Ascent to the Mera Peak

Nepal Travel Guide

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When to go? Seasons, climate, festivities

  • March to May

    Hiking in Nepal in the spring comes with the same risks and rewards of any spring time activity: beautiful, blooming flowers and mild temperatures, but also the risk for the spontaneous chilly day in the early season. You can expect mild temperatures in areas of lower elevation (800-2000m) in the spring, making trekking in areas like lower Annapurna very pleasant. Locations with elevations above 4000m usually have moderate temperatures, making way for cloudless skies and warm weather trekking conditions.
    Spring is considered one of the best seasons to trek and climb in Nepal, not only because of the weather but because of the gorgeous, growing landscape.

  • June to August

    Monsoon season runs from late May until mid-September, so your standard summer vacation may not apply in Nepal. Trekking or climbing during this time of year is dangerous and discouraged. Monsoon season in Nepal also means warm, humid conditions that would make for uncomfortable climbing weather. The lower elevations tend to get completely saturated with rain, mud, and even leeches. But this by no means implies summer is totally off limits for the region. While Nepal likely won’t be your destination of choice, these months are ideal for exploring the Ladakh region in India. Because of its elevation on the Tibetan plateau, this time of year is mostly dry and sunny, not to mention surrounded by incredible scenery.

  • September to November

    Autumn is considered the best trekking season in Nepal. While springtime runs the risk of some cooler afternoons, after monsoon season clears, you can almost guarantee sunshine and cloudless skies all day long. Autumn in Nepal means moderate temperatures and pretty excellent trekking and climbing conditions, topped off by incredible views made possible once the dust and pollution are cleared from the atmosphere by the monsoon. But of course, you have to be careful: start too early and you could still run into monsoon trouble. You are usually safe starting around the middle of September, once the weather has fully settled. On the opposite end, beware of treks set too late in the year. Once you hit December, the temperatures can plummet.

  • December to February

    For the majority of travellers, those December temperatures could mean a miserable trek in Nepal. The winter climate ranges from 9 - 12⁰C during the day to below zero at night. If you can survive the polar climate, you can certainly avoid the crowds, since most climbers explore during the more temperate times of the year. The Everest region, in particular, is far less crowded than in the Autumn, for instance. However, because of morning fog, high passes in the Everest region, such as Kongma La, Cho La, and Renjo La are usually closed from November until March.

Temperatures and climate

Min/max temp (°C) / Average rainfall (mm)

  • Kathmandu

    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    Average temp C° min / max
    2° / 19°
    4° / 21°
    8° / 25°
    11° / 28°
    15° / 28°
    19° / 29°
    20° / 28°
    20° / 28°
    18° / 28°
    13° / 26°
    7° / 23°
    3° / 20°
    Average rainfall (mm)
    15
    20
    35
    55
    115
    250
    380
    335
    210
    70
    5
    12

  • Namche Bazar (3440m)

    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    Average temp C° min / max
    -8° / 6°
    -6° / 6°
    -3° / 9°
    1° / 12°
    4° / 14°
    6° / 15°
    8° / 16°
    8° / 16°
    6° / 15°
    2° / 12°
    -3° / 9°
    -6° / 7°
    Average rainfall (mm)
    15
    20
    30
    35
    55
    170
    280
    260
    160
    60
    5
    5

Holidays and festivities

  • Holi - The Festival of Colours

    February
    The Holi festival is an explosion of colour held in Kathmandu each year in February or March. The festival is famous for huge crowds celebrating this Hindu festival by showering each other in water and coloured powder. It can get a little messy!

  • Bisket Jatra - Nepali New Year

    April
    Nepali New Year falls in mid-April and is celebrated all around the country, though the best place to be is in Bhaktapur, where the celebrations are immense.

  • Indra Jatra - Lord of the Rain

    September
    The Indra Jatra festival celebrates both the end of the monsoon, and Indra, the annual appearance of Kathmandu's living goddess. Indra is one of the most important Gods of the Hindu religion, and Kathmandu's living goddess represents Indra on earth.