Trekking, rafting, flying and jungle in Nepal, month by month
Flying, rafting, trekking and the jungle each have their own best season, and they don't line up neatly. This is what is at its best in each month.
By the Lakeshore team · 6 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
Most advice on Nepal's seasons comes down to 'come in October or April', which is right for trekking and wrong for several other things.
Rafting is at its biggest just after the monsoon. Chitwan is best when the grass has been cut. Upper Mustang works in July, when everywhere else is under cloud, and paragliding is a dry-season activity that peaks in autumn.
So if your dates are fixed, the calendar below shows what they're good for.
October and November, the peak for nearly everything
Trekking is at its best, with stable weather, the clearest air of the year and every route open. It's also the busiest time, and lodges on the popular trails fill by mid-afternoon.
Rafting is at its biggest and most exciting straight after the monsoon, while the rivers are still high.
Paragliding is excellent and reliable. Mountain flights are excellent too.
Chitwan is good and gets better as it cools. Dashain and Tihar both fall in these months, which affects transport and permit offices.
If you can come in these two months, do. Book everything early.
December to February is clear, cold and empty
On clear days you get the sharpest mountain views of the year, and the trails are by far the quietest. Low routes such as the Royal Trek, Ghandruk and the Pokhara day walks are close to perfect.
High passes can close with snow, so don't count on Thorong La or Kang La in winter.
Chitwan is at its best. It's cool and dry, and the grass is cut short after the winter harvest, so you can see the animals far more easily. February and March are the pick of the year for the jungle.
Rafting is lower and colder, more technical and less big. Paragliding runs, but morning fog in the valley can delay it.
March to May brings rhododendron, haze and heat
Trekking's second season. Rhododendron flowers in the middle-altitude forests from late March, nights are warmer and days are longer than in autumn.
The catch is haze. Spring air is dustier, and you can't see nearly as far as in October. For photographs of distant peaks autumn wins, and for foreground and colour spring does.
Rafting is low and friendly, which makes this the best window for families and nervous beginners. Canyoning is gentler for the same reason.
By May the Terai is very hot and Chitwan turns into a test of how much heat you can take, though the animals gather at water and sightings can be superb.
Tiji, the festival at Lo Manthang, falls in May and is worth planning a trip around.
June to September, the monsoon and what still works
Upper Mustang and the upper Kali Gandaki sit in the rain shadow, and the walking there is good. If your holiday is fixed in the northern summer, this is your answer.
Everything is green, the rice terraces are flooded, the waterfalls are running and there are very few visitors. Photographers who come now on purpose are after the valleys, not the peaks.
Flying is unreliable and cancels often. Rivers run high and many commercial rafting trips stop. Landslides hit the roads.
Janai Purnima, on the August full moon, fills Gosaikunda and Khayer Lake with pilgrims, and it's an extraordinary thing to see.
Come with buffer days and low expectations of mountain views, and it's a rewarding time to be here.
If you can only pick one month
November gives you the widest range of things at their best at the same time: trekking, flying, rafting and clear air, with the festival rush just over.
February, if you want the mountains clear and empty and the jungle at its best, and you don't need a high pass.
April, if you want warmth, colour and long days and can live with the haze.
July only if you're going to Mustang. Then it's a fine choice, though few people will tell you so.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
Which single month would you pick?
November, because the most things are at their best at once. February is the connoisseur's answer if you don't need a high pass.
Is monsoon really worth considering?
For Upper Mustang and Jomsom, yes, without any hedging. For anything south of the main range, only if you want green landscape more than mountains.
When is Chitwan best?
January to March, after the grass is cut. You can see the animals far more easily and the heat is manageable.
When should I book?
Four to six weeks ahead for October and November. For the rest of the year a few days is usually enough, and outside peak season plenty of people walk into our office and leave the next morning. Nothing to pay online. We confirm your dates first.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates, and we'll tell you whether Sarangkot Tandem Paragliding is right for you. If it isn't, we'll say so.
Nothing to pay online. We confirm your dates first.
Or call the office +977 61-457830