Around 1,500 foreign tourists have been stranded in the Everest region due to heavy fog that has halted flights from the only airstrip serving the area, a local aviation official said on Friday.

Thousands of foreign tourists visit the Everest region during the peak tourism season late in the year.

"About 1,500 foreign tourists have been stranded here since Wednesday. All the hotels have been booked to full capacity," Utsab Kharel, manager of Tenzing-Hillary Airport in the small town of Lukla, told AFP.

"The hotels are running out of food because of the pressure. Hundreds of people are living in tents," he added, speaking by telephone.

Kharel said the fog was expected to clear up by Sunday, adding that those stranded included US, British and German tourists.

Nepal, a popular destination for mountaineers and trekkers, has eight of the world's 14 tallest peaks over 8,000 metres, including the world's highest, Mount Everest, at 8,848 metres (29,029 feet).

Around 500 travellers fly in and out of Lukla on a normal day when weather conditions are good.

"Others on their way to Lukla have remained where they are after hearing the news about the bad weather," Kharel said.

Flights in mountainous Nepal are often cancelled due to poor visibility caused by bad weather.