Kathmandu Airport Lounge Guide

Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) handles both international services and domestic flights across Nepal. Its 2 passenger terminals serve different journeys, and that distinction matters when choosing a lounge.

For international departures, the Executive Lounge and Horizon Lounge by Soaltee are both after passport control but before the final security check. You can use these lounges without flying business class, through paid access or an eligible lounge membership.

There is also a public-area option: Yatra Lounge & Restro. Open 24 hours daily, it welcomes domestic and international passengers, arriving travelers, and people who are not flying.

This guide covers these 3 options, including where to find them and how to get in.

KTM has separate domestic and international passenger terminals. The domestic terminal is approximately 500 meters north of the international terminal.

There is a free shuttle between them. Transfers take place through the public area; ask airport staff where to catch the shuttle.

If you are connecting from an international arrival to a domestic flight, plan your lounge visit around the terminal transfer and your onward check-in requirements.

Operated by Radisson Hotel Kathmandu, the Executive Lounge offers a buffet, a bar, and a place to sit away from the main departure area. (It is also listed as the Radisson Executive Lounge, so those names refer to the same lounge.)

Its rest area with reclining chairs may appeal if you want a short break before a flight. The location is useful once you have checked in and cleared passport control, but you still need to leave time for the final security check afterward.

International Terminal, after passport control and before the final security checkpoint. Follow the lounge signs on the right and take the stairs or escalator upstairs. For international passengers only.

06:00-23:00 (6am-11pm) daily

• Hot and cold buffet food

• Alcoholic drinks (including beer, wine, and spirits) and soft drinks

• Showers (for an additional US$10 fee; subject to availability)

• Rest area with reclining chairs

• Separate smoking room

• Wi-Fi

• Memberships: LoungeKey and Priority Pass

• Walk-Up Access: Available at the lounge desk (subject to capacity)

Children under 2 years are admitted free of charge.

Horizon Lounge by Soaltee is the other lounge in international departures. Food, drinks, Wi-Fi, and workstations make it an option for a meal or catching up on work before boarding.

It stays open until 01:00 (1am), two hours later than the Executive Lounge’s published closing time.

International Terminal, after passport control and before the final security checkpoint. Follow signs for Horizon Lounge in the international departure area. For international passengers only.

06:00-01:00 (6am-1am) daily

• Buffet food and snacks

• Alcoholic and soft drinks

• Workstations

• Wi-Fi

• Memberships: LoungeKey and Priority Pass

• Walk-Up Access: Available at the lounge desk (subject to capacity)

Children under 5 years are admitted free of charge.

Yatra Lounge & Restro is useful when you have time at the airport but cannot enter international departures. It operates as a combination of a lounge, a restaurant, and a rest facility, with paid packages for different visit lengths.

You do not need a boarding pass to visit. That makes it an option before a domestic flight, after arriving, or when meeting friends and family at the airport.

Travelers connecting internationally should remember that reaching this public area requires entering Nepal and meeting the applicable entry requirements.

In the public area near the international departure entrance.

24 hours daily

• Multicuisine dining, including Nepali dishes, with restaurant and package menus

• A bar serving alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks (inclusions depend on your purchase)

• Private sleeping rooms and shower facilities (for an additional fee)

• Reclining chairs and massage chairs (with selected packages)

• Children’s play area

• Wi-Fi and workstations

• Luggage storage

• Direct Advance Arrangements: Contact Yatra Lounge & Restro to arrange a package, sleeping room, or shower. The operator accepts package inquiries and reservations through WhatsApp.

• Walk-Up Access: Visitors can walk in without a boarding pass. The operator advertises Express packages from 700 NPR (US$5), Special packages from 1,200 NPR (US$8), and Executive packages from 1,899 NPR (US$13). These are starting prices, rather than rates for every visit length; confirm the duration and inclusions before paying.

Ask the operator about children’s pricing when arranging your visit.

• For a visit before international check-in or a domestic flight: Yatra is the only option that you can reach without clearing international passport control. It also works for arrivals and airport visitors.

• For a visit before an international flight: The Executive Lounge. Its reclining-chair area is useful if resting is your priority.

• For a late international departure: Horizon’s later closing time may suit your schedule.

• For Priority Pass members: Both international departure lounges participate. Your flight time and capacity on arrival will help determine which to use.

The main decision at KTM is whether you are ready to clear international passport control. Once through, the Executive Lounge and Horizon Lounge by Soaltee offer food, drinks, and membership access before the final security check.

For a domestic departure, an arrival, or a wait before check-in, Yatra provides a public-area alternative with 24-hour opening. Check the package details before paying, particularly if you need a sleeping room or shower.