Lhasa: When to Go

Spring, early summer and late autumn are probably the best times to visit; May to October is the peak tourism season. It's worth trying to time your trip with one of the festivals. New Year (Losar) in January or February is an excellent time to be in Lhasa, as is the Saga Dawa festival in April or May. April also brings discounts on accommodation and vehicle rental.

Lhasa and its environs don't get really cold until the end of November.

Weather

Winter is very cold and many restaurants are shut, but some travellers swear by the winter months. There are few travellers about at this time and Lhasa is crowded with nomads. The average temperature in January is -2°C. March is a politically sensitive month in the country and there is occasional tightening of restrictions on travellers heading into Tibet at this time, but the weather's pretty good. From mid-July through to the end of September, the monsoon starts to affect parts of Tibet (the months of July and August bring half of Tibet's annual rainfall).

Temperature (average ° C)

Rainfall (average mm)