Tribhuvan International Airport sits five kilometers east of central Kathmandu in the Gongabu area. Most travelers land between 0600 and midnight when the valley weather permits safe approaches through the surrounding ridges. The aircraft parks at a remote stand and passengers walk or bus to the terminal — no jet bridges operate here. Inside, signage directs you left toward the visa-on-arrival counters before immigration. Nepal issues 15-day, 30-day, and 90-day tourist visas on the spot. The counter accepts US dollars, euros, and several other major currencies but not rupees. You need one passport photo and the exact fee in cash — no change is provided. Card payment machines exist but fail regularly enough that cash remains essential. The forms are short, the process mechanical. Queue time varies wildly between ten minutes and ninety depending on whether three wide-body flights have emptied simultaneously. Past the visa desk, immigration officers stamp without questions unless your passport condition raises flags. Baggage claim operates two carousels that run slowly and stop frequently. Bags arrive anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour after you clear immigration. Trolleys cost 100 rupees from attendants stationed near the belts. Customs remains largely a walk-through unless you are carrying declared electronics or commercial quantities of goods. Green lane for nothing-to-declare, red lane for declarations — officers rarely stop travelers in either.
Beyond customs, arrivals hall contains a prepaid taxi counter operated by the airport itself, distinct from the cluster of touts near the exit doors. The official counter charges fixed rates by zone — Thamel costs 700-1000 rupees depending on time of day, paid upfront, receipt issued. The driver waits outside with a numbered placard. This system functions reliably. Journey time to Thamel ranges from 25 minutes at 0500 to 90 minutes during the 0800-1000 and 1700-1900 traffic surges when Ring Road clogs completely. Late-night arrivals move fast — most hotels in Thamel keep reception staffed 24 hours and will meet you if you send flight details ahead. For domestic connections to Pokhara or Lukla, the domestic terminal is a separate building 500 meters north along the access road — not connected internally. Signage is poor and first-timers often waste twenty minutes walking the wrong direction. Confirm your terminal when booking. Domestic check-in opens two hours before departure, sometimes less for early mountain flights, and closes strictly 45 minutes prior. Missing the cutoff means rebooking. The airport handles what it handles competently — immigration and customs move, taxis exist, baggage eventually appears — but nothing about the facility suggests spare capacity or system redundancy.