← 返回全部新闻

When Does the Monsoon Start and End in Nepal? (2026 Dates)

Nepal's monsoon officially runs 1 June–30 September — but in 2026 it arrived a week late (19 June) and weaker than usual. Here are the real DHM dates, what they mean for trekking, and where you can still go.

LR 作者 Laxman Rawal · 2026年6月27日 · 3 分钟阅读 · 更新于 2026年6月23日

Lo Manthang in Upper Mustang — Nepal's trans-Himalayan rain-shadow region, trekkable right through the monsoon

If you are planning a Nepal trip around the rains, timing is everything — and 2026 is an unusual year. The monsoon reshapes where and when you can trek, but it never shuts the country down. Here are the real 2026 dates from Nepal''s weather office, what they mean on the trail, and the regions that stay dry and walkable straight through summer.

From the trail · Mustang

When Does the Monsoon Start and End in Nepal? — Mustang, Nepal

Nepal monsoon 2026 — the dates

2026 onset: 19 June — about a week late, entering from the east (Koshi)
Normal onset: 13 June · normal withdrawal: ~2 October
Official monsoon season: 1 June – 30 September
2026 outlook: weaker than normal — below-average rain, hotter temperatures
Heaviest rain: July–August

What the 2026 monsoon is actually doing

Monsoon winds from the Bay of Bengal reached eastern Nepal on 19 June 2026 — roughly a week later than the long-term average onset of 13 June — according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM). Forecasters expect a weaker-than-normal season: southern Karnali, much of Lumbini, eastern Madhesh and southern Koshi each carry a 55–65% probability of below-average rainfall, alongside above-normal temperatures.

19 Jun2026 onset (a week late)

13 Junnormal onset date

~2 Octnormal withdrawal date

55–65%chance of below-average rain (south)

One caveat worth its own headline: a drier total does not mean a safer monsoon. The pattern this year — long dry spells broken by short, violent downpours — is exactly what triggers flash floods and landslides, as we explain in our 2026 monsoon risk briefing.

What it means for trekking

Monsoon rain mostly falls in the afternoons and evenings. Expect lush green hills, leeches in the forest below ~2,500 m, cloud that hides the high peaks, and landslide-prone roads. The classic trails — Everest, Annapurna, Langtang — are best avoided at the height of it (July–August). But here is the point most people miss: a big slice of Nepal sits in the rain shadow north of the main Himalaya and stays dry and trekkable all summer.

Nepal month by month, around the monsoon
Period	Conditions
Mid-June	Monsoon arrives from the east (19 June in 2026)
July–August	Heaviest rain — trek the rain shadow only
September	Tapering off; lower trails clearing late month
October onward	Peak autumn season — the clearest skies of the year

Where you can still trek in the monsoon

Behind the wall of Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas, the trans-Himalayan valleys get only a fraction of the rain that soaks the southern hills. That is why Upper Mustang, Dolpo, Jomsom–Muktinath and Nar Phu stay open and rewarding through the summer, with desert colour, clear skies and Tibetan-Buddhist culture instead of mud. For the full list and route notes, see our monsoon rain-shadow guide and current monsoon road conditions.

What this means for you

Trekking Nepal in summer 2026? Go rain-shadow north, build in 2–3 buffer days for weather-dependent flights (Lukla and Jomsom both delay in cloud), and remember the danger is in the sudden bursts, not the seasonal totals. Our dry-season-anywhere options are Upper Mustang, Dolpo and the shorter Jomsom–Muktinath — permits, licensed guide and weather-aware logistics handled.

Bottom line for 2026: the monsoon came late and will likely read dry on paper, but plan around the bursts and trek the rain shadow, and summer is one of the most beautiful, crowd-free times to be in the Nepal Himalaya.

Source: Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM); The Kathmandu Post; myRepublica — June 2026.

Cover photo: NASA via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).

来源： The Kathmandu Post / DHM

计划徒步？