Chamdo sits lower than most Tibetan cities — around 3,240 metres — and its forested valley setting gives it milder temperatures and more rainfall than the high plateau. Summers (June to September) are warm and relatively pleasant, with temperatures reaching 20°C in July. This is also the rainy season, which can make some of the mountain roads unpredictable.
The Butter Sculpture Festival in March (end of the first Tibetan month) is the main cultural event, when the monastery displays elaborate sculptures through the night. Spring and autumn offer stable weather and cooler temperatures. Winter is cold but passable — Chamdo doesn't see the brutal lows of Nagqu or the western plateau — and the monastery is quieter and more atmospheric without summer tour groups.