2012 Tibet winter tour will be a little different as this winter tourists can go to Namtso Lake which was closed during winter in the past years. According to our over ten years’ experience in organizing Tibet tours for foreigners, Namtso Lake is a must-visit spot for most tourists at home and aboard.
Tourists visit Namtso in winter
Although winter is generally regarded as the off-season of Tibet tourism, it is a busy season for pilgrims and local Tibetans. The
Tibetan New Year (Losar) is celebrated in January, February or March with a vibrant festival. Also in winter is the Great Prayer Festival, which culminates in the Butter Oil Lantern Festival. It is the most important religious festival in Tibet, when pilgrims and monks pray at the Three Great Monasteries, listen to or participate in philosophical debates and make donations.
Tibet religious festival
The Butter Oil Lantern Festival sees monks and local artists creating colorful butter flowers and pyramids with motifs of birds and animals. They are displayed in front of the revered Jokhang Temple and lit at night.
Generally, winter in Tibet lasts from November to March. Though it is really cold, but it is not as cold as you imagined during winter in Tibet, especially in Lhasa. The winter temperature of Lhasa can reach 13-15 at day time and maintain around 0℃. The winter difference between the day and night is great.
As some areas of Tibet will be covered by heavy snow and the roads might be interrupted, like Mount Kailash, so it is best to choose city tours in Tibet, like Lhasa, Shigatse, Nyingchi, Tsedang which are available for tourists in winter.
Lhasa sees flocks of pilgrims in winter
Lhasa, this unique highland city shocks people not only by its altitude but also its history handed down for more than 1,300 years. Potala palace, Jokhang temple, Norbulingka, Sera monastery, Ramche monastery, Ganden monastery, Drepung Monastery are all attractive places featured with Tibetan culture and Buddhism. Wandering along the streets or drinking tea in a tea house, you will feel the relaxation both in body and spirit. Especially at the square in front of the Jokhang Temple, you will see large number of Tibetan pilgrims during winter.
After a Lhasa tour, you can make a tour to the heavenly Lake Namtso to see its rarely-visited scenery in winter, or extend your trip to Gyantse, Shigatse or Tsedang where you can visit many ancient monasteries and cultural relics.
Making
Tibet tour in winter will help you avoid the crowd and high prices of hotels and restaurants, even scenic spots. Considerable discount will help you save much money.
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