Quick answer
The best time to trek in Nepal is October and November, then March to May: dry and clear. December to February is clear but cold, with January nights of −8 °C at Namche and −9 °C at Manang, and snow on the high passes. June to September is the monsoon: rain, leeches and landslides, except in Upper Mustang's rain shadow.
The short answer is the same everywhere. What differs from one trek to the next is how cold the nights get in the shoulder months, which roads the monsoon takes out, and when Nepal's own holidays fill the buses. The temperatures below are long-term averages from the weather station nearest each trek, not guesses.
On this page
The four trekking seasons
| Season | Months | Namche, 3,450 m: day / night | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn | October, November | 13 °C / 1 °C in October | The main season: dry, clear mountain views, the busiest trails |
| Winter | December to February | 7 °C / −8 °C in January | Clear and cold, few trekkers; snow can close the high passes |
| Spring | March to May | 13 °C / 1 °C in April | Warmer, rhododendrons in flower, haze building by May |
| Monsoon | June to September | 16 °C / 8 °C in July | Rain most days, leeches, landslides on the roads, cloud over the peaks |
Month by month
- January. The coldest month: −8 °C at night at Namche, −9 °C at Manang. Clear days and empty trails; Thorong La and Larkya La can be shut by snow. Low treks such as Poon Hill stay open.
- February. Still cold (−6 °C at night at Namche), warming at the end of the month.
- March. Spring begins: 10 °C by day at Namche, −3 °C at night. Rhododendrons flower on the Poon Hill and Mardi trails. Lukla flights move to Manthali (Ramechhap) from Chait, mid-March, to Jestha.
- April. Warm days (13 °C at Namche) and nights near freezing (1 °C). With October, one of the two best months for the high treks.
- May. The warmest month before the monsoon (4 °C at night at Namche); afternoon cloud and haze grow towards the end of it.
- June to August. The monsoon. Rain most days below the high valleys, leeches in the forests, landslides on the roads to the trailheads, and Lukla flights grounded by cloud. Upper Mustang, in the rain shadow north of the Annapurnas, is the exception.
- September. The monsoon ends during the month. Green and wet, with roads still blocked in places.
- October. The main season: dry and clear, 1 °C at night at Namche. Dashain falls in it, and the trails and buses are at their fullest.
- November. Clear and colder (−4 °C at night at Namche), with Tihar early in the month. Many think it the best month of all.
- December. Cold and clear, few trekkers, −7 °C at night at Namche. Lukla flights are back at Kathmandu from Mangsir 15, about 1 December.
Day and night temperatures by trek
Each row is the weather station nearest the trek, with its altitude: the average high by day and low at night, in °C, over 30 years. The camps above a station are colder than it, by about 6.5 °C for every 1,000 m on average, so Annapurna Base Camp at 4,130 m is far colder than Lumle at 1,738 m.
| Station and trek | October | December | January | April | July |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Namche Bazaar, 3,450 m: Everest Base Camp | 13° / 1° | 8° / −7° | 7° / −8° | 13° / 1° | 16° / 8° |
| Lumle, 1,738 m: Annapurna Base Camp, Ghorepani Poon Hill, Mardi Himal | 22° / 13° | 15° / 6° | 14° / 5° | 23° / 12° | 24° / 18° |
| Lete, 2,384 m: North ABC | 19° / 8° | 12° / 1° | 11° / 0° | 21° / 8° | 22° / 14° |
| Manang, 3,401 m: Annapurna Circuit | 15° / 1° | 9° / −7° | 7° / −9° | 14° / 0° | 19° / 10° |
| Langtang, 3,500 m: Langtang Valley | 15° / 2° | 8° / −10° | 2° / −11° | 14° / −2° | 19° / 9° |
| Dhunche, 1,982 m: Gosaikunda | 22° / 11° | 14° / 3° | 14° / 2° | 24° / 10° | 23° / 16° |
| Jomsom, 2,741 m: Upper Mustang | 18° / 6° | 12° / −1° | 10° / −2° | 19° / 4° | 23° / 14° |
Which trek in which month
| Trek | Go | Avoid | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everest Base Camp | October–November, March–May | June–September | The monsoon cloud grounds Lukla flights. In spring (Chait to Jestha) and autumn (Asoj to Mangsir 15) they leave from Manthali, 4–5 hours by road from Kathmandu |
| Annapurna Base Camp | October–November, March–May | June–August | Rain and leeches in the forest below Chhomrong in the monsoon; the base camp's nights are well below Lumle's 5 °C in January |
| North Annapurna Base Camp | October–November, April–May | June–August | Landslides close the road to Hum Khola every monsoon; it reopened in late August in 2025 and 2026. Snow closed the base camp on 30 October 2025. No source covers winter |
| Annapurna Circuit | October–November, March–April | December–February | Manang's January nights are −9 °C, and snow can shut Thorong La (5,416 m) |
| Ghorepani Poon Hill | October–April | June–August | Low enough for winter, with no night above 2,874 m; rhododendrons in March and April; the view is lost in monsoon cloud |
| Mardi Himal | October–November, March–May | June–August | High Camp, 3,550 m, is cold in winter and the path to the viewpoint can be icy |
| Langtang Valley | October–November, March–May | June–September | The flood of 26 August 2026 hit Syabrubesi, where the trek starts: check the valley has reopened before you go |
| Gosaikunda | October–November, April–May; August for Janai Purnima | December–February | The lake at 4,380 m is often snowbound in winter. At Janai Purnima, in August, thousands of pilgrims walk up |
| Manaslu Circuit | October–November, March–May | June–August, December–February | The Larkya La (5,106 m) needs clear weather. The Budhi Gandaki flood of 11 October 2026 took a footbridge; trekkers walk in from the Khorlabesi road head |
| Upper Mustang | March–November, the monsoon included | December–February | In the rain shadow, so dry in the monsoon. Jomsom's January nights are −2 °C, and Lo Manthang is 1,100 m higher |
Holidays and crowds, for Nepali trekkers
For most Nepali trekkers the best time is when the office is shut, and that is when everyone else goes too. This year's Dashain break ran from Saturday 17 to Saturday 24 October 2026; Tihar and Chhath run from Saturday 7 to Thursday 12 November 2026. The Nepali calendar shows where a day or two of leave turns a holiday into a trek.
The rush is real. In October 2025, 150 to 500 trekkers a day reached North ABC, whose tent hotels have room for about 50 (Onlinekhabar). In October 2026 jeep drivers to Hum Khola asked twice the committee's Rs 8,000 a jeep (Rising Nepal, 16 October 2026). Book the bus out early, and if you can, go the week after a holiday instead of the week of it.
Monsoon closures in 2025 and 2026
- North ABC: landslides block the road from Narchyang to Hum Khola every monsoon; it reopened in late August in both 2025 and 2026 (Rising Nepal, 26 August 2026).
- Langtang: the flood of 26 August 2026 took more than 400 houses at Syabrubesi, its health post and its bridges (Onlinekhabar). Reports that the valley has reopened come only from agencies.
- Manaslu: the Budhi Gandaki flood of 11 October 2026 took the Machha Khola–Kerauja footbridge; on 25 October vehicles reached Khorlabesi and trekkers walked on (Kathmandu Post).
- North ABC, in autumn: after rain and snow from 27 October 2025, 72 trekkers were brought down and the base camp was closed to 31 October (Onlinekhabar).
Common questions
Which month is best for trekking in Nepal?
October and November, for dry weather and clear views; April is the best of the spring months. October is the busiest, so November is the better choice if you want both clear skies and quieter trails.
What is the best time for Everest Base Camp?
October to November and March to May. In those months Lukla flights leave from Manthali (Ramechhap), 4–5 hours by road from Kathmandu, so plan for a very early start. In the monsoon cloud grounds the flights.
Can you trek in Nepal in December or January?
Yes, on lower treks and with warm kit on the high ones. Nights at Namche average −8 °C in January and at Manang −9 °C, and snow can close Thorong La and Larkya La. Poon Hill, which never sleeps above 2,874 m, is the easiest winter trek.
Can you trek in Nepal in the monsoon?
Upper Mustang is the one trek in the rain shadow, dry from June to September. Elsewhere you can, but expect rain most days, leeches, landslides on the roads and cloud over the mountains, and check each road head is open.
When is it too cold to trek in Nepal?
No month is closed, but from December to February the passes above 5,000 m can be shut by snow and nights at 4,000 m and above fall below −10 °C. A four-season sleeping bag and microspikes make winter possible on most routes.
In this topic
Trekking in Nepal
Ten treks priced for Nepali, Indian and foreign trekkers, the permits each needs, and what to know before you go.
Trek cost calculator: permits, transport, rooms, food and guide — the whole subject in one place
Before you go
- Trekking without a guide: the rule by trek
- Best time to trek, month by month
- Easy treks for beginners
- Cheapest treks in Nepal
- Guide and porter cost
- Packing list and Thamel rental prices
- Altitude sickness: signs, rule and medicine
- Kathmandu to Lukla flight: price and dates
Short trips
The treks
- Everest Base Camp trek cost
- Annapurna Base Camp trek cost
- North ABC trek cost
- Annapurna Circuit trek cost
- Ghorepani Poon Hill trek cost
- Mardi Himal trek cost
- Langtang Valley trek cost
- Gosaikunda trek cost
- Manaslu Circuit trek cost
- Upper Mustang trek cost
Permits
