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Know your Tibetan Holidays (Updated for 2023)

This is a list of the major holidays in Tibet and for Tibetans around the world. If you want to experience a Tibetan festival or holiday on your trip to Tibet, check the list below, then talk to your Tibet travel agent for details. (For help connecting to a reliable Tibetan agent, ask us for help. )

Tibetan Holidays: Tibetan ladies getting ready for the Palden Lhamo Festival at Tengye Ling: Lhasa Tibet

If you’re planning to visit Tibet, you should also know that no independent travel is allowed and you must work with a travel agency. We advise that you choose a Tibetan-owned agency, which hires Tibetan guides only. The simplest way to do this is ask us to connect you to a reliable Tibetan-owned travel agent. (Note to our Indian friends: Due to government policies our agents in Tibet cannot help Indian nationals going to Kailash.)

2023 Travel Advisory: Great news! Tibet travel is now open to everyone!

After 3 years of closures, Tibet travel permits are now being processed for all international travelers, no matter if you are traveling from outside China, or if you currently live and work in China.

To travel to Tibet you must have both a Chinese visa and a special Tibet travel permit, which you must get from an official Tibet travel agency. Ask us for an introduction to a reliable Tibetan travel agency here, at no cost to you.

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Updated on January 2, 2023. First published on June 29, 2012.

Your Tibet travel advisors, Lobsang and Yolanda

Most people who want to go to Tibet don't know how to get there or who to trust for help. We’re Lobsang Wangdu and Yolanda O’Bannon, and we help make Tibet travel more simple, safe and ethical so you can feel peace of mind about your trip. Learn more about us and YoWangdu here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Su says

    Can someone give me the Gregorian date for the 10th day of the 6th Tibetan month?
    According to the Gregorian calendar in 1970

    Reply

  4. Jo Earle says

    Thank you so much. This gives me a better idea and understanding of the Tibetan holidays and festivals. I would love to attend one of them one day. tu jay chay.

    Reply

  10. Yangchen says

    Thank you. Your website is often helpful and been following from many years. Life in city keep us away from Tibetan community and its tradition. Tashi Delek.

    Reply

    • Yolanda says

      Hi Yang. Sorry we don’t have a good answer for this. There are so many sonam losar dates, according to your area. It’s generally based on the planting dates for each area, so this will be different region by region. And we haven’t researched this issue at all. Sorry that we cannot be more helpful.

      Reply

  15. Tenzing says

    Thank you for the information, its very helpful to the people around the world. I will appreciate if you could tell me the date of Losar 2014? is that the correct date March 2nd? Thanks and looking forward to your reply Tenzing

    Reply

  17. Bern says

    Tashi delek,
    I plan to visit Tibet during the Shoton Festival in 2013. However I noticed some webistes state the festive will be held between 10-30 August 2013 and yours is on 4-10 September 2013 of Gregorian Calendar.

    Could you please advice. Thank you very much.

    Sarva Mangalam,
    Bern

    Reply

    • yowangdu says

      Dear Bern,

      So sorry for the delay. We have been trying to find out the answer for you, but no luck so far. We are still trying.

      Thanks,
      Yolanda and Lobsang

      Reply

      • yowangdu says

        Thank you so much for calling our attention to this, Bern! There was a mistake on our calendar. We have changed the dates to begin on August 6, 2013. (The 30th day of the 6th month of the Tibetan calendar.) Thank you and sorry about that!

        Reply

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