If you have arranged your trek though an operator in your own country, they will also arrange air travel to Nepal. This is by far the easiest, ond often the only, way to secure space during the high trekking season of October, November, April and May.
Arranging your own Flights
From Asia
The most reasonable connections to Kathmandu are via Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. There are reduced inclusive tour (IT) fares on all these sectors. Check the flights of Royal Nepal Airlines, Thai International, and Singapore Airlines. Bangkok flights are heavily booked in the high season, but it's sometimes worth hanging around the airport looking for a stand-by seat to Kathmandu. A one-way fare from Bangkok costs from US$180 to US$190.
From India the fares are high, flights are fully booked - usually by Indian tourists - and reservation procedures are chaotic. The only concessional fares are for students. There are flights to Kathmandu from Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Patna and Varanasi. The one-hour Delhi to Kathmandu flight on either Indian Airlines or Royal Nepal Airlines costs around US$145.
Kathmandu has some other interesting airline connections; China Southwest Airlines, part of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) group, operates a flight from Lhasa to Kathmandu on Tuesdays and Saturdays. This spectacular one-hour flight costs US$190 and is supposed to operate from April to December. You can also fly from Paro in Bhutan on Druk Air, or from Dhaka (Bangladesh).
From Europe & the Middle East
Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) operates two flights per week from London and one from Paris via Dubai. Contact its agency in London for cheap excursion fares. All of RNAC's European flights operate via Frankfurt.
Lufthansa also operates direct Frankfurt-Kathmandu flights with three flights weekly throughout the year. A return ticket costs around US$825. German bucket shops can produce special deals on these. Pakistan International, Bangladesh Biman and Aeroflot all have a one- airline service from Europe to Kathmandu, though they require a connection in Karachi or Dhaka or Moscow. From Germany, look at charter flights; LTU operates a weekly flight from Germany to Kathmandu during winter.
From North America
North America is halfway around the world from Nepal, so you have a choice of crossing either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. If you are flying via the Atlantic, you will probably be happier connecting with a direct flight to Kathmandu from London or Frankfurt. Avoid flights via India as the Delhi to Kathmandu fare is high and transit facilities at Delhi airport are tedious. Pacific routes usually require an overnight stay in Bangkok or Hong Kong, but there are frequent flights and most airlines have APEX fares of about US$600 one way from the west coast to Kathmandu. Northwest, United, Korean and Thai International all offer excursion fares from the west coast to Kathmandu via Bangkok
From Australia
Look for routes via Singapore, Hong Kong or Bangkok. Typical fares are around A$1600 return. Kathmandu is not on any airline routes for "round-the-world" (RTW) tickets, and is usually charged as an extra segment on the Australia to London route. If you are travelling to the UK, you might find a cheap fare on RNAC from either Bangkok or Singapore, via Kathmandu, to London
