Nepal has one of the best reputations amongst the backpackers and mountaineers.  It is also home to eight of ten tallest peaks of the world. These peaks attract tourists and travellers who seek adventure in this wonderful Himalaya Land. If you are wondering about the best time to visit this sacred land, keep reading.

If you are a trekking enthusiast and if you absolutely are in love with breathtaking landscapes, you probably have already found Nepal in your search engine.  Nepal has well preserved Buddhist and Hindu heritage and active adventure tourism. Nepal is also one of the best place to visit in a low budget. Nepal’s increasing popularity amongst the trekkers and mountaineers has made it a hub for mountaineering.  Weather in the capital city Kathmandu is extremely pleasing  for someone looking for a romantic vacation.

Climate

Nonetheless,  Nepal’s climate differs a lot with altitude and topography. You can find climate ranging from tropical to arctic. The low land Terai has altitude as low as 305m, in the southern tropical part of the country. During the summer, temperature in such places can rise up to 113 °F with very high humidity. But the mid land regions offer a much pleasant weather and temperature all year around although during the winter nights are somewhat cool. The northern mountain region which is above 3,300m demonstrates alpine climate. You will need to bring your down jackets along especially if you want to visit this place during the winter.

Seasons of Nepal

There are six seasons in Nepal that corresponds to general four seasons.

source: Wikipedia

Spring (between March – May):

During the spring  the low lands have mildly warm tempreture while in the places with mid and higher altitudes have clear weather. You have a lot of opptunities to enjoy the views of the hills and mountains during this season. You can also witness numerous floras and faunas that are famous in Nepal during this time. Rhododendron, which is also the national flower of Nepal covers hills in higher altitude every spring. No tourists can get away from this charm of nature.

Summer (between June – August):

Summer, which also is the monsoon season of Nepal. Although the weather is hot it also is wet during the monsoon. It almost rains daily during this season with occasional thunderstorms. The ambience of Kathmandu city after rain is worth witnessing. You can literally smell the pleasantness and greenery brought by the shower of rain.

Autumn (between September – November):

If you are planning to visit Nepal this is the best season. Tourists who visit Nepal prefer the Autumn season when the heat has settled and the rain has calmed. The weather is perfect to experience the mesmerising mountain views. It is the peak season for trekkers and be ready to have your life’s best views while you are here. Just make sure you book your flight in advance so that you could find a seat in the plane.

This is also the season of festivals. Dashain and Tihar are two biggest festivals if Nepalese hindu people. People are more loving and generous during this time. You might also have to prepare for a treat because there will be a lot of celebrations and you are surely to add on some weight.

Winter (between December – February):

Although its winter the tempreture does not plummet to the extreme unless you want to trek to the Himalayas. Days and quite warm and morning and nights have a little chill in the wind. There are occasional snowfalls in higher altitudes but you are well off to trek to the places in lower altitudes. We Nepalese do afford the warm sun in days in the winter unlike many places in the west.

Temperature & rainfall

Though over all climate of Nepal is moderately fine we do have extremes. The low lands of terai with tropical climate can be as hot as an oven in the summer with temperature as high as 113 °F (45 °C). Mosquitoes infest these places during the summer so you must be prepared for it in advance if you plan to visit the lowlands of Terai during summer. Also, during the winter high lands can go up to sub-zero temperature but in Kathmandu the thermometer only goes few degrees below 1 °C (34 °F) while in the summer the capital city’s temperature averages around 25 °C (77 °F) only.

The average temperature in Kathmandu during the four seasons:

* Spring season 16-23 °C (61-73 °F)
* Summer season 15-24 °C (59-75 °F)
* Winter season 9-12 °C (48-54 °F)

Travel Tips:

Nepal’s monsoon is not the typical Asian monsoon. While It usually rains during the nights, mornings are clear and refreshing. Also making it one of the perfect mornings you could have if you are facing the Himalayan range at your hotel room. Some places of Himalayan Nepal such as Manang, Mustang and Dolpa are in rain-shadows area. Mountains in this area are high enough to block the clouds. Visiting such places in monsoon would still be suitable but only if you are willing to get there in a flight. Travelling there by the ground wouldnot be so feasible though because the roads become slippery and dangerous during monsoon. Even Tibet’s high travel season corresponds to the monsoon of Nepal.