Must-see hotels in Tibet

  • Songtsam Choskyi Linka Lhasa

    Lhasa

    Lhasa's most stylish accommodation comes thanks to the Songtsam chain, which runs seven boutique lodges in the Tibetan area of Yunnan. The 50 rooms here…

  • Kyichu Hotel

    Lhasa

    The renovated Kyichu is a friendly and well-run choice that’s very popular with repeat travellers to Tibet. Rooms are comfortable and pleasant, with…

  • Rinchen Family Guesthouse

    Eastern Tibet

    Set on a slope above the Parlung Tsangpo beside Bakha Gompa, this family-run guesthouse is one of the most scenically placed in all of Kham, overlooking…

  • Yak Hotel

    Lhasa

    The ever-popular Yak has matured in recent years from backpacker hang-out to tour-group favourite, upgrading to a range of comfortable en-suite rooms. The…

  • House of Shambhala

    Lhasa

    Hidden in the old town in a historic Tibetan building, the romantic, boutique-style Shambhala mixes the neighbourhood's earthy charm with buckets of style…

  • Thöling Monastery Hotel

    Ngari

    Easily the best choice in Zanda is this well-run guesthouse across from Thöling Monastery. The six clean and spacious standard rooms come with hot-water…

  • Shambhala Palace

    Lhasa

    This quiet 17-room hotel is hidden deep in the old town, offering stylish rooms, a spacious rooftop and good service. Avoid the smallest rooms, though…

  • Yeti Hotel

    Tsang

    The three-star Yeti is easily the best option in Gyantse, offering 24-hour piping hot water, clean, spacious rooms, quality mattresses and reliable wi-fi,…

  • Drira-puk Monastery Guesthouse

    Ngari

    The quietest and most comfortable accommodation option at Drira-puk is a bed in the monastery guesthouse, which has comfortable new rooms but limited food.

  • Dhood Gu Hotel

    Lhasa

    If you’re looking for a dash of style, this comfortable Nepali-run three-star place near the Tromsikhang market is a good choice, with ornate Tibetan…

  • Heritage Hotel

    Lhasa

    Located inside the artsy courtyard holding the Dropenling craft centre, the friendly Heritage offers 20 stylish rooms featuring stone-walled showers,…

  • Shangri-La Hotel

    Lhasa

    It was really only a matter of time before the Shangri-La brand opened a hotel in Tibet. The decor is modern and tasteful, and there are fine restaurants,…

  • Flora Hotel

    Lhasa

    The Flora is a well-run and reliable hotel in the interesting Muslim quarter (it’s run by a Nepali Muslim). Nice touches include a laundry service and…

  • St Regis Lhasa

    Lhasa

    Six-star travellers accustomed to uberluxury, 24-hour butler service and, yes, a gold-plated pool can finally consider a trip to the plateau. The fortress…

  • Lingtsang Boutique Hotel

    Lhasa

    The eight rooms in this former residence of Nyi Rinpoche, a tutor of the Dalai Lama, make for an interesting choice in the heart of the old town. The…

  • Seralung Monastery Guesthouse

    Ngari

    The monastery guesthouse is a glass-fronted block with simple mattresses in four-bed rooms or more comfortable two-bed rooms (¥50). There are pit toilets…

  • Gang Gyen Hotel

    Lhasa

    This huge, modern and quiet four-star place is popular with groups for its spacious, plush and clean carpeted rooms. Sure it's bland, but the location is…

  • Tashi Choeta Tibetan Folk Hotel

    Lhasa

    This new hotel has a great location on the edge of the old town, with 58 comfortable and fresh Tibetan-style rooms ranged around a sunny internal atrium…

  • Ali Hotel

    Ngari

    The revamped Ali Hotel is now the fanciest and most expensive place in town. It's surprisingly stylish and modern, though the occasional fragrant bathroom…

  • Saga Hotel

    Ngari

    After recent renovations this is once again the main tour-group hotel in town. Bedding is clean and hot water is plentiful in the evenings, making it Saga…

  • Dekang Hotel

    Lhasa

    A well-run, modern Tibetan-run choice, with easy vehicle access but walking distance from the old town, offering fresh and modern Tibetan-style rooms…

  • Shambhala Source

    Ü

    Easily the most comfortable place to stay is this chic resort run by Lhasa's Shambhala Serai group. It has its own riverside hot springs, 5km before…

  • Gesar Hotel

    Shigatse

    This four-star giant has clean and modern Tibetan-style rooms, each decorated with its own thangka of Gesar Ling, and a pleasant rooftop teahouse, though…

  • Tibet Bike Hostel

    Lhasa

    This modern courtyard hostel (north of Beijing Donglu behind the Yak Hotel) is a decent option, especially if you speak some Chinese and want to connect…

  • Samye Monastery Guesthouse

    Ü

    This huge modern hotel is the default option for most visitors. Although devoid of monastic charm, the carpeted double rooms are comfortable (check for…

  • Lhatse Tibetan Farmer's Hotel

    Tsang

    This courtyard guesthouse has long been popular with foreign travellers. There is an older block of basic rooms with shared squat bathrooms, but the back…

  • Dongcuo International Youth Hostel

    Lhasa

    This hostel attracts mainly Chinese backpackers, though a few foreign travellers find their way here. Rooms are smallish but well maintained, with wooden…

  • Tashi Choeta Boutique Hotel

    Lhasa

    Travellers from Taiwan and Hong Kong love this reliable old-town choice. The four floors of rooms are set around a pleasant inner courtyard, which means…

  • God Sheep Hotel

    Ü

    One of the better-run guesthouses at Nam-tso. The metal cabins aren’t pretty, but there's a wide range of rooms with proper beds, electric blankets, clean…

  • Tashi Takge Hotel

    Lhasa

    A mixed bag here. Most rooms are small and suffer from a lack of natural light, with windows facing on to a cramped and sometimes noisy interior courtyard…

  • Héngyuǎn Bīnguǎn

    Ngari

    With friendly staff used to dealing with foreigners, the Héngyuǎn has a useful location, a pleasant lobby tearoom and worn rooms with attached bathrooms…

  • Cool Yak Hotel

    Lhasa

    The great old-town location and the giant Tibetan thangka in the central courtyard are the most eye-catching things about this modern place. The carpeted…

  • Yabshi Phunkhang

    Lhasa

    This mid-19th-century mansion was built for the parents of the 11th Dalai Lama (yabshi is the title given to the parents of a Dalai Lama) and has been…

  • Lhasa Tashi Nota Hotel

    Lhasa

    This solid Tibetan-run hotel is north of the old town but in an interesting residential district with plenty of restaurants nearby. Rooms are clean and…

  • Song Sung River Hotel

    Ngari

    This welcoming Tibetan-run motel is your best choice in Moincêr, with simple but clean double rooms arranged around compound parking, just beside the turn…

  • Tashi Guesthouse & Restaurant

    Ü

    Pleasant two-, four- and five-bed dorms with clean foam beds above a restaurant by the East Gate. If things are busy, you may have to pay for all beds in…

  • Norbuling Hotel

    Ngari

    This Tibetan-run guesthouse in the southwest of town is popular with many agencies. The 10 renovated rooms, new for 2018, are fresh and comfortable, with…

  • Qomolangzong Hotel

    Shigatse

    This plush four-star hotel opened in 2014, offering an impressive lobby of stone and wood, and extremely spacious western-style rooms. Some of the upper…

  • Kangjong Gunji Drongkhang

    Ngari

    Saga's best budget bet is this Tibetan-run courtyard hotel. The four-bed dorms are chilly but clean and the doubles are fresh, even if the mattresses have…

  • Qiāngmàicūn Fúpín Zhāodàisuǒ

    Ngari

    The only sensibly priced rooms in Tsaka are at this simple compound-style guesthouse. It's a simple place, with no running water and only solar…