How to get from Australia and New Zealand to Everest Base Camp in 2026
There are no direct flights from Australia or New Zealand to Nepal — but the route is simpler than it looks. Here's the smart way to reach the Everest trailhead, and what it costs.
Everest Base Camp is the number-one bucket-list trek for Australians and New Zealanders — but the first question is always the same: how do you actually get there? There are no direct flights from Australia or New Zealand to Nepal, yet the journey is more straightforward than the distance suggests. Here is the smart way to do it in 2026.
Key facts
- No direct flights from AU/NZ — connect through an Asian hub
- Best hubs: Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong
- Indicative Sydney–Kathmandu return: ~AUD 1,000–1,800
- Then a short flight to Lukla (often via Ramechhap in peak season)
The route
From the east coast of Australia or from New Zealand, you fly to an Asian hub and connect to Kathmandu. Singapore Airlines (via Singapore), Thai (via Bangkok), Malaysia Airlines (via Kuala Lumpur) and Cathay (via Hong Kong) all serve the route well. Budget a full travel day each way and expect Sydney–Kathmandu return fares of roughly AUD 1,000–1,800 depending on season — August tends to be cheapest, the autumn trekking peak dearer.
| Via | Airline |
|---|---|
| Singapore | Singapore Airlines |
| Bangkok | Thai Airways |
| Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia Airlines |
| Hong Kong | Cathay Pacific |
The last leg — and the safety question
From Kathmandu, the trek begins with the legendary flight to Lukla; in the peak autumn and spring seasons these flights usually shift to Manthali (Ramechhap), about a four-hour drive from Kathmandu, so build that into your plan. On safety: both governments currently advise caution rather than avoidance — Australia's Smartraveller lists Nepal at "exercise a high degree of caution" (lowered in March 2026 after the 2025 unrest stabilised), and New Zealand's SafeTravel at "exercise increased caution." The trekking corridors are open and stable.
What this means for you
Plan a full day's travel each way, book the autumn season early (departures fill from July), and choose an itinerary with proper acclimatisation — our 14-day Everest Base Camp trip builds in the extra rest days that suit long-haul travellers arriving jet-lagged from the Southern Hemisphere. We handle the Kathmandu–Lukla logistics, including the Ramechhap transfer when it applies.
Source: Smartraveller (Australia); SafeTravel (New Zealand); airline schedules.
Cover photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
Source: Smartraveller
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