Flight cancellations in the Himalayas are as common as the peaks themselves, due to unpredictable nature of mountain weather. At Eve Holidays, we prioritize the safety and convenience of our guests, which is why we strongly advise allowing for at least three extra days at the end of your trek for contingencies. While we do our utmost to adhere to the itinerary, the adventure in the mountains may not always unfold as planned. Flexibility and patience are key virtues during such situations. Any extra services or extra days other than the trip itinerary and trip inclusion will be charged extra.

Phase 1: Alternatives Before Starting Your Everest Base Camp Trek

If bad weather hits before you even fly out to begin your trek, your schedule will need to adapt quickly. Depending on your schedule and budget, you have four distinct paths to choose from:

1. Wait Out the Weather

If you have built plenty of spare contingency days into the end of your original Nepal itinerary, you can choose to stay at Ramechhap or Kathmandu Airport. Once conditions clear, you can proceed with your standard Everest Base Camp Trek route as originally scheduled.

2. Shared Helicopter Transfer

For trekkers who want to avoid waiting and are determined to stay on their exact calendar track, a shared helicopter transfer is often available. Helicopters can operate in lower visibility ceilings than planes. However, keep in mind that you will be responsible for covering the helicopter cost out-of-pocket for both yourself and your mandatory trekking guide.

3. Take the 18-Hour Overland Jeep Route

When the airspace is completely locked down for multiple days, you can choose to go by land. This rugged journey takes two full days. You will take a 4WD jeep from Kathmandu to Salleri, stay overnight, continue driving the next day to Surke, and then complete a 2-hour uphill hike to reach Lukla.

4. Opt for a Partial Trek or Switch to another trek

Partial Trek: If you wait out the weather for a few days and lose time, you can still fly to Lukla later and complete a truncated version of the trek without incurring extra company fees.

Alternative Treks: If the weather window for the Khumbu region closes entirely, you can easily switch your booking to another legendary Nepalese route of similar duration and cost, such as Annapurna Base Camp Trek, Langtang Valley Trek, or Mardi Himal Trek. (Note: If you pivot to a costlier itinerary, you will simply pay the package price difference).

Phase 2: Alternatives After Completing Your Trek

If you have finished your trek and find yourself stranded in Lukla trying to return to Kathmandu, you face a similar set of logistical choices:

1. Helicopter Back to Kathmandu

You can instantly bypass plane delays by splitting a shared helicopter flight directly back to Kathmandu. This is paid out-of-pocket, but it guarantees you won’t miss your upcoming international flights home.

2. Walk to Surke and Jeep Out

If planes are grounded and helicopters are outside your budget, you can walk 2 hours down from Lukla to the village of Surke. From there, you can catch an 18-hour overland Jeep ride back to Kathmandu, which includes a standard overnight rest stop in Salleri along the way.

3. Patiently Wait It Out

If you were smart enough to budget ample extra days before your international flight, you can simply enjoy the local tea houses in Lukla and wait for the high-altitude weather patterns to clear up.