Flights From the US to Nepal: Routes, Hubs, Pokhara and the Cheapest Months (2026)
Short answer: one stop, usually Doha, Istanbul, Dubai or an Asian hub, then Kathmandu.
- Cheapest month: February. Most expensive: June and December (Kayak, read 2 November 2026).
- New: a daily flydubai flight to Pokhara since 23 September 2026, bookable on one ticket with Emirates from the US.
- Bhairahawa has almost no international flights. Fly to Kathmandu and connect.
- US-born kids and US passport holders pay the foreigner dollar fare on domestic flights.
There is no nonstop flight from the US to Nepal. So the real choice is which hub you change planes in, how long the layover is, and whether you land in Kathmandu or, for the first time, Pokhara.
The main routes from the US
These airlines fly into Kathmandu (Tribhuvan) from their hub. The US cities are examples of the airline's US routes to that hub, not a complete list. Check the airline's site for your city.
| Hub | Airline into Kathmandu | Example US cities to the hub |
|---|---|---|
| Doha | Qatar Airways (also Nepal Airlines, Himalaya Airlines) | New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia |
| Istanbul | Turkish Airlines | New York, Newark, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Miami, Denver, Detroit |
| Dubai | flydubai (to Kathmandu and Pokhara), codeshare with Emirates | Emirates flies to New York, Newark, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, Orlando |
| Delhi | Air India, IndiGo | Air India flies to New York, Newark, Chicago, San Francisco |
| Hong Kong | Cathay Pacific | New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle |
| Seoul (Incheon) | Korean Air | New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta, among others |
| Singapore | Singapore Airlines | Check the airline (Kayak's cheapest fare on 2 November 2026 was Los Angeles via Singapore) |
| Guangzhou, Chengdu, Kunming | China Southern, Air China and Sichuan Airlines, China Eastern | Usually with a second connection in China |
Emirates itself does not fly to Kathmandu. You reach Nepal on its partner flydubai from Dubai.
On Kayak, the most popular airlines from the US to Kathmandu were Qatar Airways, then Air India, Turkish Airlines and China Southern. Trip times on listed itineraries ran from about 20 hours to more than 60 hours, so check the layover before you click the cheapest fare.
When fares are lowest
From Kayak's route page for the US to Kathmandu, read on 2 November 2026:
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Cheapest month (median round trip) | February, about $1,192 |
| Most expensive month | June, about $1,732 |
| December | about $1,720 |
| Typical round trip | $1,162 to $1,750 |
| Cheapest round trip seen | $984, Singapore Airlines, Los Angeles via Singapore, April to May dates |
| Cheapest day to fly (average) | Sunday, $1,399; Friday was highest at $1,520 |
Kayak also says booking about 26 weeks ahead was linked to about 17% savings. These are past search prices, not a promise. Fares move every day.
Pokhara International Airport: now usable from the US
- What changed: flydubai started the airport's first daily scheduled international flight on 23 September 2026, Dubai to Pokhara and back.
- The plane: a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with 166 seats. It lands in Pokhara in the evening and flies back to Dubai the same night.
- From the US: flydubai codeshares with Emirates, so you can buy one ticket from a US city to Pokhara and check your bags through.
- Price: flydubai said fares from Pokhara were generally Rs 4,000 to 5,000 lower than from Kathmandu for major destinations.
- Is it busy? Kantipur reported 6,362 passengers on 30 flights in the first month.
If your family lives in Pokhara, Syangja, Parbat or nearby, this can save you the Kathmandu domestic hop. Before September 2026, Pokhara had only charter and special flights, and a Pokhara to Lhasa service had stopped.
Gautam Buddha International Airport (Bhairahawa)
The airport has struggled for years to keep regular international flights. An April 2026 report said Thai AirAsia was the only airline with scheduled international flights, twice a week in winter for Buddhist pilgrims, plus Kuwait Airways charters carrying workers from Kuwait. For families in Butwal, Bhairahawa or Palpa, the practical route from the US is still Kathmandu, then a domestic flight. Buddha Air lists 8 daily flights from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa, about 30 minutes each.
After you land: domestic flights
- Kathmandu to Pokhara: about 25 minutes. Buddha Air lists more than 17 daily flights.
- Kathmandu to Bhairahawa: about 30 minutes, 8 daily flights on Buddha Air.
- The dollar fare. Nepal's domestic airlines charge foreigners more, in US dollars. In March 2025 the Kathmandu Post gave these examples:
- Kathmandu to Pokhara: $100 for foreigners, Rs 4,000 for Nepalis.
- Kathmandu to Bhairahawa: $85 for foreigners, Rs 5,000 for Nepalis.
- Mountain flight: $185 for foreigners, Rs 10,335 for Nepalis.
- Who pays it: anyone without Nepali citizenship. The same report noted that Nepali-origin children abroad who are not eligible for citizenship pay in dollars. If you travel with US-born kids, budget for their tickets at the foreigner rate.
- Changing in 2026: in April 2026, Kantipur reported the government was preparing to remove the dollar fare for foreign citizens and non-resident Nepalis, starting with Karnali and Far West routes.
Tips for families flying home
- Search one-way and multi-city too. Flying into Kathmandu and out of Pokhara can now work.
- Look at total travel time, not only price. A long layover with kids or parents costs you in other ways.
- If your domestic flight is on a separate ticket, leave a long gap after your international arrival. A missed connection on a separate ticket is your problem, not the airline's.
Once you have the ticket: set up your phone with the Nepal eSIM and SIM card guide, and plan side trips with places to visit on your trip home. Going for a wedding? Read what a Nepal wedding costs from the US. For the way back, see what to bring back from Nepal to sell and Made in Nepal brands you can buy from the US. Pokhara's airport is one of Nepal's big builds; see the Nepal megaprojects tracker, Nepal hydropower explained and buying Nepal IPOs from the US.
Sources
- Airlines and destinations at Kathmandu: Wikipedia, Tribhuvan International Airport, read 2 November 2026. US routes per hub: Wikipedia pages for Hamad (Doha), Istanbul, Dubai, Delhi, Hong Kong and Incheon, read 2 November 2026.
- Fares, cheapest months and popular airlines: Kayak, US to Kathmandu, read 2 November 2026.
- flydubai Pokhara launch, aircraft, codeshare, fares: Kathmandu Post, 23 September 2026; approval: Onlinekhabar, 10 June 2026; first month: Kantipur, 23 October 2026.
- Bhairahawa international flights: Bangladesh Monitor, 4 April 2026.
- Domestic flight times and frequencies: Buddha Air, Kathmandu to Pokhara; Buddha Air, Kathmandu to Bhairahawa.
- Dollar fares: Kathmandu Post, 16 March 2025; plan to remove them: Kantipur, April 2026.
FAQ
Is there a direct flight from the US to Nepal?
No. Every route from the US to Kathmandu has at least one stop. The common hubs are Doha, Istanbul, Dubai, Delhi, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul and several Chinese cities.
What is the cheapest month to fly from the US to Kathmandu?
Kayak's route data, read on 2 November 2026, puts February as the cheapest month with a median round trip of about $1,192. June was the most expensive at about $1,732, with December close behind at about $1,720.
Can I fly from the US straight to Pokhara?
Not nonstop, but you can now reach Pokhara with one connection. Since 23 September 2026, flydubai flies daily between Dubai and Pokhara. It codeshares with Emirates, so you can book one ticket from a US city with your bags checked through.
Do international flights go to Bhairahawa (Gautam Buddha airport)?
Very few. An April 2026 report said Thai AirAsia was the only airline with scheduled international flights there, twice a week in winter, plus Kuwait Airways charters. For a trip from the US, fly to Kathmandu and take a 30 minute domestic flight.
Do US citizens pay more for domestic flights in Nepal?
Yes. Nepal's airlines charge foreigners a dollar fare. In March 2025 the Kathmandu Post reported Kathmandu to Pokhara at $100 for foreigners and Rs 4,000 for Nepalis. This affects US-born children too. In April 2026 the government said it would remove the dollar fare, starting with Karnali and Far West routes.
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