Ngari Climate

Ngari Climate and Weather should be your first consideration when you plan Tibet Kailash Pilgrimage Tour. Ngari Prefecture is located  in the westmost of Tibet Autonomous Region with an altitude of 4,500m. The climate in Ngari is called a desert climate. There is virtually no rainfall all year long in Ngari. The climate here is classified as BWh by the Köppen-Geiger system. 

Ngari Climate & Weather

Features of Ngari Climate

With an average altitude that exceeds 4,500 meters, Ngari is one of the highest areas of Tibet, and is the furthest prefecture from the Tibetan Capital of Lhasa. Due to its high altitude and wind region, Ngari features in frequent strong winds and low precipitation. However, seasonal rain is concentrated from early July to September that the rainfalls are about 80% of annual precipitation. The temperature varies greatly during a day. It can be over 20℃ in the daytime of summer, then drops to below 0℃ at night. The temperature difference during a year is slight. It is the coldest area in Tibet with an annual average temperature of 0℃. There is high ultraviolet radiation, thin and dry air all the time. 

Temperature and Precipitation in Ngari

Average Weather in Ngari 

Ngari Weather by Month

Four Seasons of Ngari and What to Pack

Located at high altitude, Ngari has cold and dry climate, with relatively little rainfall throughout the year, and large temperature difference between day and night. The seasonal change is not obvious. Ngari weather and climate can be divided into two seasons:  winter and summer, featuring long winter and short summer with windy weather.

  • Winter (November - May ): It is windy season with low average temperature in the whole region. The highest temperature is 26 degrees Celsius and the lowest is more than - 30 degrees Celsius. It is not recommended to travel to Ngari at this time.
    What to Pack: thermal pants, wind-proof knee pads, outdoor sweat pants, fleece-lined underwear, thick sweater, water-proof climbing wear or down jacket, climbing boot and light water-proof snow boot, as well as gauze mask, sun glasses and gloves.
  • Summer (April to September): With the average temperature about 10 degrees celsius, summer is the most suitable season for traveling to Ngari. Besides the favourable temperature and weather conditions, various local festivals such as the Gangdise Mountain Pilgrimage and the Ngari Xiangxiong Cultural Festival are held in this season. However, July and August are rainy seasons with heavy rainfall, pay attention to the road condition if you travel to Ngari at that time.
    What to Pack: daytime wear: long shirt, knitting wear, coat, winter jacket and trousers; night wear: long shirt, knitting wear, down jacket, fleece-lined winter jacket and underwear pants.

Best Time to Visit Ngari

Ngari is windy all year around. More than 149 days of a year have winds which reach at least level 8. It is the coldest area in Tibet with an annual average temperature of 0℃. There is a huge temperature gap between daytime and night. Ngari has less rainfall mostly of which happen during summer and early autumn.

Considering weather and road conditions, May, June, and the period from mid-Sepertember to early October are probably the best times to go to Ngari when the climate is mild and warm. From late October or early Novermber until early April next year, Drolma-la on the Mt Kaliash Kora is normally blocked with heavy snow. Some roads will be extremely muddy which is quite difficult for driving.

Travel Tips for Visiting Ngari

  • Well-arranged Itinerary: 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 for more Ngari tour information.
  • 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.
  • Accommodation &Transportation: Ngari is a remote region in Tibet, whichi still maintains its original lifestyle under less developed tourism. Living and traffic condition will be very rough there, so you’d better bring sufficient necessities.

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