By Uncover Nepal Team · Checked by our Kathmandu travel team · Last checked 30 October 2026
By April the morning jacket in Kathmandu comes off early, and the hill forests above Pokhara are red with rhododendrons. At Everest Base Camp expedition tents go up for the climbing season, and in Bhaktapur the Nepali year turns with Bisket Jatra.
The short answer: Nepal in April is warm in the valleys, hot in the Terai and busy on the trails. Kathmandu averages 28.6 °C by day and 12.3 °C at night, rhododendrons are in bloom and Nepali New Year falls on 14 April 2027. Expect more rain than in March and, in some years, spring haze.
To compare April with the rest of the year, read our best time to visit Nepal guide. This one goes deeper: Nepal weather in April by station, haze, crowds, 2027 festival dates and the treks that suit the month.
Key facts
- Kathmandu, average high / low
- 28.6 °C / 12.3 °C (WMO Climate Normals 1991 to 2020, Tribhuvan International Airport (1,337 m), 30 Oct 2026)
- Kathmandu, April rainfall
- 63.1 mm, on 6.6 days with 1 mm or more (WMO Climate Normals 1991 to 2020, 30 Oct 2026)
- Kathmandu daylight
- About 12 h 27 min on 1 April to about 13 h 11 min on 30 April 2027 (sunrise-sunset.org, 30 Oct 2026)
- Foreign arrivals, April 2025
- 116,487, fourth-busiest month of the year (MoCTCA, Nepal Tourism Statistics 2025, 30 Oct 2026)
- Main dates, April 2027
- Ghode Jatra 6 Apr (Kathmandu Valley); Nepali New Year 2084 on 14 Apr (Ministry of Home Affairs, holidays for 2083 BS; Hamro Patro; 30 Oct 2026)
In this guide
- What is the weather like in Nepal in April?
- Will the mountains be clear in April?
- Is April busy in Nepal?
- Which festivals fall in April 2027?
- Are the rhododendrons in bloom in April?
- Which treks suit April?
- How do you stay well at altitude?
- Places to visit in Nepal in April
- What should you pack?
- Frequently asked questions
- Plan your April trip
What is the weather like in Nepal in April?
April falls in the pre-monsoon season, which Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) counts as March to May. Valleys are warm, the Terai is hot and rain picks up: Kathmandu gets about two-thirds more rain than in March, and Pokhara more than twice as much.
| Station (altitude) | Average high | Average low | Rainfall | Source and period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu, Tribhuvan Intl Airport (1,337 m) | 28.6 °C | 12.3 °C | 63.1 mm | WMO normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Pokhara Airport (827 m) | 30.0 °C | 16.1 °C | 141.7 mm | WMO normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Chitwan, Rampur near Bharatpur (189 m) | 35.4 °C | 18.0 °C | 64 mm | DHM normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Lukla, Tenzing-Hillary Airport (2,786 m) | 16.6 °C | 5.7 °C | 58.7 mm | DHM, years on record, not a full normal |
| Jomsom (2,741 m) | 18.6 °C | 4.4 °C | 21.4 mm | DHM normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Humde, Manang (3,401 m) | 14.3 °C | −0.5 °C | 38.5 mm | DHM, years on record, not a full normal |
Table: April averages by weather station. Valley stations (Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan) do not describe trekking altitudes.
Jomsom, behind the Annapurna range, gets a fraction of Pokhara's rain. Humde, near Manang, is the highest DHM station on our routes with April figures; it fell to −4.5 °C on 5 April 2025, and it is no guide to the far higher Thorong La. We found no published April average for Everest Base Camp. The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) says average temperatures drop 6 °C for every 1,000 m you climb: a reason to pack warm, not a forecast.
April also varies from year to year. In April 2024 the country had only 19.4% of its normal rain, and Kathmandu airport recorded 2.8 mm all month. April 2025 went the other way.
"Precipitation over the country as a whole was 131.2% of the normal indicating above normal precipitation."
Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, April 2025 summary
Will the mountains be clear in April?
Sometimes, but less reliably than in autumn. NTB says the clearest skies come after the monsoon, in October and November. In spring, forest-fire smoke and air pollution can hide the peaks, a "double burden" ICIMOD says the Kathmandu Valley faces every pre-monsoon season.
2025 showed how bad it can get. The Himalayan Times reported over 200 forest fires in a single day, Monday 7 April, on the government's Bipad portal, with flights delayed and diverted, including at Tribhuvan International Airport. In the same report, Sagar Adhikari, an air pollution analyst at ICIMOD, said the prevailing dry conditions had led to more forest fires across the country.
DHM recorded rain below normal for the first nine days of April 2025 and above normal after that: one year's pattern, not a promise.
Is April busy in Nepal?
Yes, on the trails above all. April 2025 brought 116,487 foreign arrivals, the fourth-busiest month of the year. National parks and conservation areas had their busiest month of 2025, with 75,146 foreign visitors, just ahead of October's 74,347.
| Place | Foreign visitors, April 2025 | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Annapurna Conservation Area | 46,169 | Its busiest month of 2025 |
| Chitwan National Park | 11,996 | Down from 13,797 in March, its busiest month |
| Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park | 9,927 | Second only to October (10,345); 1,784 in May |
Table: foreign visitors by protected area, MoCTCA, Nepal Tourism Statistics 2025, checked 30 Oct 2026.
On the busiest trails, plan early if your dates are fixed.
Which festivals fall in April 2027?
April 2027 brings Ghode Jatra on 6 April, a Kathmandu Valley holiday, and Nepali New Year 2084 on 14 April, with Bhaktapur's nine-day Bisket Jatra around it.
| Date (2027) | Festival | What it is | Public holiday? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 6 Apr | Ghode Jatra | The horse festival | Kathmandu Valley only |
| Around New Year | Bisket Jatra, Bhaktapur | Bhairav's chariot and the lingo pole | 2027 days to be confirmed |
| Wed 14 Apr | Nepali New Year 2084 | Baisakh 1 | 2084 list not out yet |
Table: Ghode Jatra from the Ministry of Home Affairs list of public holidays for 2083 BS; New Year by the Nepali calendar (Hamro Patro); checked 30 Oct 2026. Dates may change, so check before you travel.
Bisket Jatra starts in the last days of the old year and runs into the first four days of the new one. Our Bhaktapur Durbar Square guide explains the town and the festival.
Are the rhododendrons in bloom in April?
Yes. The rhododendron (lali gurans), Nepal's national flower, blooms in Chaitra and Baisakh, roughly mid-March to mid-May, so April sits in the heart of the season. Timing shifts with height and from year to year.
"Chaitra-Baishakh is the season for rhododendron blooms."
Ratopati, 28 Mar 2026
The forest around Ghorepani, on the Poon Hill trek, is the classic place to see them; see our Ghorepani guide.
Which treks suit April?
Almost all of them: NTB lists spring among the best seasons for both the Annapurna Conservation Area and Sagarmatha National Park. Higher trails can still hold snow early in April, so passes need spare days.
| Trek | High point | Typical itinerary | April notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghorepani Poon Hill | 3,210 m | 2 to 6 days from Pokhara | Rhododendron forest in season |
| Mardi Himal | 4,500 m (base camp) | 5 to 9 days | Real altitude for a short trek |
| Everest View (Namche) | Namche about 3,440 m | 7 to 10 days from Kathmandu | Depends on Lukla flights |
| Annapurna Base Camp | 4,130 m | 7 to 12 days | Snowmelt risk early in April |
| Everest Base Camp | 5,364 m | 12 to 16 days | Climbing season at base camp |
| Thorong La (Annapurna Circuit) | 5,416 m | Ask us | Pass can hold snow |
| Larkya La (Manaslu Circuit) | 5,106 m; some sources give 5,160 m | Ask us | Pass can hold snow |
Table: trek high points and typical itineraries (operator ranges, not rules), checked 30 Oct 2026.
Lower and middle treks
Poon Hill is the April classic: a short, low trek through rhododendron forest to a sunrise viewpoint. See our Ghorepani Poon Hill trek for how we run it, and our guide to the best treks in Nepal to compare the rest.
Everest in climbing season
April and May are the Everest climbing season, so base camp is full of expedition tents.
From about 1 April to the end of May, the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) runs a fee-charging clinic, Everest ER, at base camp that also sees trekkers.
In the busy months many Lukla flights leave from Ramechhap (Manthali), a drive from Kathmandu, and every Lukla flight depends on the weather, so keep a spare day at the end of your trip. Our guide to the best time for the Everest Base Camp trek goes further.
Annapurna Base Camp and the high passes
OnlineKhabar reported that spring snowmelt brings avalanche risk to the Annapurna Base Camp trail, "especially in March or early April, before the thin snow cover is gone completely", mainly from Hinku Cave to Deurali and above Machhapuchhre Base Camp. See our Annapurna Base Camp difficulty guide.
Snow can still close a pass in April, and there is no fixed opening date for the Thorong La or Larkya La. Your guide, who knows the route, decides when and how to cross, based on snow and the forecast. A licensed guide walks with you on every trek we run.
How do you stay well at altitude?
Go up slowly, however fit you are. The US CDC says altitude illness can start from a sleeping height of about 2,450 m (8,000 ft), and fitness does not protect you. Every trek in the table above sleeps higher than that, even Poon Hill.
- Above 3,000 m, do not raise your sleeping height by more than about 500 m a night, and take a rest day every 3 to 4 days.
- Know the early signs: headache, nausea, unusual tiredness and poor sleep. Never go higher with symptoms; if they get worse, go down.
- Ask your doctor about preventive medicine (for example acetazolamide).
Teahouse garlic soup is a comforting local tradition that helps you drink, not a proven cure. Our guide on how to avoid altitude sickness has the full advice.
Places to visit in Nepal in April
The best places to visit in Nepal in April are the Kathmandu Valley for its New Year festivals, the rhododendron hills above Pokhara (the base for Poon Hill and Mardi Himal) and the dry Jomsom side of the Annapurnas. Chitwan and Lumbini are open but hot.
Kathmandu Valley. Warm days suit walking the old squares; see our guide to places to visit in Kathmandu.
Jomsom. In the rain shadow of the Annapurnas, it averages just 21.4 mm of April rain. Pokhara to Jomsom flights were suspended in mid-October 2026 with no restart date, so check before you plan.
Chitwan. NTB describes April to June there as "hot, up to 43 degrees Celsius", and Rampur, near Bharatpur, set its April record of 43.2 °C on 30 April 2024. Our Chitwan National Park guide covers safaris.
Lumbini. Bhairahawa Airport, about 18 km away, averages 36.2 °C by day; see our Lumbini guide.
What should you pack?
Pack for heat, rain and cold. In Kathmandu a T-shirt covers the day and a light fleece the evening. On a trek add thermals, a down jacket, a waterproof shell and a warm sleeping bag: Lukla nights average 5.7 °C, and at Humde, at 3,401 m, April nights average just below freezing.
- A proper waterproof: April is wetter than March, especially around Pokhara.
- Sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and light, loose clothes for the Terai.
- A buff or mask for smoky days and a head torch.
- Boots you have already walked in.
Frequently asked questions
What is a teahouse, what are rooms like, and do I need to book?
A teahouse is a simple, family-run trekking lodge with plain bedrooms and a shared, stove-warmed dining room. Operators describe small twin rooms with mattresses and pillows; only blankets are provided, so bring a warm sleeping bag. Toilets and washing are shared and basic. April is peak season, and operators report that where lodges are few, trekkers sometimes end up in dormitories. Ask us how lodges are arranged on your trip.
Is there Wi-Fi, phone signal and charging on Nepal treks, and do I need a local SIM?
Many lodges sell Wi-Fi for a fee, and operators report it gets slower and dearer the higher you go; on the Everest trail many use Everest Link, which can drop out in bad weather. Charging is usually in the dining room, for a fee, so carry a power bank. A local SIM helps: Ncell and Nepal Telecom have counters in the arrivals hall at Tribhuvan International Airport, and bring your original passport and a passport photo if you have one. Signal thins out high up.
Is the water safe on treks, and how do I purify it?
No, not untreated. Drink bottled, boiled or treated water; operators report that teahouses sell boiled or safe drinking water. The US CDC says to boil for a full minute. Most portable microfilters remove bacteria and parasites but do not reliably remove viruses, and chlorine or iodine tablets work poorly against Cryptosporidium, so a filter plus a chemical treatment covers more.
When is Nepali New Year in 2027?
Nepali New Year 2084 falls on Wednesday 14 April 2027 by the Nepali calendar, the day after the year 2083 ends on 13 April. The official 2084 holiday list is not out yet, so check before you travel. Bhaktapur's nine-day Bisket Jatra runs around it.
Plan your April trip
April gives you rhododendrons, New Year festivals and the full spring trekking season, at the cost of crowded trails, more rain and Terai heat. To compare it with other months, see our best time to visit Nepal guide, or read Nepal in March and Nepal in December. Our treks page lists every route we run, and our classic multi-city tour covers the cities. Ask us on WhatsApp or through the enquiry form.
