Considered the second most popular tourist destination in Tibet, Shigatse reaches every tourist's heart with its culture, monasteries, nature and great location. Once you set foot on this land, you will be marveled at the magnificent Mount Everest, the mysterious Yamdrok Lake, the colorful but stately Tashilunpo Monastery, etc. If you are ready to discover Shigatse in the next few months, you are blessed here with useful information to arrange a relatively better itinerary than others'.

Best Time to Visit Shigatse

Shigatse has a temperate semi-arid monsoon climate with two obvious seasons - wet and dry season. The rainy season is from around June to the end of September, while the dry season is from October to May. The annual sunshine time is very long in Shigatse and it adds to about 3300 hours.

The best time to visit Shigatse is from May to July when the temperature is not cold and the sun is strong enough. Even if you will encounter rainy season during this time, it mostly rains at night. And the sky will be clear because of the rain, which is also a chance for tourists to be lucky to admire Mount Everest these days. However, if you don't have time to come in the summer or you want to avoid the crowds, November to January is also a great time for you to travel to Shigatse. The sunshine will make you feel warm during the day, but it will get cold at night. Tourists can stay at hotels at night and walk to visit monasteries and appreciate the natural scenery during the day.

What to See in Shigatse?

Shigatse is a charming city in Tibet, surrounded by breathtaking views and stunning mountain scenery. What's more, it has a history of more than a thousand years, which grants Shigatse profound culture for tourists to appreciate.

Tashilunpo Monastery

Tashilunpo Monastery
Located on the south-eastern slope of Mount Nyima in the west of Shigatse City, Tashilunpo Monastery is built on the side of a hill. However, it is more of a religious city than a monastery since there are spectacular temples and residential buildings, covering an area of 150 thousand square meters. Tashilunpo Monastery was founded by the 1st Dalai Lama Gedun Drupa. And there are sacrificial halls that house the spiritual towers built to preserve the bodies of the fourth to the ninth Panchen Lama.

Shalu Monastery
It was built in 1084 with the strong style of Yuan Dynasty. But the courtyard of this monastery is traditional Tibetan style. The main hall of Shalu Monastery is an ancient building with a special style that combines the traditional form of Tibet with the structure style of the mainland. The beautiful hall is full of well-preserved murals with rich content.

Sakya Monastery
This monastery is situated in the Sakya county of Tibet, within the Shigatse Prefecture. About 130 kilometers southwest of Shigatse city, it is a renowned Tibetan Buddhist monastery that holds a significant place in Tibetan Buddhist history. Sakya Monastery is known for its distinctive architecture, as well as countless treatures, intricate murals, statues, and cultural relics. No wonder it enjoys the reputation of "Second Dunhuang".

Mount Everest
Located in the Himalayas on the border between Nepal and Tibet, Mount Everest is famous for its majestic height of 8,848 meters above sea level. For most tourists, they can come to Mount Everest Base Camp to get near to the awe-inspiring mountains and have a look at its golden peak on a lucky day.

Sangzhutse Dzong
As the iconic landmark of Shigatse, Sangzhutse Dzong was built in 1360 on the mountain in the north of Shigatse. It enjoys a high reputation in the local, known as the "small Potala Palace". It serves as a museum today for tourists to visit and get to know the history of Shigatse and appreciate the cultural relics of other counties. There are more than 4,000 pieces of collections, including more than 60 precious relics.

How to Get to Shigatse?

Tourists can choose to fly to Shigatse directly from several major cities in mainland China, like Chengdu, Xi'an, and Chongqing. Better check the flight schedule before planning a Shigatse tour.

It is easy to take a train from Lhasa to Shigatse as several trains are running between Lhasa and Shigatse. It usually takes more than two hours to travel from these two cities by train.

Shigatse On the Road

Traveling from Lhasa to Shigatse by road is definitely the most popular way for tourists who want to enjoy the most that Tibet can offer. Usually, tourists will choose to drive from Lhasa to Shigatse via Gyantse. This is called the south route and it will take tourists to visit Yamdrok Lake, Palcho Monastery, and Karola Glacier along the road. It is very fascinating when you stand at the Gambala Pass looking at that breathtaking and serene Yamdrok Lake. It will comfort you and free you from a restless mind.