October and November are the best months of the year to trek in Nepal. The monsoon clears, the air turns dry, and the mountains stand sharp against a blue sky from first light. It is the season our family has guided in for three generations, and it is the season most of our guests choose.
This autumn comes a few weeks after a disaster in the mountains north of Kathmandu. On August 26, a glacier collapse on Langtang Lirung sent a flood down the Trishuli valley. We wrote about it in The Langtang Flood: What Happened and How to Help. Guests have been asking what it means for a trek this season, so here is what we know as of September 23, 2026.
The short version
- The Everest, Annapurna, Mustang and Manaslu regions are open. Nepal's trekking agencies association, TAAN, reported them safe on September 11.
- Langtang, Gosaikunda and Helambu are the trekking areas closest to the flood. The main road in is still closed, so our Langtang trek runs on an adjusted route.
- The main border crossing to Tibet was destroyed, and our Tibet trips run on an adjusted route.
- The highway from Kathmandu to Pokhara and Chitwan reopened on September 17, with slow, narrow sections.
- The monsoon usually ends in the first days of October. Expect heavy rain in the last week of September.
- You need a licensed guide in most trekking regions, and the Upper Mustang permit has changed.
What happened in Langtang
On the morning of August 26, rock and ice broke away from the north side of Langtang Lirung, at 7,227 meters. The debris poured down to the Tibet border at Rasuwagadhi and then followed the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers for about 100 kilometers. The US Geological Survey measured the collapse as equal to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake.
As of September 20, Nepal's disaster authority counted 1,451 people dead and 5,786 missing, 636 of them foreign nationals. The search is still going on, especially at the hydropower projects along the river, where more than 800 people are still missing.
The main Langtang trekking valley was not in the flood's path. Langtang village itself is safe, but it is cut off, because the road to Dhunche and Syafrubesi, where the trek begins, is still closed.
Which regions are open
Everest
The Khumbu is a separate valley system far to the east, and the flood did not reach it. TAAN lists the Everest region as unaffected, and flights to Lukla have kept running. On September 11 a landslide dammed the Hongu river in the Mahakulung area of Solukhumbu, and villages downstream were warned. The Hongu is not on the Everest Base Camp route.
In the busiest months, flights to Lukla often leave from Manthali airport in Ramechhap instead of Kathmandu, to ease the traffic at Kathmandu airport. That means a drive of four to six hours from Kathmandu, usually in the early hours of the morning. If your trek starts in Lukla, ask us which airport your flight will use.
If you are new to the region, start with our complete guide to the Everest Base Camp trek.
Annapurna and Mustang
Both regions are reported safe. The Annapurna Base Camp trail has had a wet summer, though. In July a landslide dam burst on the Kimrong Khola between Ghandruk and Chhomrong and swept away a bridge, and trekkers took a detour through Jhinu Danda that adds half a day to a day. A second, short blockage on the same river on September 8 cleared within hours. Trekking companies in Pokhara report the Annapurna Base Camp, Poon Hill and Khopra trails open again since September 13.
The Annapurna Circuit is open too. Our complete guide to the Annapurna Circuit covers the route, the pass and the best time to go.
For Upper Mustang, the permit has changed. Since November 2025 it costs USD 50 a day, where it used to be a flat USD 500 for the first ten days, so a shorter visit to Lo Manthang now costs less.
Manaslu
TAAN reports Manaslu safe, including the Tsum and Nubri valleys and the Larke Pass. The usual road in, from Malekhu to Dhadingbesi, lost a bridge, so vehicles now reach Arughat by other roads, through Benighat or Galchhi. On September 6 a flash flood near Namrung destroyed a footbridge on the circuit. Trekking companies report a temporary bridge and bypass trail in use since September 9, although we have not yet seen an official notice.
Langtang, Gosaikunda and Helambu
These are the trekking areas closest to the flood, and the advice is mixed. TAAN says the high valleys themselves are safe but the road to Dhunche and Syafrubesi is closed, and suggests walking in from Sundarijal through Helambu instead. The Kathmandu Post has reported TAAN warning against travel to Langtang, and the US State Department advises against all travel to the Rasuwagadhi, Timure and Syafrubesi area. Our Langtang Valley Trek is running this season on a route adjusted around the closed road. Ask us how your departure travels.
Tibet overland
The border crossing at Rasuwagadhi, the main road link between Nepal and Tibet, was destroyed along with the Friendship Bridge beside it. No reopening date has been given. After a smaller flood in July 2025, the same crossing took about six months to partly reopen. The Kathmandu Post reports that the other crossing, at Tatopani, is open only to pilgrims returning from Mount Kailash. Our Tibet Overland tour is running on a route adjusted around the closed crossing. Ask us how your departure travels.
Getting around
Kathmandu to Pokhara and Chitwan
The Prithvi Highway, the main road west from Kathmandu, collapsed at Krishnabhir on August 30 when the Trishuli ate away its base. It reopened to two-way traffic on September 17, after 18 days, on a temporary gravel track cut above the broken section. The drive will not be smooth for a while. There are one-lane sections at Galchhi, Mahesh Khola, Baireni and Malekhu, narrowed stretches between Mugling and Malekhu, and the district office says several sections are still at risk from landslides and falling rock. Allow extra time on the road, or fly: Kathmandu to Pokhara is about 25 minutes in the air.
North of Kathmandu
The road north to Trishuli, Betrawati and Syafrubesi is still broken. Traffic for Syafrubesi is being sent along a single-lane dirt road through Nuwakot. The Department of Roads aims to reopen the main road by Dashain, in mid-October, once new Bailey bridges are in place at Betrawati and Syafrubesi.
Arriving in Nepal
Tourist visas are still issued on arrival at Kathmandu airport: USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days and USD 125 for 90 days. If you are flying through the Gulf, flydubai starts a daily flight from Dubai to Pokhara on September 23.
Weather: when the monsoon ends
The monsoon arrived six days late this year, on June 19, and Nepal's weather department expects it to withdraw around October 2, which is about normal. Last year it held on until October 10. Before it goes, a low-pressure system from the Bay of Bengal is forecast to bring heavy rain from around September 24, so late September is a time to stay flexible.
From the first week of October the trails dry out, and the long, clear spell that makes autumn famous usually lasts through November. If you are choosing dates, mid-October to mid-November is the most reliable window. See our autumn trips for this season's departures.
Guides and permits
Since April 2023, foreign trekkers in most of Nepal's trekking regions have had to walk with a licensed guide booked through a registered agency. The Nepal Tourism Board's list includes the Everest, Annapurna, Manaslu and Mustang regions. You may read that the Everest region is an exception, because its local municipality said so in 2023, but the national rule still lists it. Every SherpaHolidays trek is led by a Sherpa guide, so you never trek on your own.
One change this year helps people traveling alone. Since March 22, 2026, a single trekker can get a restricted area permit for places like Manaslu, Upper Mustang or Dolpo without joining a group of two. You still need a licensed guide and a registered agency, and the permit is now applied for online.
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| TIMS card (routes listed by the Nepal Tourism Board; confirm requirements for your route) | NPR 2,000 (about $13) |
| Sagarmatha National Park (Everest) | NPR 3,000 (about $20) |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Trek-Card | Fee depends on citizenship. Ask us to confirm the current municipal fee for your passport. |
| Annapurna Conservation Area (Annapurna and lower Mustang) | NPR 3,000 (about $20) |
| Manaslu restricted area, September to November | USD 100 for the first week, then USD 15 a day |
| Manaslu Conservation Area | NPR 3,000 (about $20) |
| Upper Mustang restricted area | USD 50 a day |
| Langtang National Park (Langtang and Gosaikunda) | NPR 3,000 (about $20) |
Park and TIMS figures are from the Nepal Tourism Board; restricted-area charges are from Nepal's Department of Immigration. Checked October 16, 2026. Fees depend on citizenship and route. We confirm the required permits before travel.
Before you go
- Buy travel insurance that covers trekking to the highest point on your route and helicopter evacuation. The US State Department recommends evacuation cover for Nepal, and it is required on high-altitude treks like our Everest Base Camp trek.
- Dashain, Nepal's biggest festival, falls in mid to late October this year. Buses and domestic flights fill up and many offices close, so book any transport of your own early.
- Roads are changing week to week this autumn, so check with us close to your travel date.
Should you still come?
Yes. The flood hit one valley system in a country of many, and the regions most people trek in were not touched. Tourism is how many mountain families earn their living, and a cancelled trek to Everest or Annapurna does nothing for a family in Rasuwa. Nepal's government has launched a #NepalCalling campaign for exactly that reason.
If you would like to help Rasuwa directly, the Nepal Red Cross Society is the largest responder on the ground. We explain how to give safely in our post on the flood.
To start planning, browse our autumn trips, or talk to our team about dates. We are happy to tell you exactly how your route looks this week.
Sources
- The Tourism Times: most trekking destinations safe, access routes still disrupted (TAAN, September 11)
- The Tribune: Rasuwa floods death toll rises to 1,451 (September 20)
- The Kathmandu Post: Prithvi Highway blockage ends as Krishnabhir link restored (September 17)
- The Kathmandu Post: Tatopani reopening unlikely before the festive season (September 17)
- The Kathmandu Post: heavy rain threat and monsoon withdrawal (September 20)
- The Kathmandu Post: immigration eases rules for solo trekkers (March 22)
- US Geological Survey: 2026 Nepal debris avalanche and flash flood
- US State Department: Nepal travel advisory
- Nepal Tourism Board: trekking permits and park entry fees
