Best Time to Visit Nepal
October to November (peak) and March to May (spring, close second)
Quick Answer
Best Overall
October to November (peak) and March to May (spring, close second)
Peak Season
October–November (clearest skies, major festivals, Everest Base Camp peak trekking)
Shoulder Season
March–April, February
Cheapest Period
June to August (monsoon) and January
Weather Varies By Region
Nepal is large enough that no single "best time" applies everywhere. Here's how the timing changes region by region.
Kathmandu Valley
Sep–AprPleasant and mostly dry outside the summer monsoon; November is peak festival and clear-sky season.
Pokhara
Oct–MarBest mountain (Annapurna) visibility in the clear post-monsoon and winter months.
Everest region / high-altitude trekking
Mar–May, Oct–NovSpring and autumn are the only realistic trekking windows — winter brings dangerous cold and snow above 3,000m, monsoon brings leeches, landslides, and zero-visibility cloud cover.
Month-by-Month Weather
Catalog Data· Climate normals, see sources below(Verified taxonomy records from the TravelGuidesFinder destination catalog.)Average high/low temperatures and rainfall for Kathmandu (used here as a representative reference point — see regional notes above for other areas).
| Month | High | Low | Rainfall | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19°C / 67°F | 3°C / 37°F | 15mm | Shoulder |
| February | 22°C / 72°F | 5°C / 42°F | 25mm | Shoulder |
| March | 26°C / 79°F | 9°C / 48°F | 40mm | Peak |
| April | 29°C / 83°F | 12°C / 54°F | 65mm | Peak |
| May | 29°C / 85°F | 16°C / 61°F | 130mm | Shoulder |
| June | 30°C / 85°F | 19°C / 67°F | 240mm | Low |
| July | 29°C / 84°F | 20°C / 69°F | 385mm | Low |
| August | 29°C / 84°F | 20°C / 68°F | 345mm | Low |
| September | 29°C / 83°F | 19°C / 66°F | 210mm | Low |
| October | 27°C / 81°F | 14°C / 57°F | 45mm | Peak |
| November | 24°C / 74°F | 8°C / 47°F | 5mm | Peak |
| December | 20°C / 68°F | 4°C / 40°F | 10mm | Shoulder |
Season-by-Season Guide
Autumn (Sep–Nov)
Post-monsoon clarity — warm days, cool nights, minimal rain from October
Good For
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Clear and dry at valley altitude (Kathmandu 19–20°C days), but high passes and altitudes above 3,000m turn dangerously cold with snow
Good For
Spring (Mar–May)
Warming quickly (26°C to 29°C in Kathmandu), rhododendrons bloom on lower trekking trails, pre-monsoon showers build through May
Good For
Monsoon (Jun–Sep)
Daily rain, high humidity, landslide and road-closure risk in the hills
Good For
Best Time to Visit For...
Everest Base Camp trek
October–November, March–MayAutumn has the clearest skies; spring is a close second with warmer days and rhododendron blooms.
Annapurna Circuit / Poon Hill
October–November, March–AprilSame logic as Everest — avoid monsoon (Jun–Sep) and high winter (Dec–Feb above altitude).
Festivals
September–NovemberDashain and Tihar, Nepal's largest festivals, typically fall within this window (exact dates shift with the lunar calendar).
Wildlife (Chitwan, Bardia)
October–MarchDry season gives better visibility and easier park access than monsoon.
Budget travel
June–August, JanuaryMonsoon and the quieter part of winter both see noticeably lower teahouse and flight prices.
Cheapest Time to Visit
June through August, the core of the monsoon, brings the lowest flight and teahouse prices — but it's genuinely unsuitable for high-altitude trekking (poor visibility, leeches, landslide risk); January is a smaller, lower-risk cheap window for Kathmandu/Pokhara sightseeing and lower-altitude trekking.
Busiest Time to Visit
October–November is Nepal's single busiest trekking season — Lukla flights and Everest Base Camp teahouses should be booked well in advance, and this window also overlaps with Dashain and Tihar, Nepal's largest festivals.
Weather vs. Price Trade-off
Spring (March–May) offers nearly the same trekking conditions as the October–November peak, with a real chance of quieter trails and marginally lower demand — the trade-off is slightly hazier mountain views and a rising chance of pre-monsoon storms by late May.
Travel Budget
Statistical Estimate· TravelGuidesFinder Cost Index(Derived from seasonal cost modeling; actual on-the-ground prices may vary.)Budget Traveler
$25/day
Mid-Range Traveler
$58/day
Luxury Traveler
$170/day
How to Get There
Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) in Kathmandu is the only major international gateway; onward travel to trekking regions is by domestic flight (e.g. to Lukla for Everest, or Pokhara) or overland by bus/jeep.
How Long to Stay
7–10 days suits a Kathmandu/Pokhara cultural trip or a short trek (Poon Hill). Everest Base Camp needs 12–16 days; the Annapurna Circuit needs 15–20 days including acclimatization.
Sample Itineraries
What to Pack, By Season
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to visit Nepal?
October–November is the clearest, most popular trekking window; March–May is a close second, with warmer days and rhododendron blooms trading off slightly hazier mountain visibility.
Can you trek to Everest Base Camp in winter?
It's possible below the highest passes, but temperatures above 3,000m regularly drop below -10°C at night with real snow and avalanche risk — this is not recommended without serious winter mountaineering experience and gear.
Is monsoon season a bad time to visit Nepal?
For high-altitude trekking, yes — trails are muddy and leech-prone, visibility is poor, and mountain roads face landslide risk. Kathmandu Valley sightseeing and Himalayan rain-shadow regions like Upper Mustang remain viable.
Last verified: 2026-09-19 · Climate figures are 30-year averages and will not match any single trip exactly.
Sources:Kathmandu climate normals — Climates to Travel,Regional best-time guidance — Selective Asia