When is the best time to go?

Asked by: A traveller

Answered by: Stuart Butler

October to April is the dry season and, overall, this is the best time to trek in most of Nepal. But within that, the ideal trekking time is really from October to early November when the skies are crystal clear and the visibility excellent. It’s warm in the valleys and cool to cold up high. However, this is also the busiest time on the main trails, and villages can be overwhelmed with trekkers.

In general avoid the monsoon season from May to September, when many trekking routes close and paths become dangerous. However, for some regions, such as Upper Mustang and Dolpo, this is actually a good time to trek.

Stuart Butler

Stuart is an award-winning travel journalist and guidebook author who has been visiting and trekking in Nepal for over thirty years. One of the world's leading authorities on Nepal trekking, he is the author of Lonely Planet’s Trekking in Nepal, the Rough Guide to Nepal, the Tibet chapter of the Rough Guide to China and the Bradt guide to Kashmir & Ladakh. He is also regularly published in The Independent, BBC, Time Out, The Telegraph, among many other UK and international publications.

stuartbutlerjournalist.com/

Related guides

Guide

Trekking in Nepal

Stuart Butler

The Nepal trekking industry is plagued with an oversupply problem – there seem to be more trekking operators than actual trekkers, which puts immense downward pressure on prices. This might seem like a good thing for you, but when you see a 12 day EBC trek for $800 it means corners are being cut somewhere, usually in the pay and quality (and therefore safety and wellbeing) of ground staff.