Dolpo, Mustang and Nar Phu each have their own weather windows. Time it right and you'll have the trail almost to yourself.
Spring (March–May)
Spring is prime time across most of Nepal. Days lengthen, temperatures climb and the mid-hills erupt with rhododendron blossom. Higher passes are clearing of winter snow by late March, and the stable weather makes for reliable mountain views.
It's our favourite window for the eastern treks like Kanchenjunga and Makalu, where the forests are at their best.
Autumn (September–November)
After the monsoon washes the haze from the sky, autumn delivers the crispest, clearest mountain panoramas of the year. The trails are dry, the air is settled and the harvest is in across the villages.
It's the most popular season for good reason — though in the restricted regions, 'popular' still means quiet by Himalayan standards.
The rain-shadow secret: trekking in monsoon
Here's the trick few travellers know: Dolpo, Upper Mustang and parts of Nar Phu sit in the Himalaya's rain shadow. While the rest of Nepal is under monsoon cloud from June to August, these high-desert valleys stay relatively dry and trekkable.
If you want genuine solitude and a green-season escape, the rain-shadow regions are the answer. We run dedicated monsoon departures into Dolpo and Mustang for exactly this reason.
