In October, the entire Tibet has entered the dry season, and the winter has not yet arrived. The rain is gone and the snow is about to come. October is a good month for you to experience the crisp plateau weather and see a clearer figure of the snow-capped mountains and holy lakes. The urban area of Lhasa has an average elevation of 3,600 meters, while the coastal city of the same latitude is only about 20 meters above sea level. Although the two places are at the same latitude, there is an altitude difference of more than 3,000 meters and a temperature difference of nearly 15 °C. In October, when Shanghai is still struggling with the heat more than 30 degrees, Lhasa feels cool with a temperature of only 20 degree Celsius., Lhasa has entered the autumn in October, with an average temperature between 8 °C and 20 °C. The trees in both the urban and suburban areas of Lhasa turns yellow, putting on a bright color on it.
Date | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weather | Sunny | overcast | Cloudy | Sunny | Sunny | Cloudy | Cloudy |
Max(℃) | 22℃ | 22℃ | 20℃ | 20℃ | 19℃ | 19℃ | 18℃ |
Min(℃) | 8℃ | 8℃ | 7℃ | 7℃ | 6℃ | 6℃ | 5℃ |
Date | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
Weather | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy | overcast | Cloudy | Cloudy |
Max(℃) | 18℃ | 16℃ | 16℃ | 19℃ | 19℃ | 16℃ | 17℃ |
Min(℃) | 4℃ | 3℃ | 3℃ | 4℃ | 4℃ | 3℃ | 3℃ |
Date | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
Weather | Sunny | Sunny | Cloudy | Cloudy | Sunny | Sunny | Cloudy |
Max(℃) | 19℃ | 19℃ | 19℃ | 19℃ | 19℃ | 18℃ | 17℃ |
Min(℃) | 1℃ | 4℃ | 4℃ | 3℃ | 4℃ | 2℃ | 3℃ |
Date | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
Weather | Cloudy | Cloudy | Sunny | Cloudy | Cloudy | Cloudy | Sunny |
Max(℃) | 17℃ | 16℃ | 14℃ | 15℃ | 14℃ | 14℃ | 14℃ |
Min(℃) | 3℃ | 3℃ | 2℃ | 1℃ | 0℃ | -2℃ | -2℃ |
Date | 29 | 30 | 31 | ||||
Weather | Sunny | Sunny | Sunny | ||||
Max(℃) | 13℃ | 12℃ | 12℃ | ||||
Min(℃) | 0℃ | -1℃ | -1℃ |
October is the watershed of Tibet's weather. The weather in the first half of the month is warm and comfortable. In the second half of the month, the weather begins to drop. Although the scenery is getting even more beautiful with more autumn colors, warmer clothes are needed for this time. The average temperature in Lhasa in October is between 8 °C and 20 °C. A jacket is necessary especially in the early morning and late evening, and the light down is best. You can wear in layers when going out, which will be easy for you to take off or add some layers according to the weather changes.
Daytime average temperature: 17°C, warm clothes such as windbreakers, sweaters, wool suits, outdoor jackets , etc. are recommended.
Nighttime average temperature: 2°C, winter clothes such as winter coats, leather jackets, down jackets, hats, gloves, etc. are recommended.
October is a good month to go to Tibet. It is warm and it rarely rains at this time. The blue sky and white clouds are up high every day. The oxygen concentration is sufficient and the altitude-sickness happens less to visitors. A Tibet tour in September is full of beautiful sky reflection in clear lake water, refreshing scented fields and forests, tastes of harvest and splendid colors. If you are going to Tibet in autumn, a most clear and purest Tibet will present charmingly in front of you with all the amazing colors.
In September, besides the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka, you can also go to visit some other local temples, such as Zaki Temple which is the only temple for Gods of Wealth in Lhasa. It is said that the god of Zaki Temple likes alcohol, so follower come to Zaki Temple to worship not only with Hada and Mulberry twigs, but also a bottle of wine or barley wine. These can be prepared in advance. But if you do not have time to prepare, you can also buy it from the stalls outside of the temple.
The National Day Holiday is the golden week for travel to Tibet, which there will be a lot of tourists. It is recommended to plan and book your hotels in advance, in case the accommodation is not available when you arrive. Even a ticket for visiting Potala Palace may be really hard to book at that time.
It is dry with strong ultraviolet rays in October in Tibet. Please try to drink more water to stay hydrated as well as keeping your skin moisturized.
It feels cold in early morning and late evening in Tibet. Please remember to bring some warm clothes such as sweaters and down jackets to Tibet, especially if you are going to Namtso and Mount Everest.
There are more tourists in Tibet during the National Day Holiday. Please book the hotels in advance in case it may not be available when you arrive.
It feels dry and cold in October in Tibet. The altitude-sickness happens more often to people at this time, so it is recommended to take some medicine before you travel to Tibet.
Generally, June-October is the best time to travel to Lhasa, Tibet. Lhasa is known as the "Sunlight City" with long sunshine hours. At this time, it is of a mild climate. Lhasa is actually neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter. the highest temperature is in June, and the lowest is in January. There is less rainfall in Lhasa. And the dry and wet season is obvious. The rain is mainly concentrated in July, August and September, and it is mostly at night. Lhasa is warm and humid in summer, which makes it the best travel season for Tibet. This time is also the most pleasant time of Lhasa's natural scenery in a year. The whole city is in a green lush, which is in stark contrast with the winter bleak. It is said that the oxygen concentration in summer can almost double that of winter.
Lhasa is regarded as the first stop for most people to enter Tibet. The human landscape is mostly available for all seasons. The temperature difference between day and night is large. If the main purpose of your trip is to experience the local culture, October-March is recommended to avoid the peak season of Tibet tourism and to save expenses. You also do no need to worry about the limited Potala Palace tickets and air/train tickets. Less tourists make it easier for you to see an authentic Tibet.