Alternate Route of Lukla

Natural Activities are uncontrollable by human efforts. Bad Weather is the reason for flight cancellations or delays for those who are planning to fly to Lukla. You might face the same situation while returning from Lukla. Thus, many people ask about the alternative routes to get to Lukla and Everest base camp. If you want more peace, and authenticity and have some buffer days to spare, we’ve listed all the possible alternatives on how to get to EBC that you can take to avoid the uncertainties of Lukla flights and save some good bucks too.

This route gives an opportunity to explore the most attractive Solu and Khumbu both trekking areas in one visit, which is something new while trekking on Everest. The journey provides a gorgeous new set of isolated villages and far-off settlements that diverts away from the well-trodden path to the base camp via Lukla. This route is introduced quite recently upon completion of the new motorable road construction. The road is making easy and quick access for the Khumbu region nowadays. Trekkers had to follow the classic Jiri to EBC route in the past years.!

Trip Fact

Primary Activity: Sightseeing/Trekking

Duration: 17 Days

Trip Starts / Ends: Kathmandu

Altitude: 5545m /18192ft

Difficulty: Moderate to fairly challenging

Transportation: Jeep and flight return

Route: Kathmandu, Salleri, Kharikhola, Phakding, Namche, EBC, Namche, Lukla, Kathmandu

Best Season: March to May, September to December

Drive from Kathmandu to Salleri/Ringmo

We drive from Kathmandu to Ringmo via Phaplu and commence a short hike to Takshindo. The drive to Ringmo is quite beautiful, and you can get fleeting glimpses of the countryside life of Nepal. Leaving behind the bustling city, the drive goes through gorgeous rural settings, winding along hills and farms. Phaplu is a small town with an airstrip that is surrounded by verdant green hills. Salleri is around 265 km away from Kathmandu and the ride is about 8 hours.

Extended drive to Bupsa Danda [Updated]

Since the roads have been improved, jeeps are now available up to the settlement of Bupsa Danda (6-7 hours drive from Phaplu). After traveling to Phaplu as previously described, you will board a local jeep to reach Bupsa Danda. Phakding is only a day and a half hike from here, saving you almost two days.

Risks: During the monsoon, the roads may sustain damage and become quite slick. (If possible avoid the months of June, July, and August.)

How long does it take to travel from Kathmandu to Kharikhola, Bupsa, or Thamdanda?

One of the reliable modes of transportation to the Everest Base Camp Trek while looking for an alternative to the Lukla is a Jeep drive from Kathmandu to Salleri. To reach Salleri from Kathmandu, the jeep journey will take about 8 to 9 hours along with a paved 265km long road from Kathmandu to Salleri. The motorable bridge over the Dudhkoshi River, which serves as a road connecting Solu and Khumbu in the Everest Region, was just finished and opened on Saturday, November 21, 2020. From Salleri, the district headquarters, to the Dudhkoshi Bridge, it takes 5 hours to go off-road for 38 kilometers. From the bridge, it is another 25 kilometers to Thamdanda. The local government has set a 2-year completion goal for the 37-kilometer section of the road from Bupsa/Thamdanda to Lukla, which is now under contract. It would take between 16 and 17 hours to drive after the Kathmandu to Lukla Road was finished.

Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,300m/4,264ft)

Day 02: Drive from Kathmandu - Phaplu – Ringmo and trek to Takshindo (3071m /10072 ft.) 8 hours drive and 30-min walk

Day 03: Trek from Takshindo to Khari Khola (2194m/7196ft), 7 hours

Day 04: Trek from Khari Khola to Puiyan (2890m/9479ft) 6hrs

Day 05: Trek from Puiyan to Phakding (2652m/8699ft), 6hrs

Day 06: Trek from Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3440m/11,283ft), 5-6hrs

Day 07: Acclimatization day at Namche

Day 08: Trek from Namche to Tyangboche(3,867m/12684ft), 4-5hrs

Day 09: Trek from Tyangboche to Dingboche (4,358m/14,295 ft), 5-6hrs

Day 10: Acclimatization day at Dingboche

Day 11: Trek from Dingboche to Lobuche (4,928m/16164 ft), 5-6hrs