Gyantse sits at nearly 4,000 metres and has a cold, dry climate. The best time to visit is May to October, when temperatures are manageable and road conditions on the Friendship Highway are reliable. Summer (June to August) brings occasional afternoon thunderstorms but otherwise good visibility.
Winter visits are possible but challenging. Temperatures drop well below freezing at night, and wind blows constantly across the valley. The monastery remains open, but the experience of standing in unheated chapels in January is a specific kind of suffering. If you have a choice, come in May or September when the light on the barley fields and the monastery walls is at its best.
The road from Shigatse is open year-round but can be slowed by landslides in August. From Lhasa, the route via Shigatse takes around six to eight hours by vehicle.