In this tutorial, I will show you how to navigate the Kathmandu airport with ease.

Photo Wikimedia Commons: calflier001, adapted by Wandering Educators

International Arrival/Departure At Kathmandu Airport

If you want to come and/or go through KTM internationally, then the next few tips’n’tricks will come in handy.

International Arrival At Kathmandu Airport

Flying to Nepal for the first time, you will find this next walkthrough useful.

When you exit the plane, the crowd of passengers will guide you to the immigration hall. The lines there are relatively short, but you need to bring your own visa pictures if you are from certain nationalities. I do not know what nationalities have to get what visas, you will have to find out. Once you get through, retrieve your bags from the luggage carousel, and continue out. But if you do not find your luggage, in the next room there is a lost baggage desk. In the room before the waiting area, there are shops that have NCell SIM cards and prepaid taxi van vouchers.

International Departure At Kathmandu Airport

Leaving Nepal, you may need these next suggestions.

There are two entrances to the international building, so be sure to go in the right one. There is a screen showing what entrance to go through, based on which airline you are taking. Once you get in, immediately you have a loose frisk and bag check. Men and women separate for that, but after are in the same area. You should make sure that you are given carry-on luggage tags when you check in. Also if you want to change money, do it here. Then go up the escalator. At the top of the escalator on the left, there are forms to fill out for leaving the country. The lines may be long to go through immigration, and after that there are even longer lines for security. Men line up on the left, and women have a shorter, hidden line on the right of the men’s. Once you are through, they will stamp the luggage tag that you got at the ticket counter downstairs. Pass through by the security guard, and you can find your gate. There might be a frisk before you get on the airplane.

Domestic Arrival/Departure At Kathmandu Airport

Domestic terminal, Kathmandu airport. Photo: Wikimedia Commons: calflier001

If you are visiting/leaving the capital from/to anywhere else in the country, good for you, because next I am going to talk about domestic flights to/from KTM.

Domestic Departure At Kathmandu Airport

Leaving Kathmandu to another part of Nepal can sometimes be hard, so this guide is priceless if you are doing that.

When you go into the domestic departure building, there is a loose bag check. Once inside, make sure that you pay airport tax at the bank on the right. The ticket counters open around an hour before the scheduled departure time. You have to show your airport tax receipt when you get your boarding pass. Behind the ticket counters there is a carry-on luggage check and frisk. Each person needs his or her own ticket here. When you go through to the waiting room, there are no restaurants, only small snack shops. There are only two gates, and often confusion. Make sure you get on the right plane.

Domestic Arrival At Kathmandu Airport

If you are coming to Kathmandu domestically, look somewhere else, because I have no experience. Sorry!

This guide describes my time in the Kathmandu airport. I hope that you will benefit from this walkthrough, or you can prepare others for this experience.
 

Lukas Bruihler is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program.

All photos courtesy and copyright Lukas Bruihler, except where noted