Nepal Festivals: A Trekker's Seasonal Calendar

Nepal's festival calendar overlaps closely with its trekking seasons, so timing a trek around one can turn a good trip into a memorable one. The two biggest festivals, Dashain and Tihar, fall in the September to November autumn peak, exactly when the trails are clearest. Two mountain festivals reward trekkers who plan for them: Tiji at Lo Manthang in Upper Mustang, usually in May, and Mani Rimdu at Tengboche Monastery on the Everest trail, in October or November. Here is how Nepal's main festivals line up with the walking seasons, and which ones are worth building an itinerary around.

How do Nepal's festivals line up with trekking season?

Nepal follows a lunar calendar, so festival dates shift each year against the Western one, but they cluster in predictable windows. The autumn trekking peak coincides with the Hindu festival season, while the two most trek-relevant Buddhist festivals sit at the mountain monasteries you actually pass. Knowing which falls when lets you either seek a festival out or plan around its effect on transport and teahouses.

Autumn: Dashain and Tihar

Dashain is Nepal's largest festival, a 15-day Hindu celebration in September or October that marks the victory of good over evil, followed a couple of weeks later by the five-day festival of lights, Tihar. Both land inside the September to November trekking peak. On the trail their main effect is practical: some teahouse and lodge staff travel home to their villages, Kathmandu quietens as shops and offices close for the main days, and buses and domestic flights fill with Nepalis heading home. None of it stops a trek, but it is worth knowing when you book transport around the Dashain week. For the wider picture of when to walk, see our guide to the best time to trek the Annapurna Circuit.

Tiji Festival, Upper Mustang

Tiji is a three-day Tibetan Buddhist festival held each year in the walled city of Lo Manthang, usually in May, and it is one of the few times the medieval Mustang capital fills with masked ritual dances in the main square. The festival tells the story of a deity defeating a demon, and it draws the whole region into Lo Manthang for three days of ceremony. Because Mustang sits in the Annapurna rain shadow and stays dry into early summer, timing an Upper Mustang trek to reach Lo Manthang for Tiji is one of the best festival-and-trek combinations in Nepal. Our Upper Mustang trek guide covers the route in; book early, because lodges in Lo Manthang fill for the festival.

Mani Rimdu, Tengboche

Mani Rimdu is a Sherpa Buddhist festival at Tengboche Monastery, held in October or November, and it sits directly on the Everest Base Camp trail. The public celebration runs three days with masked Cham dances performed by the monastery's lamas, set against the backdrop of Ama Dablam and the Khumbu peaks. Trekkers on the Everest Base Camp trek whose itinerary reaches Tengboche during the festival can watch the dances as part of the walk, no detour required. The dates follow the Tibetan calendar and fall within the autumn trekking season, so it is worth checking the year's date if the Everest region is your plan.

Other festivals worth knowing

Several festivals outside the two trekking peaks are still worth timing a Kathmandu day around. Holi, the spring festival of colours, falls in March; Buddha Jayanti, marking the Buddha's birth, in April or May; and Losar, the Tibetan and Sherpa new year, in February or March, which the mountain communities of the Khumbu and Mustang celebrate. Indra Jatra fills Kathmandu's Durbar Square with chariot processions in September, at the very start of the autumn season. Any of these adds colour to the city days that bookend a trek.

Should you trek during a festival?

Timing a trek to a mountain festival like Tiji or Mani Rimdu is close to pure upside, since the celebration happens on the route in the best weather of the year. Dashain is the one to plan around rather than for: the trekking is excellent, but book domestic flights and buses well ahead and expect Kathmandu to be quiet on the main days. Beyond that, a festival is a reason to add a day in the city or a village, not a reason to change the trek itself.

How to time a trek around a festival

Timing a trek to a festival takes a little planning around the lunar calendar, which shifts the dates each year. For the mountain festivals, work backward: decide you want to reach Lo Manthang for Tiji in May or Tengboche for Mani Rimdu in autumn, then count the trekking days back to fix your flight into Nepal. Book teahouses early, because lodges near a festival site fill fast, and add a rest day so a delayed flight or a slow acclimatisation does not make you miss the main day. For the Kathmandu festivals like Indra Jatra or Holi, the timing is easier, since they happen in the city where your trek begins and ends, so a single well-placed rest day catches them.

What is the biggest festival in Nepal?

Dashain, a 15-day Hindu festival in September or October, is the largest. It falls inside the autumn trekking peak and mainly affects trekkers through busier transport and quieter cities during the main days, not the trails themselves.

Can you trek during Dashain?

Yes, and the weather is often ideal. Book domestic flights and buses early because Nepalis travel home for the festival, and expect some Kathmandu shops and offices to close for the main days. Teahouses stay open, though some staff travel home.

What is the Tiji festival?

Tiji is a three-day Tibetan Buddhist festival in Lo Manthang, Upper Mustang, usually held in May, with masked ritual dances in the walled city's main square. Timing an Upper Mustang trek to reach Lo Manthang for Tiji is a standout festival-and-trek combination.

When is Mani Rimdu at Tengboche?

Mani Rimdu is held at Tengboche Monastery in October or November, with the public celebration running three days of masked Cham dances. The exact dates follow the Tibetan calendar and fall within the autumn Everest trekking season.