Nepal passes 690,000 foreign arrivals in the first seven months of 2026

Nepal recorded around 693,000 international arrivals between January and July 2026, compared with roughly 648,000 over the same seven months of 2025. That is an increase of just under 7 percent, and it puts the year on track to be the country's busiest since 2019.

The monthly pattern was uneven. January was up almost 16 percent year on year and June up close to 20 percent, but March and April both came in slightly below their 2025 equivalents. The first half of the year closed at roughly 620,000 visitors.

The context is that 2025 finished at about 1.16 million arrivals, a little under the pre-pandemic record of 1,197,191 set in 2019. Whether 2026 clears that record depends largely on the autumn trekking season, which is the single busiest window in Nepal's tourism calendar.

Growth has been attributed mainly to improved air connectivity and expanded airline routes, with India the largest single source market by a wide margin.

For visitors, the practical read is straightforward. An autumn arrival means the clearest mountain views of the year and also the most competition for teahouse beds, domestic flights and permits. Book earlier than you think you need to.