6 Best Destinations for Nepal Trekking Season

Talking about best Nepal trekking seasons, you can’t rule out a particular one as such, neither can you tag a single season as the best. Thanks to the diversity of the trekking trails in the country, every single place has its own charm irrespective of the seasons. If you thought winters must be avoided for the obvious risky climatic conditions, think again as many hard-core trekkers believe December and January are the best when they can avoid the excessive crowd. (See also Nepal weather in December, Nepal weather in January).

Still, autumn and spring remain the most preferred and suggested Nepal trekking season. While autumn stays from September to November, spring is between March and May which is followed by monsoon and must be avoided as trekking trail would be muddy and uncomfortable.

We would be sticking to autumn and spring season while pointing out some of the best destination to try trekking in Nepal.

Here are top 6 destinations for trekking in Nepal in autumn and spring:

1. Makalu Base Camp Trek

Best Season: March-May and October-November
Trekking difficulty: Hard
Maximum elevation: 5,250m (17,224ft), Shersong Ridge
Remoteness: Extremely remote
Pocket pinch: High
Accommodation: Camping
Accessible during other seasons? Not advisable at all. Especially in winters.
Restricted permits: Yes. Minimum two trekkers accompanied by a Nepali guide or porter.

Call it an authentic trekking in terms of self-sufficiency and contentment as you trek through the unspoiled trails and landscapes throughout the journey. Get bestowed with exclusive and stunning mountain sceneries, especially at the vantage point Shersong ridge at 5,250m. Mt Makalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world is famous for its challenging trails and untouched nature. This is one trekking journey where you might not meet many trekkers on the way, but be assured to have a pleasant communion with nature at its best irrespective of Nepal trekking season.

2. Kanchenjunga Trek

Best Season: March-May and October-November
Trekking difficulty: Hard
Maximum elevation: 5,160m (16,929ft), Lapsang Pass
Remoteness: Very remote
Pocket pinch: High
Accommodation: Camping
Accessible during other seasons? Not advisable in winter (December-January)
Restricted permits: Yes. Minimum two trekkers accompanied by a Nepali guide or porter.

Get set ready for trekking amid one of the most secluded area of the Himalayas. Kanchenjunga trek is a camping adventure trek of a lifetime. The region is secluded and one of the remotest rural regions of the country. Surrounded by pristine nature, it reaches the peak of its enchanting enigma on the day of crossing the Lapsang La Pass at an altitide of 5,160m. The glimpses of Mt. Kanchenjunga and Mt. Makalu, the world's 3rd and 5th highest mountains in the world, respectively, are guaranteed to make you come back again.

3. Upper Mustang Trek

Best Season: March-May and October-November
Trekking difficulty: Medium to Hard
Maximum elevation: 3,810m (12,500ft), Dhakmar
Remoteness: Very remote
Pocket pinch: High
Accommodation: Guesthouses and Lodges
Accessible during other seasons? You may.
Restricted permits: Yes. Minimum two trekkers accompanied by a Nepali guide or porter.

Being one of the most recommended treks in Nepal, Upper Mustang trek is all about rough nature with treeless and barren landscapes. The journey covers a stretch full of cultural inputs and Tibetan traditions. Mustang was once a Himalayan Kingdom, and is considered a last bastion of Tibetan culture. If you are looking for a unique Tibetan culture topped with rough yet beautiful nature, then let this one be your first preference in any Nepal trekking season.

4. Everest Base Camp

Best Season: March-May and October-November
Trekking difficulty: Hard
Maximum elevation: 5,540m (18,176ft), Kong Ma La Pass
Remoteness: Not much remote (due to extreme footfall)
Pocket pinch: Medium
Accommodation: Guesthouses and Lodges
Accessible during other seasons? Not at all.
Restricted permits: No

This one is for the fittest of the trekking freaks – the ones who are looking for an adventure of a lifetime. Gear up for the ultimate Everest quest, and definitely a challenging one with four passes to climb in total. Don’t worry about the reward though, there would be plenty of mesmerizing views, stunning peaks, pristine nature, and challenging yet marvellous trails. You would be walking in a circuit and the trail would keep on changing. Find it interesting? Think about crossing Himalayas' widest glacier - the Ngozumba Glacier - a thrilling trespassing to say the least.

5. Manaslu Trek

Best Season: March-May and October-November
Trekking difficulty: Hard
Maximum elevation: 5,115m (16,781ft), Larke Pass
Remoteness: Moderately remote
Pocket pinch: Medium
Accommodation: Guesthouses and Lodges
Accessible during other seasons? Depends, though mostly yes. Main hurdle is crossing the Larke Pass at 5,135m (16,874ft)
Restricted permits: Yes. Minimum two trekkers accompanied by a Nepali guide or porter.

As undoubtedly one of the best treks in Nepal, Manaslu is going to give you goose bumps with its own set of challenges and adventure. The trail throughout takes you through diverse, remote, and secluded topography enriched with varying altitudes from 600m (1,699ft) to 5,135m Take a walk in the circuit and watch how the trail keeps on changing until it winds up. Watch out for the cosy village of Samagaun which takes you to teh Manaslu Base Camp. This trek was officially opened for trekking in the early 90s and is highly recommended for the ones who are looking for some adrenalin rush.

6. Langtang Trek

Best Season: March-May and October-November
Trekking difficulty: Moderate
Maximum elevation: 4,984m (16,056ft), Tserko Ri
Remoteness: Moderately remote
Pocket pinch: Cheap
Accommodation: Guesthouses and Lodges
Accessible during other seasons? Yes
Restricted permits: No

An authentic trekking experience is what describes Langtang trek the best. Covering a whole lot of cultural insights like monasteries, local villages, it gives you an opportunity to select and hike you own preferred 4,984m peak, Tserko Peak, Langtang trek. The trek isn’t longer than 7 days stretch, yet extremely rejuvenating and thrilling. Situated in the north towards Tibet, Langtang trek takes you through an enchanting journey across nature passing through stunning forest, high alpine meadows, and yak pastures. As a bonus, wait for the exclusive panoramic views across the vast open valleys at the end of the trek.

If you want to try trekking in the best Nepal trekking season, these few must be on high priority in your trekking list. Pick your backpack, get a guide and start walking as Nepal waits with its exclusive trekking trails.