Reasons to Visit Nepal in the Low Season

Sometimes there isn’t a clear answer to the most commonly asked questions, like “When is the best time to go?”

Nepal’s monsoon and winter seasons (i.e. the low tourism seasons) fall between June and August and December and February respectively. Both are premium travel times for those on summer breaks or Christmas/New Year’s vacations. And both offer surprisingly valid reasons for booking a vacation to Nepal during these months, nevermind that travel costs are cheaper. 

As “overtourism” becomes a more commonly used word, travelers are seeking more sustainable ways to visit popular destinations and taking vacations during the off-season is one way to do that. Timing travel to when the crowds have dissipated means there’s less impact on the destination. 

Here are a few places we love to visit during Nepal’s low seasons:

• The Terai region, the southernmost part of the country, is a wet lowland area and it is home to Chitwan National Park, Nepal’s first national park. Chitwan’s jungle is a sanctuary for one-horned rhinoceros, Bengal tigers, crocodiles and rare birds. Wildlife safaris in the park can be far more enjoyable, and less steamy, in the winter. Our “Magical Nepal” itinerary combines three days in Chitwan with cultural attractions in Pokhara and Kathmandu and more.

• The Mustang district, once an independent kingdom near the Tibetan border, sits in a rain shadow, an area protected from monsoons by the high Himalayas. Because of its high elevation and the winds that blow up the Kali Gandaki river gorge, the deepest in the world, Mustang can get extremely cold in the winter.  Summer is the optimal time for a visit. While the colorful three-day Tiji Festival often falls in May (dependent on the lunar calendar), travelers can explore the Forbidden Kingdom’s monasteries, meditation caves and villages on our “Lower Mustang” itinerary throughout the summer.