Nepal Drew 620,453 Visitors in the First Half of 2026 — Up 7.4% and Still Climbing
Nepal's January–June 2026 arrivals hit 620,453, ahead of last year, with March the peak month and India the biggest source market. Here's the half-year in numbers.
Key facts
- Nepal drew 620,453 international visitors in the first half of 2026 (January–June).
- That is up 7.4% on the 577,689 over the same period in 2025.
- March peaked at 120,516 arrivals; June, deep in the monsoon, was quietest at 91,363.
- India led all source markets with about 177,159 arrivals across the six months.
Nepal’s tourism recovery is not slowing down. The Nepal Tourism Board’s half-year figures show 620,453 foreign arrivals between January and June 2026 — comfortably ahead of the 577,689 recorded over the same window in 2025, and proof that the record June we reported was part of a trend, not a one-off. As a Pokhara operator I watch these numbers every month; here is what the first half of 2026 actually looked like, and what it means if you are planning a trek.
Six months, month by month
The shape of the year is textbook Nepal: a strong late-winter and spring peak, then a monsoon dip. Here is every month of the first half.
March’s 120,516 is the spring-season high — rhododendrons in bloom, stable weather and the pre-monsoon climbing push. The tail into June reflects the monsoon, when the classic trails quieten and rain-shadow regions like Upper Mustang take over.
Why arrivals keep climbing
The tourism board credits one thing above all: aviation connectivity. New and expanded international routes — direct flights from China (Guangzhou and Shenzhen), moves toward more Gulf capacity and steady Indian demand — are widening the funnel. India alone contributed roughly 177,159 arrivals in the half-year, the single biggest source market, followed by China and the United States.
| Period | Arrivals |
|---|---|
| Jan–Jun 2025 | 577,689 |
| Jan–Jun 2026 | 620,453 |
| Change | +7.4% |
What this means for trekkers
If you’re planning autumn
Rising arrivals plus the strongest season ahead means the October–November window will be busy. Lock your international flights, Lukla seats and teahouses early — the good weeks fill first. We broke this down in our autumn booking guide.
More visitors is good news for the trails — better lodges, more flights, a livelier Namche — but the icons get crowded at peak. If you want the mountains without the queues, ask us about the quieter Manaslu Circuit or Langtang close to Kathmandu. For the bucket-list classics, the Everest Base Camp trek and Annapurna Base Camp stay the most-booked for good reason.
Source: Nepal Tourism Board arrivals data, January–June 2026, reported July 2026.
Cover photo: Roman Saienko via Pexels (Pexels License).
Source: Nepal Tourism Board
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