Best Time to Visit Kathmandu

October to November, March to April

Months to avoid: June to August (monsoon, flights to mountain destinations cancelled, streets flooded, visibility near zero)

Recommended stay: 3-5 days

Plan Kathmandu for October to November, March to April. Give it 3-5 days. The window to avoid is June to August (monsoon, flights to mountain destinations cancelled, streets flooded, visibility near zero).

What the season gets you

• Pashupatinath at dusk during cremation ceremonies. Hindu rites conducted openly on the riverbank, sobering and real in a way most sacred sites aren't
• Boudhanath stupa at dawn: monks in burgundy robes doing kora, butter lamps flickering, prayer wheels spinning in steady rhythm before the tour groups arrive
• Bhaktapur Durbar Square, 13km east, the medieval city the 2015 earthquake hit hardest, now partially restored, with potters' squares and newari architecture that Kathmandu's old city has largely lost