Nepal’s Best Trekking Seasons in 2026

Nepal’s trekking seasons are defined by its monsoon season, elevation differences, and by its climate in the Himalayas. In 2026, trekkers will find conditions for trekking to follow similar seasonal patterns, which gives Nepal the title of one of the most diverse trekking locations on this planet. With each season- spring, autumn, monsoon, and winter presents different scenery, experiences, and difficulties. The correct season to choose will be based on an individual’s weather preference, crowd size, trekking route, and level of experience.

Spring Trekking Season (March to May)

Spring has become the premier trekking season for many trekkers because of several reasons: the temperature at this time of year is moderate and pleasant for trekking. Besides this, the trails offer plenty of room for various groups, allowing multiple groups access to the same trail. Walking on snow-covered trails requires greater effort than walking on traded trails.

However, since most of the snow has already melted. Also, the days will typically feel warm while at times the nights will feel quite chilly at the higher elevations. This combination of warmth and coolness make trekking in Spring in Nepal extremely comfortable for a majority of trekkers. With the warm temperatures on average, there are more days with which trekking can occur without the need to be overly exposed to temperature extremes.

One of the benefits of trekking in Nepal during the Spring is the blooming of the rhododendrons. Certain parts of Nepal (most notably the Annapurna region, Langtang and Everest) provide some of the most spectacular forest displays of blooming rhododendrons of red, pink and white during the spring months. The landscapes of many areas in Nepal have also awakened from their winter slumbers as wildlife is more active during the spring, creating an animated scenery in many areas. Additionally, most mountain scenery is generally visible in the mornings, although some clouds can appear during the afternoon hours.

(April - June) is one of the best seasons in Nepal for trekking. The treks to Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna Base Camp, Manaslu Circuit and Langtang Valley are some of the most popular treks in Nepal. By the end of April and into May, all of the highest passes on these popular routes will start to open, which will allow trekkers to complete some of the more remote, challenging treks during that time. Even though Spring is generally a peak trekking season in Nepal, many popular routes may still be relatively crowded (especially the last two weeks of April and May 2026) due to the significant number of trekkers that use these routes. In general, Spring will be a great time for new trekkers as well as those who are seasoned.

Autumn (September - November)

It is also considered the best season for trekking in Nepal, as it is the most consistent season, but it is the best trekking option in 2026 for the majority of trekkers. Dust from the monsoon season dissipated from the air, resulting in clean air. As a result, during fall, trekkers will have access to the most amazimg views of the mountains due to a lack of weather instability, and extremely limited rain. As well, there will be great temperatures on all levels of elevation, including the very high elevations. Fall is the best time of year to trek on all of Nepal's trails. Trails will be dry, rivers will be subdued, and visibility will be very high. This will provide an ideal environment for photographers and panoramic views of the Himalayas. Until late November, snowfall will be minimal on high passes, creating an opportunity for trekkers to take on more difficult treks with high passes, including long treks.

The ideal times to hike the Everest Base Camp: the Three Passes: Annapurna Circuit: Manaslu Circuit: Upper Mustang Region and trek through the Upper Mustang Region would be during the fall months as weather conditions become more favorable. Additionally, many of Nepal's annual festivals fall around the same time so treks during these months would also provide trekkers the opportunity to experience unique aspects of the Nepali culture.

However, one of the negatives to trekking in Nepal during the fall months is that it is the highest traffic time of the year so trails could be heavily populated with tourists. Trekkers that are planning a trip in the Fall of 2026 should thus make flight arrangements: guide arrangements: and teahouse arrangements as soon as possible.

Summer months (June-August)

Summer months are referred to in Nepal as Monsoon or Summer Trekking Months and, as with most regions of Nepal, these months are usually characterized by moderate amount of rain (high being the largest source of rainfall) to low.For those who choose to go trekking during Monsoon season, the weather conditions create challenges due to the wet condition of the trail and the slippery condition of the trail due to rain, leeches inhabiting lower elevation regions, landslides that could occur from heavy rainfall, and limited visibility when temperature can reach low areas of travel; and mountain flights may experience delayed or cancellation. Although there is a considerable risk associated with trekking in Nepal during the Monsoon season, 2026 is not an ideal time to completely dismiss the possibility of trekking.

While the monsoon seasons are notorious for heavy rains throughout Nepal, trekkers can use the weather to their advantage. During Nepal’s monsoon period, Nepal transforms into a lush, green paradise featuring truly beautiful nature. The beauty of the valleys, forests and hills are at their absolute peak and filled with vivid shades of green, providing incredible views; along with the increased flow rate of various waterfalls, which provide spectacular views. Because of all of these factors, agricultural regions are producing at their highest level of growing rates and will be at their peak level of abundance.

Therefore, because of the incredible beauty, agricultural abundance and vastly increased flow rates of all these waterfalls are considered to be an amazing time to go trekking through some of Nepal’s most remote areas during the monsoon season. In order to create the best overall hiking experience, trekkers and hikers planning a month-long trek during the monsoon season need to take into consideration a number of different factors as well as the corresponding impact of those factors on their hike.

For example, a very significant plus of hiking (or trekking) during this time is that you will experience far less competition on the hiking trails because there will generally be significantly fewer tourists on the trails and much more lodging available - such as hotels and hostels - compared with the peak camping and trekking season. Also, trekking during the monsoon will generally yield significant financial savings over the same trips at other times of the season.

When considering what would be the best area to trek in Nepal during the monsoon season, it is very important to select areas that are known for being "low rainfall" areas (areas that do not generally experience precipitation in excess of 25 mm per day). For example, the areas of Upper Mustang, Dolpo, Manang-Nar Phu Valley and various sections of the Manaslu Circuit provide excellent trekking locations for trekkers, photographers, and individuals desiring to discover portions of Nepal that are rarely visited by tourists. With the anticipated increase in trekking in Nepal in 2026,

Winter Trekking Season in Nepal (December - February)

Winter trekking in Nepal can be a different experience than rain and mud seasons simply because of the cold at night and at high elevation as well as severe weather conditions including heavy snowfall in some locations which will close the mountain passes and limit access to the remote mountain trails, thus limiting the trekking opportunities for winter trekkers. As long as trekkers can plan their trek and select the right routes, they may still have an amazing experience trekking in Nepal during the winter season of 2026; however, winter trekkers will need to think well ahead to properly prepare for their trek.

Another advantage of the winter season is that, on average, winter trekking is generally less populated and offers much quieter scenery that will be much more beautiful to view than those who trek during dry months. The dry winter months provide excellent visibility of the mountains where the views of the mountain ranges are nothing less than fantastic, particularly in December and January. There will also be much fewer trekkers during the winter months providing more quiet times and the opportunity for a more personal connection between the tourists and the local community. In addition, winter months usually have teahouses that are much less busy, which translates into lower prices for trekking permits.

So, What next?

Trekking in Nepal during the winter months (December to early March) is an excellent way for trekkers to get away from it all and will provide them with ideal opportunities to enjoy lowaltitude, short-distance treks, such as Ghorepani-Poon Hill, Helambu, and Chisapani-Nagarkot, as well as lower Annapurna Treks. Most high altitude and long distance treks (i.e., Thorong La and the Three Passes) cannot be done during the winter months, as they would be too cold and snowy.

Therefore, trekkers looking for tranquility, stunning views, cultural experiences, and low altitude treks will find the ideal treks in Nepal. During the period between December 2026 and March 2027 (the best time for trekking in Nepal is generally between late September and early October through late February to early March).