Nepal Festivals 2026: Dates & Guide

Overview

Nepal celebrates dozens of vibrant Hindu and Buddhist festivals through the year, and many are public holidays that affect transport, opening hours and accommodation. Because most follow the lunar calendar, their dates shift each year. Below is a practical 2026 calendar with approximate dates, what each festival means, and travel notes. Always confirm exact dates against the official Nepali calendar (Panchanga) closer to your trip, as they can move by a day or two.

Nepal Festival Calendar 2026

Maghe Sankranti — mid-January 2026

Marks the end of the coldest month with holy-river dips and dishes of sesame, ghee and yam. A fixed solar festival around 15 January.

Maha Shivaratri — February 2026

The great night of Lord Shiva. Pashupatinath draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and sadhus — one of the year's biggest spectacles.

Holi (Fagu Purnima) — early March 2026

The festival of colours. Celebrated in the hills (Kathmandu, Pokhara) one day and in the Terai the next — expect water balloons and coloured powder everywhere.

Nepali New Year & Bisket Jatra — 14 April 2026

Baisakh 1, 2083 BS. Bhaktapur's Bisket Jatra chariot festival is the highlight. See our Nepali calendar and date converter.

Buddha Jayanti — May 2026

The birth of the Buddha, most meaningful at Lumbini, his birthplace, and at Swayambhunath and Boudhanath.

Janai Purnima & Gai Jatra — August 2026

Sacred-thread day (with the Gosaikunda pilgrimage) followed by the lively, satirical Gai Jatra, biggest in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.

Teej — September 2026

A women's festival of fasting, red saris, song and dance, centred on Pashupatinath.

Indra Jatra — September 2026

Kathmandu's great street festival with masked dances and the chariot of the living goddess Kumari.

Dashain — October 2026

Nepal's biggest festival, 15 days celebrating the goddess Durga's victory over evil. Families reunite, animals are sacrificed, kites fly and elders give tika and blessings. Expect the busiest travel of the year — book ahead. (Vijaya Dashami falls in late October.)

Tihar (Deepawali) — November 2026

The five-day festival of lights honouring crows, dogs, cows and brothers (Bhai Tika), with homes lit by oil lamps and marigold garlands. Magical to witness, especially in the Kathmandu Valley.

Chhath — November 2026

A Terai/Mithila festival of devotion to the Sun God on riverbanks and ghats, biggest in Janakpur and the southern plains.

Festival Travel Tips

Festivals are a wonderful time to visit, but plan around them: Dashain and Tihar (October–November) see shops, offices and many restaurants close for days and transport booked solid — reserve buses, flights and hotels well in advance. Dates cluster in autumn, which is also Nepal's best trekking season, so the trails and the culture peak together. For ready-made plans see our 10-day Nepal itinerary.