Located about 280 km to the southwest of Lhasa, Shigatse is Tibet’s second-largest city, and the seat of Panchen Lama, another highest-level lama as Dalai Lama. The city is famous for the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and as the last (city) stop before going to Everest Base Camp or the Ngari area when traveling from Lhasa.
Normally we recommend our clients go to Shigatse only when they are interested in visiting Everest Base Camp or the Ngari area.
For luxury travelers, the newly opened Hilton is the best choice.
shigatse tourist attractions
Palcho Monastery
Palcho Monastery is a temple where the Sakya, Kadam, and Gelug sects of Tibetan Buddhism coexist. Although you need to pay an extra fee to go up to the Kumbum (the representative stupa in the temple), it is totally worth a visit. You can climb all the way to the fifth floor. On each floor, many small caves are excavated to enshrine Buddha statues and decorated with beautiful murals.
Tashi Lhunpo Monastery
If you are staying overnight in Shigatse, you can not miss Tashi Lhunpo Monastery as it is the largest temple in the area. The palace wall stretches on the hillside and the main hall is very majestic and magnificent. The colors here are very rich, giving people a bright and pleasant feeling.
Everest Base Camp
The original Everest Base Camp was a protected area set up to protect the core area of Mount Everest, one of the best locations to watch and photograph Mount Everest at 5200m above sea level. However, it was closed since 2019, and the closest point to Mount Everest for tourists is the Rongbuk Monastery.