Getting to the trailhead
The Lukla flight and getting to the trek
Kathmandu, the dramatic mountain airstrip, and building in buffer days.
It starts in Kathmandu
Everest Base Camp treks are organised from Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, where you'll typically arrive, meet your operator, sort permits and gear, and spend a day or two before flying to the mountains. Kathmandu is the hub for the whole trip, and most trekkers build in time there at the start and end — both for logistics and as a buffer against flight delays.
The famous Lukla flight
The trek proper begins with a short, spectacular flight from Kathmandu (or a nearby road hub in busy periods) to Lukla, the small mountain airstrip that serves as the gateway to the Khumbu. Perched on a mountainside, it's one of the most dramatic airports in the world, and the flight in — over ridges and valleys with the Himalaya ahead — is a memorable start to the adventure.
Weather and delays
Because the Lukla flights depend heavily on mountain weather, delays and occasional cancellations are common, especially in poor conditions. The single most important piece of practical advice is to build buffer days into your itinerary — particularly before an international flight home — so that a weather delay doesn't derail your whole trip. Flexibility around the Lukla flight is essential, not optional.
Alternatives and options
In some seasons or conditions, trekkers reach Lukla via a longer road-and-trail approach from a lower town instead of flying, and helicopters are sometimes used when fixed-wing flights are grounded. Your operator will advise the best approach for your dates. Whatever the method, getting to and from Lukla is one of the trip's key logistical pieces, worth understanding when you plan.
Planning the journey
A well-planned Everest Base Camp trip allows time in Kathmandu at both ends, treats the Lukla flight as weather-dependent, and keeps the return schedule flexible. Sorting the permits, the flights and the buffer days with your operator up front means the journey to the trailhead — dramatic as it is — becomes part of the adventure rather than a source of stress.
Still deciding which route or which season?
Leave your email and your target month — we'll send you the altitude-and-season rundown for that specific window.