Travelling in Nepal during Monsoon Season, what to expect

Travelling in Nepal during monsoon is more fun. Challenging and adventurous as well as there are so many benefits as well. This article focuses on different aspects of Nepal travel plan during monsoon which enters Nepal from June 10^th and last until 10^th September. The monsoon might be delayed by a week or might come earlier by a week every year.

Nepal is not a developed country, besides having a great potential of irrigating all its land by rivers which starts in snowcapped mountains called Himalayas, many parts of the Nepal depend on monsoon rain for cultivation.

Here are the pros and cons of travelling Nepal during monsoon and we also suggest the best destination for monsoon travel plan in Nepal.

Nice Green Landscape

Due to the rain the landscape is very beautiful and green except for the intermittent clouds and fog that block frequently but does not last long.

Less people

Normally you get better service everywhere as there are many less people during the monsoon and you don’t have to worry about pre-booking in most of the facilities. You might get a better deal as the companies want to make their staffs busy if possible. Check for monsoon offers, normally they do not reduce the price but include many in-house facilities without extra cost.

Very nice view from Pokhara after heavy rain

Tranquil and peaceful

As there are less people everywhere you can stay peaceful and enjoy the tranquil and peaceful environment everywhere. Theing pictures on the sightseeing places, buying the entrance tickets, eating at the restaurants, visiting stores will all be different experiences during monsoon season.

Less pollution

As Kathmandu where you land is a valley like a bowl, the pollution concentrates during other times of the year. The monsoon rain clears everything, and you can even breathe the fresh air here.

Heavy rain and high humidity

We normally don’t receive long-lasting light rain; we normally get heavy rains that do not last more than a couple of hours and it is concentrated for the afternoon times. As the rainy season starts the humidity goes high and you feel hotter than the real temperatures. Some days humidity reaches 100%. Be prepared for sweating and high humidity.

Landslides and transport disruptions

As the infrastructures in Nepal is not that decent there might be landslides resulting from pouring rains and takes time to clear up so transport system might get disrupted many times. Depending on the area they might have floods as well. Prepare for itinerary change and be flexible.

Leeches and power disruption during the trek

Doing the city tour or visiting monuments that does not count but walking in the mountains especially less than 3000 meters you might need to prepare for leeches during the trek. Heavy rains and floods might affect local power supplies and there might be no power where you stay.

No hot water for shower

During trekking in lower elevation, they have a solar water heater for shower, if the day is cloudy or rainy there might be no hot water for the shower. The higher elevation they have the gas shower and there will be no problem.

Special preparation for rainy season

You must consider packing your clothes and gear so that it will stay dry even if your backpack or suitcase is soaked from outside.

Be flexible if in case of transport disruption, sometimes you might need to think about changing your itinerary.

Choose destination wisely as some destinations are better than others. Look for help and ask for suggestions before you finalize the tour plans.

Hire local guides with bigger exposures so that they know the route clearly and make wise decisions for rerouting if necessary.

Normally it rains in the afternoon, if you start the activities earlier, in the afternoons you can enjoy the chilled beer, cocktails or mocktails observing rain and listening to the sounds of nature so choose the accommodation with terraces so you can connect with nature.

Still, we have some destinations like Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpo which are better than other areas to go to during monsoon as it is in rain shadow zone and does not suffer from monsoon.