Best time to visit Nepal

Seasons in Nepal

• Winter, Dec–Feb: Cold, clear days with long mountain views and frosty nights; morning fog in the Terai and high passes closed by snow. In season: Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Bhaktapur, Patan, Kathmandu, Bandipur, Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini.
• Spring, Mar–May: Rhododendrons on the trails and busy treks in March–April; hazy, hot and stormy by May. In season: Namche Bazaar, Dhulikhel, Bhaktapur, Patan, Kathmandu, Bandipur, Ghandruk & Poon Hill, Pokhara, Chitwan, Bardia.
• Monsoon, Jun–Sep: Heavy rain, cloud-covered peaks, leeches and landslides; rain eases late in September.
• Autumn, Oct–Nov: Clear skies after the monsoon, the best trekking weather, and Dashain and Tihar festivals. In season: Namche Bazaar, Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Bhaktapur, Patan, Kathmandu, Bandipur, Ghandruk & Poon Hill, Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini, Bardia.

Peak, shoulder and off season in Nepal

• Peak season, Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov: Trekking seasons: Annapurna and Everest trails, Lukla flights and Pokhara hotels fill up.
• Shoulder season, Feb, May, Sep, Dec: Quieter trails with some trade-offs: cold nights, pre-monsoon haze or late-monsoon mud.
• Off season, Jan, Jun–Aug: Deep winter or monsoon, with low prices; only rain-shadow treks like Upper Mustang suit the summer.

Nepal in January

Winter · Off season

Cold, clear and quiet: good mountain views from Nagarkot and Sarangkot, frosty nights in the hills. Morning fog in the Terai can delay flights and roads; high passes are snowbound.

In season: Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Bhaktapur, Patan, Kathmandu, Bandipur, Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini.

Nepal in February

Winter · Shoulder season

Clear and cool; grass-cutting starts in Chitwan and Bardia, opening up wildlife views. Losar (Tibetan and Sherpa New Year) often falls in Feb or March — dates shift.

In season: Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Bhaktapur, Patan, Kathmandu, Bandipur, Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini, Bardia.

Nepal in March

Spring · Peak season

Spring trekking season begins; rhododendrons flower on the Poon Hill and Ghandruk trails from late March. Holi falls in March in most years (date shifts). Good wildlife viewing in the Terai.

In season: Namche Bazaar, Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Bhaktapur, Patan, Kathmandu, Bandipur, Ghandruk & Poon Hill, Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini, Bardia.

Nepal in April

Spring · Peak season

Peak spring: rhododendrons, busy Annapurna and Everest trails, Nepali New Year mid-April. Haze builds over the valleys and the Terai gets hot; strong tiger odds in Bardia.

In season: Namche Bazaar, Dhulikhel, Bhaktapur, Patan, Kathmandu, Bandipur, Ghandruk & Poon Hill, Pokhara, Chitwan, Bardia.

Nepal in May

Spring · Shoulder season

Warm and hazy with pre-monsoon storms in the afternoons; mountain views are less reliable. The Terai often reaches 38–40°C. Buddha Jayanti full moon draws pilgrims to Lumbini, Boudhanath and Swayambhunath.

In season: Namche Bazaar, Bardia.

Nepal in June

Monsoon · Off season

Monsoon arrives around mid-June: leeches on trails, landslides on highways and frequent Lukla flight cancellations. Jungle activities in Chitwan and Bardia scale back. Only rain-shadow treks such as Upper Mustang suit the season.

Nepal in July

Monsoon · Off season

Peak monsoon: heavy rain, cloud-covered peaks and road delays. Cities and lakes still work with flexible plans, and prices are low.

Nepal in August

Monsoon · Off season

Monsoon continues; landslides can close the Kathmandu–Pokhara highway for hours. Kathmandu festivals such as Gai Jatra and Krishna Janmashtami (dates shift). Rain-shadow trekking only.

Nepal in September

Monsoon · Shoulder season

Rain eases towards the end of the month and views start to clear; trails stay muddy. Indra Jatra in Kathmandu, and Dashain can begin in late September in some years.

Nepal in October

Autumn · Peak season

The best month for most trips: clear skies after the monsoon and busy trekking trails and Lukla flights. Dashain, Nepal's biggest festival, usually falls in late Sep or Oct — offices close and buses fill up; dates shift.

In season: Namche Bazaar, Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Bhaktapur, Patan, Kathmandu, Bandipur, Ghandruk & Poon Hill, Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini, Bardia.

Nepal in November

Autumn · Peak season

Clear, stable weather and long mountain views. Tihar (the festival of lights) usually falls in late Oct or Nov. Popular treks and Pokhara hotels fill up, so book early.

In season: Namche Bazaar, Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Bhaktapur, Patan, Kathmandu, Bandipur, Ghandruk & Poon Hill, Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini, Bardia.

Nepal in December

Winter · Shoulder season

Cold but clear, with quieter trails and good views from Nagarkot, Sarangkot and Poon Hill. Morning fog in the Terai and the Kathmandu Valley; high passes begin to close with snow.

In season: Nagarkot, Dhulikhel, Bhaktapur, Patan, Kathmandu, Bandipur, Ghandruk & Poon Hill, Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini.