Best Time to Visit Nepal

The best time to visit are between February-April and again from September to november. This is when the weather is at its bestand festivity is in the air. The peak season for tourists start in September as the cool season begins. The best time for trekking is between October and May, when the weather is relatively stable. In Nepal, when it rains it pours, and the months of slush from June to August are distinctly avoidable. May in the terai is hot, almost like the northern plains in India.

For a taste of local festivity and ritual fervour, the time to visit must be Dasain. Ten days in end-September or beginning-October are devoted to ‘puja’ time. The goddess Durga (incarnation of Shakti or Power) is celebrated, venerated and worshipped. All banks, government offices, and anything that should be working all year round shuts down for a blissful vacation. Tickets on buses and planes get booked out of the reckoning so wherever you get to during these days, be prepared to stay put!

Climate

The heavens open up in the monsoon season from June to September. The Terai is a drippy, newly washed fantastic green. It’s cool while it’s grey and hung over with clouds. When the sun comes out it gets muggy and the air begins to buzz with insect activity.

The months between September-November and February-April are really the the best seasons in Nepal. It is most pleasant then and autumn brings the hectic festival season, with the flowers blooming in the spring.

Winter is considerably cold in the entire hilly region. The Kathmandu valley at 1310 metres can get as cold as 2°C (minimum) in the cold months from late November to January. A little higher you’ll encounter temperatures that dip to freezing levels. The Terai however, is mild and on most days a light sweater is too much in the afternoon sun.

Summer sweeps Nepal in May and carries through till September. The plains will be very warm during this time, almost 40° C. The Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys are pleasant and the higher Himalayas as always are snow-bound.