How To Reach Sagarmatha National Park

Sagarmatha National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in the Himalayan region of Nepal. This wildlife sanctuary is over 1100 sq. km in area and is home to several important peaks in the region, including Mt. Everest; along with being the preservation site for over a 100 species of birds, and rare species like snow leopard and red panda.

The name Sagarmatha can literally be translated to ‘Head of the Sky’; an apt name for the highest altitude national park in the world. Located in the district of Solukhumbu, Sagarmatha National Park is approximately 135 km away from the capital of Kathmandu. Reaching the park may appear to be a challenging task for most and involves a substantial amount of hiking. Read on to know more about the easiest ways to reach Sagarmatha National Park.

The closest airport to Sagarmatha National Park is the Tenzing-Hillary Airport located in the region of Lukla. People traveling from outside the country are required to first reach Kathmandu, the city with the only international airport in Nepal. The domestic terminal of Tribhuvan International Airport in the capital operates regular flights to the terminal in Lukla; the total duration of the flight is about 25 minutes. From Lukla, the rest of the distance to Sagarmatha can be covered through a trek of two days.

Alternately, you can also choose to catch a flight to Phaplu or Tumlingtar from Kathmandu and then trek the rest of the distance to Sagarmatha after a trek of five and ten days respectively. For those who are not comfortable with trekking, locations like the Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar and Namche Bazaar within the National Park have options for direct helicopter flights operating from Kathmandu to Sagarmatha.  

There are no road routes that reach Sagarmatha National Park directly. The closest option is to catch a bus from Kathmandu to the village of Jiri that is located about a 100 km away from the park. From Jiri, a trek of about 10 days will take you to Sagarmatha.

The other option is to get on a bus to the village of Salleri, which is also close to the village of Phaplu – the airport alternative to Lukla to get to Sagarmatha. From Salleri, the rest of the distance to the park is covered through a trek of 5 days.

The hilly terrain of Sagarmatha National Park does not have access to any form of public transport. All distances to important landmarks are covered on foot.