Trekking in Nepal in December 2026: Which Treks Still Work and Which Do Not

Trekking in Nepal in December 2026: Which Treks Still Work and Which Do Not

Status written on 2 October 2026. Route reports run from 25 September to 2 October and each one carries its date and source. I will update this page in November, once there is news from after the Dashain and Tihar holidays. Climate figures are published long-term averages with their sources named, not forecasts for this December.

The short answer: December is a good month for the lower treks and a poor one for anything that crosses a high pass. Poon Hill, Mardi Himal and the Everest Base Camp trail are the treks I would put first, in that order of ease, and the Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan tours are fine. Annapurna Base Camp works if you take the cold seriously. Gokyo is for experienced, well-equipped trekkers. The Annapurna Circuit, Manaslu and the Three Passes all depend on passes above 5,100 m, and I do not recommend them in December. Langtang was not accessible as of 1 October because of the August flood. None of this is a forecast of the winter weather. It is the position as of today, and the road position in particular can change before December.

For the month before this one, read Trekking in Nepal in November 2026. For the Everest trail alone, see Everest Base Camp in December, and for the wider winter Everest Base Camp in winter.

Which treks work in December 2026?

The last column is my advice, not a measurement. The route reports are the newest dated ones I could find, and where I found nothing newer I say "last reported". Prices are the live package prices for one traveller (Budget, Standard, Luxury), as of 2 October 2026.

Where I say "I do not recommend", that is my judgement as the person who would have to run the trek, not a ban. Ask me for your dates if you disagree and I will tell you what it would take.

How cold is December in Nepal's trekking towns?

Average daily high and low in degrees Celsius, with December precipitation in millimetres. Sources are the climate boxes on the Wikipedia page for each place, read on 2 October 2026: Nepal Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) for Lukla, Manang and Jomsom; WMO 1991 to 2020 normals for Kathmandu and Pokhara; FAO for Namche Bazaar; climate-data.org (modelled, not measured) for Dingboche.

Two things stand out. Pokhara and Kathmandu are mild enough for a normal day out in a jumper, so the tours and the lower Annapurna treks are comfortable. And the cold comes quickly with height: Namche at about 3,450 m has an average December night of -7, and Dingboche is about six degrees colder again. I have no station data above Dingboche. My own estimate for Everest Base Camp, with the arithmetic shown, is in the December guide. All of these are long-run averages, so a single night can be colder.

For all twelve months at the Everest stations, see the month-by-month weather guide.

How short are the days in December?

Short. Sunrise-sunset.org gives Kathmandu a sunrise of 6:35 and a sunset of 17:09 on 1 December 2026 (10 hours 34 minutes), and 6:48 to 17:14 on 21 December, the shortest day (10 hours 26 minutes). Near Lukla, 21 December runs 6:43 to 17:09. In a valley the sun drops behind the ridges earlier than those times. Plan on early starts and arriving at the lodge by mid-afternoon.

What is the road and flight position for December?

I cannot see December from here, so here is how I handle it, and it is the same policy we apply to every season.

• We confirm the road 48 hours before departure. If a road you were due to use has not opened, we find an alternative route or a way round it, and we tell you before you travel, not at the roadside.
• Lukla flights. Autumn flights run from Ramechhap (Manthali) in a window that, per our domestic flights guide, runs to about 30 November and starts again about 15 March. In between, flights go from Kathmandu. Helicopters fly all year. Delays are normal, so leave a spare day. If an airline cancels, extra nights and any helicopter are paid by the guest, as our flights guide explains.
• Annapurna south. Our routes start from Pokhara and the road to Nayapul is the part to watch. The Sahasradhara repair was under way on 29 September and I found no report that it had reopened, so this is last reported 29 September.
• Annapurna Circuit and Mustang. The roads were still cut off on 1 October. No report I found confirms a reopening date.

What do we provide for a December trek?

• A down jacket and sleeping bag on every tier, free to use. Our bag is rated to -15 degrees, per our best time to trek guide. On the high treks I would add a liner of your own.
• A pulse oximeter on every trek, so your guide can check your oxygen saturation as you climb. It is a guide, not a diagnosis, and your guide's judgement comes first.
• TIMS card arranged for every trekker. Permit fees are on the package pages and in our permits guide.
• A licensed guide on every booking, and a porter according to tier: none on Budget, one for every two trekkers on Standard (a solo Standard trekker has no porter, and the guide carries up to 10 kg of the bag), and your own on Luxury. Luxury also includes a round-trip helicopter to Lukla on the Everest treks.

Kathmandu hotels are not included in any trek tier, so we quote them separately. Insurance is your own responsibility and must be bought at home, not in Nepal; see my insurance guide.