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. To have a better travel experience in Shigatse, here are some useful Shigatse travel tips which may be helpful for your Shigatse tour. When plan your trip to Shigatse, view our answers to questions about Shigatse travel to get better understanding of Shigatse Tibet.

Useful Numbers

Here below are some useful numbers in Shigatse, in case the emergency while you are traveling (such as fire or traffic accidents), or have other complaints or questions.

Read More: Useful Numbers for Travelers in Tibet

Best Time to Visit Shigatse

Temperatures in Shigatse ranges from a high of 23℃ to a low of -25℃, with an annual average temperature of 6.3℃. From November to April in the next year, it is unsuitable for travelling to Shigatse because of the low temperature. July and August are considered as the rainy season. During this time, it often rains in the evening. The best time to visit Shigatse is April to October. If you're going to visit Mount Everest in Shigatse, April to June and September to October are the best time. 

• Best Time to Travel to Everest Base Camp in Tibet

How to Plan Shigatse Travel

Lhasa is usually the gateway of Tibet tour, so our Shigatse tours always starts from Lhasa. Two classic travel itineraries of Shigatse are provided for your reference:

• Lhasa-Yamdrok Lake-Gyantse-Shigatse. This itinerary aims to present you the breathtaking landscape of Golden Triangle Cities of Tibet - Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse.
• Lhasa-Gyantse-Shigatse-Mount Everest. This itinerary offers you a complete Tibet tour and adds together Tibet's most famous sites into the tour.

Other Tips

Necessary Permits for Shigatse Travel

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

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

• 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.
• 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.
• You have to bring sunglasses, snow glasses, hats, lip balm, sunscreen to protect yourself from sunburn as the ultraviolet light is quite strong.
• You'd better consider the local climate and geographical location before going to Shigatse, and medicines for altitude sickness and cold should included in any travel kit.

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, Rongbuk Monastery, Gyantse Dzong and so on.

• How to Plan Tibet Mount Everest Tour from Lhasa

Embassy and Consulate

If you want to go to Nepal from Lhasa, you can apply for a visa at the Consulate General of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal in Lhasa.

Consulate General of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal in Lhasa(尼泊尔驻拉萨总领事馆)

Chancery: No.13, Norbulingka Road, Lhasa, Tibet西藏拉萨市罗布林卡路13号(Temporary Office：Tibet Hotel, Beijing Xi Road, Lhasa, Tibet)
Tel: 0891-6813965/6815744/6830609
Time of Visa Application: 10:00-12:30 from Monday to Friday
Visa Materials: Original passport(valid for more than 6 months); 2 two-inch ID photos with white background; Application form.
Visa Fee: 175 yuan for 15 days; 280 yuan for one month; 700 yuan for 3 months. 

Notes

• You'd better get the border pass before your departure, and try to avoid applying for it in Lhasa or Shigatse, because the procedure is more troublesome and the price will be higher. 
• Cell phone signals are available in Lhasa, Lhatse and Shigatse, as well as some places in Tingri county.
• Before going to Everest base camp, you'd better take your power bank and standby battery of digital devices. Except for the urban area of Shigatse, many scenic spots and counties in the wild may encounter extreme weather, and you need to prepare warm clothes before you go out.
• Because of the thin air on the plateau, travelers may experience physical discomfort. To cope with possible altitude sickness, it is recommended to get enough sleep and keep up with food and water.
• The altitude of Everest base camp is about 5200 meters, and there is often cold and windy weather, it is recommended that travelers prepare warm clothes. And if there are uncomfortable symptoms, it is best to return to the low altitude rest area, if severe, it is recommended to send to the hospital for treatment.

Banks

Banks in Shigatse are mainly distributed in the urban area and county seats. Here are several of them.

• Bank of China中国银行
  Address: No.10, Shanghai Middle Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区上海中路10号
  Tel: 0892-8822932
• 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
• Bank of China中国银行
  Address: No.26, Chengdong Road, Xarsingma Town, Yadong County, Shigatse日喀则市亚东县下司马镇城东路26号
  Tel: 0892-8222560
• 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
• 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

Post Offices and Expresses

Zip code in Shigatse is 857000. There are many post offices and expresses in Shigatse with the development of logistics industry. Sending postcards and parcels is very convenient, and the postage for sending postcards is 0.8 yuan per sheet.

• China Post Office(Shigatse Branch)日喀则市邮政局
  Address: No.31, Shandong Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区山东路31号
  Tel: 0892-8641254
• China Post中国邮局
  Address: No.10, Puzhang Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区普彰路10号
• China Post中国邮局
  Address: Everest Base Camp, Tingri County, Shigatse日喀则市定日县珠穆朗玛峰大本营
• China Post Office(Tingri Branch)定日县邮政局
  Address: Zhufeng South Road, Tingri County, Shigatse日喀则市定日县珠峰南路
  Tel: 0892-8262317
• SF Express顺丰快递
  Address: Heilongjiang South Road, Chengnan Sub-district, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区城南办事处黑龙江南路
  Tel: 95338
• ZTO Express中通快递
  Address: No.3, Zhuji Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区珠吉路3号
  Tel: 95311
• YTO Express(圆通快递)
  Address: Intersection of Shanghai Road and Yingxiong Road, Gyantse County, Shigatse日喀则市江孜县上海路与英雄路交叉口
  Tel: 95554

Hospitals

Hospitals in Shigatse are mainly distributed in the urban area and county seats. If severe, it is recommended to send to the nearby hospital for treatment. 

• The 8th Hospital of the People's Liberation Army(中国人民解放军第八医院)
  Address: Zhufeng West Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区珠峰西路
• 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
• People's Hospital of Samzhubze District(桑珠孜区人民医院)
  Address: Heilongjiang South Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区黑龙江南路
  Tel: 0892-8821687
• Tibetan Medical Hospital of Shigatse(日喀则藏医院)
  Address: No.30, Shanghai Middle Road, Samzhubze District, Shigatse日喀则市桑珠孜区上海中路30号
  Tel: 0892-8826627
• People's Hospital of Gyantse County(江孜县人民医院)
  Address: No.5, Shanghai Road, Gyantse County, Shigatse日喀则市江孜县上海路5号
  Tel: 0892-8173719
• People's Hospital of Tingri County(定日县人民医院)
  Address: Xuebao South Road, Tingri County, Shigatse日喀则市定日县雪豹南路
  Tel: 0892-8262289