What season to travel to Tibet

Located at an average elevation of over 4,000m, Tibet has special geography and climate. Tibet’s geography is very diverse, creating a unique environment. Tibet’s climate is severely dry with little humidity and strong winds often whip through the barren landscape.

 

Summer is usually a popular season to travel to Tibet since during the summer months, it is much warmer than winter. The most popular months are between April and November.

 

April and May is the starting season for Tibet’s peak tourism season. During these months, the weather is mild. You may be greeted by blue skies every day during your Tibet tour. The famous Himalayan mountain range is also very visible, making this an ideal time to explore the many high peaks.

 

From June to July, Tibet begins to witness flocks of travelers as the weather become quite warm. In addition, Tibet receives less rain fall during this time. Thus, it is quite a comfortable time to visit all the areas of Tibet.

 

Mid July to August is the monsoon season and Tibet received much rain fall during this time, but it is a great time to explore Tibetan culture for many interesting traditional festivals would be celebrated during these months, such as Shoton Festival, Chokor Duchen, Harvest Festival, Horse Races. A Tibet festival tour will show you many elements of Tibetan culture. In fact, it is also a wonderful time to enjoy the wild sights of Tibet during this time with lush landscape and budding native flowers. 

 

September to November, the weather is warm, even a little hot. The weather and clear skies make these months perfect for trekking. Some regional festivals also take place during this time. 

 

December to next March is the low season of Tibet tourism due to the cold weather. Actually, it is not cold as you imagined. Do not let someone said online discourage you from enjoying a low cost winter Tibet tour during this time. Hotels, airlines, tourist sites offer great discount during winter. It is still an ideal time to visit central Tibet, Lhasa. The days are surprisingly warm. It is only at night when temperatures really drop and staying in a warm hotel will help you overcome it.

 

In addition, most Tibetan nomads and villagers choose to make their religious pilgrimages during winter when it is the farm slack season in Tibet. In Lhasa, the holy center for Tibetan people, you will see crowds of Tibetan pilgrims in front of Jokhang temple, at the Potala square, etc. 

 

To be honest, what season to travel to Tibet should not be a question bothering you. It is important to pick the right season to make a Tibet tour based on your interests. If you are interested in traditional Tibetan festivals, travelling to Tibet during Tibetan New Year, Saga Dawa Festival or Shoton Festival can be wonderful. If you prefer a Tibet trekking tour, travel to Tibet during September or October. If you are interested in photography, travel to Tibet during the summer.

 

In addition, you should also pick the right season to make a Tibet tour based on your budget. If you travel to Tibet during the peak season of Tibet, you have to pay double cost on most tourist sites than in the low season. Besides, you may also need to pay extra fee to ask a travel agency to reserve hotels, air tickets or train tickets to Tibet because the supply usually cannot meet the great demand of millions of travelers to Tibet during the peak season, especially the train tickets to Lhasa since 90% travelers prefer taking a train to Tibet.