The Mardi Himal trek runs every month of the year, but the answer to "when should I go" depends on what you want to see. Spring is the rhododendron bloom. Autumn is the cloud sea below Badal Danda, golden harvest terraces, and festival season. Winter is snow and empty trails. Monsoon is leeches, cloud, and the greenest forest of the year. Below, a month-by-month breakdown of weather, visibility, crowds, and what each window actually brings.
Pokhara at 820 m is sub-tropical; the Upper Viewpoint at 4,200 m is sub-alpine. The trail crosses three vegetation zones and four distinct weather windows in a single year. Here is how each month actually walks, with typical daytime temperatures across the lower camps and High Camp (3,580 m).
Cold and clear. Snow possible above Low Camp; near-certain at High Camp.
Quietest trail of the year and the cleanest mountain views, but you must pack for serious cold and accept that some teahouses above Low Camp may be shut. Crampons useful, not essential.
Cold but stabilising. Last snowfalls of winter in the first half.
A late-winter sweet spot for trekkers willing to pack cold-weather gear. Trails are clean, lodges are emptier, and skies are typically the sharpest blue of the year.
Warming fast. Stable sunny mornings, occasional afternoon haze.
Start of peak season. Temperatures pleasant, lodges all open, photos sharp before lunch. The first wave of spring trekkers arrives, but the trail is still less crowded than April.
Mild days, cool nights, occasional pre-monsoon afternoon showers.
The most popular month for a reason. Forest Camp to Low Camp turns red, pink, and white for hours. Book teahouses ahead, especially Forest Camp. Mid-afternoon haze sometimes hides the high peaks.
Warm days, regular afternoon thunderstorms in the second half.
Shoulder of spring and pre-monsoon. Mornings are clear and warm, afternoons close in with cloud and occasional rain. Set summit pushes for first light. Crowd thins in the second half.
Monsoon arrives mid-June. Daily heavy rain. Leeches in the lower forest.
We do not run paid trips. Trail is wet, leeches active below 2,500 m, and mountain visibility is unreliable for 90 percent of the trip. Photographers occasionally come for the green forest, but the high views you came for will not be there.
Peak monsoon. Daily downpours, landslide risk on roads to Pokhara.
Avoid. The lower trail is slick, leeches are at peak activity, and the 1 to 1.5-hour drive from Pokhara to Kande can be cancelled by landslides. Reschedule to autumn.
Monsoon weakens late August. Some clear evenings.
Late August is the earliest we will run trips again, and only with weather windows. Botany-focused trekkers come for the alpine wildflowers. Otherwise wait two more weeks for September.
Monsoon retreats first half. Clear stable weather second half.
Shoulder of autumn. The trail is quiet, the green is at its richest, and the second half delivers the post-monsoon clarity that October is famous for. Book mid-September onward.
Stable, sunny, cool mornings, mild afternoons. The classic Nepal trekking weather.
The single best month for the trek. Skies are sharp blue, temperatures are comfortable, and visibility is at its annual peak. Book teahouses well ahead. Trail is busy but never crowded.
Cooling. Stable. Frosty nights from mid-month. First snowfalls late.
Equal to October for many guides. Days are crisp and bright, the air is dry, and crowds taper after the first two weeks. Pack warmer for nights at High Camp than October.
Cold. First serious snow above 3,000 m by mid-month.
Winter starts. Trails are quiet, lodges below Low Camp all open, but High Camp may close in heavy snow years. For experienced trekkers with cold-weather gear, December is one of the most beautiful months. For first-timers, prefer October or November.
Most trekkers narrow it down to spring or autumn. Both are peak season, both have very different feel. This is the head-to-head we run for booking calls.
Check-ins on the Mardi Himal trail have roughly two and a half times the volume they had in 2022. The annual total matters less than where it lands: almost all of it falls inside the two windows above, which is why an October trail and a January trail can feel like different mountains.
Indexed, not counted: 2022 is set to 100 and every later year is expressed against it, so the curve is the growth rate rather than the traffic. 2026 is not plotted because it is a part-year and an index built on full years would draw it as a fall. By 15 June 2026 the trail had reached 57% of the whole of 2025, before the autumn season, the busiest of the year, had started. Nothing here projects that forward.
Temperatures and visibility decide whether you can walk. These are the reasons to pick one window over another: what is blooming, harvesting, flying, and being celebrated while you are on the trail. Climate numbers live on the weather page; the full cultural calendar is on seasons & events.
The questions trekkers ask when narrowing down a date. Honest answers, no marketing softening.
The 6 reviews below are all Mardi Himal treks, each rated 5 out of 5. Every one is on TripAdvisor or Google and links back to the original. Quotes are shortened excerpts; names, dates and trek lengths are taken from the source. Counts as of April 2026.
Our recent trip to Nepal and trek to Mardi Himal turned out to be one of the most memorable adventures of my life. Our guide Max was friendly, knowledgeable, and incredibly supportive, especially during the steep sections. The views along the route were breathtaking.
We had an excellent five-day trek on the Mardi Himal trail. It is frequented primarily by Nepali tourists. The views are incredible all along the trail, and many guest houses have spectacular views. Our guide was a joy to be with.
We were considering trekking to Annapurna Base Camp, but changed to the Mardi Himal based on Raj's advice. This was probably the best advice we got in Nepal. Mountains were fully covered in snow, the lower fields were green, and the rhododendron trees were flourishing.
Prakash was our trekking guide for the Mardi Himal trek. Even when we arrived feeling unwell, he showed immediate sympathy and organised a range of Pokhara-based activities for us. We can't recommend him enough. Prakash has completed over 500 trips on this route.
Our Mardi Himal trekking experience was great because of this team. Our guide Gautam was so professional, cordial and hospitable. We enjoyed it a lot. Looking forward to our next adventure with them.
Truly exceeded our expectations and made our trip to the Himalayas absolutely memorable. From the moment we inquired until the day we returned, their professionalism and attention to detail were outstanding.
We run scheduled departures from Pokhara, September to May. Most weeks the 5-day itinerary leaves on a Sunday and the 6-day on a Thursday, plus extra dates as groups form. Every other trip on this site runs privately, on your own dates. A 20 % deposit holds your place, and the balance is paid in Kathmandu before the trip starts.
