Best Time to Trek the Annapurna Circuit: Month-by-Month

The Two Best Seasons

On the Circuit the season matters more than usual, because the high Thorong La (5,416 m) can close with snow. Two windows stand out for clear skies, stable weather and a safely open pass.

Month-by-Month

October

The single best month. Post-monsoon air is washed clean, giving the year's sharpest mountain views, with comfortable daytime temperatures and a reliably open Thorong La. Also the busiest: book lodges ahead in Manang and Thorong Phedi, where beds are limited before the pass.

November

Still superb and slightly quieter as the month progresses. Crystal skies, cold nights well below freezing high up, and the pass usually still open. Late November sees the first serious cold snaps and the start of snow risk on the Thorong La.

December–February

Cold and quiet, and the big issue is the Thorong La, which is frequently snow-closed. Lower Marsyangdi sections are pleasant by day, but the high camps are deep-freeze cold and the pass can be impassable after storms. Trekkable only for the well-prepared, with a guide who reads conditions, and many simply turn it into a there-and-back to Manang.

March–April

Spring's headline act: the rhododendron forests on the lower forested sections burst into bloom. Excellent views early in the day, warming temperatures, and a generally open pass. April can grow hazy in the afternoons as pre-monsoon heat builds.

May

Warm and green low down, with afternoon cloud build-up common. Good for spring colour with fewer crowds than April. The pass is normally open, but views are often best at dawn before the haze rises.

June–September (Monsoon)

Heavy rain soaks the lower Marsyangdi, with leeches and landslide risk on the access roads. Crucially, though, the upper Manang and Mustang valleys lie in the rain shadow and stay relatively dry, so a monsoon Circuit is possible but mixed. The pass stays open but storms are a real hazard.

The Thorong La Weather Window

The defining timing factor on the Circuit is whether the Thorong La is safely crossable. It is a long, exposed, high-altitude pass, and weather can turn fast: the 2014 blizzard on the pass killed dozens of trekkers and guides who were caught crossing in a sudden storm.

• Cross only in clear, settled weather, and start before dawn so you are over the top and descending before the afternoon wind and cloud build.
• Trek with a licensed guide who can read the forecast and recent conditions, and who will postpone the crossing if the weather is wrong.
• Build a contingency day at Thorong Phedi. If a storm rolls in, be willing to wait or turn back, the pass will still be there.

More on this in the Circuit altitude & safety guide.

Festivals & Timing Tips

• Dashain & Tihar (Oct–Nov): Nepal's biggest festivals fall in peak season. Trails and the limited high lodges are busy and some staff travel home, so book early.
• For fewer crowds with great weather: aim for late September (early autumn) or late November, and early March or late May in spring, always checking the pass is open.
• Start each day early, and especially the pass day, mountains are clearest at dawn before cloud and the strong Kali Gandaki afternoon wind build.