Guides › Africa › Lukla
City guide

Lukla

Lukla is a small town in the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality of the Solukhumbu District in the Koshi Province of northeastern Nepal. Situated at 2,860 metres (9,383 ft) above sea level, it is a popular place for visitors to the Himalayas near Mount Everest to arrive.

Type City

Why go

  • Town in Koshi Province, Nepal.
  • Served by Tumling Tar Airport (TMI).

History

Lukla is a small town in the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality of the Solukhumbu District in the Koshi Province of northeastern Nepal. Situated at 2,860 metres (9,383 ft) above sea level, it is a popular place for visitors to the Himalayas near Mount Everest to arrive. Although Lukla means "place with many goats and sheep", few of them are found in the area now.

Airports

Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA) 0.3 km to the centre
Lukla, P1, NP — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Indoor | Outdoor
Tumling Tar Airport (TMI) 62 km to the centre
Tumling Tar, P1, NP — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor. ✈ 1 airline (Yeti Airways) · direct flights to 1 destination incl. Kathmandu (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 1 direct destination

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Syangboche Airport (SYH) 14 km to the centre
Namche Bazaar, P1, NP — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Phaplu Airport (PPL) 24 km to the centre
Phaplu, P1, NP — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Rumjatar Airport (RUM) 46 km to the centre
Rumjatar, P1, NP — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Lamidanda Airport (LDN) 49 km to the centre
Lamidanda, P1, NP — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

Lukla
Lukla
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Tumling Tar Airport (TMI); 11 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: TMI has direct flights to 1 destination on 1 airline (incl. Kathmandu).

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Lukla. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.