and the first half of October is a great time to visit mt Kailash.
Travelling Tibet in October
The dry and sunny days of October makes the month the best time to visit Tibet.
It will start to get colder from the second half of the month. It means the end of the busy season and the number of tourist in Tibet will drop dramatically from this month.
Tibet in November – December
The weather in winter is dry, sunny and with temperature going below freezing at night.
Due to cold weather, we get less tourist, making travelling to Tibet drops in winter.
You will also find lots of pilgrimages visiting Lhasa Valley in the winter to avoid freezing weather in the high elevation of the plateau.
Conclusion on the best time to visit Tibet
Above is the description of weather in Tibet monthly in Tibet. We hope this helps you prepare for the trip to Tibet. Yet when it comes to the question of when is the best time to visit Tibet. We would say the best time to visit Tibet is your holiday.
Which ever month did you choose to Travel to Tibet. Please pack wisely and here you will find our packing list for Tibet
We have experience leading tours in Tibet for the last two decades, and we will give you the best travel experiences in Tibet as per your schedule and plans.
Please do email us at info@itibettravel.com for free travel consultancy.
Tenzin Travel is the best Tibetan Travel agency in Tibet. Our agency is one of Tibet’s most experienced tour operators, with over 20 years in the industry. Founded by a local Tibetan family with decades of expertise as guides, managers, and route planners. We craft personalized itineraries for every traveler. Our agency is the highest-rated and most recommended Tibet travel agency on TripAdvisor, Google, and Lonely Planet.
We can make holistic arrangements for your trip to Tibet. Including a Tibet Travel Permit, a Tibetan tour guide, flight tickets, train tickets, vehicle arrangements, and hotel bookings in Tibet.
Our Lhasa office is just steps from Barkhor Square. All our Tibetan team ensures deep cultural, linguistic, and religious insights, setting us apart from other agencies.
Beyond tourism, we support Tibetan communities by donating a portion of each tour to local projects. Your travel to Tibet is about more than profit—it’s about the opportunity for us to give back.