Nepal Weather Month by Month for 2027: Kathmandu, Pokhara and Namche

Updated 25 October 2026.

Short answer: Nepal has two good trekking windows, March to May and October to November, and one wet season, June to September, when 78 to 79 per cent of the year's rain falls in Kathmandu and Pokhara. The department's normal monsoon dates are 13 June to 2 October. Namche Bazaar (3,450 m) averages a daytime high of 6.4 to 6.9 C in January and February and 12.5 C in October, so the mountains are cold when the valleys are mild. Our 12-day Everest Base Camp trek costs USD 1,399 Budget, USD 2,785 Standard and USD 4,999 Luxury per person for two to four people.

I am Shreejan. Guests write to me with a month and ask if the weather will be fine. The plain reply is that it depends where you stand, because Kathmandu, Pokhara and Namche are three different climates within a few days' travel of each other. So I have put the published averages for all three in one table, then added what each month means for the treks we run in 2027.

What is the weather in Nepal by month?

Each cell shows the average daily high / average daily low in degrees Celsius, then the average rain for the month in millimetres. Kathmandu and Pokhara are the airport stations, 1991 to 2020 normals. Namche is from the FAO agroclimatic database. These are averages over many years. They are not a forecast for 2027, and nobody can give you one this far ahead.

Three things stand out for me. July in Pokhara gets 941 mm, more than double Kathmandu's 384 mm. The Annapurna foothills catch the rain first. Namche is far drier in the monsoon than either city, 226 mm in July, and its average low is below freezing from November to March. And November is almost dry everywhere, which is why a clear November is not luck.

The monsoon share is my own sum from the table. In Kathmandu, June to September is 1,176 mm of a 1,502 mm year, about 78 per cent. In Pokhara it is 3,064 mm of 3,868 mm, about 79 per cent. In Namche it is 701 mm of 952 mm, about 74 per cent.

When does the monsoon start and stop in Nepal?

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology gives 13 June as the normal onset and 2 October as the normal withdrawal, a normal season of 112 days. Real years move around. In 2025 the monsoon reached the east on 29 May and left eight days late. In 2023 it left the east on 15 October, 13 days late. This is why I tell guests that early October is good but not guaranteed, and why late September is a gamble in some years.

What does each month mean for trekking?

Some of this is judgement from my years guiding and some is arithmetic from the table. I try to keep the two apart. The Upper Mustang row rests on the rain-shadow position, which I explain in my Upper Mustang best time guide. We do not run Upper Mustang from December to February.

Which treks fit which season in 2027?

Prices are per person, from the live package pages on 25 October 2026. A solo traveller pays more, and the package page shows the figure for your group size. Kathmandu hotels are not in trek prices, so budget for those separately.

Where do I read more for my route?

This page is the overview. For one route, the month detail is better. For the Everest side I wrote Everest Base Camp weather month by month, which uses the Lukla, Namche and Tengboche stations. For Annapurna there is Annapurna Circuit best time month by month, Annapurna Base Camp best time and Poon Hill best time. If you are thinking about June to August, read monsoon trekking in Nepal. For the winter months there is what December, January and February actually look like. And for one overall view by season, best time to trek in Nepal.

Getting there and what it costs

Most people land in Kathmandu first. Everest treks go on from there by flight to Lukla, and Annapurna treks usually go by road or flight to Pokhara. Weather affects those transfers more than the trek itself, so I tell guests to keep one spare day at the end of the trip. I do not have a published figure for how often flights are delayed by month, so I will not invent one.

Our deposit is 10 per cent, and you pay the balance in Kathmandu. We take USD or EUR, in cash or by card. A card payment of the balance carries a 3.5 per cent charge, and cash in Kathmandu does not.

What is the best month to trek in Nepal?

October, if the crowds do not bother you. Rain is down to 43 mm in Kathmandu and 57 mm in Namche, and the trails are busy. November is drier still and colder. If you prefer fewer people and do not mind some afternoon cloud, March and April are close behind.

Can I trek in Nepal in the monsoon?

Yes, but pick the trek. Upper Mustang sits in the rain shadow, so the weather is far drier than at Pokhara on the same dates. Treks on the wet south side of the Annapurnas are slippery and often cloudy, and leeches are common on the low trails. I would not choose them in July.

How cold is it at Everest Base Camp in winter?

I do not have a station at Base Camp. The nearest published figure I use is Namche, where the average low is -8.5 C in January and -7.1 C in December. Higher villages on the route will be colder. Dingboche at 4,410 m shows an average low of -15.3 C in January in modelled data. Treat that as a guide, not a measurement.

Is Kathmandu hot in May?

Yes. The average high is 29.2 C, and the record high at the airport station is 36.6 C. It also rains more, 129 mm on average, as the pre-monsoon storms arrive.

Why is Pokhara so much wetter than Kathmandu?

I am not a meteorologist, so I only report the numbers. Pokhara averages 3,868 mm a year at the airport, against about 1,502 mm in Kathmandu. The Annapurna range stands just north of Pokhara and the monsoon clouds meet it first. That is my reading, not something the data tables state.

When should I book for 2027?

Autumn fills first, so book October and November early. Spring is a little easier. I cannot tell you the weather for a particular week in 2027, only what the long record says about that month.

Should I go in spring or autumn?

If you want the clearest air, autumn. If you want warmer days and rhododendrons at lower heights, spring. Both are good. Choose by what you can do with your calendar, and let me match the trek to the month.

If you tell me your dates and which trek you have in mind, I will say plainly whether the month suits it. Message me on WhatsApp at +977 9810351300.