Contrary to popular belief, Tibet’s weather is not quite as harsh as its terrain. Visitors can expect average daily temperatures well above freezing at any time between April and late October. August and September, when average daytime temperatures are a very pleasant 20°C, are ideal months in which to visit.
No matter when visitors arrive for their Tibet vacation, however, they can expect dramatic temperature variations from region to region, or even during a single day in a specific part of the region, in this vast and mountainous region. Most major Tibetan communities experience nightly downpours during the rainy season, which lasts between May and September.
Western Tibet is both the most isolated and the coldest part of the region, where average temperatures frequently plummet below freezing. Southeast Tibet, on the other hand, enjoys a much milder and more temperate climate. Tibet’s sunlight, however, makes even the coldest of temperatures seem much warmer.
The biggest weather challenge visitors will encounter here is its intense sunlight, which has earned Lhasa the nickname of “Sunlight City,” but which also brings harmful ultraviolet radiation to this mountainous land. The thin air of Tibet’s high altitude makes it even harder to keep or absorb heat. Sun block, sunglasses, and protective headgear are musts for visitors at all times of year.
Best Time to Visit Tibet
May to October are the most pleasant months to visit Qomolangma National Nature Reserve, even though clouds often enshroud Mount Everest during the hottest months of July and August. The Tingri Route receives its first annual snow flurries around October.