The standard approach to the Khumbu is by domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (Tenzing-Hillary Airport), a 35–40 minute flight on small turboprop aircraft. Flights are operated by several Nepali airlines and run frequently in season — typically 10–20 departures per day in October. The mountain weather is volatile; expect cancellations and delays. Booking a buffer day on each end of your trip is essential.
Helicopter flights to Lukla are available as a more expensive and more reliable alternative, often used to evacuate stranded trekkers when weather grounds the fixed-wing fleet. Helicopters can also fly directly to Namche Bazaar and higher, allowing non-trekkers to experience the Khumbu without the multi-day approach walk — though at altitude they must acclimatise like everyone else.
There is no road to Lukla or into the Khumbu. A rough road reaches Salleri in Solu, from which a two- to three-day walk reaches the national park boundary — this is how some porters travel, and it was how all expeditions approached before the airport opened in 1964. A newer approach via Jiri and the lower Dudh Koshi valley takes seven to ten days on foot and was the route used by Hillary's 1953 expedition. This low-road approach is a genuinely rewarding trek in its own right for those with the time.