Walking around Pokhara in the rain
Monsoon and the shoulder weeks aren't a write-off. The mountains hide, but the forest is at its greenest and half the good walking here doesn't need a view.
By the Lakeshore team · 6 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
Every operator in Nepal tells you not to come between June and September, then acts surprised when the visitors who turn up in July have nothing to do.
Plenty of us walk right through the monsoon. Pick walks where the mountains are a bonus, and go at the right time of day.
This is what we do ourselves in the wet months.
Walk early, not late
Monsoon rain here falls mostly in the late afternoon and at night. Mornings are often dry and sometimes clear, and now and then the air is washed so clean that you get an hour of visibility you won't see in October haze.
So the rule is easy. Be walking by six and finished by eleven. Almost every miserable monsoon walk we hear about started at ten in the morning.
It also means a night somewhere high is worth more in the monsoon than at any other time. You wake up already in place for the clear window, instead of driving toward it while the cloud builds.
Walks that work in the wet
Panchase. You go for the forest more than the summit, and the forest is at its best in the rain, with moss and orchids, cloud moving through the trees and everything dripping. There are leeches, and they are manageable.
The World Peace Pagoda. It's short and shaded, and the view is of the lake more than the mountains, so it works in almost any weather. The boat across is pleasant in drizzle.
The Begnas and Rupa lake country east of town. It's low and green, and the flooded rice terraces are at their brightest. This is the classic monsoon photograph of Nepal, and hardly any visitors come for it.
Old Bazaar and the caves and museums in town, for the days when the rain just doesn't stop.
Leeches, and what to do about them
Leeches live in wet forest between roughly 1,000 and 3,000 m. Movement and warmth draw them in, and they will find your ankles. They don't spread disease, and the bite doesn't hurt.
Salt makes them let go, so keep some in a sock or a small tub in your pocket. Long socks tucked over your trousers and a check at every break handle the rest. Don't pull them off mid-bite, because the wound bleeds for longer. The bleeding afterwards looks dramatic, since their saliva contains an anticoagulant, but it stops. On every trip we have run, nobody has cut a walk short because of a leech.
What to wear
Bring a fully waterproof jacket instead of a showerproof shell, and accept that you'll get wet from the inside anyway. It's warm and humid, and a sealed jacket turns into a sauna, so many people walk in a quick-dry shirt and carry the jacket for downpours.
Quick-dry trousers, not jeans or cotton. Sandals for the evening, because your boots won't dry overnight.
A dry bag or a liner for your camera and phone. And expect the trails to get very slippery. The descent is where monsoon injuries happen, and poles help more than usual.
What we wouldn't do
Anything high and exposed for the view. In July, Mardi's ridge and the Annapurna Sanctuary are a lot of effort for a grey box, and we will tell you so instead of taking your money.
Long road trips with no slack. Landslides close the Prithvi Highway and the Baglung road from time to time, and a spare day solves nearly all of it.
River crossings on side trails after heavy rain. That is the one serious hazard of monsoon walking, and it is worth taking a guide for anything off the main paths.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
Is it worth coming to Pokhara in monsoon at all?
For the mountains, no. For green hills, empty trails, low prices and a different Nepal, yes. Our Sarangkot and Peace Pagoda walks run all year, and for a July trek, Upper Mustang sits in the rain shadow.
How bad are the leeches?
Persistent but harmless. Carry salt and wear long socks. They put off far more people than they should.
Will I see any mountains at all?
Occasionally, usually just after dawn following a night of rain. Treat every clear window as a bonus and you'll enjoy the trip.
Do prices drop in monsoon?
Lodges and hotels are easier to bargain with, and flights into Nepal are cheaper. Guiding and permits cost the same in any month.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates and how much walking you've done, and we'll tell you whether Panchase Hill Overnight Hike 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