Best time to visit Kathmandu
The best time to visit Kathmandu is November–March, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Kathmandu, Bagmati Province, Nepal
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15.4 °C / 60 °F | 5.3 °C / 42 °F | 33 mm / 1.3 in | best month |
| February | 17.8 °C / 64 °F | 7.1 °C / 45 °F | 51 mm / 2 in | best month |
| March | 21.4 °C / 71 °F | 10.3 °C / 51 °F | 54 mm / 2.1 in | best month |
| April | 24.6 °C / 76 °F | 13.4 °C / 56 °F | 79 mm / 3.1 in | good month |
| May | 24.8 °C / 77 °F | 16.1 °C / 61 °F | 213 mm / 8.4 in | neither best nor good |
| June | 25.7 °C / 78 °F | 19.1 °C / 66 °F | 456 mm / 18 in | neither best nor good |
| July | 25.4 °C / 78 °F | 20 °C / 68 °F | 834 mm / 32.8 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 25.6 °C / 78 °F | 19.8 °C / 68 °F | 634 mm / 24.9 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 25.2 °C / 77 °F | 18.8 °C / 66 °F | 403 mm / 15.9 in | neither best nor good |
| October | 23.3 °C / 74 °F | 14.7 °C / 58 °F | 126 mm / 5 in | good month |
| November | 19.9 °C / 68 °F | 10.4 °C / 51 °F | 19 mm / 0.7 in | best month |
| December | 16.8 °C / 62 °F | 7 °C / 45 °F | 15 mm / 0.6 in | best month |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: best
- FFebruary: best
- MMarch: best
- AApril: good
- MMay: neither
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: neither
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: best
- Best
- November–March
- Good
- April, October
Kathmandu's dry winter (December-February) and clear post-monsoon stretch (November, and largely March) give cool, sunny, excellent walking weather, with April a solid shoulder month. The June-September monsoon brings intense, mostly afternoon rain, high humidity and duller skies that make outdoor exploring difficult, and October is a good but not yet fully dry transition month.
Why these months
January · best
In its favour: precipitation 33 mm / 1.3 in, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, feels like (high) 13.8 °C / 57 °F, wet days 5.6 days, days with heavy rain 1 days, average daily high 15.4 °C / 60 °F, average daily low 5.3 °C / 42 °F.
Against: relative humidity 76%.
Also on: Bala Chahre (Bala Chaturdashi).
February · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 16.9 °C / 62 °F, precipitation 51 mm / 2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 91%, average daily high 17.8 °C / 64 °F, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, wet days 7.1 days, average daily low 7.1 °C / 45 °F.
Against: relative humidity 73%.
Also on: Bala Chahre (Bala Chaturdashi).
March · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 21.5 °C / 71 °F, average daily high 21.4 °C / 71 °F, precipitation 54 mm / 2.1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 90%, days with heavy rain 1.3 days, average daily low 10.3 °C / 51 °F, relative humidity 65%.
Against: wet days 10.1 days.
Also on: Holi.
April · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 25.6 °C / 78 °F, average daily high 24.6 °C / 76 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 91%, precipitation 79 mm / 3.1 in, average daily low 13.4 °C / 56 °F, relative humidity 62%.
Against: wet days 11.9 days, days with heavy rain 2.3 days.
Also on: Bikram Sambat's New Year pilgrimage.
October · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 25.3 °C / 78 °F, average daily high 23.3 °C / 74 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, precipitation 126 mm / 5 in, average daily low 14.7 °C / 58 °F.
Against: wet days 15.7 days, relative humidity 81%, days with heavy rain 2.7 days.
Also on: Sakimana Punhi, Tihar (Deepawali), Festival of Lights.
Watch out for: Dashain closures.
November · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 19.9 °C / 68 °F, average daily high 19.9 °C / 68 °F, precipitation 19 mm / 0.7 in, share of daylight that is sunny 90%, wet days 5.8 days, days with heavy rain 0.2 days, average daily low 10.4 °C / 51 °F.
Against: relative humidity 79%.
Also on: Sakimana Punhi, Tihar (Deepawali), Festival of Lights.
December · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 15.6 °C / 60 °F, precipitation 15 mm / 0.6 in, share of daylight that is sunny 92%, average daily high 16.8 °C / 62 °F, wet days 2.9 days, days with heavy rain 0.2 days, average daily low 7 °C / 45 °F.
Against: relative humidity 79%.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is 642 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 13.8 °C | 16.9 °C | 21.5 °C | 25.6 °C | 27.6 °C | 30 °C | 30 °C | 30.1 °C | 29.1 °C | 25.3 °C | 19.9 °C | 15.6 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 1 days | 1.4 days | 1.3 days | 2.3 days | 7.5 days | 14.8 days | 26.1 days | 21.9 days | 13.2 days | 2.7 days | 0.2 days | 0.2 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 2 pm | 2 pm | 2 pm | 2 pm | 3 pm | 2 pm | 2 pm | 2 pm | 2 pm | 1 pm | 12 pm | 1 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 9.8 h | 10.2 h | 10.8 h | 11.7 h | 11.5 h | 8.9 h | 5.4 h | 6.4 h | 7.9 h | 9.7 h | 9.7 h | 9.5 h |
| Relative humidity | 76% | 73% | 65% | 62% | 76% | 85% | 90% | 89% | 86% | 81% | 79% | 79% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 55.3 µg/m³ | 48.2 µg/m³ | 36.9 µg/m³ | 32.9 µg/m³ | 33.2 µg/m³ | 32.5 µg/m³ | 19.7 µg/m³ | 19.6 µg/m³ | 20.3 µg/m³ | 26.9 µg/m³ | 44.1 µg/m³ | 52.7 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 89.6 µg/m³ | 74.3 µg/m³ | 54.3 µg/m³ | 47.8 µg/m³ | 48.7 µg/m³ | 47.1 µg/m³ | 33 µg/m³ | 32.4 µg/m³ | 32.7 µg/m³ | 40.3 µg/m³ | 67 µg/m³ | 86.3 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Bala Chahre (Bala Chaturdashi)
January and February, dates vary from year to year
- Holi
March
- Bikram Sambat's New Year pilgrimage
April
- Teej
September
- Indra Jatra
September
- Tihar (Deepawali), Festival of Lights
October and November, dates vary from year to year
- Sakimana Punhi
October and November, dates vary from year to year
Worth knowing before you go
- Dashain closures
September and October, dates vary from year to year
World Heritage sites nearby
UNESCO World Heritage sites within 25 km, nearest first.
- Kathmandu Valley
1 km away