Nepal weather & when to go: March
March overview
March heralds the arrival of spring in Nepal and tourism begins to pick up as the days get warmer too. Wildflowers - in particular brilliant pink rhododendrons - burst into bloom on the hillsides and the days start to get longer. Daytime temperatures on the plains are into the high twenties and it's wedding season for locals so there's lots of cultural colour to enjoy.
March's weather in detail
The weather in March in Nepal can be a little unsettled, so you'd do well to pack a rain jacket, but the monsoon doesn't hit for a couple more months so the rain, if it comes, is light and short lived. At higher altitudes March has a reputation amongst the Sherpas for being colder than December at night. With temperatures dropping to -10°C, there's usually quite a lot of snow still lying around. Elsewhere, daytime temperatures are beginning to climb to 20°C and more. The views can be a little obscured by haze, particularly at lower elevations. The water festival of Holi is celebrated in early March. It’s certainly a colourful event: locals paint their faces with brightly coloured powders and throw coloured water at each other using buckets and water bombs!
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Our recommended journeys
Nepal is synonymous with mountain trekking and boasts some of the most impressive, challenging hikes in the world, but there’s so much more to this land-locked, Himalayan country then trekking. Culture and religion are the bedrock of Nepal and our Ancient Cities of Nepal itinerary delves deeper into the country’s rich, ancient heritage.
See all our itineraries in Nepal
Key Festivals & Religious Ceremonies
Holi
Holi or Faguwa is Nepal's version of the many spring water festivals that take place across the region. If you're visiting during Holi expect to get drenched in water and dye during this exuberant week of fun, colour and noise on the streets. It's heaps of fun!