Flying to Lukla is the fastest way to start the Everest Base Camp trek and saves three to four days each way. Starting by road from Salleri or Phaplu avoids the flight and its weather delays, costs less, and adds two to four days of walking through lower hill country. Choose the road if you have time or dislike small aircraft.
Lukla flight and Salleri or Phaplu road at a glance
- Getting there. Lukla flight: 30 to 40 minute flight, often from Ramechhap in peak season. Salleri or Phaplu road: a long day by jeep from Kathmandu, about 9 to 12 hours.
- Starting height. Lukla flight: Lukla, 2,860 m. Salleri or Phaplu road: Salleri about 2,390 m, Phaplu about 2,470 m.
- Extra walking. Lukla flight: none. Salleri or Phaplu road: two to four days to join the main trail near Lukla or Surke.
- Weather risk. Lukla flight: flights are often delayed or cancelled. Salleri or Phaplu road: roads can be slow or blocked in the monsoon.
- Trek length. Lukla flight: 12 to 14 days. Salleri or Phaplu road: 15 to 18 days.
- Acclimatisation. Lukla flight: fast gain on day one. Salleri or Phaplu road: slower and gentler.
What the road route is like
Jeeps run from Kathmandu to Salleri and Phaplu, the district centre of Solukhumbu, and in the dry season rough tracks continue further towards Kharikhola and Thamdanda, which shortens the walk. From the road end you climb through terraced farms, forest and Rai and Sherpa villages, cross a ridge or two and join the main Everest trail just below Lukla. The trail is quieter than anything above Lukla, lodges are simple and friendly, and the scenery is green hill country, not high mountain.
Reliability
Lukla flights operate only in clear weather and usually only in the morning. In the main seasons a day or two of cancellations is common, and a long spell of bad weather can strand hundreds of trekkers. The road is slow and bumpy but it nearly always gets through outside the monsoon. Many trekkers use it as a plan B: fly in if the weather allows and walk or drive out if it does not. See alternatives to the Lukla flight.
Cost and comfort
A shared jeep seat costs a fraction of the flight, and a private jeep split between a group still usually works out cheaper. Against that you pay for extra days of food, lodging and staff. The drive is long and tiring, and the last stretch is rough. Phaplu also has a small airstrip with occasional flights, which can be a middle way when Lukla is closed.
Altitude
Starting lower is easier on the body. Trekkers who walk in from Salleri arrive at Namche already used to walking and with several nights behind them between 2,000 and 2,800 m. It does not replace the rest days higher up, but it makes the first week more comfortable.
Best season for each
In October, November, March and April the road is dry and the choice is purely about time and taste. In the monsoon, from June to early September, the road beyond Salleri turns to mud and landslides are common, so the flight, on the mornings it operates, is the better option. In winter both work, and the lower trail from Salleri is pleasantly mild by day.
What the lower trail adds
The walk in from Salleri is not just a way of avoiding a flight. You pass the monastery villages of Solu, cross the Dudh Kosi on long bridges, and climb through forest that the flight skips entirely. Villages such as Ringmo, Nunthala and Kharikhola show a farming life quite different from the trekking towns higher up. Days are long, with a good deal of up and down, so it is solid training for what follows.
Choose Lukla flight if
- Your holiday is two weeks or less.
- You want to spend your days in the high mountains, not the foothills.
- You are comfortable with small aircraft and can keep a spare day for delays.
- You are travelling in the monsoon, when the road is at its worst.
Choose Salleri or Phaplu road if
- You have 16 days or more.
- You would rather not fly into Lukla.
- You want a cheaper trip and a quieter first few days.
- You like the idea of walking in through villages, as the early expeditions did.
Can you do both?
Yes, and many do: drive and walk in, then fly out from Lukla at the end, or the reverse. It gives you the village walk once and saves time on the return.
Plan it
See Everest Base Camp from Salleri or Phaplu by road and the older Jiri route, or ask us to price both versions.
Common questions
Can you reach Everest Base Camp without flying to Lukla?
Yes. You can drive to Salleri, Phaplu or beyond and walk in, which adds two to four days each way.
How long is the drive from Kathmandu to Salleri?
About 9 to 12 hours by jeep, depending on road conditions and how far beyond Salleri the track is open.
Is the road route cheaper?
Usually, for transport. The extra trekking days add back some of the saving.
Is the road safe?
It is a rough mountain road. Travel by day with an experienced driver, and avoid it in heavy monsoon rain.
Heights, days, fees and rules are approximate and can change, so confirm the current details with us before you book.
What our guests say
Excerpts from trekker reviews on our reviews page.
“His professionalism, knowledge of the mountains, and calm attitude gave us so much confidence during the trek.”
Our itinerary builds in the rest days this advice depends on: see the 14-day Everest Base Camp trek with acclimatisation days.
