Nepal · Nepal
February
Winter warming — the first rhododendrons appear below 2,000m and trekking season begins to stir.
Strong option
#6 of 12 months
There are better months for Nepal — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
20°C
Low
5°C
Rain
30mm
Sun
7hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How February scores in Nepal
Weather
Good
Value
Very good
Crowds
Very good
Events
Above average
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in February
- ↑February marks the beginning of the pre-spring build-up: temperatures warm from January, the first red rhododendron blooms appear on the lower slopes of the Annapurna foothills, and the Poon Hill trail (the most accessible rhododendron forest in Nepal, 3,210m) begins its seasonal transformation from bare branches to colour
- ↑Losar (Tibetan New Year, date varies February–March) is the most important festival in Nepal's Buddhist communities: the celebrations at Bouddhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Tengboche Monastery in the Everest region, and the Sherpa communities in the Solukhumbu district involve masked dances, butter lamp lighting, and monastery rituals that are among the most atmospheric cultural experiences in Asia
- ↑The trekking routes are quieter in February than in March–May or October–November: the main circuits are operational, lodges are open, and the trails have the calm, non-organised quality that the peak season's group tours disrupt; independent trekkers who want the trail largely to themselves find February an appealing window
What you sacrifice
- ↓High passes remain closed or challenging in February: Thorong La on the Annapurna Circuit can have heavy snow in February, and guides with snow experience are advisable; the lower-altitude circuits (Annapurna Base Camp route, Poon Hill, Langtang Valley) are fine for prepared trekkers
- ↓30mm of rainfall in February includes occasional snow at elevations above 2,000m — the Annapurna sanctuary route above Chhomrong can be snowy and icy in sections, requiring micro-spikes and trekking poles; the footpath conditions are unpredictable and less well-maintained in the off-season
- ↓The February cold at altitude is the most challenging physical element: teahouse temperatures above 3,000m are governed by a single wood-burning stove in the dining room; sleeping in an unheated room at 4,000m with a 0°C outside temperature requires a quality sleeping bag rated to -10°C
How February compares to October (best month)
| Factor | February | October ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 6 | 10 |
| Value | 7 | 4 |
| Crowds | 7 | 3 |
February in other destinations
Lisbon (14.3°C)Barcelona (14°C)Tokyo (10.4°C)Bali (30.1°C)Santorini (13.2°C)Paris (8°C)New York (4.5°C)Marrakech (19.1°C)Amsterdam (6°C)Maldives (30.2°C)Rome (11.9°C)Bangkok (33°C)Istanbul (8.6°C)Vienna (4.9°C)Seoul (4°C)Dubrovnik (11.1°C)Rio de Janeiro (31°C)Kyoto (10.1°C)Phuket (32.1°C)Cape Town (26.9°C)Prague (4°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (23°C)Medellín (29°C)Fiji (31°C)London (9°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (3°C)Tulum (29°C)Dubai (26°C)Singapore (31°C)Hoi An (26°C)Chiang Mai (31.5°C)Miami (24.8°C)Florence (11.4°C)Queenstown (22.2°C)Madrid (11.2°C)Porto (15°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (4°C)Budapest (6°C)Kraków (4°C)Tbilisi (8°C)Palawan (30°C)Hanoi (19°C)Osaka (10°C)Goa (33°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (13°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (26°C)Cancun (29°C)Krabi (33°C)Athens (14°C)Seville (17°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (31°C)Havana (27°C)Split (11°C)Taipei (19°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (15°C)Ho Chi Minh City (34°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (6°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (29°C)Seychelles (30°C)Jordan (13°C)Azores (17°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (20.3°C)Cairo (21.2°C)Kenya (28°C)Jaipur (25.1°C)Las Vegas (17.2°C)San Francisco (14°C)Madeira (19.8°C)Vancouver (8.4°C)Muscat (27.8°C)Lima (27°C)Cinque Terre (12°C)Kotor (11°C)Tel Aviv (18°C)Santiago (29°C)Bogotá (19°C)Bruges (6.5°C)Penang (32.2°C)Lombok (30.9°C)Cape Verde (25.8°C)Fez (15.8°C)Kerala (32°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (18°C)Oslo (0°C)Auckland (24°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Nepal, not across destinations. Methodology →