Seasons and weather

Everest Base Camp in January: very cold nights, short days, lodges that close above Dingboche, flight delays, what a shared guide saves and how to post your dates. Facts dated October to November 2026.

Annapurna Base Camp in December: short cold days, snow and avalanche risk above Deurali, what stays walkable, how a partner cuts the guide cost, and when to post your dates. Facts dated October and November 2026.

How many hours of daylight a Nepal trek gives you each month, with calculated sunrise and sunset for Kathmandu, Namche and Pokhara, and what that means for pass days, dawn climbs and when to leave the lodge.

Why Lukla flights are delayed (visual landings, cloud and afternoon wind), which forecasts are worth reading, how season changes the odds, and how to build a schedule and budget that survive a bad-weather day.

When and where to see rhododendrons on Nepal treks: bloom begins low in March and peaks in April, with the best forests at Ghorepani, Ghandruk, below Namche, in Makalu and Rara, and how to plan around crowds.

What winter trekking in Nepal is really like from December to February: cold nights, short days, closed lodges and avalanche paths, where it works, where it does not, and how to decide each day.

December is cold, clear and quiet, with the shortest days of the year. Which low routes work, where snow and closed lodges end the season, how early and late December differ, and what to pack.

August is the monsoon peak. This guide covers where trekking still works (the rain-shadow north), what Janai Purnima does to Gosaikunda and Panch Pokhari, the landslide and flight risks, and who should wait for September.

June is the edge of the monsoon: wet and leech-prone in the south, but one of the best months for Upper Dolpo and a workable one for Upper Mustang, Humla and the north side of the Annapurna Circuit.

What February is like on Nepal trails: cold but clearing, days nearly an hour longer than in January, which low routes work, which high routes to leave for spring, and what to pack and expect.

What November is like on the trail: very clear air, cold nights, quieter lodges, snow on passes late in the month and Tihar. Region by region for Everest, Annapurna, Langtang, Manaslu and Mustang.

What September is like on the trail: the fading monsoon, green trails, clear rain-shadow regions, rising permit prices for Manaslu and Tsum and the build-up to Dashain. Region by region.

July is peak monsoon. What it means on the trail, which rain-shadow routes (Upper Mustang, northern Annapurna, Nar Phu, Dolpo) are realistic, what permits and flights cost and what goes wrong.

What May is like on the trail: warmer, hazier days, afternoon cloud, thinner crowds and the early monsoon risk. Which routes shine now, from Gokyo and Manaslu to Upper Mustang, Tiji and Dolpo.

What March is like on the trail: clear days, cold nights, early rhododendron and snow that still lingers on high passes. Region by region guidance for Everest, Annapurna, Langtang and Manaslu.

What January is like on the trail: clear cold mornings, short days, quiet lodges and which routes suit winter. Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, Langtang and Helambu, and the high routes to leave for spring.

When to trek in Nepal: autumn and spring compared, a month-by-month table for Everest, Annapurna, Langtang, Manaslu and Upper Mustang, the monsoon dates and the rain-shadow exceptions.

When to walk the Annapurna Circuit: month-by-month conditions on Thorong La, the monsoon rain-shadow exception north of Chame, snow risk, flights from Jomsom and which month suits which priority.

When to go to Everest Base Camp: a month-by-month guide to weather, crowds, flights, lodges and snow, with a short answer (April-May or October-November) and the trade-offs behind it.

How snow, wind and ice change Thorong La, Cho La, Kongma La and Renjo La through the year, how to judge conditions on the day and when guides turn back.

What the monsoon does to Nepal's trails, which routes are drier because they sit in the rain shadow, and the transport, leech and landslide risks to plan around from June to September.

What April is like on Nepal's trails: rhododendron bloom, warm days, hazy views, afternoon storms, Everest expedition traffic and which routes suit the month best.

What October is like on the trail, region by region: clear skies and cold nights, the Dashain and Tihar crowds, flight and bus pressure, snow risk on the passes and how to book.

The best months for the Langtang Valley trek, how conditions change from Syabrubesi to Kyanjin Gompa each month, and what to expect in monsoon and winter.

When to walk Upper Mustang: the rain-shadow summer, the wind, the Tiji festival, the cold winter and the best months for light and comfort, with month-by-month notes.

The best months for the Manaslu Circuit, what each month means for Larkya La, the lower valley and the lodges, and how the monsoon and winter change the trek.