Weather in Tibet

Due to the high elevation of Tibet, we are a little closer to the sun. Hence, the sun is the hasher with plenty of UV dose. This hash sun made it feel warmer than it is. It is recommended to bring good Sunscreen and Sunglass.

The weather in Tibet is represented as cold and dry climatic. Though it is cold in Tibet, you will feel hot outside due to the scorching sun rays. We often hear our visitor (Tibet travellers) telling us, “They can’t believe they are wearing a T-shirt in Tibet”.

But in the shade and indoor, it will be chilly. Therefore it is always recommended to bring a light coat with you all the time to wear. It is not ideal for catching a cold while travelling in Tibet due to high altitude sickness and being extremely dry.

Tibet is very dry. You will experience its dryness on your nasal canal as you arrive in Lhasa. Many travellers will put vaseline on their nose area. Local Tibetan avoid dryness by wearing a surgical mask. It helps prevent losing moisture by breathing it back in.

There is a huge difference in temperature of day and night. Days are usually hotter and nights are very cold. As mentioned before, It is recommended to have a thicker coat in your pack all time.

Winter in Tibet will last for five-month from November to March, making it the most extended season in Tibet. It is usually characterised as cold and extreme dryness.

The average temperature of Tibet during the winter season is between -5 to – 11 °C (23-52°F). Yet is it not that cold compared to other cities in the northern hemisphere like Beijing and New York.

Though Tibet is known for its extreme coldness in winter, most of the regions available for your visit will be in the lower valley, and it is manageable to visit in winter. Travelling to Tibet in winter will give you all the sites to yourself with plenty of Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims from a remote region of the plateau.

During winter, many nomads from harsh northern land would travel to the valleys of Southern Tibet for pilgrimage. Due to this influx, it is an ideal season to visit to experience authentic Tibet experience. It offers a great photography opportunity to take pictures as there are more welcoming to photo cameras.

You can visit Mount Everest Basecamp in winter besides the widespread belief that it will be not accessible. Visiting Everest is excellent for landscape photography in Tibet as there will be fewer clouds to block your view.

Tibet will be close to the International visitor from the second half of February to the end of March each year. This closure makes it is impossible to visit Tibet for Tibetan New Year Celebration. Yet if you would like to experience the Tibetan new year, you can visit to celebrate Tibetan farmers a new year, which falls a month before the actual Tibetan new year. We can organise your visit to a local farming village to join their celebrations.

Spring in Tibet starts from April to May. It also marks the beginning of Tibet’s tourism season and is open for the international traveller on 1st April each year. You can find Tibet travel Regulations here.

The temperature of Tibet in the spring season usually stays between 5-19°C (41-66°F). This season is associated with rain and snowfalls at the beginning of the season as it will bring clouds and moisture to the plateau.

Spring is a perfect time to visit Tibet if you would like to avoid huge domestic tourists at the sites in Tibet. The later part of the spring is ideal for trekkings in Tibet as the warmer weather melts the snow and a high mountain pass would open.

It is a golden time to visit Mount Kailash if you are looking for a good time with fewer tourists at the mountain. Spring is one of two window periods ideal for trekking around the holy mount Kailash.

At Mount Everest, spring is the best window period for a mountaineer to summit the highest mountain on earth. When you visit Mount Everest, you will see the mountainers basecamp from the tourist basecamp, and you will see the trail of the flashlight from the climber trying to submit the mount from your tent guest in the early morning.

Spring is also well known for Apple and peach blossom in Tibet. There is a famous festival of peach blossom festival in the Nyingtri region of Tibet. You will find the peach flower in Lhasa, especially at Pabongkha and along the way from Shigatse to Lhasa.

Summer is the busiest season for the tourism industry in Tibet. There will be plenty of domestic and international visitors during the annual holidays for schools and universities during this season.

Getting the train and flight ticket to and from Lhasa is very hard to get at the last minute during this season. Therefore it is recommended you book your tour to Tibet with a responsible local Tibetan own travel agency in Tibet like us for booking the tickets and tours services. Be cautious that many fake online travel agencies are claiming to be one.

The temperature of these hottest months in Tibet will be around 12-24°C (54-75°F). It will be hot during the day in the out and cold at night, and shade during the daytime. Therefore it is recommended to bring a windproof coat and thicker coat if you are going to the higher mountainous region of Tibet.

From July until the end of August marks a rainy season in Tibet. It doesn’t rain much, and it will shower mainly at night and hours in the afternoon. The rain will not affect your Tibet tour, yet its cloud might block your view of landscapes like Mount Everest and Yamdrok lake.

As a responsible travel agency, we will provide you with an umbrella in the car during your tour in the rainy season in Tibet.

It is the best time for trekking in Tibet. Especially in the late summer when all the area is covered with fresh grass after the shower. In Tibet, our favourite trekking route is Ganden to Samye trekking trail and Gangshung trekking trail into the Himalayan near Everest.

Tibetans are very fond of picnicking during the summer months near the Kyichu River or in Norbulingka. Shoton is a famous festival in the summer in Lhasa.

Autumn in Tibet began last September and end in November. It is the second busiest season in Tibet Tourism. Yet as the season progress towards the end, we will find decreasing number of travellers in Tibet.

It is the second-best time to hike around mount Kailash. Therefore most tour leaders would organise this trek during the season. It is an excellent time for landscape photography in Tibet for the lesser cloud in the sky.

For locals, autumn is known as the end of Picnicking time. There are a few famous festivals in autumn like the Ongkhor festival and Bathing festival.