For most visitors Sagarmatha begins with a landing. Lukla (2,860 m) perches on a shelf above the Dudh Koshi, and its short, sloping airstrip — built in 1964 with Sir Edmund Hillary’s help and renamed Tenzing-Hillary Airport in 2008 — is the main gateway to the Khumbu.
From Lukla the trail drops to the river and follows it north through Phakding (2,610 m) to Monjo (2,835 m), where the national park begins. Lukla and the trail as far as Monjo lie in the park’s buffer zone; at the gate just beyond the village, rangers check and issue the park entry permit before the path descends to Jorsalle and the river.
What to see and do: Lukla, Phakding & Monjo
Watch the aircraft at Lukla
A path beside the runway lets you watch small turboprops land uphill and take off downhill into the valley. Flights are concentrated in the early morning, before cloud and wind build.
Walk the Dudh Koshi trail
The path to Phakding and Monjo is the gentlest in the region: pine and rhododendron forest, long mani walls, painted boulders, water-driven prayer wheels and a succession of suspension bridges. Keep mani walls on your right.
Enter the park at Monjo
The entry post has a small information display about the park and a board recording visitor numbers. Buy or show your park permit here; the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee is normally paid earlier, in Lukla. See the park guide for current arrangements.
Cross the high bridge
Beyond Jorsalle the trail crosses the river on the high, prayer-flag-draped suspension bridge often called the Hillary Bridge, then climbs steeply through pines to Namche. Partway up, a gap in the trees gives a first glimpse of Everest in clear weather.
Getting to Lukla, Phakding & Monjo
- By air: around 30–35 minutes from Kathmandu, or about 20 minutes from Manthali (Ramechhap), which is used for most flights in the peak months. See getting to Sagarmatha.
- By road and on foot: jeeps run from Kathmandu to Salleri/Phaplu and, conditions permitting, some way beyond; from the roadhead it is one to two days’ walk to join the trail near Lukla.
- By helicopter: shared seats are sometimes sold when planes cannot fly; they cost considerably more.
Visitor tips
- Keep a spare day or two at the end of your trip: Lukla flights are cancelled whenever visibility is poor.
- Baggage is limited on Lukla flights (commonly about 15 kg including hand luggage) — check your ticket.
- Sleeping in Monjo rather than Phakding on the first night shortens the long climb to Namche the next day.
- Carry passport and permits where you can reach them; there are several checkpoints between Lukla and Namche.
Treks & tours that include Lukla, Phakding & Monjo
These guided experiences are the easiest way to reach Lukla, Phakding & Monjo:
Transfer from €23 Kathmandu to Ramechhap Shared Airport Transfer
In the busiest months most Lukla flights leave from Manthali airport in Ramechhap, a four-to-five-hour drive from Kathmandu. This shared transfer leaves in the small hours to meet the morning flights.
- Shared vehicle to Manthali (Ramechhap) airport
- Timed for the early Lukla flights
- Useful in the peak trekking months
Short guided trek from €1083 Everest View Trek: 5 Days with Flights
The short way into the park: fly to Lukla, walk up the Dudh Koshi to Namche Bazaar and climb to the Everest View ridge at about 3,880 m, where Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam line up across the valley. Back in Kathmandu in five days.
- Fly to Lukla and walk to Namche Bazaar
- Everest panorama from the 3,880 m viewpoint
- Stays below 4,000 m — gentler on altitude
Guided trek from €850 From Kathmandu: 12-Day Everest Base Camp Guided Trek
The best-known walk in the park: Lukla to Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche and Gorak Shep, then Everest Base Camp and the sunrise viewpoint of Kala Patthar. A well-paced twelve-day programme with consistently top reviews.
- The park’s classic route with a licensed guide
- Acclimatisation days in Namche Bazaar and Dingboche
- Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar (5,644 m)
