Region

Himalayas, Nepal

Go for one trek, not for a tour of the range: pick Khumbu, Annapurna or Langtang and give it 8–14 nights.

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Key facts · Nepal

Best months: Apr–May, Oct–Nov
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Nepalese rupee (NPR, Rs)
Language: Nepali
Plugs: C · D · M · 230 V
Time zone: UTC+5:45 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 6

South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
Nepal ↗Get visa information only from the Department of Immigration; visa-service lookalike sites charge extra, and the rules differ by nationality.
Nepal ↗At stupas walk clockwise; at temples and homes remove shoes where there is a rack or a raised floor; cover shoulders and knees.
Nepal ↗Carry Nepalese rupees in small notes: many stalls, taxis and tea shops are cash-only, and shops rarely take foreign notes.
Nepal ↗Strikes (bandh) and protests can close roads without notice: check the news and your hotel the night before any airport or highway day.

The Nepal Himalayas are not one destination. They are three or four separate trekking areas, each reached by a different flight or road from Kathmandu, each with its own season window and its own altitude profile. Trying to see two of them in one trip means two domestic flights and two sets of permits. Pick one area, walk it slowly, and keep two spare days at the end for a cancelled flight.

Where to sleep

6 places in this region

Sleep base

Namche BazaarCity guide
Khumbu acclimatisation and supply town; two walking days from Lukla, lodges 3,400 m+.
Best Mar–May, Oct–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Namche Bazaar →
PokharaCity guide
Road gateway for Annapurna treks; lakeside rest before and after.
Best Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Pokhara →
KathmanduTrip line
Permits, Lukla and Syabrubesi departures, buffer nights before flying home.
Best Oct–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Kathmandu →

Day trip

JomsomCity guide
Kali Gandaki road and air link into the Annapurna and Dolpo side.
Best Mar–May, Oct–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Jomsom →
TumlingCity guide
Road head for the upper Budhi Gandaki and Manaslu approaches.
Best Mar–May, Oct–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Tumling →
Shey-Phoksundo National ParkGuide: planned
Far-west Dolpo; restricted-area permit plus flight or long jeep transfer.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

12 nights: Khumbu: fly Lukla, walk to Everest Base Camp and back, 2 buffer nights in Kathmandu
10 nights: Annapurna: bus or flight to Pokhara, Poon Hill + Annapurna Base Camp, walk out
8 nights: Langtang: jeep to Syabrubesi, Langtang Valley and Kyanjin Gompa, back to Kathmandu

Altitude sickness is the main risk, not the terrain: it can hit fit people who have never had it before, and the only cure is to descend.
Rasuwa District had major flash flooding and a mudslide in August 2026; roads and bridges there were heavily damaged, so check current conditions before travelling to Langtang via Syabrubesi.
Mountain flights out of Lukla and Jomsom are frequently cancelled by weather; keep at least two spare days before an international flight.
Roads are narrow and exposed; crashes are rare because speeds are low, but long jeep days are tiring and often run after dark.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Khumbu region	Kathmandu	240 min	unknown	Lukla flight about 35 min when it runs; the jeep road via Jiri or Salleri takes 1–2 days.
Annapurna	Pokhara	90 min	unknown	Road to Nayapul or Kimche, then walk; no flight needed.
Central Himalayas	Kathmandu	420 min	unknown	Jeep to Syabrubesi is a full day on rough road.
Tumling	Kathmandu	480 min	unknown	Long jeep day; road conditions change every monsoon.
Shey-Phoksundo National Park	Kathmandu	600 min	unknown	Flight to Nepalgunj or Juphal plus jeep; count a full day each way.

Bags between cities

Luggage can be left in a Kathmandu or Pokhara hotel or guesthouse for the trek; porters and pack animals carry loads on the trail, and there is no luggage-forwarding service between trail lodges.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Namche Bazaar	×	×	go	go	go	×	×	×	ok	go	go	ok
Pokhara	ok	ok	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	go	go	ok
Kathmandu	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go
Jomsom	×	×	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	go	go	ok
Tumling	ok	ok	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	go	go	ok
Nepal (country-wide)	ok	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
High trekking valleys (2,500–4,000 m)Khumbu, Annapurna, Langtang	cold	cold	ok	best	best	ok	wet	wet	ok	best	best	cold
High passes and summits (4,000 m+)Cho La, Thorong La, Larkya La	cold	cold	cold	ok	ok	ok	wet	wet	ok	ok	cold	cold

best: dry, mildok: workablewet: daily rain

High trekking valleys (2,500–4,000 m): Two clear windows: late March to May and late September to November. Monsoon June–early September brings leeches, cloud and landslide risk on roads.
High passes and summits (4,000 m+): Passes can close with snow from December to March; winter crossings need proper gear and a guide.

Best months are also the busiest: lodges in Khumbu and on the Annapurna Circuit fill in October, so book Lukla flights and the first two nights ahead.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Kathmandu (KTM)	Lukla (LUA)	Domestic STOL flight, about 35 min	~35 min flight, often delayed or cancelled	Morning departures only; if it cancels, the next option is a jeep to Salleri or Jiri and two extra walking days.
Kathmandu (KTM)	Pokhara	Tourist bus 6–8 h, or flight about 25 min	~7 h by road	Pokhara is the road gateway to the Annapurna area; buses leave early morning.
Kathmandu (KTM)	Syabrubesi (Langtang)	Local bus or shared jeep	~7–9 h	One road, one long day; conditions vary after the monsoon.
Kathmandu (KTM)	Nepalgunj / Juphal (Dolpo)	Domestic flight plus jeep	~1 day	Restricted-area permit and a registered agency required for Dolpo.

Regional passes

Verdict first

TIMS card

buy

Required for most trekking areas; issued in Kathmandu through the Nepal Tourism Board or a registered agency.

Sagarmatha National Park permit

buy

Needed for the Khumbu; bought at the park entry point or in Kathmandu.

Annapurna Conservation Area permit

buy

Needed for the Annapurna area; check current fee before you leave Kathmandu.

Restricted-area permit (Manaslu, Dolpo, Tsum)

check

Must be arranged through a registered agency with a guide; solo permits are not issued.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Dal bhat	Every trekking lodge	Rice, lentil soup and curry, usually with free refills; the cheapest way to eat enough at altitude.
Sherpa stew	Khumbu lodges	Potato, vegetable and sometimes meat stew; filling and served hot.
Thukpa (noodle soup)	Khumbu and Langtang	Often the safest order when you are not hungry at altitude.
Momo (dumplings)	Kathmandu and trail towns	Steamed or fried; vegetable and buff fillings are standard.
Tibetan bread with honey or jam	High lodges	Breakfast staple above 3,500 m; expect it fried.
Boiled or fried potatoes	All trekking menus	Reliable at any altitude; garlic soup is the local cold remedy.

Go next

Kathmandu Valley

Flight or jeep back to Kathmandu, then 30–60 min

Rest, hot showers and the valley towns before flying home.

Pokhara

Flight from Jomsom or bus from the trail head

Lakeside recovery stop after an Annapurna trek.

Namche Bazaar

Two walking days from Lukla

The Khumbu's main acclimatisation and supply town.

Jomsom

Flight or walk out from the Kali Gandaki

Windy flights, morning only.

Middle Hills

planned

Bus or jeep from Pokhara or Kathmandu

Lower, greener and open in more of the year.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Going in… · Trips here

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 3 bases
Day trips: 5, 1 h 30 to 10 h
Nights suggested: 8–12 nights
Ways in: 4 listed
Best months: No month is best in every zone

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Trips that stop here

From the Nepal guide

Valley only, 5 nights
5 nights here
kathmandu
Valley and lakes
7 days · 6 nights here
Kathmandu → Bhaktapur → Pokhara
Valley, Pokhara and Poon Hill
10 days · 6 nights here
Kathmandu → Pokhara → Poon Hill trek (Ghorepani, Tadapani) → Pokhara
Culture, jungle and mountains
14 days · 9 nights here
Kathmandu → Bhaktapur → Bandipur → Pokhara → Chitwan (Sauraha) → Kathmandu
Everest Base Camp
16 days · 4 nights here
Kathmandu → Everest Base Camp trek → Kathmandu

All Nepal trips →

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Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialNepal Tourism Board
officialDepartment of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Nepal
officialNepal Civil Aviation Authority
officialSmartraveller — Nepal
secondaryWikivoyage: Himalayas (Nepal), revision 5338385 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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