Alternative Airlines is a flight search and booking site that makes it easy to book domestic flights within Nepal. Simply use the search bar at the top of the page to begin, by typing in your chosen departure and arrival destinations and dates of travel. Alternative Airlines specialises in ticketing airlines that travel to remote locations around the world, including the smaller regional airlines in Nepal.
When you book your flights through Alternative Airlines, you can pay the way you want, whether that's using PayPal, PayPal Credit, or one of our payment plan options. You can even use the currency of your choice, whether that's U.S. Dollars, Pound Sterling, or Nepalese Rupee.
There are three major domestic airlines operating in Nepal: Nepal Airlines, Buddha Air and Himalaya Airlines. In addition to some of the smaller domestic airlines such as Saurya Airlines, Shree Airlines, Simrik Airlines, Tara Air and Yeti Airlines.
Nepal Airlines is the national carrier of Nepal and operates from its base at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM). The airline runs services to popular destinations including Biratnagar, Pokhara, Lukla, Phaplu, Bhojpur, Lamidanda, Tumlingtar, Dolpo and Jumla, as well as other airstrips. Nepal Airlines is the oldest airline of the country.
Check-in online: web check-in is not currently available for Nepal Airlines passengers
Check-in at the airport: arrive at the airport 2-3 hours before the scheduled departure time
Is a passport required: either a valid passport, original voter ID (as issued by the government of Nepal), or original citizenship card. Foreign passengers should travel with their passport.
Buddha Air is also based at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) in Kathmandu and flies to destinations throughout Nepal as well as international services to India.
Check-in online: web check-in is not currently available for Buddha Air.
Check-in at the airport: Airport check-in will close one hour before scheduled departure.
Is a passport required: For Nepalese travellers can carry government-issued national ID, including a citizenship card, driving license, or election photo ID card. Travellers from India will carry a government-issued photo ID (excluding the Aadhar Card). All other foreign travellers will need a valid passport.
In 2021, it was announced that the airline is establishing a subsidiary airline, Yashodhara Air, to operate domestic STOL (short take-off and landing) flights within Nepal.
Himalaya Airlines offers international flights Based at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM). The airline flies to ten destinations around Nepal as well as Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Qatar, Saudia Arabia, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.
Check-in online: The airline's online check-in opens 24 hours to 30 minutes before your scheduled flight time.
Check-in at the airport: The airline advises you to check in 48 hours before your scheduled departure time. The check-in counter closes an hour before departure and the boarding gates close 20 minutes before departure.
Is a passport required: valid travel documents are required including visas for all the countries you will be visiting on your journey.
Based at Tribhuvan International Airport, Yeti Airlines is the parent company of Tara Air. Combined, the two airlines are the largest flight operator of Nepalese domestic flights and provide access via connecting flights to most of the popular tourist destinations within Nepal. The airline also offers a popular Everest Express flight from Kathmandu to the Everest range.
Check-in online: web check-in is not currently available for Yeti Airlines.
Check-in at the airport: please visit our Yeti Airlines page for more check-in information
Is a passport required: valid travel documents are required. Foreign travellers will need a passport as a valid form of identification.
The airline is based out of Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) and serves six destinations across three provinces of Nepal. The airline became the second airline in Nepal after Cosmic Air to have a jet engine aircraft on its domestic routes.
Check-in online: web check-in is not currently available for Yeti Airlines.
Check-in at the airport: airport check-in is available and passengers are advised to arrive 48 hours before your scheduled departure time.
Is a passport required: valid travel documents are required. Foreign travellers will need a passport as a valid form of identification.
Shree airlines is based at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) and Yeti Airlines is the parent company of Tara Air. Shree Airlines as of 2018 was the third largest domestic carrier in Nepal, after Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines,
Check-in online: web check-in is not currently available for Shree Airlines.
Check-in at the airport: please visit our Yeti Airlines page for more check-in information
Is a passport required: either a valid passport, original voter ID (as issued by the government of Nepal), or original citizenship card. Foreign passengers should travel with their passport.
Tara Air is an airline headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal. The airline operates scheduled flights and air charter flights to over 15 domestic destinations.
Check-in online: web check-in is available from 48 hours to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
Check-in at the airport: please visit our Tara Air page for more check-in information
Is a passport required: valid travel documents are required. Foreign travellers will need a passport as a valid form of identification.
Guna Airlines is a Nepalese airline, operating domestic scheduled flights from its base at Tribhuvan International Airport.
Check-in online: web check-in is not currently available.
Check-in at the airport: please visit our Guna Airlines page for more check-in information
Domestic flights are short-haul flights that happen within the same country. This means that departure and arrival will both take place within Nepal. Domestic flights are a popular option for travellers in Nepal, and when the decision is between a 45 minute flight or 17 hours on a bus as it slowly winds up a mountain, it’s easy to see why!
Nepal is home to a stunning and diverse natural landscape and welcomes many tourists from around the world. If you want to explore the country, you’ll be pleased to hear that Nepal has an excellent network of domestic flight routes. Despite a very challenging terrain, engineers have created runways in the depths of the jungles and amongst the peaks of the Himalayas.
Tourists are likely to land at Tribhuvan International Airport near Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. From this airport, there are many smaller airports to which connections can be made. As well as Kathmandu, there are also minor air hubs at Pokhara, Nepalganj in the southwest and Biratnagar in the southeast. Popular destinations from Kathmandu include Pokhara, Jomsom, Janakpur, Biratnagar, and Nepaljung.
Top Tip: Most of the airlines offer scenic mountain flights from Kathmandu in the morning, so it is likely you will have to wait until the afternoon before domestic services begin.
Tribhuvan International Airport is Nepal's primary international airport - if you're flying to Nepal, you'll likely land at Tribhuvan International Airport. From this airport, connections can be made to destinations throughout Nepal. The airport is located in the Kathmandu Valley, which is about 3.1 miles from the city centre of Kathmandu. Over 30 international airlines currently connect Nepal to destinations throughout Asia and the Middle East.
Some of the airlines that fly to Tribhuvan International Airport: are Himalaya Airlines, Air India, Air China, Air Arabia, Cathay Dragon, China Eastern, Summit Air, Kuber Airlines and many more.
Pokhara is a city on Phewa Lake, in central Nepal and is known to be a gateway to the Annapurna Circuit, a popular trail in the Himalayas. It's an incredibly scenic location and popular with tourists. Pokhara is the perfect destination for you whether you're looking for a weekend getaway or a long romantic vacation. Pokhara is known for its breathtaking paragliding site - capture the towering mountains upon the lake from above the clouds.
Fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara Airport (PKR).
Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines
Nepalganj is a City in the Banke District of Nepal. It's situated on the Terai plains near the southern border with Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, India. If you'd like to visit Nepalganj during a dry and warm period, the best months are April, May and June.
Fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj Airport (KEP).
Buddha Air, Nepal Airlines, Shree Airlines, Saurya Airlines, Sita Airlines, Summit Ait, Tara Air, and Yeti Airlines.
Everest is in Tibet, so flying from Kathmandu to visit Everest isn't a domestic flight.
However, many of the airline companies mentioned offer scenic flight tours of Everest, which depart from and land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Flights last about an hour and offer the chance to photograph and see the incredible mountain from above. Fly with Yeti Airlines and Buddha Air.
For more information on getting to Everest, check out our full guide: Flying to Everest.
We’re super proud of our Trustpilot rating, but don’t just take it from us. See why millions of others love booking their flights through Alternative Airlines
Please note that, as a standard rule, domestic airlines have a 15kg allowance for hold baggage. On some flights, passengers are restricted from paying for excess baggage. If you plan on heading to certain mountain airstrips, including Lukla, Jomsom and Juphal, there is a reduced limit of 10kg for hold baggage and 5kg for hand luggage.
Alternative Airlines! It's super easy to use our search form a the top of the page to search for flights between your chosen destinations within Nepal. We'll then show you all available flights from all airlines — all you have to do is choose the best flights for you!
Airlines that fly from India to Nepal include: Jet Airways, Air India, Bhutan Airlines, IndiGo, Royal Nepal Airlines, and Buddha Air.
Absolutely! When you book through Alternative Airlines, you can buy ANY flight to Nepal and spread the cost over time. We have partnered with a number of payment plan providers that let you secure flights within Nepal and pay over weekly, bi-weekly or monthly instalments. This includes Klarna, Afterpay, Clearpay, Zip and more. Please bear in mind that the payment plan available at checkout will depend on the country you reside in.
