Shigatse Travel Tips

Shigatse was called Tsang by Tibetan with a history of more than 600 years, at the altitude of 3,830 meters above the sea level. As the second largest city of Tibet and one of the spiritual leaders in Tibet, Shigatse plays a significant role in Tibet Plateau. It connects with three countries of Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim in the south, Ngari in the west, Nagqu in the north and Lhasa and Shannan in the east. It covers an area of 176,000 square kilometers.

Useful Numbers

  • Fire: 119
  • Police: 110
  • Ambulance: 120 
  • Area code: 0892
  • Weather Broadcast: 121 
  • Consumer Complaint: 12315
  • Local Phone Number Inquiries: 114
  • Tourist complaint Center: 0891-6833476
  • Long-distance Phone Number Inquiries: 113

Read MoreUseful Numbers for Travelers in Tibet

How to Plan Shigatse Travel

Two classic travel itineraries of Shigatse are provided for your reference:

1. Lhasa – Yamdrok Lake – Gyantse – Shigatse. This itinerary aims to present you the breathtaking landscape of Golden Triangle Cities of Tibet - Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse.

2. Lhasa – Gyantse – Shigatse – Mount Everest. This itinerary offers you a complete Tibet tour and adds together Tibet's most famous sites into the tour.

Necessary Permits for Visiting Shigatse

Traveling to Shigatse requires several specific permits. There are two situations:

1. If you just explore Shigatse City, Gyantse Town, Sakya Town, you only need two permits - Tibet Travel Permit and Alien's Travel Permit;

2. If you travel beyond Lhatse to Mount Everest or Kathmandu, you will need three permits - Tibet Travel Permit and Alien's Travel Permit. Besides these two permits, you also need Border Permit. You must always have valid passport and Chinese visa.

High Altitudes in Shigatse

The attitudes are different in different regions of Shigatse– Gyantse(4050 meters), Shigatse City(3950 mwters), Tingri (4300 meters), Sakya Monastery (4300 meters), Rongbuk Monastery(4980 meters), EBC(Everest Base Camp, 5200 meters), and Mount Everest (8848 meters). Generally speaking, the altitude of the attractions in Shigatse will be higher than Lhasa. It is suggested to spend some days in Lhasa first for acclimatization, then travel to Shigatse, even Mount Everest. The biggest challenge occurs in Mount Everest where travelers usually spend a night. You may suffer slightly from high altitude sickness in the arrival night but most travelers can make it through.

Packing and Clothing Tips for Shigatse Travel

1. Keep warm and protect yourself from the harsh natural power is the prior thing to worry about. You are suggested to dress in layers (both thin and thick jackets). Down jacket is also recommended if you want to go to Mount Everest.

2. A pair of gloves, trekking shoes and clothes, and other trekking and camping gears are necessary for trekking up to Mount Everest. You should also bring rain gears if you travel in July and August.

3. You have to bring sunglasses, snow glasses, hats, lip balm, sunscreen to protect yourself from sunburn as the ultraviolet light is quite strong.

Best places to visit in Shigatse

Some attractions in Shigatse are famous and popular for tourists from both domestic and abroad. These top attractions are Mount Everest, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Sakya Monastery, Gyantse Dzong and so on.

Best Time to Visit Shigatse

Shigatse is a semi-arid, plateau temperate monsoon climate. Temperatures range from 23℃(73.4 degrees Fahrenheit) to -25℃(-13 degrees Fahrenheit), annual average temperature of 6.3℃(43.34 degrees Fahrenheit). From November to April in the next year, it is unsuitable for travelling to Shigatse because of the low temperature. June to July is considered as a mild rainy season. During this time, it often rains in the evening. If you're going to visit Mount Everest in Shigatse, April to June and September to October are the best time.

Post Offices

Zip code in Lhasa is 857000. There are many post offices and expresses in Shigatse with the development of logistics industry. 

1.  Shigatse Branch of China Post Office拉萨市邮政局
Address: No.31, Shandong Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区山东路31号
Tel: 0892-8641254

2. Zhongtong Express(ZTO Express)
Address: No.3, Zhuji Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区珠吉路3号
Tel: 95311

Banks

There are many banks you can see in Shigatse. Here are several of them.

1. Bank of China中国银行
Address: No.12, Zhufeng West Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区珠峰西路12号
Tel: 0892-8821459

2. China Construction Bank(CCB)
Address: No.20, Shandong Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区山东路20号
Tel: 0892-8822963

3. Agricultural Bank of China(ABC)
Address: No.2, Zhade Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区扎德路2号
Tel: 0892-8821604

Hospitals

1. People's Hospital of Shigatse日喀则市人民医院
Address: Jilin South Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区吉林南路

2. Tonghe Hospital(同和医院)
Tel: 0892-8501188
Address: Jilin Middle Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区吉林中路

3. Tibetan Medical Hospital of Shigatse
Tel: 0892-8826627
Address: No.30, Shanghai Middle Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区上海中路30号