Nepal is a country of diverse climate and topography. Each month of the year has something to offer to every traveler. So, you can visit Nepal throughout the year.
But the best time to visit Nepal depends on your personal needs and preferences. You can consider these three factors to choose the best time to visit Nepal:
- Where you wish to go to the country?
- What climate do you prefer?
- What activities you would like to indulge in while visiting Nepal?
Before we look into the best time to visit Nepal for different activities, let’s look into the different seasons of Nepal:
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Seasons in Nepal
Spring (March, April, May)
The average temperature during Spring in Nepal is around 22 ° C. The weather is delightful in the mid-hills. In the lowlands of Nepal, it can get scorching hot. In the higher altitudes, the climate is cold especially at night and early mornings. Yet, the days are warm and long.
In the lower regions, you do get some rainfall during early and late spring. The average rainfall is around a low 10 – 70 mm for the entire spring. The average temperatures here is between 23°C and 28°C.
Spring is also the time for new buds, flower blossoms and the return of local wildlife.
The hottest month of spring is May. The annual temperatures peak during this month before the monsoon season. Most days are dry with clear, blue skies. During May, even the high altitude regions are warm with amazing clarity. In places like Namche Bazaar Bazaar (3440 m), the average temperature ranges from 3-9°C.
Hence, the best time to visit Nepal can be spring because of its moderate temperatures and stable weather conditions.
Summer (June, July, August)
The average summer temperature in Nepal is around 25 ° C. Nepal enjoys a wet summer. Hence, it is also known as monsoon season. Nepal gets an average rainfall of 129 – 239 mm within these three months.
June to mid-July are the hottest months of the year. The wettest months are July and August.
The average summer temperatures in Namche Bazaar is between 9-12°C.
While in Kathmandu, it is between 17 – 29° C.
Autumn (September, October, November)
The average temperature in Nepal during the autumn season is around 22 ℃.
After the monsoon of Nepal, you can enjoy the drop in temperatures during this season. The monsoon rain washes away all the dust and dirt making way for clear blue skies with fresh air.
The weather in autumn is pleasant with warm days and cold nights at higher altitude. The average autumn temperature range for Kathmandu (1400 m) is 15-22°C. For Namche Bazaar at 3440 m, the average temperature range is 3-10°C.
Winter (December, January, February)
Winter is cold all over Nepal. The average winter temperatures are around 10 °C.
The Nepali winter sees high pressure bringing clear skies and dry weather.
The nights can be freezing cold as the temperature falls low after the sunset. Snowfall is common in the Himalayan and upper hilly region of the country.
Yet, the temperatures do not drop to extreme levels unless you travel to the high altitudes in Nepal.
The days are warm with a slight chill during the early mornings and nights. The higher elevations also get snowfall. The Midlands and lowlands of Nepal hardly get any snowfall.
During these winter months, the average temperature range for Kathmandu is 9-16° C.
For Namche Bazaar, the average winter temperature is between -1 to -4° C.
Best Time for Treks and Peak Climbing in Nepal
Spring and Autumn
Due to the stable weather conditions and moderate temperatures, Spring and autumn are perfect seasons for hiking in Nepal. These months are the ideal time to climb peaks and join best treks in Nepal. Thousands of people from all over the world visit Nepal for these activities during these seasons.
For nature lovers, the colorful and lively nature on the trails during spring is a plus. During spring different species of flora like rhododendrons, magnolia and orchids bloom in the hills. These make for a panoramic, colorful view of your trekking trail.
You may also spot some rare and exotic wildlife on the trails. Spring sees the return of the local wildlife of the trekking regions.
Autumn offers little to no rain with amazing clarity. These conditions offer some of the perfect views of the mountains which are ideal for treks and peak climbing in Nepal. If you are a mountain lover then the autumn season is the choice for you.
Winter
Treks during winter in Nepal comes with its distinctive advantages.
If you don’t mind the cold, then winter treks are awesome. It offers crystal clear views with cool days. For snow lovers, winter is the perfect season for treks. The mountains fill with snow during this season and it makes for a spectacular sight.
However, winter is not the ideal time for high altitude treks and peak climbing. This is because of the cold and the dense snow many of the passes remain closed. This adds more difficulties to the trek.
So, you can opt for the short and easy treks in the lower altitudes of Nepal.
Summer
Except for the treks in the rain shadow area in Nepal, trekking in summer is not quite a popular time. This is because of the frequent rainfall and unstable weather conditions. Plus, the roads get slippery and muddy due to the downpours.
So, trekking to the regions like Upper Mustang, Dolpo, Annapurna Circuit trek, Rara Lake trek are popular during the summer season in Nepal.
Best Time for Jungle Safari
Spring, autumn, and winter are all great seasons to take part in jungle safaris and bird watching.
Spring: Spring fills the valley and forests with abundant greenery. You can enjoy the diverse and lush green flora of the regions. You can spot some of the rare and exotic wildlife on the trails.
Most of the popular destinations for these activities are in the lowlands of Nepal. These include the popular National Parks of Nepal like Chitwan National Park, Bardiya National Park, among others.
The local plant life of the regions also starts to flourish again after the lower temperatures of winter. You can see the bloom of new leaves, buds, and flowers. These attract the birdlife of the region.
Autumn: The climate is dry and there is less humidity in the air. The visibility is great during this season. All these factors increase the chance of spotting the elusive Bengal Tiger. You can also enjoy the sights of other animals like elephants, rhinoceros, and birds to the fullest.
Winter: The lowlands have moderate temperatures and are absolutely gorgeous in winter. These include popular National Parks of Nepal like Chitwan and Bardiya. These Parks in Terai host a variety of migratory birds during winter. Hence, it is the best season for bird watching. You can also enjoy jungle walks as the temperatures in these otherwise warm places is at their most moderate in winter.
Best Time for Mountain Photography
Autumn is the perfect time to take wonderful photographs of Nepal. This season offers amazing clarity and absence of cloud and haze. Hence, you can take amazing photographs of the mountains during this season.
Winter is another great season to take part in this activity. You can get amazing, clear views of snowy mountain peaks of the Himalayas.
Best Time to See Festivals in Nepal
Nepal is a host to a number of festivals throughout the year. Some of the popular festivals you can enjoy seasons wise are:
Spring: Spring is host to two colorful festivals of Nepal- Holi and Nepalese New Year.
Bisket Jatra: You can enjoy the celebrations of the traditional Nepali new year festival. The locals celebrate this festival or Bisket Jatra with great pomp and splendor.
Holi: Most of the locals in towns, villages, cities across the country spend the day celebrating this festival of colors. They celebrate it by covering one another in colored powders and throwing water balloons.
Summer is host to several interesting festivals:
Ropain: This is a rice planting festival. You can witness locals enjoying the festival while planting rice.
Kora: This is a cycling challenge that takes place in Kathmandu. It sees participants and audience of mountain bikers from around the world.
Gai Jatra: The locals celebrate this festival in the memory of their deceased ones.
The locals also celebrate it with satires. You can enjoy a carnival-like experience with dancing, singing, mirth, and laughter.
Autumn: This is also the season of festivals. Dashain and Tihar, the 2 biggest Hindu festivals of Nepal take place during this season.
These festivals the time of the longest holidays (5-15 days for Dashain and 3-5 days for Tihar). Make sure you get your paperwork (trekking permits) in order before these festivals.
These festivals have a focus on family and community ties, the giving of gifts and blessings.
During these festivals, you can expect street parades, dancing and singing in Nepal. You can view the decorated houses and temples during this festival. During Tihar, you can explore the streets to see the shops decked in flowers and lights to make way for the Goddess.
Winter:
Maghe Sankranti: This festival hopes to bring an end to the cold, winter season. It celebrates the coming of warming days bringing with it better days of health and fortune.
Yomari Punhi: Celebrated during the full moon day of December, it is a popular festival among the Newari communities. You can enjoy Yomari- a pastry of rice flour filled with brown cane sugar and sesame seeds. It is celebrated post the harvest season.
Tamu Lhosar: Lhosar or New year is widely celebrated by the Himalayan ethnic groups of Nepal. These include the Tamu or Gurung, Tamang, Sherpa, among others. Lhosar is the beginning of the new year in their Lunar calendar. Each of these communities celebrate it in their own style. The common themes are family get-together, community bonding, worshipping, and other traditions.
Best Time for Sightseeing in Nepal
You can do sightseeing tours in Nepal throughout the year. There are different types of sightseeing tours available in Nepal.
Himalayan sightseeing: The local autumn months are the peak time for Himalayan sightseeing. During the autumn the views of the mountains are awfully clear and give the best views of the mountains.
Winter is another favorite time for this activity. You can enjoy beautiful views of snow-capped Himalayas during winter. You also get great prices for your tour packages due to the fewer number of visitors.
Sightseeing of local flora and wildlife: Spring is one of the best seasons to go sightseeing in Nepal. During this season, the surrounding hills in the lowlands and mid-lands of Nepal are lush green. Many local flowers also bloom including the colorful Rhododendron.
These also attract the diverse species of birds and butterflies to Nepal. So, spring season becomes a host to bird and butterfly lovers and watchers from around the world.
You also get clear blue skies with dry days. Hence, you can enjoy sightseeing tours in the cities, towns, and hills of Nepal.
Best Time to Do Adventure Activities in Nepal
Spring marks the start of white-water rafting, bungee, and zip line in Nepal. Yet, spring does get sudden downpours and haze which disturb these activities. Autumn faces no such disturbances.
Paragliding and micro flights in Pokhara also take off during spring and autumn. So, Autumn is a great time to visit Nepal for these as well.
Autumn is the best season to take part in mountain biking. The paths are in their best condition. You can also enjoy great views along the way with amazing clarity of the trails and surrounding.
Honey Hunting
This daring activity takes place in Nepal using traditional methods to this day. A few local Gurung and Magar community still perform this activity. Honey hunters hang themselves in ropes and bamboo ladders. They then collect honey of wild bees with nests on cliffs.
To witness this act you can visit Nepal during autumn and spring season. You can also taste the nectar. The popular places for this activity are Bhujung, Ghalegaun, Dhading among others.
Best Time to Visit Different Geographical Regions of Nepal
Lowlands
Autumn is an amazing time to visit Terai. The lowlands (terai) of Nepal enjoy cooler temperature during this season. Winter is the best time to visit the lowlands (Terai) of Nepal. The weather during the winter months is warm as compared to other parts of Nepal.
Highlands
The mountain region (highlands) of Nepal is great throughout the year. Although the winter is freezing cold, it offers great views. You can also enjoy snowfall.
The summer sees more regular rain. It is a great season to visit rain-shadow regions of Nepal. These regions in the dry highlands of Nepal get little to no rain. Also, you can enjoy your visits in warm, bright, and long days.
Spring and autumn are fabulous seasons with dry, clear, cool temperatures. These seasons see little to no rainfall or snowfall.
Midlands
You can visit the hills (Midlands) of Nepal throughout the year. Unlike the other two regions of Nepal, this region doesn’t experience any extreme weather conditions. It enjoys moderate temperatures throughout the year. During the summer, the average temperature is around 27 and during winter, it is around 6.
Tips to Visit Nepal
Dress in Layers
On the longer and more diverse treks, you can enjoy a great variation in the temperatures. The lower regions can be hot while the higher elevation can be freezing cold. Hence, bring and dress in layers.
Book everything in advance for visits to Nepal during spring and autumn
This includes your flights, accommodations, tours, and permits. This ensures you get your preferred rooms, seats, and tour packages. You can contact us for this.
If you want to take part in the adventure activities during peak season, make sure you book this in advance as well. Else, you may have to postpone or queue for hours, days.
Check for the Local festivals and holidays
During the local festivals and holidays, almost all the government offices remain closed. So, you need to check properly the dates before you go to obtain permits and other necessary documents for your treks in Nepal.
Final Say,
With the right preparation and planning, Nepal is a great year-round destination. But, depending on what you want to see, where you want to go, and what you want to do, the best time to visit Nepal differs.
