When to go
The best time to visit Nepal in its entirety runs from
November to February, to avoid the summer monsoon but also the heat of the plains, which is intense from March to October.
If you want to visit Kathmandu, and especially if you want to go
trekking in the mountains, you may choose
spring and autumn, especially in March and April, and from mid-October to mid-November, ie the periods when it is possible to avoid the winter cold as well as the mud due to summer rains. Autumn is the best period, since it is the least rainy, in addition, the atmosphere is particularly transparent, to the point that you can see the snow-capped mountains at great distances.
If you want to go hiking in a
snowy landscape, you have to go in
winter and above 3,000 meters (10,000 feet), though being that it's a dry season, it is not guaranteed that in a given period it snows. Occasionally, around this altitude it can also snow in spring and autumn. To be sure to see the snow, you have to go to the base camp of Everest or Annapurna, which, however, can only be reached after days of trekking.
In Kathmandu, even though the winter nights are cold, it practically never snows. However, in winter, it can sometimes snow on the Shivapuri national park, at 2,400 meters (7,800 ft) above sea level and north of Kathmandu, on Mount Phulchowki, at 2,700 meters (8,900 ft) and south of the city, or in Daman, at 2,300 meters (7,500 feet) and south-west of the city.
It snows more often in Kalinchok, located at 3,400 meters (11,000 feet) near Kathmandu, and a bit more rarely in Ghorepani, located at 2,800 meters (9,200 feet) near Pokhara and at the foot of Annapurna.
In general, expeditions for Mount
Everest and the other highest peaks are organized in two periods, from May 20th to June 5th, and from October 1st to October 20th. In these two periods, the temperature on the summit of Mount Everest is around -25/-27 °C (-13/-17 °F), and it's possible to take advantage of the only two favorable periods, between the cloudiness and the snowfalls that occur in summer and the wind storms that occur in winter. However, in high mountains, the weather can vary greatly depending on meteorological situation, so it's better to check the forecast for the following days, and in any case, to rely on expert guides.
What to pack
In
winter: in the plains, bring spring/autumn clothes (light for the day), a jacket and a sweater for the evening. In Kathmandu and Pokhara, spring/autumn clothes for the day, warm for the evening, a jacket, a hat, a scarf, sunglasses, sunscreen. Above 2,000 meters (6,500 feet), warm winter clothes, a down jacket, hiking shoes. At higher altitudes, outfit for the big cold, synthetic, thermal long underwear, gloves, a parka, a hat, a scarf.
In
summer: for the plains, bring lightweight clothing of natural fibers, a light raincoat or umbrella. In Kathmandu and Pokhara, light clothing, a sweatshirt for the evening, a raincoat or umbrella. Above 2,000 meters (6,500 feet), spring/autumn clothes, a sweater and a jacket for the evening. At the highest altitudes, a fleece, a wind jacket, a down jacket, a hat, gloves, a scarf. A sleeping bag and a warm jacket for outdoor overnight stays.
Back to the climate of
Nepal