Trek Guide
Nepal's festivals calendar for 2026 — exact dates for Dashain (October), Tihar (November), Holi (March), Buddha Jayanti, Indra Jatra, and how each…
By Travel Himalaya Nepal · Jun 15, 2026
Dashain and Tihar have their own page — every 2026 date, the tika time and what closes . 2026's major festivals: Holi (Mar 3) , Buddha Jayanti (May 23) , Indra Jatra (Sep 19–27) , Dashain (Oct 11–25) , and Tihar (Nov 7–11) . Permit counters and many shops…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Holi (Fagu Purnima): March 3, 2026 — colour festival, Kathmandu and Pokhara Buddha Jayanti: May 23, 2026 — pilgrimage day at Lumbini and Swayambhunath Gai Jatra: August 19, 2026 — cow procession festival, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu Indra Jatra: September 19–27…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Nepal follows the Bikram Sambat (BS) lunar calendar, which runs about 56 years and 8.5 months ahead of the Gregorian calendar. Most Nepali festivals — Dashain, Tihar, Holi — shift by 10 to 14 days from year to year on the western calendar. The dates listed in…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Holi is celebrated across Nepal on the full moon of the Nepali month Falgun. In Kathmandu, the street celebration is concentrated around Basantapur Durbar Square and Thamel, where locals and travellers join in throwing coloured powder and water from morning…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
The birth, enlightenment, and death of Siddhartha Gautama are all commemorated on the same full moon day in Baisakh (Nepali month). In 2026 this falls on May 23. The most important sites are Lumbini (birthplace of Buddha, 27m altitude, Terai region)…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Indra Jatra is Kathmandu's own festival, celebrating the Hindu god Indra and marking the end of the monsoon season . The centrepiece is the procession of the Living Goddess Kumari , who is carried through the streets of Kathmandu in a three-tiered wooden…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Dashain is Nepal's most important festival — the Nepali equivalent of Christmas, New Year, and Thanksgiving combined into fifteen days. The main celebration period for practical purposes is October 11–25 , encompassing the key ritual days of Ghatasthapana…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
October is the peak of trekking season in Nepal. Skies are clear, trails are dry, and visibility to peaks like Machhapuchhre (6,993m), Ama Dablam (6,812m), and Manaslu (8,163m) is at its annual best. The complication is that the TIMS permit counter, the ACAP…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Tihar is Nepal's festival of lights , falling five days after Dashain. Each of the five days honours a different being — crows, dogs, cows, oxen, and finally humans (Bhai Tika, the bond between brothers and sisters). The third day, Laxmi Puja (November 9 in…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Government offices close for approximately two days during Tihar (November 9–10). Permit counters reopen November 12. For trekkers mid-route, there is essentially no impact — lodges and teahouses celebrate Tihar with lights and song but remain fully…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
The sweet spots for combining festivals with optimal trekking conditions are narrower than they appear. Here is how the windows stack up: Late September + Indra Jatra: Spend 2–3 days in Kathmandu for the chariot procession, then begin a trek to Everest Base…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
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