The village at 2,860 m with the short, sloping Tenzing-Hillary airstrip where nearly every Everest trek starts and ends. There is no road: you fly in (from Kathmandu, or from Ramechhap's Manthali airport, 4-5 hours' drive from Kathmandu, in the busy seasons) or walk in for days from the jeep roads below. Flights fly only in clear weather and are cancelled often, sometimes for days; keep spare days before your flight home. From Lukla it is a 3-4 hour walk to Phakding and two days to Namche Bazaar.
Highlights
- Landing on the sloping Tenzing-Hillary runway
- First walk to Phakding along the Dudh Koshi
- Porters and yak trains at the trail gate
- Sherpa bakeries and coffee
Things to do
- Walk to Phakding along the Dudh KoshiAfternoon · 3h 30m
- Watch the morning flights landMorning · 1h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: March – May, October – November
Worth knowing
Monsoon on the Trails: Leeches, Landslides, Cloud
June to September is the monsoon. Trails are wet and slippery, leeches are everywhere below about 3,000 m (carry salt and leech socks), landslides block roads and paths, and cloud hides the mountains most days. Flights to Lukla are cancelled often. Treks are possible but this is the worst time for views; October–November and March–May are the seasons.
Heads up
Peak Trekking Season
October–November (clearest skies) and March–May (warmer, rhododendrons in bloom, some haze) are the trekking seasons. Trails and teahouses are at their busiest: book flights and lodges in advance, walk early, and expect higher prices for rooms with attached bathrooms.
Worth knowing
Lukla Flights Are Often Cancelled
Lukla's airstrip is flown only in clear weather; cloud or wind grounds the planes, sometimes for several days, worst in the monsoon and on spring afternoons. Keep two spare days before your international flight, buy insurance that covers delays, and know that a helicopter seat out costs several hundred US dollars. In the busy seasons most flights leave from Ramechhap (Manthali), 4-5 hours by road from Kathmandu, so check where yours departs.
Heads up
Everest Region Winter Cold
December to February is cold but often clear in the Khumbu: nights below freezing at Lukla and much colder above Namche, with some lodges closed. Pack for -15 °C nights if you are going higher.