Key findings
- −14 °C is the coldest average night at the top of any of our treks in the main seasons: Gorak Shep (5,164 m) on Everest Base Camp.
- 8 of 9 of our standard itineraries raise sleeping altitude faster than the medical guideline on at least one night.
- Langtang is cut off by road after floods on 26 August 2026 (Kathmandu Post).
- Dashain holidays run 17–23 October and Tihar 8–12 November 2026; transport is busiest then.
How cold the nights get
Average night-time low at each trek's highest weather stop, by month (2016–2025 averages).
| Trek | Highest stop | Oct | Nov | Mar | Apr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annapurna Base Camp | Annapurna Base Camp, 4,130 m | 0 °C | −4 °C | −8 °C | −4 °C |
| Everest Base Camp | Gorak Shep, 5,164 m | −6 °C | −11 °C | −14 °C | −10 °C |
| Annapurna Circuit | Thorong Phedi, 4,450 m | −4 °C | −9 °C | −13 °C | −9 °C |
| Poon Hill | Ghorepani, 2,860 m | 5 °C | 1 °C | −3 °C | 1 °C |
| Langtang Valley | Kyanjin Gompa, 3,870 m | 1 °C | −3 °C | −7 °C | −4 °C |
| Mardi Himal | High Camp, 3,540 m | 3 °C | 0 °C | −5 °C | −1 °C |
| ABC + Poon Hill | Annapurna Base Camp, 4,130 m | 0 °C | −4 °C | −8 °C | −4 °C |
| Khopra Danda | Khopra Danda, 3,640 m | 1 °C | −3 °C | −7 °C | −4 °C |
| Circuit + Tilicho | Tilicho Lake, 4,919 m | −5 °C | −9 °C | −14 °C | −10 °C |
How fast itineraries climb
Medical guidelines say that above 3,000 m you should raise where you sleep by no more than about 500 m a day. Nights over that on each standard itinerary:
| Trek | Days | Highest night | Nights above 3,000 m | Nights over the guideline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annapurna Base Camp | 10 | 4,130 m | 2 | 2 |
| Everest Base Camp | 12 | 5,164 m | 9 | 3 |
| Annapurna Circuit | 12 | 4,450 m | 6 | 2 |
| Poon Hill | 7 | 2,860 m | 0 | 0 |
| Langtang Valley | 8 | 3,870 m | 3 | 1 |
| Mardi Himal | 8 | 3,540 m | 1 | 1 |
| ABC + Poon Hill | 12 | 4,130 m | 2 | 2 |
| Khopra Danda | 10 | 3,640 m | 3 | 2 |
| Circuit + Tilicho | 15 | 4,450 m | 9 | 2 |
Check any itinerary yourself with our free altitude check.
Access and disruptions
- Langtang: floods on 26 August 2026 damaged Syabrubesi and the road into the valley; trekking agencies advised against travel there for now (Kathmandu Post, 2 September 2026).
- Kathmandu–Pokhara road: monsoon damage at Krishnabhir reduced the highway to one lane in places in late September (Kathmandu Post, 29 September 2026). Allow a full day by bus.
- Lukla flights: in peak seasons most flights to Lukla leave from Ramechhap (Manthali), a 4–5 hour drive from Kathmandu. See our Everest Base Camp page.
Permit fees (foreign trekkers)
| Permit | Foreigners | SAARC nationals | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,000 | Source |
| TIMS card (Annapurna, Langtang; issued via registered agencies) | NPR 2,000 | NPR 1,000 | Source |
| Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,500 | Source |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Trek-Card | NPR 3,000 | NPR 2,000 | Source |
| Langtang National Park | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,500 | Source |
A licensed guide has been required in national parks and conservation areas since 1 April 2023; the Everest (Khumbu) region has not applied the rule (Kathmandu Post, February 2025). More in our guide rules explainer.
Festival dates
Dashain public holidays run 17–23 October 2026, with Tika on 21 October; Tihar runs 8–12 November 2026 (Nepal's official holiday list, via Pradhan & Associates). Buses and flights fill up around both.
Method
Temperatures are 10-year averages (2016–2025) from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, adjusted to each stop's elevation and checked against the Pyramid research station (5,035 m) in the Khumbu. They are model values, not station readings, and smooth out valley and ridge microclimates. Stop coordinates come from OpenStreetMap, with elevations cross-checked against the Copernicus DEM. The altitude check applies the Wilderness Medical Society guideline (2024 update) to each itinerary's sleeping stops.
Use this data
You're free to quote, chart or republish anything here under CC BY 4.0. Please credit "Lopchan Treks (lopchantreks.com)" with a link to this page. Journalists: email [email protected] for the underlying numbers or a quote.
