Plan my trek
Plan my trek
2,860 m
Everest (Khumbu)
527 m, 11.7% slope
20–35 min
EBC, Gokyo, 3 Passes
ATMs, hospital, wifi
Lukla is a small Sherpa town at about 2,860 m on a shelf above the Dudh Koshi river in Solukhumbu district, north-east Nepal. It has one long main street of stone-built lodges, bakeries, gear shops and cafés, and at its southern end one of the most talked-about airstrips in the world: Tenzing-Hillary Airport. For almost everyone heading to Everest Base Camp, the Gokyo Lakes or the Three Passes, Lukla is where the walking starts on day one and where it ends on the last night.
The name is usually translated as “place with many goats and sheep”, and before the 1960s it was little more than grazing land and a few farmhouses below the older village of Chaurikharka. That changed in 1964, when Sir Edmund Hillary had a rough airstrip built here to bring in materials for the schools and clinics his Himalayan Trust was building in the Khumbu. He bought the land from local Sherpa families and, as the well-known story goes, they levelled it by stamping and dancing on the ground. In 2008 the airport was renamed Tenzing-Hillary Airport in honour of the two men who first climbed Everest in 1953.
Most people in Lukla are Sherpa, with Rai, Tamang and other families from lower Solukhumbu who come up to work as porters, lodge staff and shopkeepers in the trekking seasons. The town sits in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, named after Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to climb Everest (in 1993, dying on the descent). Her memorial gate marks the northern edge of town, where the trail to Everest begins.
There are no roads into the Khumbu. Everything that is not grown locally (rice, fuel, beer, solar panels, trekkers) arrives by plane, helicopter, porter or yak, and most of it comes through Lukla. That makes the town busy and noisy in a way the villages higher up are not: in the peak autumn season the civil aviation office in Lukla has reported around 60 aeroplane and more than 100 helicopter movements a day, and on very busy days far more.
For you as a trekker, Lukla has three jobs. It is where you land and pay your local municipality fee. It is where your guide and porters usually meet you or load your bags. And on the way back it is where you wait for a flight, which in cloudy weather can mean a day or two of sitting in a lodge watching the sky. Planning for that wait is the single most useful thing you can do before an Everest trek.
Arriving is a jolt. The flight lands uphill on a short, steep strip, and minutes later you are standing in thin, cool air with porters, yaks and helicopters all around. Lukla feels like a frontier supply town rather than a mountain village, and most people only stay one night at each end. But it has a good bakery culture, decent lodges with hot showers, and a cheerful end-of-trek atmosphere, and the forested hills around it are greener and softer than the high valleys you are heading for.
Lukla is not a place people come to for its own sake, but there is enough to fill an afternoon on arrival or a weather-delay day at the end. Everything below is within a 10–60 minute walk of the main street.
The airstrip is the main sight. It is 527 m long and slopes at about 11.7%, with a rock wall at the top end and a drop into the valley at the bottom, so aircraft land uphill and take off downhill. Small Twin Otter and Let L-410 planes come in one after another in the early morning when the weather is clear. There are informal viewpoints along the fence on the upper side of the runway and from lodge terraces near the terminal. Allow 30–60 minutes, and go between about 6:30 and 10:00, when flights are most frequent. Do not climb fences, stand on the apron or fly drones: the airport is a security area and police do move people on.
The paved main street runs north from the airport for about 10 minutes to the Pasang Lhamu memorial gate, the official start of the trail. On the way you pass bakeries, coffee shops, outdoor gear shops, a few small bars, money changers and the municipality fee counter. It is a good first walk to test your legs and get used to the altitude. Look for the prayer wheels and the large painted mani stones at the northern end, and walk around them clockwise. Time needed: 20–40 minutes, with no real altitude gain.
Lukla has a long-standing bakery scene: cinnamon rolls, apple pie, brownies and espresso are sold all along the main street from very early in the morning, which is handy if you land on a 7 am flight. Expect to pay roughly NPR 300–600 (about £2–3.50) for a coffee and NPR 300–500 for a pastry. Prices are higher than in Kathmandu but lower than above Namche, where everything is carried up. On the return it is the traditional place for a celebratory cake.
If you have forgotten gloves, a warm hat, a water bottle or a down jacket, Lukla has several gear shops and rental outlets, and Namche has more. Quality ranges from genuine branded kit to copies, and prices are higher than in Thamel. It is fine for small items, but sort your sleeping bag and boots in Kathmandu where there is more choice. Check zips and seams before you pay. Our Everest Base Camp packing list covers what you really need.
Chaurikharka, just below Lukla to the south-west, is the older farming village that Lukla grew out of. A quiet path drops through fields, stone walls and small houses to a village gompa (monastery). It gives a feel for how the Khumbu looked before trekking, and it is a gentle walk on a delay day. Allow 1.5–2.5 hours there and back, losing and regaining around 150–250 m. Ask your lodge for the path, as there are several, and keep to field edges.
On the last evening, Lukla is where most groups share a final dinner, hand over tips and say goodbye to porters, many of whom walk home to villages further south rather than fly. A common guideline is 10–15% of the guide and porter cost, given personally. It is also a good time to give away gear you no longer need: warm clothing and good socks are welcomed by porters, but ask first.
Lukla is a major helicopter hub, and if you have spare days at the end you can book a short flight up the valley to Kala Patthar or Everest Base Camp with a brief landing. Shared seats are usually sold in Kathmandu, but Lukla operators sometimes fill empty seats. Prices vary widely and change with fuel and season; ask several operators. Only fly high if you are already acclimatised, because landing at 5,000 m+ straight from Lukla can cause headaches.
Lukla is the first and last stop on almost every trek in the Khumbu. Because it sits lower than Namche Bazaar, the usual plan is not to stay on arrival but to walk straight on, downhill, to Phakding (about 2,610 m). That lets you sleep lower than where you landed, which is good for acclimatisation, and it means day two (the big climb to Namche) starts fresh.
| Trek | Day you reach Lukla | Day you leave Lukla | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everest Base Camp trek | Day 1 of trekking | Usually day 12–13 | Fly in, walk to Phakding; last night in Lukla |
| Gokyo Lakes trek | Day 1 | Day 11–12 | Same route as EBC as far as Namche |
| Three Passes trek | Day 1 | Day 17–20 | Loop via Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La |
| Everest View / Namche short trek | Day 1 | Day 5–7 | Turns round at Namche, Khumjung or Tengboche |
| Walk-in from Salleri or Jiri | Lukla often bypassed | Fly out from Lukla | Joins the main trail at Cheplung, below Lukla, or Phakding |
About 8 km and 3–4 hours. You leave through the Pasang Lhamu gate, drop gently to Cheplung (where the trail from Salleri joins) and follow the Dudh Koshi upstream past villages such as Thado Koshi and Ghat, with suspension bridges, mani walls and views of Kusum Kangguru. Phakding (about 2,610 m) is roughly 250 m lower than Lukla. It is an easy first day; the hard climb comes next, to Namche Bazaar.
On the final day most groups walk from Namche all the way to Lukla, about 18–19 km and 6–8 hours, with a long descent to the river and then a stiff uphill of about 250 m from Cheplung to Lukla at the very end. Expect it to feel harder than you think. Some itineraries split it with a night in Phakding or Monjo, which gives a shorter final day and more time in Lukla to rebook if flights are disrupted.
At 2,860 m, Lukla is high enough that some people feel a mild headache or breathlessness after flying straight in from Kathmandu (1,400 m) or Manthali (about 500 m). That is normal and usually passes after a night lower down at Phakding. The real acclimatisation stops on the EBC trail are Namche Bazaar (two nights) and Dingboche (two nights). If you have to sleep in Lukla on arrival, take it easy and drink plenty.
Because flights are weather-dependent, add at least one and ideally two spare days to the end of an Everest trek before your international flight. If you fly home the day after you are due out of Lukla, a single morning of cloud can mean a missed connection. A buffer day not needed at Lukla can be spent in Kathmandu.
Lukla has dozens of lodges, from simple teahouses to comfortable small hotels with heated dining rooms. Standards are higher than most villages on the trail because supplies arrive by air. Prices below are typical ranges at the time of writing and vary by season and lodge; packages usually include lodging and meals.
Twin rooms with foam mattresses, a blanket or quilt, plywood walls and shared toilets. Hot showers (gas or solar) cost extra. Typical price: around NPR 500–1,500 (about £3–9) a night, often discounted if you eat dinner and breakfast there. Bring or rent a sleeping bag, as nights are cold from October to March.
Many Lukla lodges now offer rooms with attached bathrooms, western toilets, hot showers and charging points in the room, plus a stove-heated dining room. Expect roughly NPR 2,000–5,000 (about £11–28) a night. These fill up fast in October, November, April and May, especially when flights are delayed and people are stuck, so book through your agency.
A small number of upmarket lodges offer carpeted rooms, electric blankets, better bedding and en suites with reliable hot water. They are aimed at luxury and private groups and typically cost US$60–150 (about £45–115) a night or more. Ask what heating is provided, as rooms can still be cold.
Lodge menus are long (dal bhat, fried rice, noodles, pasta, pizza, momos, potatoes, eggs, porridge). Rough prices at the time of writing: dal bhat NPR 700–1,000 (about £4–6), with free refills of rice and lentils; a pot of tea NPR 400–700; a bottle of water NPR 100–200 (bring a filter or purification tablets instead); a beer NPR 600–900. Prices climb as you go higher.
Mains electricity from the local hydro scheme is generally reliable in Lukla, and most lodges charge a few hundred rupees per device, or include it in better rooms. Wifi is widely available, either from the lodge or through prepaid Everest-region wifi cards sold in Lukla and Namche, and mobile data (Ncell and Nepal Telecom) works in town. Hot showers cost roughly NPR 300–600.
There is no road to Lukla. You fly (from Kathmandu or from Manthali in Ramechhap district), take a helicopter, or drive part-way and walk in. The flight is by far the most common choice.
Since 2019, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has moved most Lukla flights in the busy seasons from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport to Manthali airport in Ramechhap district, about 130–145 km east of Kathmandu, to ease congestion at Kathmandu. The rule was paused during Covid and reinstated from autumn 2022, and it has been applied every peak season since. In practice this usually means roughly March to May and September to November, but CAAN sets the dates each season and agencies sometimes get only a few days’ notice.
Current status (October 2026): Nepali media report that Manthali–Lukla flights stepped up from about the end of September 2026 as the autumn season began, with Tara Air and Summit Air among the airlines operating from Manthali. A small number of Kathmandu–Lukla services have continued in recent peak seasons, but you should expect to fly from Manthali if you trek in autumn 2026 or spring 2027, and treat a direct Kathmandu flight as a bonus. Reports also mention plans for flights between Kathmandu and Ramechhap, which would remove the long drive; at the time of writing these were not running as a regular service.
The drive from Kathmandu to Manthali takes about 4–5 hours in normal conditions and longer (6–7 hours) when road works or monsoon damage slow the BP Highway. Because Lukla flights leave early, most groups set off around 1–3 am. The flight from Manthali is short, about 20 minutes. Outside the peak months (December–February, June–August) flights normally leave from Kathmandu’s domestic terminal and take about 35 minutes.
| Route | Time | Approximate cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight Kathmandu–Lukla | About 35 min | Around US$236–240 (about £180) one way for foreigners | Mostly off-peak months; Tara Air, Summit Air, Sita Air |
| Drive Kathmandu–Manthali + flight to Lukla | 4–7 h drive + 20 min flight | Similar fare, plus transfer (usually included in packages) | Peak seasons; very early start |
| Shared helicopter seat Kathmandu or Manthali–Lukla | About 45 min from Kathmandu | Roughly US$500–650 per seat | Flies in cloud that grounds planes, but not in heavy weather |
| Private helicopter charter | About 45 min | Roughly US$2,800–3,500, shared by up to 5 | Weight limits strict at altitude |
| Jeep Kathmandu–Salleri/Phaplu, onward jeep, walk in | 2–3 days to the main trail | Shared jeep seats are cheap; private jeeps cost much more | Rough mountain roads; walk via Paiya and Surke |
| Bus or jeep to Jiri, walk in | 6–8 days to Lukla | Low transport cost, extra lodge nights | The original 1953 expedition route |
Fares are set by the airlines and are revised from time to time (the latest revision reported was in March 2026). Agencies usually include flights in a package. The free baggage allowance is normally about 15 kg in total (around 10 kg in the hold plus 5 kg hand luggage), and excess is charged per kilo. Pack light and leave extra kit at your Kathmandu hotel.
Lukla flights operate only under visual flight rules, in daylight, in good visibility, at both ends of the route. There are no go-arounds at Lukla: once on final approach, the plane has to land. So cloud at Lukla, at Manthali or Kathmandu, or over the passes in between grounds everything. Flights are scheduled in the early morning because cloud and wind usually build by late morning.
If flights are cancelled, airlines usually move you to the next day’s list, in order. Your agency can arrange a shared helicopter as a backup at extra cost; ask before you travel what they charge and whether your insurance covers it.
Lukla has had several fatal accidents over the years, the most recent involving fixed-wing aircraft in 2017 and 2019. Since 2013 all Nepali airlines have been on the EU air safety list, which bans them from EU airspace, and the UK FCDO mentions this in its advice. Airlines, pilots and the airport have improved over time, and thousands of trekkers fly every season, but it is a genuine mountain flight. If you are a nervous flyer, the Salleri or Jiri walk-in is a real alternative.
Roads in lower Solukhumbu have pushed north in recent years. The most popular option is a long jeep day (roughly 9–11 hours) from Kathmandu to Salleri, the district headquarters (Phaplu airstrip is next door), then a short onward jeep along a rough road towards Thamdanda or Kharikhola, and two days of walking via Paiya and Surke to join the main trail below Lukla. It adds about two or three days, but it is cheaper, avoids the flight, and helps you acclimatise. Many people walk in this way and fly out from Lukla. The classic Jiri walk-in takes about a week. Sections of these roads are muddy or blocked after rain and best avoided in the monsoon.
The best time to be in Lukla is the same as the best time to trek: October and November, then March to May. What changes most at Lukla is not the walking but the flying.
| Months | Weather in Lukla | Flights | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| October–November | Clear, dry; days around 12–16 °C, nights near freezing | Most reliable; Manthali departures | Busiest season; book lodges and flights early |
| December–February | Cold and dry; nights well below freezing | Often good; from Kathmandu | Quiet trails, some high lodges closed |
| March–May | Warming, rhododendrons in bloom; afternoon cloud | Good mornings; Manthali departures | Everest climbing season brings heavy helicopter traffic |
| June–September | Monsoon rain, leeches lower down, cloud | Frequent cancellations | Few trekkers; possible but needs flexibility |
Figures are typical ranges, not records. For a month-by-month view of the whole country see the best season to travel in Nepal.
Lukla itself has no major festival of its own, but you pass through it to reach the big Sherpa events. Mani Rimdu at Tengboche monastery falls in October or November (in 2026 the public days are reported as about 26–28 October). Sherpa New Year, Losar, falls in February or March, and Dumje in Namche and other villages is usually in June or July.
The Everest region uses its own system and does not need a TIMS card. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry fee (NPR 3,000, about £17, for most foreigners since 2024) is paid in Lukla, at the counter near the northern gate; it is not sold in Kathmandu. The Sagarmatha National Park entry fee (NPR 3,000 plus 13% VAT, about NPR 3,390 or £19) can be paid in Kathmandu or at the park gate in Monjo. Keep both with your passport: they are checked at Monjo and Jorsalle. Fees change, so check at the counter. Our trekking hub explains permits across Nepal.
Since April 2023 Nepal has required foreign trekkers in national parks and conservation areas to use a licensed guide. The Khumbu municipality declined to apply that rule, and independent trekking has continued on the Everest trails. Reports in 2026 are mixed, with some describing stricter checks on solo trekkers, so treat independent trekking as permitted but not guaranteed, and check before you go. Even where it is allowed, a guide is strongly recommended above Namche.
Lukla has a few ATMs and bank branches, but they can run out of cash or reject foreign cards, and withdrawal fees are high. Bring enough Nepali rupees from Kathmandu for the whole trek, plus a reserve; Namche also has ATMs, but higher villages do not. Card payment is rare in lodges. Small notes are useful for tea, showers and tips.
Lukla has a small hospital, the Pasang Lhamu Nicole Niquille Hospital, opened in 2005 by a Swiss foundation, which treats local people and trekkers. It can handle minor illness and injuries and stabilise patients for evacuation. Serious cases are flown to Kathmandu by helicopter, so make sure your travel insurance covers trekking to at least the altitude you plan to reach and helicopter rescue. Read our altitude sickness guide before you fly.
Do not drink untreated tap water. Use a filter bottle, purification tablets or boiled water from lodges, which also cuts plastic waste, a growing problem in the Khumbu. Wash or sanitise hands before eating; stomach bugs are the most common reason trekkers feel unwell.
Walk to the left of mani walls and chortens (keep them on your right), and turn prayer wheels clockwise. Ask before photographing people. Give way to yaks and porters on the trail, always on the uphill side. Dress modestly in villages and monasteries, and remove shoes and hats inside a gompa.
At the time of writing (October 2026) the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not advise against travel to Nepal. Its main current warning concerns flooding and landslides after the 26 August 2026 floods in Rasuwa district and nearby areas, well away from the Khumbu. Kathmandu saw serious anti-government unrest in September 2025; the situation has since settled, but protests can still occur. The FCDO also notes that Nepali airlines are on the EU air safety list. Check the latest FCDO advice before you book and again before you travel, and see our trekking safety tips.
Keep passport, permits, cash, medicines, warm layer and phone in your daypack, not in the hold bag. Arrive at the terminal when your guide says (often before 6 am) and expect a crowded, informal check-in. Be patient with delays: shouting at staff does not make cloud lift.
From Lukla the trail climbs north through the Dudh Koshi valley into the heart of the Khumbu. Most trekkers pass through these places in order:
The Gokyo valley branches off above Namche, and the Three Passes loop links it all together. To see how the region fits together, start with our Everest Region guide.
Most people combine an Everest trek with a few days in Kathmandu at either end, which doubles as your buffer for Lukla flight delays.
Ready to go? Our Everest Base Camp trek includes the Lukla flights, permits, lodges and a licensed guide, with buffer days built in. Tell us your dates and we will help you plan your trip.
It is a demanding mountain flight onto a short, steep runway, and there have been fatal accidents, most recently in 2017 and 2019. Thousands of trekkers fly every season without incident, and flights only operate in good visibility. If you would rather not fly, you can walk in from Salleri or Jiri.
In the peak seasons (roughly March–May and September–November) most Lukla flights leave from Manthali airport in Ramechhap, a 4–7 hour drive from Kathmandu. In the quieter months they normally leave from Kathmandu. CAAN sets the dates each season, and in autumn 2026 Manthali is the main departure point.
At the time of writing, one-way fares for foreigners are around US$236–240 (about £180), and the same on the Manthali route. Fares are revised from time to time, and packages usually include them.
It depends on the season. Delays of a few hours are common all year; in autumn and spring whole days are lost a few times a season, and in mid-October 2025 flights were grounded for about a week. In the monsoon the airport is closed roughly half the time. Always build in one or two spare days.
Usually about 15 kg in total per person, typically 10 kg in the hold and 5 kg hand luggage. Excess baggage is charged per kilo and may go on a later flight.
Yes. Take a jeep from Kathmandu to Salleri (about 9–11 hours), continue by jeep on rough roads towards Thamdanda or Kharikhola, and walk two days via Paiya and Surke to join the trail below Lukla. The older route from Jiri takes about a week on foot.
Usually not. Most itineraries continue the same day to Phakding (about 2,610 m), which is lower and better for acclimatisation. You normally spend the last night of the trek in Lukla so you are near the airport for an early flight.
Yes, a few, plus more in Namche, but they are not reliable and may reject foreign cards. Bring enough cash in Nepali rupees from Kathmandu for the whole trek.
The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee (NPR 3,000 at the time of writing) is paid in Lukla. The Sagarmatha National Park fee is paid in Kathmandu or at Monjo. No TIMS card is needed in the Everest region.
You stay another night and are moved onto the next available flight, usually in order of the original booking. If time is short, your agency can arrange a shared helicopter seat at extra cost. Check what your insurance covers before you travel.
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