Top 3 Ways To Reach Lukla From Kathmandu
Lulka is a beautiful town in the rural municipality of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu. Guests revolve year-round in this majestic city to explore the finest beauty of Nepal. However getting to Lukla isn’t as simple as travelling from your average developed city, on a pitched road and a few hours of driving.
Located in a rather rural area far from Kathmandu Valley, Lukla is difficult to get to and there aren’t many ways to get there. Widely employed by the Nepalese travel and tourism industry, there are 3 ways to reach Lukla from Kathmandu.
These 3 ways to reach Lukla are by Flight, helicopter, and on foot. Let’s discuss in brief these ways to achieve the beautiful Lukla along their respective sets of pros and cons.
1. Travel From Kathmandu To Lukla By Flight:
A regular flight from Kathmandu to Lukla Airport (Tenzing-Hillary Airport) is just 30 minutes and it is considered the quickest and most widely popular flight. Given the short 30-minute flight period, although this is the most gossiped way to land on the Lukla, a pile of obstacles makes this journey difficult.
The mountainside runway, high winds, and low visibility are common reasons that flights get delayed, halted, or canceled entirely. Nevertheless, this is one of the only 2 aerial routes that take you to Lukla.
The journey usually commences by 5 AM allowing you to catch an early morning flight from Tribhuvan International Airport.
As mentioned above, there are 2 ways to reach Lukla! The first and the most common one has already been highlighted in the above phrases. So which is the second route and what advantage does it hold?
Note: Direct flight from Kathmandu to Lukla with airlines might not be available every time and it is halted during the many seasons due to crowded flights. Helicopter Flight would be the best alternative in such time.
Well, given the uncertainty of the direct flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, Manthali Airport in Ramechhap is an eminent alternative altogether. You can either drive to Manthali a day before the flight stay overnight and take the flight the next day or you can simply drive to Manthali the very day of the flight.
From Manthali, it is merely a 20-minute episode until the beauty of Lukla is right in front of your wandering eyes. The landing port is again “Tenzing Hillary Airport In Lukla.”
Overall, the direct flight from Kathmandu to Lukla offers eye-mesmerizing views of Mount Everest, the Himalayas, and the valleys. Overall the experience is more scenic in comparison to the fight that originates from Mainthali.
Pros | Cons |
The plane ride is quick and short | Expensive Tickets |
Beautiful views of nature from the flight | Unsuitable for individuals who are seeking authentic trekking experience |
2. Travel From Kathmandu To Lukla By Helicopter:
Another infamous way to reach Lukla is by chartering a helicopter. The total duration of the flight is anywhere around 40 minutes to 1 hour mark. This method of travel is less tedious, less time-consuming, and a very explorative way to reach Lukla.
A reliable heli service provider such as Daily Heli allows you to book a Helicopter ride from Kathmandu to Lukla.
The entire package starts at a reasonable rate of $500 per person, tagging along a bunch of like-minded travelers to rejoice along the trip. However, chartering a private helicopter can cost anywhere between $2000 to $3000.
The helicopter lands at the Everest Base Camp for sightseeing purposes, capturing and clicking pictures of the areas around the base camp. Overall, a very adventurous experience, and the adrenaline rush felt all along the ride!
Pros | Cons |
Shared rides cut the expense | Individual bookings come out as costly |
Landing at the base camp | Altitude-related problems might surface |
3. Travel From Kathmandu To Lukla By Road:
Travelling To Luka on foot is an unexplainable adventure of its own, full of thrill and unforeseeable circumstances to live. If you make up your mind to pursue Lukla by foot, it usually takes 2-8 days.
Drive to Phaplu:
Avoiding Lukla by plane or heli-ride and opting for Lukla tour by foot is a personal decision. Once can take a jeep and drive to Phalpu, resting overnight!
The next day soul-enriching trek to Lukla from the Phaplu begins. The trek is a 3-4 day fun time enjoying the strikingly gorgeous scenes that add the cherry on the top. During the monsoon seasons of June and July, this trek road should be avoided at all costs.
Drive To Jiri:
Reaching Lukla via Jiri is widely popular as the “Pioneer’s Route” as this route was exploited by early-day explorers to reach Lukla. However, this route has proven to be less preferable by trekkers, and not the first option for many travelers
However, for trekkers who prefer authentic experiences, the Jiri route is a pleasure to the eye with beautiful mountain views, terrace farms, gardens, dense forests, cold rocky terrains, and the lifestyle of people.
Drive To Thame danda:
The newest route to Lukla is from Thame danda for which riding a jeep from Kathmandu to Phaplu on a 9-hour Jeep drive takes place. An extra 6-hour ride then unfolds, finally placing a stop at Thame danda.
From Thame danda, reaching Lukla is a 2-day trek, making this the quickest pathway to reach Lukla on foot.
Pros | Cons |
Inexpensive in nature | Time-consuming |
Large groups of trekkers can proceed together | Lengthy and tiresome trek for days before reaching Lukla |