Hotels we use in Tibet

Posted in Tibet Travel Info on January 24, 2019

Hotels we use in Tibet

Being avid travelers ourselves, we know how important a good night’s sleep is when away from home. Getting good sleep in Tibet not only allow you to enjoy each day far more, but good rest at night also helps your body in adjusting to Tibet’s higher altitude. Unlike most other companies that often place clients in lower quality, uncomfortable hotels, we place clients at higher quality hotels that are located in convenient parts of each town that we go to. Jamin “Lobsang” York,  an American and one of the owners of Himalaya Journey, goes out each year to handpick the best hotels to place our clients at.

It is important to understand that Tibet is located in an extremely remote, isolated, high altitude and underdeveloped part of the world. Luxury hotels, especially outside of Lhasa, simply don’t exist and likely never will. Again, this is important to understand. While hotels in many areas of Tibet are clean and comfortable, they will never make Conde Nast’s List of Best Hotels in the World! Just 10 years ago many hotels in Tibet were extremely basic guesthouses with no private bathrooms, no WiFi and no showering facilities. Now, most areas of Tibet have 3 and 4 star locally rated hotels that offer all of these things (though WiFi can be slow at times). Some of Tibet’s more remote areas, such as the Everest base camp region, Lake Manasarovar, Nam Tso Lake and along all treks, still only offer basic guesthouses with shared bathrooms, but for the most part hotels in Tibet are quite good compared to the remote location they are in.

Hotels outside of Lhasa and Shigatse often get their hot water from solar panels located on the roof. This means that the BEST times to take showers are not in the mornings, but between 7pm and 10pm at night. The hot water can take several minutes to come thru the tap as it is traveling from the roof. Hotels in remote areas like the Everest and along the way to Mt Kailash can still experience periodic electricity cuts. When this happens, the electricity is almost always turned back on by 7pm.

As ethical and responsible travel to Tibet is of the upmost importance to us, nearly all of the hotels that we place clients at are Tibetan owned, managed and staffed. Our goal is to make sure that your tourism money goes into the hands of local Tibetan people, rather than Communist government owned companies.

NOTE: Though not common, we sometimes have to change your hotel due to unscheduled closure of a hotel, renovation or if we find a BETTER hotel for you to stay at (again, we are always checking out new hotels!).

Where we place our clients

Here are the hotels that we place the majority of our clients who explore Tibet with us. If you wish to change and stay at a hotel of your choice, that is great! Just let us know and we can book that for you. If you don’t see the specific area of Tibet you are going to on this list, no worries! We know that area, but it is a lesser-visited area that isn’t as popular. We will check that area and see what the best hotels are and book you there.

In Lhasa, we typically place clients at a nice 4 star or GOLD star hotel. Outside of Lhasa, we place clients in the best hotel that each town/region offers. Be advised that in remote areas of Tibet, the best accommodation could be a very simple guesthouse!

LHASA

Lhasa is the capital of Tibet has many hundreds of hotels to choose from. The Lhasa Old Town, which is located around Jokhang Temple, is the best place to stay in town as it is close to the main pilgrimage destinations and many of the best restaurants.

Dekang Hotel: This hotel is under new ownership and was completely renovated from the top-down in 2018. It has a rare GOLD Star rating, which means that it is higher than a 4 star rating. The locally-owned hotel has a beautiful Tibetan design, modern rooms with heating, and boasts an excellent top floor restaurant that looks out to the Potala Palace! On top of that, the staff are EXCELLENT! This is the main hotel that we place clients at in Lhasa. Here is a description of the Dekang Hotel that it is in the new 2019 edition Lonely Planet Tibet Guidebook:

Kyichu Hotel: This is another great hotel in the Lhasa Old Town. It is locally rated as a 3 star hotel with modern rooms, floor heating, and a great garden restaurant. The Kyichu is located about a 7 minute walk from Barkhor Square. The staff here speak fluent English and have been hosting foreign guests for more than 2 decades.

Shangbala Hotel: The Shangbala Hotel has one of the best locations in Lhasa, being just a short 3 minute walk from Barkhor Square. This 3 star hotel was completely renovated in 2016. Rooms are clean and modern and the hotel was good internet. The staff speak English and there are 2 coffee shops within a 1 minute walk of the hotel lobby.

St Regis Hotel: If you want to UPGRADE to an international 5 star hotel in Lhasa, the St Regis is our TOP choice. We have researched all of the handful of international luxury hotels in Lhasa and this one, in our opinion, is by far the best. This beautiful hotel is located about 15 minutes walk from Barkhor Square and has every amenity that you would expect an international luxury hotel to offer. The staff are great (with many Tibetans!), pool is amazing, food is delicious….if you have the money, this is the place to stay! The best rates for this hotel are almost always found by booking directly with the hotel thru their website. Let us know if you plan to upgrade to this international 5 star hotel.

GYANTSE

Gyantse is small town located 260 kilometers west of Lhasa along the route to Shigatse and Everest Base Camp. The town is not big and only has 2 real options for accommodations.

Yeti Hotel: The Yeti Hotel is a nice 3 Star option in the center of town. The staff here are great and they serve a good breakfast. Rooms are basic, but have heating, private bathrooms with hot showers and usually have humidifiers to combat Tibet’s dry air. The hotel has a Nepali-style restaurant, plus there are good restaurants and stores located just a few minutes walk away. The hotel does not have an elevator, but staff are happy to help carry luggage. This is the main hotel that we place clients at in Gyantse. 

Gyangtse Hotel: This older hotel was built in the mid 1980’s and really hasn’t be renovated since then. The hotel is huge and has an elevator. Since it is an older hotel, we rarely place clients here unless they specifically ask to stay here.

SHIGATSE

Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet and is located 90 kilometers west of Gyantse and about 350 kilometers before the Everest Base Camp Region. It is a rapidly growing city, but still only has a small number of good hotels.

Tashi Choten Hotel: This is a 4 star hotel in Shigatse that is quite nice with spacious rooms, heating and English speaking staff. Though we like the rooms at the Gesar Hotel just SLIGHTLY more, the location of the Tashi Choten Hotel is excellent! It is located at the start of the Pedestrian Street and is close to many good restaurants, the Old Town Market as well as Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. This is a good hotel to stay at if you wish to spend time walking thru the most interesting parts of Shigatse. This is the main hotel that we place clients at in Shigatse.

Gesar Hotel: The Gesar Hotel is another nice Tibetan-style 4 star hotel that has beautiful rooms, great staff, heating and decent internet. In our opinion, this is the best hotel in the city, however there is one drawback. It has a terrible location. It is located on the far side of Shigatse and isn’t within walking distance of anything. In Tibet, you will have your own private vehicle and driver, but we understand that most of our clients prefer to stay in hotels that are within walking distance of markets, temples, shops and restaurants. We love this hotel, but the location is very inconvenient. We give clients the choice of this hotel or the Tashi Choten Hotel as we give both of them a thumbs up.

Qomo Langzong Hotel: This is a 4 Star Hotel in Shigatse, however, we almost never place clients there. The reason is that this Communist government hotel caters almost exclusively to domestic Chinese travelers. Almost none of the staff here speak English or are accustomed to having foreign guests. We have had a small number of clients request this hotel over the years and almost all of them switch to the Tashi Choten Hotel after the first night due to problems with rude hotel staff. If you really want to stay here, we can arrange it for you, but it is not a hotel that we recommend due to the poor way in which foreign travelers have been treated here in the past.

LHATSE and SAKYA

Lhatse is located 160 kilometers west of Shigatse along the way to the Everest Region and Nepal border. It isn’t a popular place to stay the night as most people will stay in either Sakya or in Shegar. There are only 2 hotel options in Lhatse, with both of them being very basic.

Sakya is a small town located 28 kilometers off of the main road leading from Shigatse to the Everest Region. It is home to Sakya Monastery, one of the most influential in Tibet. This more remote town only offers a small number of hotels that are much more basic than hotels in Tibet’s larger cities.

Lhatse Shanghai Grand Hotel: This is a basic hotel in Lhatse that is by far the best in town. The hotel looks fancy from the outside, but the rooms are just so-so….definitely fine for a night. Rooms have private rooms with hot showers, though like many hotels in the area, the hot water can take a while to come thru the taps. This is the main hotel that we place clients at in Lhatse.

Yuan Mansion Hotel: This 3 star option in Sakya is the best in town with nice rooms with private bathrooms and showers. The staff can speak basic English and the hotel is within walking distance of the monastery. This is the main hotel that we place clients at in Sakya.

Sakya Manasarovar Hotel: This is an aging hotel in Sakya that is becoming less and less popular. It is listed in older editions of guidebooks, but we really don’t recommend it anymore.

SHELKAR (Shegar) and OLD TINGRI

Shegar and Old Tingri are the closest towns to the Everest Base Camp Region. Both are very small, poor and sit at an altitude of just over 4300 meters. Due to the remote, higher altitude location, hotels here are VERY basic than what you will find in Lhasa and Shigatse. Remember, you are in the Everest Region and not in a major metropolitan area. Clients will usually stay in Shegar for a night before going to Mt Everest. Clients will stay in Old Tingri for a night along the way to the Nepal border or when going to Saga and the Kailash region.

Qomolangma Everest Hotel: This large hotel remains the best in the region. In fact, climbers paying up to $65,000 USD to summit Mt Everest stay here before heading up to base camp. The hotel is located in between the truck-stop village of Baber and the larger town of Shegar. The hotel has many different rooms types and offers a buffet breakfast and dinner.  Rooms have private bathrooms and hot showers (hot water times vary and are not available 24 hours). This is the main hotel that we place clients at in Shegar.

Tingri Roof of the World Grand Hotel: This is a newer option in the Shegar area, but the staff here are not nearly as good as the Qomolangma Everest Hotel and the hotel can be quiet loud from domestic tourists. Rooms have in room bathrooms with hot showers, but again, hot water times vary. This is a good hotel and we can certainly place you here if you are interested.

Kangar Hotel: Old Tingri, located about 60 kilometers west of Shegar, is nothing more than a truck-stop town. The best option in town is the Kangar Hotel, which is only open from mid April thru mid October. Rooms are clean and comfortable and the courtyard looks out to Everest and Cho Oyu. The restaurant here is great. Rooms have private bathrooms with showers, but hot water times vary.  This is the main hotel that we place clients at in Old Tingri.

Old Tingri Hehu Hotel: The Hehu Hotel is located in the center of town and is often full of Tibetan traders or domestic travelers, so it can be quite loud. It is a decent option if the Kangar Hotel is full. The rooms have private bathrooms with showers, but like all hotels in the area, hot water times vary.

KYIRONG

Kyirong is the last town in Tibet before crossing into Nepal. There are several hotels in this small town, but only a few of them have the permits required to host foreign travelers. This is a remote area of Tibet so hotels here are BASIC, but clean.

Phuntsok Rabsal Hotel: This is the best option in Kyirong, located in the center of town. The staff speak basic English and there is a good Nepali restaurant on the ground floor that serves breakfast and dinner. Rooms have private bathrooms with hot showers and some rooms have good views of the nearby snow-covered peaks. This is the main hotel that we place clients at in Kyirong.

Kyirong Hotel: This is another decent choice, but we find the rooms to be somewhat small, especially the bathrooms. This hotel is good, but not as good as the Phuntsok Rabsal.

EVEREST BASE CAMP REGION

The Everest Region only offers very basic accommodations. This is a remote, high altitude area that has only the most BASIC of amenities.

Rongphu Monastery Guesthouse: This guesthouse, elevation 5000m,  is extremely basic and has only shared bathrooms that are separated for men and women. There are no showering facilities here and no WiFi. However, the guesthouse has an absolutely AMAZING view of Mt Everest (just look at the picture below!). The guesthouse is located just across the road from Rongphu Monastery. The small restaurant at the guesthouse serves good dinner and breakfast options. This is the main guesthouse that we place clients at in the Everest Region. NOTE: Due the a large scale government clean-up operation going on at Mt Everest (Tibet side), government officials can unexpectedly book out a large number of the rooms at the Rongphu Monastery Guesthouse. Booking priority will always be given to government officials over travelers. As there are a limited number of rooms here, there is nothing we can do if the government takes our bookings away from you. If the booking is taken by the government, we will move you to the Tent-Hotels (see below) or to the village of Basum.

Rongphu “Tent-Hotels”: Local Tibetans operate about 3 dozen or so tent-style “hotels” near Rongphu Monastery. These tents are large with plenty of room to stand inside. The tents have a stove inside, as well as tables and beds (with plenty of bedding/blankets). Each tent will have a small kitchen inside that offers simple, but good, hot meals.

Basum Village Guesthouses: For those wanting to stay at a lower altitude this night, you can choose to stay in a basic guesthouse in the village of Basum, located 40 kilometers north of Rongphu Monastery. There is only a slight view of Everest from here, but it is almost 700 meters lower in altitude. These guesthouses have shared bathrooms without showering facilities, but normally do have WiFi.

Qomolangma Everest Hotel: For those only wanting to spend the day at the Everest Base Camp Region, we can have you return to Shegar (2 1/2 hours from Rongphu Monastery) and stay again at the Qomolangma Everest Hotel. Though basic, this is the only real hotel option within many hundreds of kilometers. We only place clients here who specifically want to go to the Everest Region on a day trip.

SAGA

Saga is a remote town located along the way to Western Tibet’s Mt Kailash. It is the largest town between Mt Kailash and Shigatse. The town is very small, underdeveloped and only has a few hotel options. So, expect rooms to be more basic here. For most of the hotels in Saga, breakfast is very simple. There is a Tibetan-style restaurant in town that we normally take our clients to.

Norling Hotel: The Norling Hotel is a 3 star, Tibetan-owned hotel that our staff researched in the summer of 2018. Though fairly basic, the hotel is clean, has good private bathrooms and hot showers. It even has WiFi (slow at times). There is a supermarket and numerous restaurants within a few minute walk. This is the main hotel that we place clients at in Saga.

Grand Hotel of Western Post: This is another 3 star hotel in Saga. We used to place clients here until the summer of 2018. This hotel during much of the high season fills with pilgrims on their way to Mt Kailash. The hotel is often incredibly loud deep into the night. In addition, the staff here are also rude and place an emphasis on large pilgrimage groups over other travelers. This hotel has been known to cancel reservations made weeks or months in advance in order to host a large pilgrimage group.

DARCHEN

Darchen is the starting point for the trek around the sacred peak of Mt Kailash. It wasn’t that long ago when basic guesthouses (or tents) were the only option here. Now, accommodations are still basic, but now include hotels with in-room bathrooms and hot water (hot water usually available after 6 or 7pm). Still, you must remember that this area is one of the most remote areas on the planet! Keep your expectations low and remember that a 3 or 4 star hotel in Darchen is a million times better than a cold night in a tent!

Himalaya Kailash Hotel: Though the sign inside says it is rated as a “4 Star Hotel”, it isn’t. What it is though is the best hotel within a 400 kilometer radius. The Tibetan owned hotel has rooms with private bathrooms and hot water, but the hot water has limited hours (usually in the evenings). This isolated part of Tibet also has limited electricity. The schedule changes, but normally this region of Tibet only has electricity after 6 or 7pm thru around midnight. This hotel is open from late April thru early to mid October. The hotel offers a breakfast, but there are other restaurants located nearby. This is the main hotel that we place clients at in Darchen.

Kou’An Hotel: The Kou’An is a Chinese owned hotel that is located in the middle of Darchen. We normally only place clients here if the Himalaya Hotel is closed or if it is completely booked. The hotel is fine and has clean rooms with attached bathrooms with showers, but again, hot water and electricity are very limited.

LAKE MANASAROVAR and KAILASH TREK

These isolated and extremely remote areas only have VERY basic guesthouses that only have shared toilets (separated for men and for women). There are no showering facilities here and no WiFi. We get emails, particularly those from India and Sri Lanka, who think that these locations have luxury hotels. They don’t! They don’t even have hotels as only basic guesthouses are available. The guesthouses normally have between 4 and 6 beds inside with a small table. The beds do have blankets, but we STRONGLY recommend bringing either a sleeping bag liner or a lightweight sleeping bag as the bedding is not washed regularly. The bathrooms are usually located about 100 meters away and can be filthy dirty. Remember, this is one of the most remote wilderness regions on the planet. If you are going here, you must realize that there are no luxury amenities.

There are several small guesthouses located just off of the shore of Lake Manasarovar. They are all basically the same and cost about the same. In addition to the rooms with 4 to 6 beds, each of the guesthouses will have a restaurant that serves breakfast and dinner.

Along the 52 kilometer Kailash Trek, there are basic guesthouses at Dira Puk Monastery and at Zultul Puk Monastery. These guesthouses are similar to those at Lake Manasarovar in that they have rooms with 4 to 6 beds and a bathroom located about 100 meters away. They also have a restaurant. When we were last at Mt Kailash in late October 2018, we saw new construction at both Dira Puk and Zultul Puk that appear that they will be hotels. If they are actual hotels, they will certainly be basic, but would be an upgrade over the current guesthouses. We will keep up-to-date on the construction and if they open in 2019, we will surely place our clients there.

NAM TSO LAKE

Nam Tso Lake is located about 6 hours north of Lhasa and is one of the most beautiful lakes in Tibet. Due to its high altitude (over 4700m) and more northerly location, the climate here can be extreme. The lake is usually only open from late April thru the end of October, however snow can cause these dates to be earlier or later. There are no real hotels at Nam Tso, only guesthouses that usually resemble a makeshift shed. Despite not looking the most appealing from the outside, the insides are usually nice and comfortable. They do not offer private bathrooms, but are shared and separated for men and women. There are no showering facilities here. Those going to Nam Tso Lake must realize this area only has basic guesthouses. 

Holy Lake Nam Tso Guesthouse: One of the few actual buildings at Nam Tso, this is probably the best choice at the lake. The rooms have beds that normally have electric blankets. The guesthouse has a cozy restaurant (with English menu) that serves pretty good food. The bathrooms are located inside on the far side of the guesthouse. This is the main guesthouse that we place clients at in Nam Tso Lake.

Sheep Guesthouse: This is another well-run guesthouse (don’t let the metal shack look scare you!) at Nam Tso. It is very clean with lots of blankets and the restaurant is heated with a yak-dung stove. The staff here are friendly. We often will place clients here if the Holy Lake Nam Tso Guesthouse is full or overly busy.

Damxung White Horse Pema Hotel: Located about 65 kilometers before Nam Tso Lake, the small town of Damxung is the only place where you will find an actual hotel in the area. It is clean with in-room bathrooms and hot showers, though hot water is normally available after 7pm (check hotel staff for specific times). We often place clients here who only want to visit Nam Tso on a day trip from Lhasa or those going to the lake from Shigatse.

SAMYE and TSETANG

Samye and Tsetang are both located to the east of Lhasa. Samye is home to Tibet’s very first monastery, while Tsetang is close to the very first building made in Tibet, the Yumbulhagang Palace. These are great places to explore and see fewer travelers than some other areas of Tibet. Though these areas have several hotel options, only a few of them have the licenses needed to host foreign travelers.

Samye Monastery Guesthouse: This is the best option in Samye that has modern double rooms with private in room bathrooms with hot showers. Though named after the monastery, the guesthouse is separate from the monastery and does not look anything like a monastery. The staff are friendly and enjoy having foreign guests. This is the main place that we place clients in at Samye.

Tsetang Hotel: Often, the Tsetang Hotel is the only place where local officials will permit foreign travelers to stay at (regulations change often). This is a good 3 star option in the center of town that has standard double rooms with private bathroom and hot shower. The hotel typically has WiFi as well (can be slow). This is the main place that we place client in at Tsetang.

KATHMANDU, NEPAL

Many of our journeys end in the Nepal capital city of Kathmandu. Nepal has many hundreds of hotels to choose from so we can book you at any of them. If you take one of our package journeys, we typically place clients in a quiet area in the popular Thamel District. This district has many great restaurants, shops, markets and is an overall fun place to be!

Nepali Ghar Hotel: This is one of our favorite hotels in Kathmandu. This 4 star option in a quiet area of Thamel District has a great traditional design, excellent staff and awesome food. If you are looking for a well-priced (semi) luxury hotel, this is our recommendation. For our group tours, we typically place clients here.

Aryatara Hotel: This quiet, well-managed hotel is consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 places to stay in Kathmandu. The location is perfect; it is down a guarded alley in Thamel that is quiet, very safe and gets little pedestrian traffic. The staff are all excellent. The restaurant on the first floor serves great Nepali and Continental food. Though not a luxury hotel, the Aryatara is a solid option in Kathmandu.

Dwarika’s Hotel: This is one of the absolute best hotels in all of Nepal and one of the best in South Asia. This is a unique heritage hotel that is unlike any other in Kathmandu. Dwarika’s is a luxury hotel with an amazing pool and garden area. Rooms are modern and stylish. If you are looking for something special, this is the place for you!

If you have any questions about traveling in Tibet, please let us know! We are the experts in Tibet travel and are happy to share our own personal experiences of traveling, trekking and exploring in Tibet the past 20 years!

Email for more details: info@himalayajourney.com

Call us at (+1) 253 289 9166 in the US/Canada,  (+44) 20 3239 2917 in the UK,  (+61) 2 8003 5630 in Australia