With the development of Tibet’s infrastructure, the transport system in Tibet has gained great improvement. Therefore, the amount of tourists to Tibet has also increased a lot in recent years. Known as the center of Tibetan Buddhism and the "City of Sunshine", Lhasa is usually the first stop for a Tibet tour. This article will give detailed information as to the best time to go to Tibet.
Lhasa is the capital city of Lhasa, boasting the most advanced transport system in this region. When tourists are making a Tibet travel plan, weather condition is usually the most concerned for them. As the “City of Sunshine”, Lhasa has up to 3000 hours of sunshine per year. It is warm in winter and cool in summer. The highest temperature in the whole year appears in June, and the lowest appears in January. There is a distinct boundary between the dry season and rainy season in Tibet. It often rains in July, August and September, and the rainfall usually comes at nights. So there wouldn’t be any influence on enjoying the scenery in the daytime.
Average altitude of Lhasa is about 3,600 meters, so those who come to Lhasa for the first time will get slight or severe symptoms of altitude sickness, such as loss of appetite and insomnia, which will have great influence on the journey. Tourists will be more comfortable during the journey when there is good air quality and nice natural environment. The followings are explanations as to why June to September is the most comfortable season for travelling in Lhasa.
Although this period is among the rainy season in Lhasa, it doesn’t rain every day, and the rainfall is only a little bit more than the other seasons. Besides, it usually rains at nights, so there wouldn’t be huge influence on the journey the next day. Due to the dry air, a certain part of tourists who come to Lhasa for the first time will have nosebleeds and their skin will become dry as well. However, if you go to Lhasa in the rainy season, the chance that you may get such symptoms would be smaller, because the rainfall will increase water vapor in the air, and the air would not be dry but humid.
It is well known that oxygen can be produced through photosynthesis of plants. The entire land of Tibet is located on the high-altitude Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the vegetation here is less than other low-altitude places. However, the vegetation in Lhasa is a little more than other Tibetan areas because it is located in the valley area. In summer, oxygen content in the air in Lhasa will be increased because of the luxuriant vegetation.
Lhasa is very cool in summer, but the sunshine and solar radiation can be very strong, so you need to protect your skin from sunburn. It will be cooler to stay in shady places. Temperature at nights will be pleasant - neither too high nor too low, which can create a comfortable sleeping environment.
No matter what you want to do in Lhasa – to visit the historical architectures, enjoy the plateau scenery, or to feel the Tibetan atmosphere, going there in spring (April to May) and autumn (October to November) is a good choice.
When there is little rainfall, people can see the blue sky and white clouds on the plateau more easily. The red and white Potala Palace looks more brilliant with the blue sky and white clouds as backgrounds. And the Golden Roofs of Jokhang Temple will only glitter under the sunshine. Therefore, you will get difference feelings when you visit these architectures on days of different weathers.
Spring is the season when all the flowers blossom and compete to be the most beautiful one. Although Lhasa is located at high altitude, there are also many flowers and plants in this city. And you will get a totally different impression of spring when you have seen the spring here. Unlike other places, the weather during this time in Lhasa is still a little bit chilly. In autumn, leaves on the trees along the valleys of Lhasa begin to turn into golden yellow, making this city more colorful and sacred.
There is little rainfall in spring and autumn, creating wonderful opportunities for trekking. Most of the popular trekking routes are near the temples in Lhasa. But the grounds are mostly muddy, so you should go trekking in dry season or less-rainy season. You can not only experience the life of the most primitive Tibetan people through trekking, but can also enjoy wider scenery when you stand on top of the mountains. If you want to see the far-away valleys and hills clearly, you should go trekking on days when the weather is nice.
Winter is the slack season of Lhasa, and the amount of tourists during this period is the least throughout the year. To promote the tourism in winter, companies such as travel agencies, hotels, airline companies, train stations, and tourist attractions will offer many favorable discounts to tourists. So you can save a lot of money if you go to Lhasa in winter.
Winter is basically the slack season of tourism in all parts of mainland China, and tourists can easily get large discounts when they buy airline tickets. If you book a ticket one or two months in advance, the discounts can be even larger. A sleeper train ticket to Lhasa is always difficult to get in other seasons. But you can easily get one in winter, which is also one of the advantages of a winter tour.
Travel agencies will normally offer discounts in winter. When there is no discounts, tourists can still get many benefits from travel agencies. For example, you can upgrade hotels for free. We will try our best to make your journey in Lhasa more cost-effective.
Local government has carried out a series of policies to promote the winter tourism in Lhasa. For example, you can buy tickets of attractions in lower prices. There are also tourist attractions where you can go for free. When there is no discounts on those attractions, it is still a good choice to go to Lhasa in winter for many reasons: You can get better services, and you don’t need to waste much time to queue up for tourist attractions or queue up for a meal.
It is spring in Lhasa between March and May. Ice begins to melt and everything comes to life again. The Saga Dawa Festival, one of the most important festivals of Tibetan Buddhism, falls in April of Tibetan lunar calendar. If you go to Lhasa during Saga Dawa Festival, you can see a lively and noisy Lhasa, because nearly all the people in Lhasa will be gathering on the three major roads - the roads where Tibetans do koras often. Generally speaking, the amount of tourists to Lhasa begins to increase in March. As there is still snow in mountain pass, it is possible that you couldn’t go to the famous Namtso Lake. Since the amount of tourists to the Potala Palace during this period is relatively small, you don’t need to queue up for a visit.
Spring is the peak season of Nyingchi. A large amount of tourists will go to Nyingchi during this period to celebrate the Nyingchi Peach Blossom Festival with local people. And it is very convenient for tourists to go to Nyingchi today thanks to the newly-built Lhasa-Nyingchi Highway. For a better Nyingchi tour, please read articles about Ningchi on our website.
June to September is the peak season of Lhasa. The weather in summer here is warm and humid. Oxygen content in the air during this period is the highest throughout the year. Therefore, tourists are less likely to get altitude sickness if they go to Lhasa during this period. Compared with the scenery in autumn, the scenery in summer in Lhasa is more pleasant, with lush plants covering the city here and there.
If you go to Lhasa in summer, you can visit places such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Drepung Monastery in the daytime to feel the strong and mysterious religious atmosphere. In the evening, you can experience the unique Tibetan customs by taking part in some activities with local people. Although it is still among the rainy season, rainfall during this period mostly comes in deep evenings and will disappear before you get up the next morning. Therefore, your journey wouldn’t be affected by the rainfall at all.
If you go to Lhasa during the Shoton Festival, which falls on July 1st of Tibetan lunar calendar, you can not only watch the Tibetan opera, but can also see the giant Buddha tapestry hanging on the Buddha Show Platform in Drepung Monastery.
Lhasa will become a golden city in autumn because of the golden leaves, golden roofs, and the golden sunshine. The weather is getting cooler. Rainfall barely comes since October. And the amount of tourists gradually decreases, making this city a more tranquil one and providing tourists more chances to enjoy this holy land comfortably.
In winter, temperature difference between day and night in Lhasa is getting large. When there is sunshine in the daytime, the weather is relatively warm. Although the temperature is a little bit low at nights, you can bear the coldness without turning on the heating in the rooms. Travelling to Lhasa in winter is comfortable, as you can see less crowded streets and enjoy the same sunshine. The Tibetan New Year will falls during this period. When the festival comes, the streets will become bustling again. It will be another unique experience if you could celebrate the New Year with local people in Tibet.
Lhasa boasts a large amount of historical and cultural sites. The climate here is pleasant - cold in winter and cool in summer, but temperature difference between day and night is huge. If the main purpose of your journey is to experience the life of Tibetans and have a good rest during the journey, you can choose to go there between October and the next March. Then you can see a less crowded Lhasa and spend less money on the journey. Besides, you don’t need to worry about the train tickets and tickets of tourist attractions in Tibet, as you can almost buy them at any time during this period. If you go to Lhasa between April and August, when Lhasa is full of people, you will probably make some new friends. If you want to go to visit the natural scenery of other attractions such as EBC, Nyingchi, and Ngari area, you can read similar articles on our website to get information about the best time to travel to those places.
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