When to visit
Kathmandu?

Discover the best time of year, based on historical climate, temperature, and precipitation.

Kathmandu
Bagmati Province · Nepal

The best weather in Kathmandu is from February, November, December. — consistent weather climate

Climate score
October
83

Excellent climate

🌦Humid

Temperature
15–24°C
Cool nights
Feels like
16–26°C
Comfortable
Precipitation
82mm
Light rain · 11 days
Sunshine
9.9h
Partly cloudy
Humidity (%)
82%
Comfortable
Annual Climate Analysis
Temperature, Rain & Feels Like
Rain
Actual Temp
Feels Like
0°10°20°30°40°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
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Flights to Kathmandu

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Monthly Overview
Score758988844640333440839789
ClimateColdMildMildHumidRainyRainyRainyRainyRainyHumidMildMild
Temperature5–16°C7–19°C11–22°C14–25°C16–25°C19–27°C20–26°C20–26°C19–26°C15–24°C10–21°C7–18°C
Feels like3–15°C6–18°C10–22°C14–26°C17–28°C22–31°C24–31°C24–31°C22–30°C16–26°C10–21°C5–17°C
Precipitation28mm
4 days
30mm
5 days
64mm
8 days
85mm
10 days
228mm
19 days
454mm
30 days
874mm
30 days
722mm
30 days
449mm
28 days
82mm
11 days
8mm
2 days
8mm
2 days
Sunshine9.4h
☀︎ 88%
10.2h
☀︎ 91%
10.3h
☀︎ 86%
11.1h
☀︎ 87%
10.8h
☀︎ 80%
8.4h
☀︎ 61%
4.3h
☀︎ 32%
4.9h
☀︎ 38%
6.5h
☀︎ 53%
9.9h
☀︎ 86%
9.8h
☀︎ 90%
9.4h
☀︎ 91%
WindSW · 9 km/hW · 10 km/hW · 11 km/hW · 11 km/hSW · 9 km/hSW · 8 km/hS · 7 km/hS · 7 km/hS · 7 km/hSW · 8 km/hSW · 8 km/hSW · 8 km/h
Humidity (%)72%71%66%64%78%86%91%91%90%82%76%72%
Day length10.6h11.2h12.0h12.8h13.5h13.9h13.7h13.1h12.3h11.5h10.8h10.4h
Events & Festivals
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Indra Jatra
Dashain
Tihar
Events & Festivals
  • Indra JatrareligiousSignature event
    September· 50k+ visitors

    Kathmandu's defining street festival fills Durbar Square with masked dances, chariot processions, and the public appeara…

  • Dashainholiday
    September, October· 500k+ visitors

    Nepal's longest and most important festival sees Kathmandu's Durbar Square and temples come alive with rituals, kite fly…

  • Tiharreligious
    October, November· 50k+ visitors

    Nepal's festival of lights fills Kathmandu's streets and homes with oil lamps, colorful rangoli patterns, and evenings o…

The story of the seasons in Kathmandu

Kathmandu endures its heaviest crush of travelers in September, arriving precisely when the tail end of the monsoon still drenches the valley in muggy downpours and thick mist; wait until November, and you inherit pristine mountain skies, crisp air, and a city at its absolute finest.

The ancient brick basin of the Kathmandu Valley sits at over 1,300 meters, cradled by Himalayan foothills and infused with two millennia of Newar artistry, stone shrines, and devotional life. Most visitors view the capital merely as a chaotic runway before setting off into the high Annapurna or Everest trails. But Kathmandu is an intense, atmospheric world in its own right—where courtyards carved from dark sal wood open into alleys thick with incense, marigolds, and buzzing scooters. When you arrive governs whether you experience a city choked in humid monsoon exhaust or a radiant highland sanctuary bathed in crystal-clear mountain light.

The September Delusion: Chariots in the Rain

September is Kathmandu's most crowded month of the year, yet climatically it is among the trickiest. Trekking agencies schedule their departures, international flights fill to capacity, and the alleys of Thamel swarm with newly arrived hiking boots. The draw is undeniable: the signature festival of Indra Jatra transforms Durbar Square into a dizzying theater of masked dancers, towering wooden chariots, and crowds desperate for a glimpse of the Living Goddess Kumari. Dashain often begins its sprawling run of rituals and rooftop kite flying before the month wraps up.

Yet the monsoon is far from finished. The sky remains a heavy, swollen grey, dumping intense downpours that churn unpaved side streets into stubborn clay mud. Humidity clings to the brick courtyards, the surrounding hills stay locked in cloud, and temperatures feel surprisingly sticky and oppressive. You come for cultural splendor at its most theatrical, but you must accept damp clothes, delayed domestic flights, and packed streets.

The Autumn Payoff: Golden Light and Pure Clarity

By October, the valley shakes off the water. Rain drops off sharply, the grey shroud pulls back, and the Himalayan wall suddenly reappears on the northern horizon like a freshly unveiled fresco. Dashain celebrations spill into the cooler weeks, followed swiftly by Tihar, when every doorway from Asan to the edges of the old quarter is washed, ringed with colorful rangoli powders, and lit with rows of flickering butter lamps and fairy lights. Neighborhoods hum with children singing traditional carols after dark, and the festive air feels intimate rather than exhausting.

November is Kathmandu's crowning month. The monsoon is a distant memory, rain is virtually nonexistent, and the daytime air is crisp, dry, and invigorating. Wandering the whitewashed base of Boudhanath alongside circumambulating Tibetan pilgrims feels effortless under nine hours of clean sunshine each day. The heat has backed down into complete daytime comfort, requiring only a light fleece once the sun dips behind the ridge. Visitor numbers thin out compared to September's spike, leaving the stone alleys and temple steps unhurried.

Crisp Winter: Roasting Sun and Cold Nights

Winter in the valley catches unprepared travelers off guard. The days are luminous and nearly cloudless, with crisp winter sun warming the brick courtyards of Patan and the ancient stupa of Swayambhunath. Sitting on a high rooftop terrace in mid-afternoon feels glorious, surrounded by clear panoramic views of snow-capped peaks that you will never see during the humid summer.

Once dusk arrives, however, the temperature plummets toward freezing. Traditional brick and concrete architecture holds no central heating, meaning indoor spaces turn bitterly cold. Mornings often begin under a dense layer of cold valley fog that traps woodsmoke and dust until the sun burns it off around mid-morning. Pack thermal layers, wool socks, and an appetite for hot spiced milk tea. For those who do not mind chilly evenings, the lack of rain and absence of crowds make January and February exceptional for slow, unbothered exploration.

Spring Dust and Warming Courtyards

March and April usher in Kathmandu's second trekking surge, though the city atmosphere is far more comfortable than in the autumn rush. Temperatures climb into a pleasant, easy warmth, and daylight stretches long. The forested ridges flanking the valley burst into vibrant scarlet blooms of wild rhododendron, visible from vantage points around the valley rim.

The trade-off is air quality. As the winter dry spell drags on without rainfall, a fine suspended haze settles over the valley basin. Distant mountain panoramas fade behind a chalky horizon, and dust kicked up by traffic hangs in the air through central thoroughfares like Asan and Thamel. Afternoon showers begin to appear by late April, offering temporary relief to the dust while signaling the approaching turn of the season. It remains a deeply rewarding window for wandering through the shrines of Pashupatinath without the bite of winter cold.

The Deluge: Heat, Water, and Stalled Roads

May acts as an uncomfortable staging ground, turning humid and erratic with sharp pre-monsoon storms. By June, the monsoon breaks over the valley in full force, and by July and August, Kathmandu is engulfed in water. Massive downpours hammer the basin daily, turning standard streets into rushing canals and bringing road transport to a grinding halt with frequent hillside mudslides.

Outdoor sightseeing during these midsummer months becomes a soggy war of attrition. The air feels soupy and suffocating, shoes rarely dry out, and mountain vistas vanish completely behind an impenetrable grey wall for weeks at a time. The crowds abandon the city, leaving ancient courtyards empty and peaceful between cloudbursts, but the sheer volume of rainfall makes regular foot travel miserable. Unless your focus is solitary temple contemplation under an umbrella, avoid the midsummer deluge.

What to do

Things to do in Kathmandu

Top sights and attractions to build your days around once you know when to go.

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Tours & tickets in Kathmandu
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Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to visit Kathmandu?

The best time to visit Kathmandu is November, February, December, March, April, October, January, with temperatures between 5 °C and 25 °C. The best month is November. November is low season.

What is the weather like in Kathmandu?

Kathmandu has a climate with an overall score of 6.7/10. Annual temperatures range from 5 °C to 27 °C.

What is the hottest month in Kathmandu?

The hottest month in Kathmandu is June, with average highs of 27 °C and lows of 19 °C.

What is the rainiest month in Kathmandu?

The rainiest month in Kathmandu is July, with an average of 874 mm of precipitation.