Travel guide · Nepal
Visiting Nepal in April
April is peak spring: warm days, hillsides ablaze with rhododendron and superb high-altitude trekking.
Nepal in April is peak spring — for many trekkers, the most beautiful month of the year. Warm, mostly dry weather meets hillsides ablaze with blooming rhododendron, while high passes are open and lodges are fully running across the great trekking regions. Mountain views can be a touch hazier than in autumn, but the combination of colour, comfortable temperatures and excellent trail conditions is hard to beat. For the full year, see our month-by-month guide to Nepal.
Weather in April
April is warm and largely dry, the height of the pre-monsoon season. Kathmandu and Pokhara see days of 22 to 28°C with mild nights, though afternoon haze and the odd pre-monsoon thunderstorm can build later in the month. The Terai turns genuinely hot. In the high mountains it is pleasant by day, cold at night, and conditions are among the most settled of the year for crossing high passes.
Trekking in April
This is prime spring trekking. The Everest Base Camp routes, the Annapurna Circuit trek and the Langtang and Gokyo trails are all in superb shape, with passes clear and weather stable. The signature experience is the rhododendron: forests of red, pink and white blossom carpet the mid-hills, and the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek is famous for walking through them in full bloom. Spring is also when most Everest summit expeditions stage, so Khumbu trails are lively. Prepare high routes with our Nepal trekking guide.
What else to do
Away from the trails, April is good for rafting as rivers warm and run well, and for paragliding and lakeside time in Pokhara. Wildlife viewing in Chitwan and Bardia is rewarding but hot, with animals gathering at waterholes. City sightseeing is pleasant in the mornings, before the afternoon heat and haze.
Festivals in April
The Nepali new year, Nava Barsha (Bikram Sambat new year), falls in mid-April, celebrated with gatherings and fairs. The same period brings Bisket Jatra in Bhaktapur, a dramatic chariot-pulling festival, and Buddha Jayanti, marking the Buddha's birth, can fall in late April or May depending on the lunar calendar. See exact dates in our festival calendar of Nepal.
Crowds and prices
April is high season alongside October — trails, lodges and flights are busy and prices are firm, especially in the Everest and Annapurna regions. Book ahead for popular treks and domestic flights. For the start of spring with the first blooms and the colour of Holi, look back at Nepal in March; for the warm, hazy tail of the dry season just before the rains, read on to Nepal in May. To weigh your options, our best time to visit Nepal guide compares the seasons.
Frequently asked questions
Is April a good time to visit Nepal?+
Yes, April is one of the two best months for trekking, with warm, stable weather and Nepal's hillsides at their most colourful as rhododendron forests bloom in full. Views can be slightly hazier than autumn, but the trails and forests are spectacular.
Can you trek in Nepal in April?+
Absolutely. April is prime spring trekking, with high passes open, lodges fully running and the rhododendron in full bloom up to higher elevations. The Everest, Annapurna and Langtang regions are all in excellent condition.
What is the weather like in Nepal in April?+
It is warm and largely dry, with Kathmandu and Pokhara around 22 to 28 degrees Celsius. The Terai is hot, the hills can be hazy in the afternoons, and the high mountains are pleasant by day with cold nights and generally settled conditions.
Is April good for rhododendron blooms?+
Yes, April is the peak of the rhododendron season in Nepal, with forests of red, pink and white blossoms across the mid-hills and trekking routes such as Ghorepani Poon Hill and the lower Annapurna and Langtang trails.
