With the development of tourism in Tibet, Tibet hotel conditions have been greatly improved. The main cities, such as Lhasa, Shigatse, and Nyingchi, have star-rated hotels.
When traveling to Tibet, foreign travelers can only stay at hotels that are certificated to receive foreign customers.
Based on our research and customers' feedback, we have found out and detailed the best Tibet hotels for foreign travelers.
What Types of Hotels Are There in Tibet?
Accommodation in Tibet is varied, but hotels can usually meet travelers' requirements.
Generally speaking, accommodation can be divided into four categories: luxury hotels, Tibetan-style boutiques, mid-range hotels, and local hostels or Tibetan tents.
Luxury Hotels
Generally known as 5-star hotels, most luxury hotels in Tibet are governed by famous international brands and are well equipped with modern facilities. Services and meals all match up to international levels.
Now, Tibet even has super 5-star hotels, which are more luxurious than five-star hotels in Chinese mainland. This type of hotel is usually costly but brings you a lot of comfort and convenience.
Tibetan-Style Boutique Hotels
Tibetan boutiques are always decorated in a Tibetan style and most of them have their own stories or religious backgrounds. They provide a clean and comfortable living environment with private toilets and ensuite bathrooms.
However, breakfasts are not Western and you would even need to bring your own coffee. Tibetan boutique hotels are also costly, and some of them are even more expensive than a 5-star hotel. Rooms are limited in this kind of hotel and you need to book a few months in advance.
Mid-Range Hotels
These popular value-for-money hotels are widely accepted by most travelers, no matter whether Western (foreign) or Chinese. Those certified to receive foreign customers have never been worse than average. They are always clean and quiet. Breakfasts are usually Chinese with some Western elements.
Hostels/Tents
If you go to remote places, such as the Mount Everest region you may need to stay in a local hostel or tent.
How to Choose a Tibet Hotel
The easiest way is to consult our travel advisors. Our Tibet expert will recommend the best hotels for you, according to your requirements and budget.
Below, to help you match up a hotel with your needs and interests, we have first listed the top Tibet hotels by their key facilities and then with more details by region.
Hotels with Free Oxygen
- Lhasa Shangri-La Hotel
- Lhasa InterContinental Hotel
- Songtsam Choskyi Linka Lhasa
- Qomo Langzong Hotel (Shigates)
Hotels with Potala Palace View
- Lhasa Shangri-La Hotel
- Lhasa St. Regis Resort
- Songtsam Choskyi Linka Lhasa
- Phuntsok Kasang International Youth Hostel
Hotels without Potala Palace views or Free Oxygen, but still worth staying at
Hotels in Lhasa for Foreign Travelers
Besides visiting the Potala Palace with numerous tourists in the daytime, you can also appreciate its tranquility from your luxury or mid-range hotel room in Lhasa.
Most Lhasa hotels provide oxygen services for a charge, but only a few for free.
1. Lhasa Shangri-La Hotel (Free Oxygen, Potala Palace Views)
Lhasa Shangri-La HotelType and rating: Luxury hotel★★★★★
Location: Norbulingka Palace (885m), Tibet Museum(343m),Potala Palace(2km)
Top features:
- 24-hour free oxygen bar
- Potala Palace views
- Tibetan style
To airport:1-hour drive
To railway station: 30-minute drive
The Shangri-La ranks #1 on TripAdvisor [2021] among Lhasa hotels. Within 10 minutes of driving of the Potala Palace, Lhasa Shangri-La Hotel lies to the west of the Potala.
The Shangri-La Hotel features a contemporary design with a strong Tibetan touch and offers the most rooms with a Potala Palace side view. There are about 70 rooms that look out on the Potala Palace with the names Horizon Club Room and Horizon Club Lounge.
Its free oxygen bar is always open for customers to reduce their altitude sickness symptoms. You can surf the Internet and lie down on a comfortable sofa there to relax, while you increase your oxygen intake.
Address:19 Norbulingka Road
2. Lhasa St. Regis Resort (Potala Palace Views)
Lhasa St. Regis ResortType and rating: Luxury hotel★★★★★
Location: Jokhang Temple (900m), Barkhor Street(800m), and Potala Palace(2km)
Top features:
- Potala Palace views
- Tibetan style
To airport:1-hour drive
To railway station: 30-minute drive
St. Regis Resort ranks #2 among Lhasa hotels on TripAdvisor [2021]. It's located in the city center close to Jokhang Temple (about 10 minutes walk). It's well designed with Tibetan décor and green plants.
There are only around ten rooms that have side-views of the Potala Palace to the northwest with the names Potala View Premium Room and Everest Suite.
The rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV and minibar and decorated with wood panels and specially designed furniture. Modern bathrooms have an independent bathtub and shower and free bath supplies. A free wireless network is provided.
Restaurants in St. Regis Resort offer a sumptuous buffet and àla carte service. You can also enjoy a variety of exotic teas in the living room or cocktails produced by Haut Brisson winery.
Address: 22 Jiangsu Road, Chengguan District
3. InterContinental Lhasa Hotel (Free Oxygen)
InterContinental Lhasa Hotel Type and rating: Luxury hotel★★★★★
Location: Potala Palace (7km), Jokhang Temple (6km), Sera Monastery (7km)
Top features:
- Free oxygen in the rooms and oxygen bar
- Tibetan style
To airport: 1½-hour drive
To railway station: 45-minute drive
Open since 2015, it takes about 15 minutes to drive to Barkhor Street (the city center).
The InterContinental Hotel in Lhasa is the only one that offers free oxygen in its rooms from 10 pm to 6 am so that you can have a good sleep at night.
Most Tibet visitors find that they have trouble sleeping, especially on the first couple of days, due to the lower oxygen content in the air.
There is also a free oxygen bar operating during the day when the rooms to offering oxygen.
Each room of the hotel is equipped with satellite TV, air conditioning, a minibar, and a dining area with a refrigerator and electric kettle. The private bathroom is equipped with a shower, bathtub, and hairdryer.
Address:1 Jiangsu Avenue
4. Songtsam Choskyi Linka Lhasa(Free Oxygen, Potala Palace Views)
Songtsam Linka LhasaType and rating: Tibetan style boutique★★★★
Location: Jokhang Temple (4km), Potala Palace (6km), and Norbulingka (7km)
Top features:
- Potala Palace views
- Free oxygen
- Tibetan style
To airport: 1½-hour drive
To railway station:45-minute drive
Songtsam Choskyi Linka hotel is on the hillside southeast of the Potala Palace and has a wide view due to its high location. The hotel is a complex of 10 Tibetan watchtowers.
The interior is decorated in Lhasa style, with a large number of exquisite thangkas.
You can see magnificent views of the Potala Palace from its lobby, dining room, book bar, and every room.
Address: 1 Zongzan Road, Wencheng Avenue Cijiaolin Tourism Cultural and Creative Area, Lhasa.
5. Phuntsok Kasang International Youth Hostel (Potala Palace Views)
Phuntsok Kasang International Youth HostelType and rating: Tibetan-style boutique★★★
Location: Jokhang Temple (700m), Potala Palace (1km), Ramoche Temple (400m), Barkhor Street (800m)
Top features:
- Potala Palace views
- Tibetan style
To airport: 1-hour drive
To railway station: 30-minute drive
It is a Tibetan-style hotel situated on the eastern side of the Potala Palace in central Lhasa. Its location makes transport to the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Ramoche Temple highly convenient.
The hotel is decorated with Tibetan ornaments with different characteristics that reflect traditional Tibetan cultures. You can enjoy the beauty of the Potala palace without leaving the hotel.
Address: 48 Qingnian Road Lhasa
Recommended Tibet Tours:
6. Floral Lincang Boutique Hotel
Floral Lincang Boutique HotelType and rating: Tibetan style boutique★★★★
Location: Jokhang Temple(500m), Norbulingka(5km), Potala Palace(2km)
Top features:
- Tibetan style
- Rooftop restaurant
To airport: 1-hour drive
To railway station:30-minute drive
Lincang Boutique Hotel on Barkhor Street was the residence of the seventh Gandan Rinpoche (a significant person in Tibetan Buddhism) 300 years ago.
In order to recreate the former religious residence's appearance, the owner has spent a lot of money to collect Tibetan antique furniture and utensils.
Lincang boutique hotel not only provides accommodation but also immerses you in Tibetan history and culture. It offers a variety of Tibetan culture and folk experiences: DIY butter tea, wearing Tibetan clothes for photos, experiencing Tibetan calligraphy, and hanging sutra flags.
Address: 38 Lugu Lane
7. Four Points by Sheraton Lhasa
Four Points by Sheraton LhasaType and rating: Mid-range hotel★★★★
Location: Jokhang Temple (800m), Barkhor Street (700m), Potala Palace (2km)
Top features:
- Cost-effective
To airport: 1-hour drive
To railway station: 30-minute drive
About a 10-minute walk from the Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street area, Four Points hotel majestically overlooks the Lhasa River. It features a typical Tibetan courtyard-style with a fashionable design.
Address: 10 Bo Linka Road, Lhasa
8. House of Shambhala
House of ShambhalaType and rating: Tibetan style boutique★★★
Location: Jokhang Temple(300m), Ramoche Monastery(600 m), Potala Palace(2km)
Top features:
- Tibetan style
- Rooftop restaurant
To airport: 1-hour drive
To railway station:30-minute drive
The hotel has a good location from which you can easily walk to the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple.
It is a boutique Tibetan-style inn on Barkhor street, decorated with a Tibetan art mural. From the roof restaurant, you can enjoy the scenery of Lhasa and the Potala Palace.
Each guest room of Shambhala House provides a variety of daily necessities commonly used by older Tibetan people, as well as a TV and electric kettle, and the ensuite bathroom is equipped with slippers and a hairdryer.
Address: 7 Jiri Second Alley, Beijing East Road, Lhasa
Recommended Tibet Tours:
Hotels in Shigatse for Foreign Travelers
If you are going to Mt. Everest Base Camp, Shigatse is the best place to stop and take a rest on the way. There are fewer hotel options in Shigatse and the hotels are not such a high-standard as in Lhasa.
1. Qomo Langzong Hotel (Free Oxygen)
Qomo Langzong HotelType and rating: Mid-range hotel★★★★
Location: Tashilunpo Monastery (1.5km), Shigatse Dzong Fortress(1.8km), Nianchu River(2km)
Top features:
- Good location
- Free oxygen
Located in the city center, QomoLangzong Hotel is a 5-star hotel in Shigatse. You can get to Tashilhunpo Monastery in 5 minutes drive and Shigatse Railway Station with a 10 minutes drive.
It is a hotel themed around Tibetan culture, which integrates well with the natural scenery and culture of Shigatse. The Tibetan decoration is well combined with modern fashion.
QomoLangzong Hotel has unique room types including the Tibetan Theme Room, Tea Culture Room, and President Suite.
Each room offers free in-room oxygen from 9 pm so that you can have a good sleep.
Address: Intersection of Shanghai Middle Road and Zhufeng Road, Rikaze (Shigatse), Tibet
2. Tashi Choeta Hotel
Tashi Choeta HotelType and rating: Mid-range hotel★★★
Location: Tashilunpo Monastery (720 m), Xigezi Pedestrian Street (200 m)
Top features:
- Central location
- Cost-effective
Tashi Choeta is a modern hotel decorated with a medieval Tibetan style. This is a traditional Tibetan hotel with a good standard of service and cleanliness.
Address: 2 Xueqiang Road, Shigatse
3. Tingri Everest Hotel (Shigatse Prefecture)
Type and rating: Hostel★★
It is probably the most acceptable choice for travelers who want to sleep in a clean environment in Tingri County, 4 hours from Everest Base Camp, Shigatse.
It provides a basic level of comfort, free Wi-Fi (low signal), clean rooms, and private bathrooms. (The only accommodation at EBC is Rongbuk Monastery's very basic rooms and facilities or tents.)
Address:1 Everest East Road, Baiba, near Tingri County Town, Shigatse Prefecture
Hotels in Nyingchi for Foreign Travelers
Nyingchi is a well-developed city in Tibet and hotels in Nyingchi are relatively good.
1. Hilton Linzhi Resort (Nyingchi)
Hilton Linzhi Resort Type and rating: Luxury hotel★★★★★
Location: by the YarlungZangbo River in Nanyi Valley
Top features:
- Swimming pool
- Good natural views
To airport: 10-minute drive
Opened in 2017, the Hilton Hotel is an international chain hotel in Nyingchi city. Standing in front of the Himalayas, the hotel faces the YarlungZangbo River and is adjacent to Nyingchi's airport and Nyingchi's two famous scenic spots: Nanyi Valley and the YarlungZangbo Grand Canyon.
The modern design of the hotel is well combined with Tibetan cultural elements. Hotel rooms are well equipped with 5-star level facilities.
Address: Riga Village (GongbuZhuangyuan), Nyingchi
2. Hengda Hotel (Nyingchi)
Hengda Hotel Type and rating: Luxury hotel★★★★★
Location: Lulang Forest
Top features:
- Views of snow-capped mountains
- Tibetan style
To airport: 1½-hour drive
It is a luxurious hotel built by the side of a lake and located at an altitude of 3,300meters (10,800 feet). Its Tibetan architecture harmoniously integrates with the picturesque surrounding views.
The hotel rooms are in different buildings. Some of the rooms provide a lake view and some offer a fantastic view of the snow-capped mountains.
Address: Luang International Tourism Town, Nyingchi
3. Artel Poly Linzhi (Nyingchi)
Lake View Villa at Artel Poly Linzhi Type and rating: Luxury hotel★★★★★
Location: Lulang Forest
Top features:
- Views of snow-capped mountains
- Tibetan style
To airport: 1½-hour drive
Opened in 2017, Artel Poly Linzhi is located near Lulang Town with diverse and picturesque surroundings including the YarlungZangbo Grand Canyon and Lulang Forest.
Hotel rooms are decorated with Tibetan elements and are highly regarded for their excellent facilities, from which you can enjoy the lake view without going outside.
Address: North Area, Lulang International Tourism Town, Nyingchi
Recommended Tibet Tours:
4. Minshan Grand Hotel (Nyingchi)
Type and rating: Mid-range hotel★★★
Location: Bayi Town(1.9km)
Top features:
- Centrally located
- Cost-effective
To airport: 1-hour drive
The hotel is situated on the banks of the Niyang River in Bayi Town, the administrative center of Nyingchi City. It is a comprehensive hotel with clean and quiet guest rooms.
Restaurants provide spicy Sichuan dishes or international dishes. With free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, you can enjoy a carefree stay.
Address: Middle Section of Binhe Avenue, Bayi Town, Nyingchi City
Explore Tibet from Comfortable Hotels with China Highlights
If you are planning a tour to Tibet and are concerned about the accommodation, we at China Highlights can help you arrange a hotel to best fit your interests and requirements. See our popular customizable Tibet itineraries below for inspiration.
- 17-Days Beijing, Xian, Tibet, Chengdu, Guilin, and Hong Kong Tour
- 13-Days Beijing–Xi'an–Lhasa-Shanghai Private Tour
- 11-Day Overland Trip from Lhasa to Kathmandu
- 10-Days Beijing-Lhasa-Shanghai
- More Tibet tours
Our tours can be easily tailor-made to suit you, no matter whether you want to adjust the itinerary or change hotels.