Dashain 2026 dates for trekkers
Dashain is Nepal’s biggest festival, and in 2026 it falls in the middle of the autumn trekking season. The main dates below follow the Nepali lunar calendar and are published each year by Nepal’s calendar committee, so confirm them again close to your travel date.
- Ghatasthapana (first day): Sunday 11 October 2026
- Phulpati: Saturday 17 October
- Maha Ashtami: Sunday 18 October
- Maha Navami: Monday 19 October
- Vijaya Dashami, the main tika day: Wednesday 21 October (the tika time starts around 11:53 AM Nepal time)
- Kojagrat Purnima (final day): Sunday 25 October
Why Dashain falls in the best trekking window
October is the heart of the post-monsoon season. The rains have washed the haze out of the air, mornings are usually clear, and the Annapurna and Machhapuchhre views from Poon Hill, Mardi Himal and Annapurna Base Camp are at their sharpest. That is why a Dashain trek from Pokhara is popular with visitors and with Nepali families on holiday.
The trade-off is crowds. Clear weather and a long public holiday arrive together, so trails, lodges and transport are busier than at almost any other time of year. Good planning matters more than fitness.
What changes in Pokhara and on the trail during the festival
Nepali news outlets reported a surge in visitors to Pokhara over the Dashain and Tihar holidays in 2025, and the same pattern is normal each year as families travel home and domestic tourists head for the lakeside. Expect full buses, busy Kathmandu–Pokhara flights and tight hotel availability in the days before Vijaya Dashami and again on the return.
Some local shops, offices and family-run businesses close on the main festival days, and many people are away from their villages for tika. Lodges on the popular Annapurna trails generally stay open for trekkers, and some serve festival food, but services can be slower than usual. Carry some cash and do not count on a late arrival being easy.
- Book Kathmandu–Pokhara flights or tourist buses early, especially for 9–10 October and 22–25 October.
- Reserve your first and last night in Pokhara before you leave home.
- Add one spare day at the end so a delayed bus or flight does not cost you your onward connection.
- Start walking early. Mornings are clearest, and lodges fill from mid-afternoon.
Which treks fit a Dashain trip
The routes below all start from the Pokhara road network, so you avoid the extra flight needed for Everest. Pick by the days you have, not by how big the name sounds.
- Sarangkot Ridge Walk (1 day, 1,591 m): a sunrise viewpoint above Phewa Lake, ideal for the days around tika.
- Dhampus & Australian Camp and Ghandruk Loop (2 days, about 2,000 m): short village walks with big mountain views.
- Panchase Trek (3 days, around 2,500 m): quieter forest ridges and a Himalayan sunrise.
- Ghorepani Poon Hill (4 days, 3,210 m): the classic short Annapurna trek and the best fit for a one-week holiday.
- Mardi Himal (6 days, 4,450 m) and Annapurna Base Camp (9 days, 4,130 m): longer, higher routes that need acclimatisation days and warm layers, because nights get cold from late October.
Permits and paperwork do not pause for the festival
Annapurna-region routes need a conservation-area entry permit, and the Nepal Tourism Board lists several routes as needing a licensed guide and an agency-issued TIMS card. Offices can have reduced hours around the main festival days, so arrange permits a few days ahead rather than on the morning you leave. Rules change, so check the official sources linked below before you travel.
A Dashain checklist
Before you confirm a Dashain departure, check each of these.
- Flights or buses booked for both directions, with a buffer day.
- Hotel nights in Pokhara confirmed.
- Permits, passport copies and passport photos ready.
- Layers for cold mornings and evenings, plus a rain shell for afternoon cloud.
- Travel insurance that covers the maximum altitude of your route.
- A WhatsApp number for your guide or agency, and offline copies of your day-by-day plan.