January has fine weather and moderate temperature for Nepal tour and short treks in the foothills of the Himalayas. January is middle of winter and is not good time for high altitude trekking. But Nepal is the only Himalayan country which offers short and scenic treks and tours during the winter. The altitude variation of tropical jungle and rolling foothills make a perfect Nepal trip throughout winter. Winter days are warm and sunny with clear sky and the temperature is comfortable for touring and trekking. This is also the best time to go on a wildlife tour, bird watching and spiritual tour.
- Avoid group tours and big cities to stay safe from Covid 19. Nepal is the safest destination to travel during the pandemic.
- Prepare to walk in snow in the higher elevation of short treks. Trails of high altitude treks may be closed because of heavy snow.
- Christmas and New Year time sees a brief tourist season rush.
Average weather around the major tourist area of Nepal
Place | Max Temp | Min Temp | Rainfall | Rain day |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kathmandu | 19.1℃ | 2.4℃ | 14.4 mm | 2.4 |
Pokhara | 19.7℃ | 7.1℃ | 23 mm | 2 |
Chitwan | 21℃ | 7℃ | 21 mm | 2 |
Namche | 7℃ | -8℃ | 26 mm | 3 |
Jomsom | 3℃ | -14℃ | 22 mm | 4 |
Kalinchowk, Sailung and Pathivara are the popular local tour destinations to play with snow in Nepal. Snowfall in Nepal starts from mid December and stays till mid March in these places.
Nepal is the only winter destination in the Himalayas. The other Himalayan countries like Tibet and Bhutan are closed because of winter snowfall. The vertical landscape of Nepal starts from tropical jungle and elevates over the layers of hills to the top of the world. Himalayan views from the hill stations and ridge tops of the short treks are brilliant. The tropical plains of Nepal are only about 180 km crow flying from the Himalayas. Two of the UNESCO Heritage sites Lumbini (birthplace of Buddha) and Chitwan national park are in the tropical plane of Nepal. Beside that Bardia national park, Koshi Tappu and Suklaphanta national park are also pristine destinations for wildlife sighting and bird watching. Kathmandu at 1,350 m and Pokhara at 800 m never gets snow. Short trek from Kathmandu and Pokhara reaches to 3,000 m which may have little snow making the experience and the view even more brilliant. Moreover days in January are sunny and warm with crisp sky for Himalayan views. Only drawback of travelling to Nepal in January is cold nights.
January is winter month and the high altitude trekking trails remain closed with snow and continuous bad weather. However the Himalayan foothills have great weather and the best view with more snow deposition in the Himalayas and higher reaches. It will snow at the altitude of 3,000 m but is still walk able. The days are warm and sunny with crisp sky promising the magnificent view every day. It may snow at higher reaches and the minimum temperature may drop down to – 6℃. With proper equipment and warm cloths it is fun to do short treks in the Himalayan foothills.
Here are some of the treks for January.
Short Everest Trek 8 days
Only USD 280 !
Helicopter tour of
Annapurna Base Camp
Annapurna Heli Tour
The mountainous landscape of Nepal with Himalayan frontier provides perfect ground for dreamlike trekking. Check out other short treks in the Himalayas of Nepal.
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Visit Nepal during
Best Nepal tour and trek for Chinese New Year 2021 holiday. Watch the new year sunrise from Pun Hill (3,200 m) or enjoy the wildlife and nature with camp fire and babeque dinner.
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