Kathmandu month by month
Plan your visit to Kathmandu by month. Compare weather, crowds, events, and prices across all twelve months with historical climate data.
Kathmandu's year turns sharply in May. From December through February, highs hold between 18 and 19°C with 1 to 4 rain days per month. March and April warm to 23 and 26°C, and rain reaches 8 or 9 days. Then May hits 24 rain days, June 26, and July and August each reach 31 at a steady 27°C. September still logs 29 before October drops to 15 and November returns to 3 rain days at 21°C.
The 12 month guides below cover Kathmandu's full year. January and December sit at the dry end, both at 18°C with 1 to 2 rain days. May through September form the wet end, with 24 to 31 rain days per month. If your dates fall between seasons, compare the March and April pages (8 to 9 rain days) against October and November (15 down to 3).
July and August need the closest read, with 31 rain days each at 27°C. December sits at the opposite extreme with 1 rain day and an 18°C high.
July reaches 31 rain days at a 27°C high, up from 26 rain days in June, and holds that count through August.
- January
- High
- 18°C
- Low
- 5°C
- Rain
- 9 mm
January is Kathmandu's coldest month, and that single fact shapes everything about a visit. Overnight lows average 5.1°C (41°F), and most guesthouses in Thamel and Freak Street…
- February
- High
- 19°C
- Low
- 6°C
- Rain
- 20 mm
February might be the most underrated month to visit Kathmandu. The monsoon is months away, rainfall sits at a negligible 20mm for the entire month, and the winter cold has started…
- March
- High
- 23°C
- Low
- 11°C
- Rain
- 42 mm
March in Kathmandu is defined by Holi. The festival of colors, called Fagu Purnima locally, transforms the city into a paint-splattered free-for-all that you'll either love or…
- April
- High
- 27°C
- Low
- 15°C
- Rain
- 43 mm
April in Kathmandu is defined by one thing above all else. Bisket Jatra, the Kathmandu Valley's most dramatic chariot festival, erupts in Bhaktapur's medieval streets around…
- May
- High
- 26°C
- Low
- 16°C
- Rain
- 233 mm
May in Kathmandu means the pre-monsoon buildup. You'll get roughly 124mm of rain spread across 14 or so days, enough to turn the city's narrow gullies slick and make the steep…
- June
- High
- 27°C
- Low
- 19°C
- Rain
- 424 mm
June in Kathmandu means monsoon. That is the single most important thing to know. The rains typically arrive in the first or second week of the month, and once they settle in, you…
- July
- High
- 27°C
- Low
- 20°C
- Rain
- 768 mm
July is the wettest month of the year in Kathmandu. There is no gentle way to put that. The valley receives roughly 768mm of rain across all 31 days, and the monsoon settles into a…
- August
- High
- 27°C
- Low
- 20°C
- Rain
- 644 mm
August in Kathmandu means monsoon. That is the single most important thing to understand before booking a flight. Rain falls on essentially every day of the month, often in heavy…
- September
- High
- 26°C
- Low
- 19°C
- Rain
- 367 mm
September in Kathmandu is still monsoon. That is the single most important fact. Expect rain on 29 out of 30 days, with 367mm falling over the month and humidity sitting around…
- October
- High
- 24°C
- Low
- 15°C
- Rain
- 141 mm
October in Kathmandu is defined by one thing above all else. Dashain, Nepal's largest festival, consumes the city for roughly 15 days. Government offices close. Shops pull their…
- November
- High
- 21°C
- Low
- 10°C
- Rain
- 10 mm
November might be the single best month to visit Kathmandu. The monsoon wrapped up in late September, and by now the valley has had 4-6 weeks to dry out. The result is air clarity…
- December
- High
- 18°C
- Low
- 6°C
- Rain
- 6 mm
December in Kathmandu is cold, dry, and clear. That clarity is the draw. After months of monsoon haze, the Himalayan range becomes visible from the valley rim, and the sky over…