Trekking in Nepal in March 2027: Weather, Best Treks and Departures

Last updated 10 October 2026.

Short answer: March is the start of the spring season, and the second half is the best of it. Nights are still cold, mornings are clear, and the trails are quieter than in April. For 2027 I would put Poon Hill and Mardi Himal first, Manaslu and Upper Mustang from late March, and Everest Base Camp with a warm sleeping bag. I would leave the Annapurna Circuit and the Three Passes for April or autumn. We have Monday departures on 8, 15, 22 and 29 March 2027.

March is early, but it is not winter. The sunniest month of the year at Pokhara is March, and the forest below Ghorepani starts to flower in the second half of the month. If you want a short, low trek that works well in March, our Poon Hill trek is the one I would start with. Below: weather, treks, crowds, festivals, our dates and when to book.

Trekking in Nepal in March 2027 at a glance

What is the weather like in March?

Cold nights and clearer days, with the cold easing week by week. These figures come from my own best-time guides. They are averages, not forecasts. Everest rows are published station averages (Dingboche is a computer model). Pokhara and Ghorepani are the figures I use on the Annapurna side.

Two things matter more than the averages. First, March is the sunniest month at Pokhara, 229 hours in the record, so the mornings are the part to plan around. Afternoons can turn hazy. Second, the cold is real at height. The pass on the Annapurna Circuit, Thorong La, averages about -19 C at night in March against -13 C in April (a weather model, so a guide to the cold, not a promise). That is why I move the Circuit to April. My Everest weather guide has the full year of figures.

Which treks suit March 2027, and which do not?

These prices hold for 2027. Group size lowers the price per person, and the price is the same for a private trip and a group.

On Budget you carry your own bag, rooms are shared and trek meals are not included. On Standard there is one porter for every two trekkers, private rooms and all trek meals, and a solo Standard trekker has no porter, so the guide carries up to 10 kg. On Luxury every trekker has a dedicated porter, private deluxe rooms and all meals, and the Everest Base Camp trek uses a helicopter to and from Lukla.

On the Manaslu Circuit, our guides find the Larkya La pass may still carry a good deal of snow in early March and rate late March as the start of the spring window. So of our four March dates I would take 22 or 29 March for Manaslu. My Manaslu best-time guide has the detail.

How crowded is March?

Less than April, more than winter. On the Everest trail I call March "building": the lodges are open and the trail fills through the month. Nationwide, 128,000 international visitors arrived in March 2024 (Nepal Tourism Board, read from a chart, all visitors not only trekkers), the busiest month of that year. The mountains still feel quieter than April, but Easter is on 28 March 2027 and European bookings cluster then. My Everest in March guide goes deeper.

Festivals in March 2027

Maha Shivaratri is on Saturday 6 March 2027, and thousands of pilgrims and sadhus gather at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu (two calendars agree on the date). Hotels near the temple fill up. Gyalpo Lhosar, the Sherpa New Year, is in early March, and calendars differ on the day (5 or 9 March). Holi is on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 March according to public holiday calendars. It is mainly a lowland festival. In Kathmandu or Pokhara, wear old clothes and protect your camera. The government confirms its holiday list each year, so treat these as expected dates. My festival calendar has the rest of the year.

Our fixed departures in March 2027

Every one of these treks has a Monday departure on 8, 15, 22 and 29 March 2027. They are open to join. If none suits you, tell me your dates and I will run the trek privately, even for one person, at the same price.

What about flights, roads and permits?

For Everest, the Lukla flight is the weak link. In the busy months the fixed-wing flights leave from Manthali airport in Ramechhap, a four to five hour night drive from Kathmandu, with a pick-up between midnight and 2 am. Our working window is roughly 15 March to 15 May, and our notes mark 15, 22 and 29 March that way. For 8 March, which is before the window, the flight may still leave from Kathmandu. The Civil Aviation Authority sets the dates, not us, and I have not seen the official 2027 dates, so I will confirm before you fly. My Manthali guide describes the night. Keep a spare day at the end.

Permits are in our price. The Annapurna Conservation Area permit is NPR 3,000 and the TIMS card NPR 2,000. On Everest the Sagarmatha National Park permit is NPR 3,000, the Khumbu local fee NPR 3,000 and TIMS NPR 2,000. Manaslu is a restricted area: the permit is USD 75 a week plus USD 10 a day from December to August, and it needs a licensed guide and an agency-issued TIMS card. Upper Mustang is USD 50 a day. Restricted-area permits need at least 48 hours in government working days, so send passport details early. Some of the roads in the Annapurna and Mustang area were damaged in September 2026, and the Langtang road was cut by the August flood. I check each road 48 hours before departure, and if it is not open I move your dates free.

When should you book a March 2027 trek?

Six to eight weeks ahead is comfortable for spring, so for 8 March 2027 I would book between mid and late January. If you want the Easter fortnight, book earlier. Add a week or two for Manaslu or Upper Mustang paperwork. My booking guide shows the lead time by trek, and the spring 2027 planner covers March to May together.

The deposit is 10 per cent and it is non-refundable, so there is no refund if you cancel. You can reschedule free of charge with at least 72 hours notice (seven days for restricted areas), to any date within one year. If we cannot run your trip, we refund what you have paid, less taxes, bank or card charges and any money already spent on permits or flights. The balance is paid on arrival in Kathmandu, in USD or EUR, cash or by card. Card carries 3.5 per cent and cash carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign clients. Your licensed guide is named after you book. Kathmandu hotels are not included in any trek price, so I quote them separately.

Questions people ask

Is March a good month to trek in Nepal? Yes, from mid March it is good, and late March is better. The sun is strong, rain is light and the trails are quieter than April. The cost is cold nights at height, so you need a proper sleeping bag and down jacket.

How cold is Everest Base Camp in March? Cold. The averages are -3.0 C at night in Namche and -10.5 C at Dingboche (modelled). Gorak Shep is colder still. Our guides tell people to pack for the cold, not the day highs.

Is Poon Hill good in March? Yes, it is one of my favourite months for it. Ghorepani is about 0 C at night, the viewpoint is about -2 C at dawn, and Pokhara gets 229 hours of sun. The rhododendron forest starts to colour in the second half of the month.

Can you cross Thorong La in March? You can in some years, but the pass averages about -19 C at night in March and snow can close it for days. I advise April, or late October to mid November, for the Annapurna Circuit.

Do the Lukla flights go from Kathmandu or Manthali in March? Mostly from Manthali after about 15 March. That means a midnight pick-up and a long drive. Luxury uses a helicopter from Kathmandu and avoids the drive.

How do I join a March 2027 departure? Message me with the trek and the Monday you want. I check flights, rooms and permits for that date and send the exact quote.

How do you book?

Message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300 with your dates, your group size and the trek you have in mind. I will tell you which March date I would choose and send the exact quote.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.