Nepal is one of the easiest and most exciting places in the world to trek; nowhere else can you comfortably walk for weeks carrying little more than a day pack.

In general the best trekking time is the dry season from October to May; the worst time is the monsoon period from June to September. However, this generalisation doesn't allow for the peculiarities of individual treks.

Several festivals enliven the main trekking trials; in particular, the main Rimbdu festival in October/November brings particularly colourful masked dances at the Everest region's Tengboche Monastery.

October to November: The first two months of the dry season offer the best weather for trekking and the main trials are heaving with trekkers at this time, for good reason. The air is crystal clear, the mountains scenery is amazing and the weather is still comfortably warm.

December to February; Good months for trekking but the cold can be bitter and dangerous at high altitudes. Getting up to the base camp can be areal endurance test, and the Throung la pass and other high passes are often blocked by snow.

March to April; Dry weather and dust means proper Himalayan views but the compensations are several; fewer crowds, warm weather and spectacular rhododendron blooms. By May it starts to get very hot, dust and humid at lower altitudes.

June to September:  Monsoon rains can bring landslides, slippery trial and hordes of leeches. Raging rivers often wash away bridges and stretches of trial. trekking is difficult but still possible and there are hardly any trekkers on the trials. Good for cultural treks and Trans-Himalayan regions like Mustang, Dolpo and around Jomsom.