How do I get to Kathmandu?

Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) sits 6 km east of Thamel, Kathmandu's main tourist quarter. No nonstop flights exist from North America or Europe. From the US East Coast, the fastest routing runs 18-22 hours through Doha on Qatar Airways ($900-1,400 round-trip) or Istanbul on Turkish Airlines ($850-1,300). The US West Coast adds 2-3 hours to either connection. From London, Air India and Vistara route through Delhi in about 12-14 hours for £500-900 round-trip. Qatar Airways from Doha and Emirates from Dubai tend to offer the widest seats and full meal service on that 4-5 hour final leg into the Kathmandu Valley. Budget travelers from Europe should look at IndiGo through Delhi, where the Delhi-KTM hop runs $60-90 one-way. IndiGo's 1.5-hour flight has no meal and 29-inch seat pitch, so set comfort expectations accordingly.

From Bangkok, Thai Airways and Nepal Airlines fly direct to KTM 3-4 times weekly, a 3.5-hour flight for $250-450 round-trip. Kuala Lumpur connects on Malaysia Airlines for $200-400. Delhi has 8-12 daily departures on IndiGo, Air India, Nepal Airlines, and Buddha Air, with round-trip fares dropping to $80 in shoulder months like February and May. Kolkata and Bangalore also have direct service. Mind you, flights during Dashain and Tihar in October-November sell out weeks in advance as Nepali workers across South Asia head home for the festivals. If your trip overlaps those 2-3 weeks, book the Kathmandu leg before anything else.

Fares to KTM swing 30-50% between peak and off-peak windows. October-November is prime trekking season, when post-monsoon skies clear over the Annapurna and Langtang ranges and flights fill fast. March-April is the second peak. June through August brings the cheapest fares but also heavy monsoon rain, 25-30°C humidity, and roads across the valley that flood unpredictably. December through February is cold and quiet. Nighttime temperatures in Kathmandu drop to 2-3°C, and most Thamel guesthouses lack central heating. At 3°C the cold seeps through concrete floors and thin blankets. Winter mornings at Pashupatinath and Boudhanath, though, draw a tenth of October's crowds, and the low valley haze lifts by 9 AM to reveal the full Himalayan skyline.

Two overland crossings from India see regular tourist traffic. Sunauli-Bhairahawa, 22 km from Lumbini, connects to Kathmandu by tourist bus in 8-10 hours along the Prithvi Highway. The 200-km stretch is dusty and winding, loud with horn blasts from oncoming trucks rounding blind curves. The Birgunj-Raxaul crossing links to Patna and Varanasi by Indian rail and reaches Kathmandu in 6-7 hours by road. Both borders issue Nepal visas on arrival at $30 for 15 days or $50 for 30 days. The Tibet border at Rasuwagadhi, 160 km north of Kathmandu, currently serves organized tour groups with Chinese permits only and closes during heavy snow from December through March.