If you are asking when to trek in Nepal, the short answer is spring and autumn. The longer answer depends on what you want from the trip: big views, quiet trails, warm days, or a route that works when the weather is not at its best.
In this article
Here is how the four seasons compare, and which of our treks we list for each one. Every trek we run is private and arranged around your dates, so if your dates fall outside a season below, just ask us.
Spring (March to May)
Spring is one of the two main trekking seasons in Nepal. It suits almost every route we run.
On the Annapurna side, the rhododendron forests are a big reason to go. Our Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek notes the forest is at its best in March and April.
We list these treks for spring:
- Everest Base Camp Trek
- Annapurna Base Camp Trek
- Annapurna Circuit Trek
- Manaslu Circuit Trek
- Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
- Mardi Himal Trek
- Langtang Valley Trek
- Upper Mustang Trek
Autumn (September to November)
Autumn is the other main season. If you have your heart set on a particular autumn date, it is worth getting in touch early so we can check guide and permit availability for you.
The same eight treks are listed for autumn as for spring. The four big, high routes, Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp, the Annapurna Circuit and the Manaslu Circuit, are listed for these two seasons only. For those routes we say plainly: spring or autumn is when we run them.
If Everest is your goal, our guide to the best time to trek Everest Base Camp goes into more detail.
Winter (December to February)
Winter is cold. That is the main thing to know, and it matters most at altitude. The upside is that you can still walk some lovely, lower routes if you pick them carefully.
The high passes and the big circuits are not listed for winter. The routes we list for winter are lower or shorter:
- Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, which stays below 3,300 m
- Mardi Himal Trek
- Langtang Valley Trek, reached by road from Kathmandu
- Upper Mustang Trek
For more, read our guides to the best treks in Nepal in December and short winter treks near Kathmandu.
Monsoon (June to August)
The monsoon is wet. The high routes are not listed for these months, and we do not run the big circuits then.
A few of our treks are listed for monsoon:
- Upper Mustang Trek, which sits in the rain shadow behind the Annapurnas and, as the trip page says, stays walkable through the monsoon
- Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
- Mardi Himal Trek
- Langtang Valley Trek
For the three lower routes, our trip pages say we run them in every season, and that we will tell you honestly what to expect for your dates. Take us up on that before you book a monsoon trip.
How to choose between spring and autumn
Both seasons are listed for the same eight treks, so the choice often comes down to timing and what you want to see along the way.
Spring offers flowering forests on routes like Poon Hill. Autumn comes straight after the monsoon. Neither is wrong. If you are comfortable with either, pick the dates that suit your flights and your work.
Whichever you choose, the walking itself does not change. Altitude is the real challenge on the high routes, and the itineraries are built around acclimatisation days. On Everest Base Camp, for example, there are two acclimatisation days that we do not skip. On the Annapurna Circuit there is a full acclimatisation day in Manang before the pass.
Which season suits which Traveller?
Here is a simple way to think about it.
If you want a high, big-name trek such as Everest Base Camp or the Annapurna Circuit, plan for spring or autumn. Those are the months we run them.
If you are travelling in winter or monsoon, pick one of the four routes listed for those seasons and talk to us about your dates.
If you are new to trekking and have flexible dates, spring or autumn gives you the widest choice. Our roundup of the best treks in Nepal for first-timers is a good next read.
A note on flexibility
Because every trek is private, you are not tied to a fixed departure date. You choose the dates and we check guide and permit availability. You can read how that works in how booking a private trek works.
Season is only one part of the plan. Fitness, altitude and how much time you have matter too. If you are unsure, send us your dates and what you hope to see, and we will suggest a route that fits.