Mani Rimdu festival on the Everest Base Camp trail: dates and planning

Last updated 17 October 2026.

Short answer: Mani Rimdu is a Buddhist festival of masked dances, prayers and fire rituals held once a year at Tengboche Monastery (3,860 m), which our 12-day Everest Base Camp trek reaches on day 4. The date follows the Tibetan lunar calendar, so it moves every year, usually falling in October or November. The public part runs over about three days. Confirm the year's dates with us before you fix your flights, and we will plan your trek around them.

I am Shreejan. Every autumn some guests ask if they can see Mani Rimdu on their way to base camp. It is possible, and it is a special thing to watch, but it needs planning: the date moves, Tengboche gets busy that week, and nobody should cut acclimatisation to reach it.

What is Mani Rimdu?

Mani Rimdu is held by the monks of the Sherpa monasteries of the Khumbu, who follow the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Over the festival the monks make a sand mandala, give an empowerment blessing called Wong, perform the masked Cham dances and end with offerings and a fire puja. The masked dances are the part most visitors come for. For the monks Cham is meditation and an offering, believed to bring merit to everyone who watches. For you it is a rare chance to see it, and the right way to watch is quietly.

When is Mani Rimdu, and how is the date set?

The date is set by the Tibetan lunar calendar, not the Western one, which is why it moves by up to a couple of weeks from one year to the next. It is usually held around the full moon in October or November. We confirm the dates for 2027 with our team in the Khumbu as the season approaches. If the festival is the reason for your trip, message me before you book flights and I will check the dates for you.

Where on the Everest trail can you see it?

Mani Rimdu is held at the monasteries of Tengboche, Thame and Chiwong in the Solukhumbu. Only Tengboche is on our Everest Base Camp route. Thame lies off the base camp trail, and our Thame guide covers the village. Our Tengboche guide covers the monastery and the climb up from Phunki Tenga at 3,250 m.

How does the festival fit our 12-day Everest Base Camp trek?

Our 12-day Everest Base Camp trek sleeps in Tengboche once, on day 4, and passes it again on the way down.

You arrive in Tengboche on the afternoon of day 4 and leave on day 5. To catch the festival, we choose your Lukla flight date so that day 4 falls on a festival day. Because the dances follow the monks' schedule, one night may not be enough, and if the festival is your main reason for going I would rather add a night at Tengboche than rush. That changes the price and lodging has to be checked first, so ask me for a quote for your dates.

Please do not shorten the Namche acclimatisation day to hit a festival date. Tengboche is about 600 m above Phunki Tenga and day 3 is there for a reason. Our day-by-day itinerary guide sets out every day.

What about flights and the autumn holidays?

October and November fall inside the Manthali (Ramechhap) flight window, about 15 March to 15 May and 25 September to 30 November. In that window your pick-up is between midnight and 2 am, and the flight to Lukla takes about 20 minutes. Our Manthali guide and domestic flights guide explain it. Luxury uses a round-trip helicopter to Lukla instead. Lukla flights are often delayed by weather, so leave a spare day at the end of your trek.

Mani Rimdu often falls close to Dashain or Tihar, Nepal's biggest holidays, when domestic flights and lodges are heavily booked. Book early, and see our autumn Everest guide and Nepal festivals guide.

Will it be crowded, and what is the weather like?

Yes, expect a crowd. Lodges above Namche fill by early afternoon in October, and a festival week at Tengboche makes rooms harder to get, not easier. Tell us when you book so we can ask the lodges early, though no one can promise a room. Our guide to avoiding crowds helps if you want quieter trails.

The dances are in the monastery courtyard and you will stand still for a long time, so bring a warm layer. Nights are below freezing in both months.

How should you behave and take photographs?

• Take your shoes off before entering the monastery, and be quiet if a prayer service is on.
• Walk clockwise around mani walls and chortens. If your guide corrects you, follow your guide.
• Do not walk into the dance area or stand in front of other people.
• Ask your guide before photographing monks or anyone in a prayer hall, and keep flash off.
• Do not touch masks, robes or offerings, and do not clap or call out as if it were a show.

Our prayer flags and mani walls guide covers the wider etiquette.

When should you not plan your trek around Mani Rimdu?

If you cannot move your dates, if you want empty trails, or if you are short of days, do not make the festival the reason for your trip. It is a religious ceremony on the monks' schedule, not a show. If you would still like to go, treat it as a bonus on a trek you would do anyway.

What does it cost?

The 12-day Everest Base Camp trek is USD 1,399 Budget, USD 2,785 Standard and USD 4,999 Luxury per person for two to four people. A solo trekker pays USD 2,275 on Budget, USD 3,345 on Standard and USD 5,640 on Luxury. Budget has no porter, shared rooms and no meals. Standard has all meals, private rooms and one porter for every two trekkers (solo on Standard, the guide carries up to 10 kg). Luxury has a dedicated porter, private deluxe ensuite rooms, all meals with extras and the round-trip helicopter to Lukla. An extra night at Tengboche and Kathmandu hotels are not included.

The permits are included: TIMS NPR 2,000, the Khumbu local fee NPR 3,000 and the Sagarmatha National Park fee NPR 3,000. Buy travel insurance at home that covers helicopter rescue to 6,000 m; our insurance guide explains what to check.

The deposit is 10 per cent and is non-refundable; there is no refund if you cancel, but you can move your trek free with at least 72 hours notice to any date within one year. If we cannot run the trip, we refund what you paid less taxes, bank and card charges and money already spent. The balance is paid in Kathmandu in USD or EUR, cash or card (card carries 3.5 per cent).

Frequently asked questions

When is Mani Rimdu at Tengboche?

Usually in October or November, on dates set each year by the Tibetan lunar calendar. Message us and we will confirm the year's dates before you book flights.

How long does Mani Rimdu last?

The public festival runs over about three days. Plan your Tengboche night inside that window, or add a night to be safe.

Can I see Mani Rimdu on a standard Everest Base Camp trek?

Yes, if we time your Lukla flight so day 4 lands on a festival day. Adding a night at Tengboche makes it much more likely you see the dances.

Is Mani Rimdu crowded?

Yes. Lodges at Tengboche fill quickly that week, so tell us early.

How do you plan it with us?

Message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300 with the year you want to go and how many of you there are. I will check the festival dates and build your trek around them.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586.