Shigatse Travel Guide: Tashilhunpo Monastery, the Dzong and the Road to Everest
Shigatse, Tibet's second city, is worth a night for Tashilhunpo Monastery, founded in 1447 and the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas, with its 26.2 m bronze Maitreya. Trains from Lhasa take about three hours. Most visitors also pass through on the way to Everest, which is a separate trip of several days on the road: tourists can go only as far as the Rongbuk Monastery area, at about 5,000 m, and need border permits on top of the Tibet Travel Permit.
What kind of trip this is
There are two ways to see Shigatse. One is a monastery visit: a day or two in town for Tashilhunpo, the pilgrim circuit and the rebuilt fortress, then back to Lhasa. The other is the Everest trip, in which Shigatse is the overnight stop on the way to Tingri and Rongbuk. Plan the two separately. Tashilhunpo deserves a full morning, and Everest deserves its own days and an acclimatisation plan.
For foreign travellers the logistics are the same either way: a Tibet Travel Permit arranged through a licensed agency, with a guide and driver. Dingri (Tingri), the county that holds Everest, is a border county, so an extra border permit is needed; agencies arrange this, and Chinese citizens can apply in Lhasa, Shigatse or Dingri with ID. Check current rules with your agency, since they change.
Places worth visiting
Tashilhunpo Monastery
Tashilhunpo was founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama and became the seat of the Panchen Lamas, the second-highest lineage of the Gelug school. It was sacked in 1791 when the Gorkhas invaded Tibet and captured Shigatse; a combined Tibetan and Chinese army drove them back almost to Kathmandu and forced them to return the loot. The monastery stands on a hillside in the centre of the city.
The highlight is the Maitreya Chapel, with a seated bronze Maitreya 26.2 m high on a 3.8 m lotus base. Other halls hold the tombs of past Panchen Lamas. Visit in the morning, when monks and pilgrims are most active, and allow two to three hours. In 2025 the monastery closed to visitors at short notice for a couple of days in August and again in December, so check the day's notice. Photography inside the chapels is often restricted or charged; ask before raising a camera.
The pilgrim circuit
Outside the walls, pilgrims walk the lingkhor, a sacred path around the monastery, turning prayer wheels and stopping at shrines. Joining them clockwise in the early morning or late afternoon is one of the best experiences in Shigatse and takes about an hour. The path climbs behind the monastery and gives views over the city.
Shigatse Dzong
The Dzong, or Samdruptse, was built in the early seventeenth century by Karma Phuntsok Namgyal, of the dynasty that ruled Tibet from Shigatse until 1642, when power moved to Lhasa. It later became the residence of the governor of Tsang. It was destroyed in 1961 and rebuilt in 2007 on the same site, on a smaller scale. Today it is best seen from below, rising over the old town, and from the monastery's pilgrim path.
Everest from the north
From Shigatse, the road follows G318 west and then S515 to the Everest scenic area, whose entrance is about 20 km southwest of Dingri county town. Since 2019, tourists can go no further than the Rongbuk Monastery area at about 5,000 m; above Rongbuk is the core zone, closed to tourism, so the climbers' base camp at 5,200 m is out of bounds. Rongbuk itself is a Nyingma monastery in Dingri County with a classic view of Everest's north face on clear days. The road can close after snow, as it did for a period in April 2025. Plan at least two nights beyond Shigatse.
When to come to Shigatse
April to June and September to October are the usual seasons, with the best chances of clear views of Everest. July and August bring the monsoon, with greener valleys but frequent cloud over the mountains. Winter is cold and dry, with fewer visitors, but snow can close roads to Everest. The sun is fierce at this altitude all year, so protect your skin and eyes.
Getting in and where to stay
- By train: the Lhasa–Shigatse railway takes roughly three hours. From Shigatse Station, city buses and taxis run to the monastery.
- By road: most agency tours drive from Lhasa, often via Yamdrok Lake and Gyantse.
- By air: Shigatse Peace Airport has a limited set of domestic flights; check schedules.
- Where to stay: near Tashilhunpo, to walk the kora early.
Come up after a few days of acclimatising in Lhasa. The Yarlung Valley and Samye are in Shannan, lakes and forests in Nyingchi, and Kailash and Manasarovar further west in Ngari.
Eating in Shigatse
Tibetan teahouses near the monastery serve butter tea, sweet tea, thukpa and momos, and Sichuan restaurants are everywhere in the city. On the road to Everest, food is basic: guesthouses and tents serve noodles and simple stir-fries.
How to arrange the route
Monastery visit: day 1, train from Lhasa, the kora in the late afternoon; day 2, Tashilhunpo in the morning, the train back.
Everest trip: day 1, Lhasa to Shigatse via Gyantse; day 2, Tashilhunpo in the morning, drive toward Dingri; day 3, Rongbuk and the Everest view; day 4, back toward Shigatse or Lhasa.
What to cut if short on time
If you only have one day in Shigatse, spend it on Tashilhunpo and the kora. Do not try to add Everest without spare nights: the distances and altitude make it a poor day trip.
Things to confirm before you go
- Tibet Travel Permit and border permit for Dingri.
- Monastery opening hours and any temporary closures.
- Everest scenic area status and road conditions.
- Your acclimatisation plan.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Lhasa to Shigatse?
Roughly three hours on the Lhasa–Shigatse railway.
Can tourists go to Everest Base Camp?
Not the climbers' camp. Since 2019, tourists can go only as far as the Rongbuk Monastery area, at about 5,000 m.
How long should I spend in Shigatse?
One or two days for Tashilhunpo and the kora; add at least two more nights for the Everest trip.
Sources
The facts in this article were checked against the following sources, retrieved September 30, 2026, and rechecked on October 20, 2026.
- Shigatse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigatse
- Tashilhunpo Monastery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tashilhunpo_Monastery
- Shigatse Dzong https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigatse_Dzong
- Lhasa–Shigatse railway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lhasa–Shigatse_railway
- Rongbuk Monastery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rongbuk_Monastery
- Tourists limited to the Rongbuk area at Everest (Xinhua, 2019) https://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2019-04/07/c_1124335368.htm
- Everest reopens: what to prepare (China Tourism News, March 2025) https://www.ctnews.com.cn/dongtai/content/2025-03/14/content_171557.html
- Shigatse Party Committee, Tashilhunpo temporary closure notice (August 2025) https://rikaze.xzdw.gov.cn/fbt/gsgg_367/202508/t20250820_597384.html
Tickets change; this article does not quote yuan amounts, so check the official notice for your date.
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under CC licenses; re-use requires attribution.
- shigatse-tashilhunpo.jpg from File:Tashilhunpo Monastery, Shigatse.JPG, by en:user:John Hill, CC BY-SA 3.0
- shigatse-everest-north.jpg from File:Everest North Face toward Base Camp Tibet Luca Galuzzi 2006.jpg, by Luca Galuzzi (Lucag), CC BY-SA 2.5
- shigatse-dzong.jpg from File:Shigatse Dzong, Tibet.jpg, by 钉钉, CC BY-SA 4.0