Your first step to conquering Everest Base Camp starts from this small town – Lukla; located in the Khumbu area of north-eastern Nepal. To trek in the Everest Region, Lukla’s airport is the most favored gateway. And whether you walk it or fly it, even travelling to Lukla is an adventure that you will never forget.
Lukla has variety of things to offer to the tourists and the trekkers; food and lodging being the main. There is a couple of ways to get to Lukla and start your once in a lifetime adventure to Everest Base Camp. Here, we will talk about all the options of getting to Lukla from the capital city of Nepal- Kathmandu.
Flight to Lukla
The flight to Lukla is a mountain flight and landing fright all rolled into one, sometimes flavored with a hint of a rollercoaster. If the view is clear you will see great mountain views of Langtang, Rolwaling and Mahalangur sections of the Himalayas. However, it will be necessary for you to have a left side window seat. And given that there are no seat numbers, you can sit wherever you want. Just make sure you are the first one off the bus and the first in line, and then choose the left-hand side window seat for the awesome views. With great mountain views, the 40 minutes that it takes to get to Lukla will feel like 10 minutes.
Landing in Lukla airport is also an amazing experience. The airstrip at Lukla is inclined at an angle at 12 degrees and has a gorge at one end and sheer mountain face on the other, meaning there is no opportunity for overshooting. Amazing as it is, it is also dangerous and the airport has had its share of incidents. Because of those, current regulations for flights to and from Lukla is very strict. As for the rollercoaster flavor that we talked about earlier, these usually happen over the Lamjura Pass which usually has turbulence around it.
Kathmandu to Lukla Flight:
Flying to Lukla from Kathmndu is the most convenient and fastest option to start your Everest Base Camp Trek. Flight interruptions are inevitable in the Himalayas so it is better to have some idea of Lukla weather beforehand so there are no surprises later.
- Standard Kathmandu- Lukla Flight Fare: USD 179
- Booking flights online: Websites of flights operator like Tara Air, and Summit Air. Or, booking from other agents like HoneyGuide, Sasto Tickets, etc.
Ramechhap to Lukla Flight
These days, flights to Lukla operate from Ramechhap Airport during the peak trekking seasons of Mid-March to May end and Mid-October to December due to the Air Traffic Congestion in Kathmandu Airport.
- Standard Flight Fare: USD 147
- Booking flights online: Websites of flights operator like Tara Air, and Summit Air. Or, booking from other agents like HoneyGuide, Sasto Tickets, etc.
- Getting to Ramechhap: You can either take the shared buses that goes on the same day from Kathmandu at 2 am in the morning, or day time public and private buses, or hire a car as well. Read in detail about all the vehicle options and operators including cost, departure time and location in this section: Kathmandu to Ramechhap.
- Accommodation in Ramechhap: If you wish to get a day ahead, there are a bunch of hotels near Manthali Airport, Ramechhap.
Road Transport to Lukla
Take a local bus to Jiri which is going to cost you NPR 600 and 7-8 hours. From there, follow in the footsteps of Tenzing and Hillary for 7-8 days to join the trail from Lukla. This Classic Everest Bamp Trek itinerary also helps you to acclimatize slowly and perhaps even cut the hassle of cancelled flights.
It is also possible to take a jeep to Phaplu / Salleri from Old Bus Park in Kathmandu. It takes about 9-10 hrs and will cost you NPR 3,000-3,500. From here it is just 3-4 days to join the trail that comes from Lukla. However, the road hasn’t been metalled yet and depending upon how severe the rains have been recently, the road might be very bumpy or even closed. Everest Base Camp trek by road is is a good option to explore the lower majestic hills and villages.
The road has now reached to Thamedanda. Read in detail about the alternatives of getting from Kathmandu to Lukla by bus.
Helicopter to Lukla
Flying to Lukla by helicopter is your expensive yet reliable alternative to reach the gateway of Everest if you are short on time and have additional bucks to spare. The good part is- Heli flights are way more reliable than the regular flights and can be the best option especially if the flights get cancelled due to bad weather.
Helicopters depart from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Kathmandu and will take you to Lukla in about 45 minutes. The baggage allowance is 400 kgs and chartering cost ranges from USD 2,200 to USD 3,000. The affordable option is to get more people to tag along as a helicopter accommodates 5 people and the cost can be shared accordingly. Please note that the Helicopter Company does not take the responsibility of filling the group size. Some of the carriers that provide Heli services are Kailash Heli, Air Dynasty, Summit Helicopters, and Simrik Air.
How to charter a Heli to Lukla or Heli treks in Everest region? You can send us your query with more information about the date and number of people at busybee@honeyguideapps.com
