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Lukla is considered the starting point for most Everest trekking. You can hike from Lukla to Namche Bazaar in a day or two. The trail is along the beautiful Dudh Koshi River. If one is trekking over two days, the first night is spent at Phakding. The next day, a trek over Namche Bazaar is taken, including the high Hillary Suspension Bridge crossing.
How do you enter Mount Everest?
Mount Everest can be entered through either the routes of Lukla or Jiri. A short flight of about 30 minutes from Kathmandu to Lukla is easy to get into EBC. For more serious hikers like the early pioneers, trekking from Jiri is the answer.
To do this, take a bus from Kathmandu to Jiri. This is about 7 hours by bus. From the next day, a 6-day trek follows, passing the towns of Sete, Junbesi, and Numtala before reaching Surkhe, just below Lukla. From there, the trek goes to Phakding and then to Namche Bazaar.
What is the starting point of Everest Base Camp Trek?
Lukla or Jiri is the starting point for Everest Base Camp Trekking.
How do I get to Lukla?
There is no bus connection between Kathmandu and Lukla. Hence, air travel is the most preferred way to get here. But to get to Lukla, one can also trek from Jiri. It often takes around five days to reach Lukla with such a trek.
Lukla flight delays and cancellation
Apart from unusually bad weather, the flights at Lukla are pretty regular. But it is good to schedule 1-2 extra days during the trip to avoid flight delay and cancellation. Weather can change rapidly at Lukla. It is a little more difficult to plan and predict flights in Lukla.
How much does it cost to fly to Lukla?
The one-way ticket from Kathmandu to Lukla costs approximately USD 180 and USD 360 for a round trip. Free baggage and hand carry allowed on this trip are 10 kg and 5 kg, respectively. Likewise, a helicopter can be chartered at USD 3000, having a maximum of 5 people, including 500 kg weight. A shared helicopter cost USD 500 per person.
Is it safe to fly to Lukla?
Due to altitude and location, flying to Lukla is dangerous. However, airlines take safety seriously.
Everest Base Camp Trek Permit
Entrance into the Everest region requires Khumbu local government permit. It costs around USD 17 per person for the first four weeks and around USD 21 per person beyond four weeks. This permit can either be obtained from Lukla or Phaplu at the Sagarmatha National Park Counter in Monjo.
Sagarmatha National Park permits cost USD 25. It is free for children below ten years. Traveling through Jiri requires Gaurishankar Conservation Area permit costing USD 25 per person.
All the permits require passport details and are payable in local currency only. Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) permit in the Everest Region is no longer applicable.