Best Time to Visit Ngari

Ngari & Kailash is known as Ghang Rinpoche in Tibetan word, which means the Precious Mountain. Majorities of tourists and pilgrims are attracted here to enjoy the pure air and do the Kailash Mansarovar kora or the yatra trip every year. So what’s the best time to visit Kailash and Mansarovar Lake?

When is the Best Time to Visit Ngari ?

The best time to visit Ngari is from May to October, when the summer sun melts the snow and roads and highways are free to pass. Look at red leaves in autumn and wild flower carpets in spring.

In July and August came the Tibetan monsoon season which is characterized by intermittent light rains and fogs, and the infiltrated Kailash Mansarovar turns to be more mysterious with light fogs shrouding around, bringing you a whole new experience for trekking this sacred mountain.

From November to March, the icy coldness creeping from the Mountain top freezes this area with ice and heavy snows. Roads to the Mount Kailash has been blocked and the blizzard whirling in the air jeopardizes all the tours to Kailash Mansarovar.

Ngari Whether and Climate

Planning A Kailash Mansarovar Tour According to Different Months

Kailash Mansarovar is distinctively featured by different seasons, so the varied climate and temperature may directly influence your experiences on the pilgrimage tour to Kailash Mansarovar. Just follow us to see the ultimate tour recommendations with the changing seasons.

Snow Covered Mount Kailash On March

Frozon Lake Manasarovar on Early April

Trek to Mount Kailash on May

Golden View of Mount Kailash on September

Spring in Ngari

Average Temperature: -18℃ ~ 8℃, slightly chilly

During spring, the weather is still chilly, as the temperature will just be above 10℃ in the daytime, below zero and ten more in the evening and the sunshine is not very strong. But temperature increases gradually as time goes on. Due to its higher elevation, it’s colder in Ngari than other areas in Tibet. Thus, this period are not suggested for Ngari tour because highway and roads will be blocked by snow and ice until early May. A short period from May to June is one of the best times to tour Ngari exactly before the coming of rainy seasons and when snows melts mostly.

Summer in Ngari

Average Temperature: 0℃ ~ 22℃, hot in day, cold at night

Known as roof of “roof of the world”, Ngari in summertime is not hot as plain cities in China, when daytime temperature rises up to over 20℃ but falls to zero during the night. July and August are the rainy seasons when mountains change their coats to green and rainbows appear more frequent. The greatest amount of precipitation among all seasons is on August. But it is not recommended for travelling to Ngari in above months since your schedule perhaps will be havocked and delayed due to muddy roads’ traffic.

As the old saying goes, you should wear yarn at noon and cotton-padded jacket at cold night. Prepare a few warm layers, down jacket for huge temperature change.

Autumn in Ngari

Average Temperature: -2℃ ~ 21℃, pleasant cool

In the fall, early September to October is short but the best time to visit Ngari. Average temperature is about 20℃ in the day and below zero to more at night. It’s getting colder when days are near the forthcoming winter. With the passing of rainy seasons, it seldom rains in Ngari during autumn. Traffic condition of this season is much better without rains and snow.

Winter in Ngari

Average Temperature : -2℃ ~ 21℃, very freezing

Everyone should bear in mind that the extremely cold winter of Ngari lasts a very long time, even to spring. Locals has a common saying, ground freezes and cracks in November (Tibetan Calendar), stones burst open in December. It’s not difficult to imagine how cold and dry in Ngari during the harsh winter. Gales and snow visit Ngari very often, making it a “no man’s land” from late November to February, even to May. Tibetans wears thick clothes and stop all outdoor activities during this period, not to mention tour around Ngari.

Shiquanhe Town, the prefecture administrative office and capital City of Gar County, is in biting extreme weather throughout the year. With annual average temperature under zero, Shiquanhe Town has a surprisingly low temperature of -41℃ in winter and moderate 21℃ in hottest summer.

Planning A Kailash Mansarovar Tour According to Different Months

Best Time of the Year: April, May, June, Sept, October

April: Max. Temperature 3.1℃ (37.6℉); Min. Temperature -9.6℃ (14.7℉)

May: Max. Temperature 7.1℃ (44.8℉); Min. Temperature -6.8℃ (19.8℉)

June: Max. Temperature 11.3℃ (52.3℉); Min. Temperature -1.9℃ (28.6℉)

September: Max. Temperature 8.8℃ (47.8℉); Min. Temperature -2.8℃ (27.0℉)

October: Max. Temperature 3.7℃ (38.7℉); Min. Temperature -9.8℃ (14.4℉)

The consecutive sunny days with comfortable trekking climate at Kailash Mansarovar during these two periods are the most convincing evidence to conclude that April, May, June, September and October are the 5 best months for visitors to tour the sacred Kailash Mansarovar.

Comfortable sunlight scatters the cloud and shines down on earth, driving away the coldness which spirals around Kailash Mansarovar. With splendid weather and perfect visibility, views along the circumambulating way turns to be more grandeur and fascinating.

Just slow down your scurry steps and take some time appreciating the bestowed beautiful scenery. Kailash Mansarovar never disappoints any visitor coming to revere in these months.

Tour Kailash Mansarovar in the Monsoon Season - July and August

July: Max. Temperature 12℃ (53.6℉); Min. Temperature 1℃ (33.8℉)

August: Max. Temperature 11.3℃ (52.3℉), Min. Temperature 0.8℃ (33.4℉)

From July to August each year came the monsoon season with intermittent rains in the western part of the Tibet. Temperature does not drop dramatically with the minimum temperature remaining above the freezing point even when rains begin to fall. So July and August can also be possible for visitors and pilgrims to visit and worship.

Rains do not make all the Kialash Mansarovar a mess place with muddy roads and turbid lake, instead, the light rain infiltrated Kailash Mansarovar turns to be more glittering and translucent with much fresher air, and the Kailash Mountain becomes much more mysterious than ever before with the light frog shrouding round, presenting all the visitors the illusionary feelings of walking in the heaven.

So if you want to experience a different view of the Kialash Mansarovar or you are not available in other months, a Kailash Mansarovar tour can be also possible and an extraordinary place we recommend.

Insider tips: when you encounter a rainy day, wear on your rainproof jacket and make sure your backpack has been fully covered. Be careful to put covers on your trekking shoes since the light rain infiltrated road is easy to cause slippery. Slow down and watch your steps. Do not prepare an umbrella, for it does not do the trick for high altitude rains.

Impossible to Visit in Winter from Nov. to Mar.

November: Max. Temperature -1.4℃ (29.5℉), Min. Temperature -14.4℃ (6.1℉)

December: Max. Temperature -4℃ (24.8℉), Min. Temperature -16.8℃ (1.8℉)

January: Max. Temperature -6℃ (21.2℉), Min. Temperature -18℃ (-0.4℉)

February: Max. Temperature -5.1℃ (22.8℉), Min. Temperature -16.6℃ (2.1℉)

March: Max. Temperature -2.2℃ (28.0℉), Min. Temperature -12.8℃ (9.0℉)

Useful Travel Tips:

Kora of Mount Kailash on March

Pious Mount Kailash Worshipper

1. Arrange Your Itinerary Well. Ngari is located in west Tibet area and has a higher altitude than Lhasa. So you should visit destinations in lower elevation to acclimate yourself to plateau circumstance firstly, rather than getting to Ngari directly, which may easily cause server high altitude sickness.

2. Select A Proper Tourist Date. Climate and weather in Ngari is different from Lhasa and Shigatse. There are few months available for Ngari tour considering the weather and transportation, so decide your itinerary beforehand after getting helpful travel guide from us.

3. Must Have Travel Permits. Touring Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar requires more permits, like Aliens’ Travel Permit, Military Permit and Tibet Border Pass apart from Tibet Entry Permit. Welcome to contact us about more Ngari tour information.

4. Helpful Packing Guide. In order to make you better go on with you Ngari journey, long sleeves, warm clothes like down jacket, gloves, altitude sickness medicines and COLE MEDICINE, bottled oxygen, some food and drinks, etc should be packed into your luggage. Tents lovers should be accompanied by acquaintance and professional guide.

5. Accommodation &Transportation Preparation. Ngari is a remote region in Tibet, maintains its original life under less developed tourism. Living and traffic condition will be very rough there, so you’d better bring sufficient necessities.