Best time to visit Nepal

The best time to visit Nepal may well depend on whether you've got plans to go to Chitwan National Park, Kathmandu or Everest Base Camp, but as we cover all three locations in our temperature & rainfall chart, as well as our month by month guide and expert travel recommendations from folks we love and trust, you can start your research, right here.

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Best time to visit Nepal

Autumn in Nepal is a trekker’s paradise: cloudless and dry, neither too hot nor too cold, and the clear mountain views resplendent

When is the best time to visit Nepal? Tricky question; there are four clear seasons revolving around the summer monsoon (June - Sept), not the best time to visit Nepal if you're trekking, but an incredible time to see the country simply alive with growth and freshness. If you're trekking, autumn (Sept - Nov) and spring (Feb - mid-April) are your best bet: autumn brings exceptional clarity, the dust washed away by the monsoon, and spring days are warmer and longer. Winter is very chilly - wrap up warm and you'll be one of only few in the mountains.

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Chitwan National Park Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

181

JUN

511

JUL

868

AUG

778

SEP

363

OCT

NOV

DEC

Our Nepal Vacations

Nepal month by month

Winter in Nepal brings great visibility, but temperatures can drop to a teeth-chattering 1°C, so if you’re trekking then, make sure your endurance is up.

The Annapurna hiking circuit is the most likely to be affected by snowfall and has been known to close during peak winter months, so double check before you book.

From late December through January and into February, Nepal's weather is cold, but not unbearable, although temperatures drop significantly at night, especially in the mountains. January is by far the coldest month, but fewer people means fewer crowds.

March heralds spring in Nepal, when temperatures start to get warmer and rhododendrons are in beautiful bloom. Days are longer during March and April too, making them ideal for trekking, but temperatures are still a bit chilly at night, so pack your layers.

May is one of the warmest months and is lovely, but is also the calm before the storm: clouds begin to loom and showers begin to fall as a precursor to the monsoon season.

During Nepal’s monsoon season – June, July and August – it doesn’t necessarily rain all day, but it does rain every day, so trails are muddy and rife with leeches, the mountains are often thick with cloud, and landslides are common and disruptive to travel plans. It’s not the best time for trekking therefore, but because most rain falls at night, the mornings are spectacular and sightseeing is still possible.

During the monsoon, more rain falls at night than during the day, so the mornings are often crisp and beautiful – if you want to trek then, avoid Nepal’s more popular circuits and head to Manang, Mustang or Dolpo, Himalayan areas that sit in rain shadows.

As the monsoon dissipates in September, Nepal is a glorious kingdom of huge clear skies, fresh air and breathtaking views. October through to November is possibly the best time to visit Nepal as dry days make trekking easier and offer good visibility. The way the replenished landscapes spring to life during autumn is spectacular; don’t forget your camera!

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Call toll free

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Tip on the best time to visit Nepal

Richard Goodey from our supplier, Lost Earth Adventures shares his advice on the best time to visit Nepal: "A lot of people are put off by the idea of winter in Nepal, but if you go in December there are barely any tourists around, so it’s lovely and quiet. It is cold, but you get incredibly crisp skies, as the air is so clear. The cold is more likely to affect you at night if you’re trekking because the teahouses don’t have any heating, so bring a warm sleeping bag, or rent one in Nepal, which is easy to organise if you don’t want to carry one out with you. My favourite time in Nepal is October and November; it’s warmer, so it’s great weather for walking and enjoying sunny days, but it does bring the tourists, so my advice would be to stick to the more off the beaten path destinations like Langtang, Helambu, and also the Manaslu Circuit."

Festivals & events in Nepal

Holi Festival

Holi is a three-day festival held in February or March known as the festival of colours, or the festival of love and involves the Nepalese literally throwing colourful powder all over each other. Although it’s a deeply religious celebration, it brings out the kid in everyone and you’ll see fully grown Nepalese men wrestling in the street and chasing each other in fits of laughter.

More about Nepal

Nepal travel guide

This is your opportunity to find out the best and worst of Nepal vacations as you delve into our Nepal travel guide and dig out a few tasty tidbits along the way, including: a brief history of Nepal, how much do things cost and how to travel like a local on your Nepal vacation.

Nepal map & highlights

From the Annapurna Circuit and Pokhara to the tiger forests of Chitwan National Park, if you're looking for places to visit in Nepal, look no further than our responsible highlights map, travel times and suggested Nepal itineraries.

Things to do in Nepal

Obviously the trekking in Nepal is a massive draw with the Himalayas, Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Range all providing more than enough things to do in Nepal if you're up for a bit of a hike.

Nepals Annapurna Region

If the only peaks you’ve seen are in Derbyshire, Nepal’s Annapurna region will blow your mind as this is a mountain range so vast, high and downright majestic that even seasoned travelers are left speechless.

Everest Base Camp Nepal

The trek to Everest Base Camp, at a dizzying 5,364m, is varied, exciting and rich in history, and this is the route, after all, that many serious mountaineers tread before attempting the summit.

Nepal wildlife vacations

The rare opportunity to track tigers on foot is one of the calling cards of a Nepal wildlife vacation, through the dense sal forest, misty river banks and savannah plains of the Terai.

Traveling in Nepal with kids

Anyone who's been traveling in Nepal with kids will testify to the eclectic array of activities to help families, and children, push boundaries and discover a life that's far removed, but warmly familiar, too, to life back home.

Nepal travel advice

Our Nepal travel advice does exactly what it says on the packet with tips from our friends in Nepal providing responsible travelers with the very best advice and recommendations on everything from reducing rubbish to surviving power cuts.

Responsible tourism in Nepal

Travel right in Nepal by doing your research and getting to grips with the big issues and conservation projects that can make a major difference to the depth of your overall travel experience.