June is here. So is the monsoon season in Nepal. Moisture from the Bay of Bengal will drench most of Nepal through September — Pokhara alone records over 3,000 mm in those four months. Most trekkers wait for October. That's a reasonable choice. It's also not the only one.
Several trekking regions sit behind the Himalayan wall in a rain shadow. Upper Mustang gets roughly 250 mm of rain per year — total, not per month. Others, like Dhorpatan and Badimalika, trade clear summit panoramas for wildflower meadows, monsoon festivals, and trails with zero foreign foot traffic.
This guide covers six monsoon-worthy treks. Each section gives you the honest trade-off: what you gain, what you lose, and whether the route actually makes sense for your fitness level and schedule. If monsoon is the only window you have, you can still trek Nepal well. You just need to be specific about where you go.
The gold standard of monsoon trekking in Nepal
|
Detail |
Info |
|
Duration |
12–16 days |
|
Max altitude |
Lo Manthang, 3,840 m |
|
Annual rainfall |
250–307 mm (vs. Pokhara's 3,000+ mm) |
|
Permit |
Restricted Area Permit, USD 50/day (2026 rate) + ACAP NPR 3,000 |
|
Difficulty |
Moderate |
|
Guide required |
Yes, licensed guide mandatory |
Upper Mustang is the single most reliable monsoon trek in Nepal. It sits in the rain shadow of the Annapurna (8,091 m) and Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) ranges. Even in peak July, the Mustang valley stays dry, dusty, and bright. Daytime temperatures reach 22–25°C, and nights are comfortable at 8–11°C. You won't need rain gear above Kagbeni.
The landscape looks more like the Tibetan Plateau than anything else in Nepal. Red sandstone cliffs, wind-eroded canyons, cave dwellings carved into rock walls, and the walled medieval city of Lo Manthang at 3,840 m. The Loba people speak Tibetan, practice Tibetan Buddhism, and farm barley on irrigated terraces watered by snowmelt — not monsoon rain.
This is also when the Yartung Horse Festival takes place in August. Mounted riders race across the plateau, and the monasteries at Lo Manthang (Thubchen Gompa, Jampa Lhakhang, Chode Monastery) hold ceremonies that few foreign trekkers witness because so few come during monsoon. If you want the Tiji Festival, that falls in May — still a good season for Mustang.
Two updates matter. First, the Restricted Area Permit dropped from a flat USD 500 to USD 50 per day. A 12-day trek now costs USD 600 in permit fees instead of USD 500 — slightly more, but the daily structure means shorter trips are finally affordable. Second, the old two-person minimum rule was removed in early 2026. You can now trek Upper Mustang solo with a licensed guide, which eliminates the hassle of finding a partner.
Photo: Mask Dance at Lo Manthang during Tiji festival.
The lower section of the route — Pokhara to Jomsom via Beni — does get monsoon rain. Flights to Jomsom cancel frequently in July and August. Budget an extra 1–2 buffer days, and plan for jeep transport from Pokhara to Kagbeni (10–12 hours, rough road) as a backup. Once past Kagbeni, you're in the rain shadow and the weather flips.
Best for: Experienced trekkers who want guaranteed dry conditions, Tibetan Buddhist culture, desert canyon landscapes, and the quietest trails of the year.
The northern half of Nepal's classic circuit stays dry in monsoon — the southern half doesn't
|
Detail |
Info |
|
Duration |
10–15 days (shortened monsoon version) |
|
Max altitude |
Thorong La Pass, 5,416 m |
|
Key rain-shadow zone |
Manang (3,519 m) northward to Muktinath (3,800 m) |
|
Permit |
ACAP NPR 3,000 |
|
Difficulty |
Challenging (the pass crossing at 5,416 m) |
|
Guide required |
Yes, mandatory since 2023 |
The full Annapurna Circuit from Besisahar to Jomsom is not a monsoon trek. The lower eastern approach (Besisahar to Chame, 800–2,700 m) gets heavy rain, landslides block the road, leeches are thick in the forest sections, and the trail turns into mud. That section should be skipped in monsoon.
Photo: Tilicho lake at manang during Annapurna Circuit Trek.
But from Manang (3,519 m) northward, the rain-shadow effect kicks in. The Manang Valley, Thorong La Pass, Muktinath, and the Kali Gandaki corridor down to Jomsom all sit behind the Annapurna barrier. Rainfall drops sharply. The landscape shifts from green hillside to dry, Tibetan-style plateau with brown ridges, yak pastures, and prayer flags.
Jeep from Pokhara to Chame or fly to Humde (when flights operate), then trek the rain-shadow section: Manang, Yak Kharka, Thorong Phedi, over Thorong La Pass (5,416 m), and down to Muktinath and Jomsom. This cuts the trek to 10–12 days and avoids the wettest sections entirely. The snow on Thorong La actually melts faster in monsoon, making the pass less icy than in spring — though afternoon cloud build-up can reduce visibility.
Add a side trip to Tilicho Lake (4,919 m), one of the world's highest lakes, if your legs and acclimatization allow it. The trail from Manang to Tilicho is steep and exposed but dry in the rain-shadow zone. You can also combine this route with a push into Upper Mustang from Kagbeni at the end — a natural monsoon extension.
You lose the eastern half of the circuit (Besisahar to Manang through lush subtropical forest) and its dramatic ascent from lowland rice paddies to high Himalaya. You also face unreliable domestic flights — Jomsom and Humde flights cancel often in monsoon. Build buffer days and carry patience. This is not a trek for people who need their schedule locked tight.
Photo: On the way to manang from pisang.
If you want certainty, pick Upper Mustang. If you want the high pass and can handle uncertainty, the Annapurna Circuit monsoon route works.
Best for: Fit trekkers who want a high-altitude pass crossing, can handle schedule flexibility, and have already done easier monsoon routes or want to combine with Upper Mustang.
Nepal's only hunting reserve, and one of the few treks where monsoon is actually the best season
|
Detail |
Info |
|
Duration |
7–13 days |
|
Max altitude |
Phagune Dhuri, ~4,500 m (optional); Rugachaur Pass, 3,850 m |
|
Reserve area |
1,325 km² across Baglung, Myagdi, and Rukum districts |
|
Permit |
Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve Permit (~USD 10) + TIMS |
|
Difficulty |
Moderate to challenging |
|
Annual foreign visitors |
Fewer than 100 |
Most Nepal trek guides say "avoid monsoon." For Dhorpatan, the opposite is true. The wide alpine meadows of the reserve — called "bukis" locally — explode with wildflowers from July to September. The fields of bukiphul (highland wildflowers) cover the pasturelands in colour, livestock herds migrate upward for summer grazing, and the Janai Purnima pilgrimage (August) brings barefoot devotثion to Dhorbaraha Temple inside the reserve.
Photo: Horse grazing on the wide meadow of Dhorpatan.
Dhorpatan sits in a partial rain-shadow pocket on the southern slope of the Dhaulagiri range. It's not bone-dry like Mustang, but it's drier than most routes at the same latitude. You'll get rain — afternoon showers are standard — but not the sustained downpours of the Annapurna foothills.
This is a wildlife trek first and a mountain-view trek second. The reserve is home to blue sheep (bharal), Himalayan tahr, musk deer, ghoral, and the danphe (Himalayan monal pheasant — Nepal's national bird). Snow leopard sightings are rare but documented. Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) and Gurja Himal (7,193 m) frame the skyline on clear mornings.
The trail runs from Pokhara through Beni, Darbang, and Burtibang before entering the reserve. You'll cross the Jaljala Pass and Rugachaur Pass (3,850 m), walk through rhododendron and oak forest, and camp on meadows where the only other people are Kham Magar herders and their yak. Teahouse infrastructure is minimal — expect basic homestays and some camping.
The access road from Pokhara to Darbang is leech territory and prone to monsoon landslides. River crossings swell. Trails in forested sections below 3,000 m are slippery and muddy. You need gaiters, leech socks, and a high tolerance for wet boots. The meadows above treeline, though, are another world: wide open, windy, and carpeted in wildflowers. The contrast between the forest and the plateau is stark and worth the discomfort of getting there.
Photo: The wide green meadow of Dhorpatan.
Dhorpatan is one of the least crowded treks in Nepal regardless of season. In monsoon, you may not see another foreign trekker for the entire trip. If solitude and wildlife matter more to you than guaranteed summit views, this is your trek.
Best for: Wildlife enthusiasts, wildflower photographers, trekkers who want genuine remoteness and don't mind camping.
A short, crowd-free trek near Pokhara with a glacier lake and a 360° Himalayan viewpoint
|
Detail |
Info |
|
Duration |
6–10 days |
|
Max altitude |
Kori Danda, 3,800 m (optional extension to Thulek, 4,115 m) |
|
Key feature |
Kapuche Lake, ~2,450 m — the world's lowest-altitude glacier lake |
|
Region |
Kaski/Lamjung districts, Annapurna Conservation Area |
|
Permit |
ACAP NPR 3,000 |
|
Difficulty |
Moderate |
Kapuche Lake sits at roughly 2,450 m near Sikles village — about 45 km northeast of Pokhara. Glaciologists classify it as the world's lowest-altitude glacier lake, fed by ice cascading off the slopes below Annapurna II (7,937 m). The lake is milky blue-green, ringed by forest, and almost absurdly close to Pokhara for how remote it feels. A day hike from the base camp at Hugu Goth (2,100 m) gets you there and back.
The trek starts with a jeep ride from Pokhara to Sikles, one of the largest Gurung settlements in the Annapurna region. From Sikles, the trail climbs through rhododendron and oak forest to Hugu Goth, then continues to Nohtha and Kori Danda (3,800 m), a ridge that delivers a full 360° panorama: Annapurna II, Annapurna IV (7,525 m), Lamjung Himal (6,983 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), and on clear days, Manaslu and the Dhaulagiri range.
Kori is not a rain-shadow route. It gets monsoon rain, leeches below 2,500 m, and muddy trails in the forest sections. The alpine meadows above Nohtha turn green and wildflower-filled, which is genuinely beautiful for photography — but clouds often block the summit views you came for.
The smart play is to trek Kori in early June (just as monsoon starts, before heavy rain sets in) or September (as it tapers off). Mid-July and August are the wettest and hardest months on this route. If you go anyway, start each day before 6 AM and be at camp by noon.
Photo: Kapuche Glacier Lake; lowesst altitude galcier lake at 2,546 m. (8,353 ft.)
This trek pairs well with the Mardi Himal trek as a shoulder-season alternative near Pokhara. The trail is far less trafficked than Mardi, and the Kapuche Lake trek works as a standalone short adventure for travellers based in Pokhara who don't have 12–16 days for Upper Mustang or the circuit.
Best for: Trekkers with 6–10 days near Pokhara, photographers chasing wildflower meadows, and anyone who wants a glacier lake without high-altitude commitment.
A high-altitude Hindu pilgrimage in far-west Nepal, virtually unknown to international trekkers
|
Detail |
Info |
|
Duration |
10–15 days (including travel to/from Bajura) |
|
Max altitude |
Badimalika Temple, 4,200 m (4,219 m per survey) |
|
Region |
Bajura district, Sudurpashchim Province |
|
Permit |
Standard trekking permits |
|
Difficulty |
Moderate to challenging |
|
International visitors/year |
Almost zero |
Badimalika is a Shakti Peeth — one of Hinduism's most sacred temple categories — perched at 4,200 m on a rocky outcrop in the Bajura district of far-west Nepal. The two-storey pagoda houses statues of Mahakali, Mahalaxmi, and Durga. The Nepal Army recently rebuilt the temple structure. The surrounding terrain is 22 rolling alpine meadows, called "patans" locally, with panoramic views of Api Himal (7,132 m) and Saipal (7,031 m).
Photo: Badimalika Green Meadow with Wildflower.
Getting there is the main challenge. From Kathmandu, fly to Dhangadhi (1 hour 10 minutes), then drive 10–12 hours to Martadi on rough mountain roads. From Martadi, the trek to the temple takes three days, climbing through dense forest, terraced farmland, and alpine grassland. This is not a teahouse trail. You camp, eat dal bhat cooked by your crew, and walk through villages where foreign faces draw genuine curiosity.
Janai Purnima (the full moon of August) is Badimalika's biggest festival. Thousands of Nepali pilgrims trek to the temple, and the alpine meadows are at their greenest and most dramatic. If you time your trek for late July or August, you share the trail with Chhetri and Brahmin devotees who have walked for days from Doti, Jumla, and Kalikot — a cultural experience you can't manufacture or replicate anywhere else in Nepal.
Photo: Horse running on the meadow of Badimalika.
That said, monsoon conditions on the access roads and lower trails are serious. Landslides delay or block the Dhangadhi-to-Martadi drive regularly. The forest sections have leeches. Rain falls daily. You need an experienced agency, flexible schedule, and a genuine willingness to accept discomfort. Spring (March–May) and post-monsoon autumn (September–November) are objectively easier seasons.
Badimalika is probably the most extreme "content gap" in Nepal trekking — almost no English-language content exists for international trekkers, and no competing agency has built an authoritative page on this route. If you're interested in Nepal's far-west region, this trek pairs well with Khaptad National Park or the Saipal region for a two-week deep exploration of Sudurpashchim Province.
Best for: Cultural travellers and Hindu pilgrims who want Nepal's spiritual side away from commercial trails, experienced trekkers comfortable with remote camping, and anyone drawn to far-west Nepal's unvisited landscapes.
Not a monsoon trek — but here's the honest breakdown for trekkers who can only come in June–September
|
Detail |
Info |
|
Duration |
7–12 days |
|
Max altitude |
Annapurna Base Camp, 4,130 m |
|
Permit |
ACAP NPR 3,000 + TIMS |
|
Difficulty |
Moderate |
|
Guide required |
Yes, mandatory since 2023 |
The Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek is not in a rain-shadow zone. The route climbs through Chhomrong, Bamboo, Deurali, and Machhapuchhre Base Camp — all on the southern, monsoon-exposed side of the Annapurna range. From June through August, expect daily rain, thick cloud cover, leeches in the forest sections between 2,000–3,000 m, and limited mountain visibility.
Most experienced operators — and we include ourselves — do not recommend ABC as a first-choice monsoon trek. If rain-shadow trekking like Upper Mustang or the Annapurna Circuit's northern section are available to you, pick those.
If June through September is truly your only travel window and ABC is your goal, here's what to expect. Mornings are often clear until 10–11 AM. The trick is to start each day at dawn and reach your next teahouse by noon, before the afternoon clouds and rain roll in. The Annapurna Sanctuary itself — the amphitheatre above Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3,700 m) — sometimes clears at sunrise, revealing Annapurna I (8,091 m), Annapurna South (7,219 m), and Hiunchuli (6,441 m) in full. You might get that view one morning out of three.
The landscape is astonishingly green. Waterfalls multiply, the rhododendron forests drip with moisture, the terraced hillsides of Ghandruk and Chhomrong are at peak farming activity. You'll walk through rice paddies being planted (Ropai), hear frogs at every altitude, and share teahouses with almost no other foreigners.
Pack waterproof everything: bag cover, dry bags for electronics, quick-dry trousers, gaiters, and leech socks. Bring a headlamp that works when wet — you'll start walking in the dark. Budget extra days for weather delays. Domestic flights to Pokhara cancel in heavy rain, and trail sections occasionally close after landslides.
The cost savings are real: teahouse prices drop, guides are more available, and you'll negotiate better rates on everything. A monsoon ABC trek through a registered Pokhara agency typically costs 30–40% less than peak-season pricing.
Best for: Budget trekkers who can only travel in monsoon, repeat visitors who have seen the peaks in clear weather and now want the green, cultural monsoon side, and experienced trekkers comfortable with rain, leeches, and uncertainty.
Geography. The Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges (both above 8,000 m) block moisture-heavy clouds blowing in from the Bay of Bengal. Regions north or west of these massifs receive dramatically less rain. Lo Manthang in Upper Mustang records roughly 250 mm of annual rainfall. Pokhara, 150 km south, records over 3,000 mm. That's a twelvefold difference.
Rain-shadow regions — Upper Mustang, Dolpo, Manang, and parts of western Nepal — stay dry enough for comfortable trekking even in July and August. Outside these zones, expect daily afternoon rain, muddy trails, leeches in forested sections below 3,000 m, and reduced mountain visibility. The mornings, though, are often clear.
One more thing worth knowing: Nepal's monsoon doesn't mean constant downpour. Rain typically hits between 1 PM and evening. If you start walking by 6 AM and finish by noon, you'll stay dry most days — even on routes that aren't in a rain shadow.
Your trekking packing list changes in monsoon. These items are non-negotiable:
Rain protection: A proper rain jacket (not a poncho — wind shreds ponchos on ridgelines), waterproof pack cover, and dry bags for electronics, passport, and sleeping bag. Gore-Tex boots or similar waterproof footwear.
Leech defence: Leech socks (cloth tubes treated with DEET or salt that cover boots-to-knee), tobacco powder or salt for removal, and the mental acceptance that you will encounter leeches below 3,000 m on any route that isn't in a rain shadow. They're harmless. They're also persistent.
Quick-dry layers: Cotton kills comfort in monsoon humidity. Pack synthetic or merino base layers, quick-dry trekking pants, and a lightweight fleece for altitude.
Extra days: Build 2–3 buffer days into any monsoon itinerary. Domestic flights cancel. Roads close. Trails wash out. If you fly to Jomsom or Humde, have a jeep backup plan and the patience to use it.
Trekker arrivals to Nepal peak in October–November and March–April. Planning for a monsoon trip (June–September) usually starts 3–6 months earlier, around February to May. If you're reading this in monsoon season, you can still book — agencies have availability, guides are less busy, and last-minute arrangements work better in the off-season than in peak autumn.
The main factor is permit processing for restricted areas like Upper Mustang. Allow at least 2–3 weeks for the Restricted Area Permit application through a licensed agency. ACAP and TIMS permits for non-restricted routes can be arranged in 1–2 days in Pokhara or Kathmandu.
For a more detailed season-by-season breakdown, see our best time to trek in Nepal guide.
|
Trek |
Monsoon reliability |
Days needed |
Difficulty |
Crowds in monsoon |
|
Upper Mustang |
Excellent (true rain shadow) |
12–16 |
Moderate |
Very low |
|
Annapurna Circuit (north) |
Good (rain-shadow above Manang) |
10–15 |
Challenging |
Almost none |
|
Dhorpatan |
Good (partial rain shadow, wildflowers peak) |
7–13 |
Moderate–challenging |
Near zero |
|
Kapuche/Kori Danda |
Fair (not rain-shadow; shoulder monsoon best) |
6–10 |
Moderate |
Low |
|
Badimalika |
Fair (wet but culturally peak at Janai Purnima) |
10–15 |
Moderate–challenging |
Nepali pilgrims; zero foreigners |
|
Annapurna Base Camp |
Challenging (full monsoon exposure) |
7–12 |
Moderate |
Low |
1. Is it safe to trek in Nepal during monsoon?
Yes, if you choose the right route. Rain-shadow regions like Upper Mustang, Dolpo, and the Manang Valley receive minimal monsoon rainfall and are safe for trekking throughout June–September. Routes on the southern slopes of the Himalaya (Everest Base Camp, standard Annapurna Base Camp) carry higher risk from landslides, flooded trails, and reduced visibility. A licensed guide is mandatory on all Nepal treks since 2023, and especially important in monsoon for route-finding and safety decisions.
2. Where can I trek in Nepal in July without rain?
Upper Mustang is the most reliable dry trek in July. Lo Manthang at 3,840 m records roughly 250 mm of rain per year — the entire year, not per month. The Manang section of the Annapurna Circuit and the Dolpo region are also dry options. Everywhere else, expect at least some afternoon rain.
3. How much cheaper is trekking in Nepal during monsoon?
Teahouse rates, guide fees, and agency packages drop 30–50% compared to peak autumn. A 12-day Upper Mustang trek that costs USD 1,800–2,200 in October might run USD 1,200–1,600 in July. The Restricted Area Permit cost stays the same (USD 50/day in 2026), but everything else is negotiable.
4. Do I need a guide for monsoon trekking?
Yes. Nepal requires all foreign trekkers to hire a licensed guide through a registered agency, effective since March 2023. In monsoon, a guide is doubly important for assessing trail conditions, managing river crossings, arranging alternative routes when landslides block the trail, and making Thorong La Pass crossing decisions based on weather windows.
5. What about leeches?
Leeches are active in forested areas between 1,500–3,000 m during monsoon. They're common on the Dhorpatan, ABC, and lower Annapurna Circuit routes. They are not dangerous — they don't carry disease — but they're unpleasant. Leech socks, DEET spray on boots, and tucking trousers into socks help. Above 3,000 m and in rain-shadow regions, leeches are rare or absent.
6. Can I trek the Annapurna Circuit in monsoon?
The northern section (Manang to Jomsom via Thorong La) works because it's in the rain shadow. The southern section (Besisahar to Chame) gets heavy rain. The smart approach: jeep or fly to the Manang area and trek the dry section only. See our Annapurna Circuit Trek page for the full monsoon-adapted itinerary.
7. Is Upper Mustang worth the permit cost?
At USD 50/day, a 12-day Upper Mustang trek costs USD 600 in RAP fees alone. Whether it's "worth it" depends on what you value. You get: a genuine rain-shadow climate in peak monsoon, a walled medieval city (Lo Manthang), functioning Tibetan Buddhist monasteries (Thubchen Gompa, Jampa Lhakhang, Ghar Gompa), desert canyon landscapes unlike anything else in Nepal, and near-total solitude. No other monsoon trek in Nepal combines all of that. Read our detailed Upper Mustang permit breakdown for the full cost structure.
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