Dashain and Tihar 2026: A Delivery Planning Guide for Online Sellers in Nepal

Festival season is the busiest and riskiest time of year to run an online shop in Nepal. Orders spike, roads get crowded, and courier services shut down for the holidays. If you sell on Instagram, Facebook, or Daraz and don't plan your shipping around Dashain and Tihar, you risk two things: parcels stuck mid-transit during the holidays and customers who ordered a gift that arrives after the festival is over.

This guide gives you the exact 2026 dates, what to expect from courier services during the closure period, and how to plan your last order dates so nothing gets stranded.

Dashain 2026: key dates 

Dashain 2026 runs for 15 days, from Ghatasthapana to Kojagrat Purnima. 

Tika Day, October 21, is the peak of the festival. Most families travel to their hometowns before this date, so any gift, clothing, or festive order needs to reach the buyer before then, not on the day itself.

Tihar 2026: key dates 

Tihar follows about two weeks after Dashain ends. 

Bhai Tika is the equivalent deadline for Tihar. Sweets, lights, and gift orders need to arrive before this date.

NCN Delivery closure during Dashain and Tihar 

NCN Delivery does not operate during the Dashain and Tihar holiday period. 

During Dashain:

Pickup and Delivery Services stops from Pulphati, October 17 and resume on Kojagrat Purnima, October 25.

During Tihar:

Pickup and Delivery Services stops from Laxmi Puja, November 9 and resume on the next day of Bhai Tika, November 12.

Since courier operations across Nepal follow this same pattern during Dashain and Tihar, the real risk to your business isn't the closure itself. It's placing or accepting orders too close to it without accounting for the fact that no parcel will move during those days. 

When to stop accepting festival orders

Work backward from Tika Day and Bhai Tika, not forward from today. A simple way to think about it: 

• Last order date = the date by which a customer must place their order for you to pack, book pickup, and get it delivered before the festival deadline

• This date depends on how far the parcel is travelling: Kathmandu Valley deliveries need less lead time than inter-district ones, and remote areas need the most

A practical rule for your own shop: stop promising delivery before Dashain or delivery before Tihar a few days earlier than your actual cutoff. This protects you from delays caused by festival traffic, which is heavier than normal in the week leading up to Tika Day. 

Does COD settlement slow down during festival season? 

This is the most common seller concern during Dashain and Tihar, and it deserves a straight answer. 

• Cash collected from COD deliveries follows the same settlement process as any other time of year, but settlement itself pauses along with pickup and delivery during the closure period

• Any COD payment collected just before the holiday shutdown will settle once operations resume, not during the closure

• Banks in Nepal also observe Dashain and Tihar holidays, which can add a short delay to bank transfers even after courier operations restart

Plan your cash flow around this. If you rely on COD remittance to restock inventory, don't schedule a restock purchase for the exact days your courier and your bank are both closed. 

Packaging tips for festival and gift orders 

Festival orders are different from your everyday parcel. Buyers are often sending gifts to family, which means the packaging matters as much as the product. 

• Mithai and sweets: use rigid boxes, not soft pouches, to prevent crushing during transit

• Glass, ceramics, and idols: wrap individually with padding between items, not just around the outer box

• Clothing and textiles: fold rather than roll for gift items, since buyers often re-gift them without repacking

• Diyas, lights, and decorative items for Tihar: separate fragile and electrical items into different compartments within the same box

If your courier offers pickup-point packing, as NCN Delivery does, use it for festival orders even if you normally pack your own items. Festival volume means less time per parcel, and professional packing reduces damage claims during the busiest weeks of the year. 

Frequently asked questions 

When does Dashain 2026 start and end in Nepal? 

Dashain 2026 begins with Ghatasthapana on October 11 and ends with Kojagrat Purnima on October 25. Tika Day, the main festival day, falls on October 21. 

When is Tihar 2026? 

Tihar 2026 runs from Kaag Tihar on November 7 to Bhai Tika on November 11. 

Does NCN Delivery operate during Dashain and Tihar? 

No. NCN Delivery pauses pickup and delivery during the Dashain and Tihar holiday period. 17-25 October in Dashain and 9-12 November in Tihar.

Will my COD payment get delayed during the festival? 

Any cash collected right before the holiday closure settles once operations resume, and bank holidays during Dashain and Tihar can add a short extra delay. 

How early should I ask customers to order before Dashain or Tihar? 

Set your last order date a few days before your actual delivery cutoff, not on the cutoff itself, to leave room for festival traffic and order volume spikes.