Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour in Nepal is gaining more and more popularity in the recent years. An adventure doable in a day, this journey action packs the thrill of high altitude flight in the highest region of the world.

Every nature lover dreams of visiting Mt. Everest once in his lifetime. But not everyone can climb it. Also going on the Everest Base Camp trek is not a feasible option for everyone as it is almost 15 days long as well for the great strain it takes on one’s health.

For people  who are short on time and also not fully fit, there is an option in the form of the 4 Hours of high altitude flight towards world’s tallest mountain. Yes, Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour in Nepal is gaining more and more popularity currently. It’s an adventure doable in one day while packing the adventure thrills of high altitude mountains through a high altitude flight in the highest region of the world. The flight is a wonderful experience flying over the snow clad mountains; it certainly will be an experience of a lifetime.

The flight to the top of the world Mount Everest base camp is the shortest trip saving you time and money. Everest base camp helicopter flight landing tour allows you to visit Mt. Everest in 3 to 4 hours.

We are sure Everest is surely in your Bucket list. Even Forbes has listed Everest Base camp Helicopter tour with landing and the Breakfast as the number 1 trip in the bucket lists suggested by them.

A typical flight starts from Kathmandu and you fly to Lukla first early in the morning around 6 AM. Chopper trips are organized in the early morning to avoid the unpredictable weather that clouds the mountainous areas in the afternoon and evening. We will organize your hotel pickup and drop service to/from the airport when you book this trip with us.

The flight includes landings at Mt. Everest Base Camp, Kalapather, Lukla, Mt Everest View Hotel,

Highlights of Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour

• Landing at Lukla unique airstrip known as Tenzing & Hillary airport
• The most scenic flight in the world, in the heart of Mount Everest with impressive panoramic views with landing experience at Kalapather
• Best view point of Mt Everest in the comfort of a chopper with almost no risks.
• One hour at Hotel Everest view for Breakfast and photography. Helicopter stops at Everest view hotel for Breakfast and photography opportunites.
• A chance to visit Sherpa of Everest with impressive Buddhist culture and colourful customs with interesting monasteries of ancient heritage
• An aerial view of the green alpine forest of rhododendron, pine trees to an arctic zone of ice and glaciers.
• Dramatic flight at the foot of the world’s highest Mt. Everest base camp
• Spectacular views of the great block of ice and glaciers with notorious Khumbu Ice Falls at a mere distance in between giant peaks
• Chance to step out of the helicopter at Kala Patthar facing a close view of Everest with time for photos & videos

What to expect from Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour?

Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour, a high altitude flight experience is operated by seasoned pilots that can maneuver through the thinnest atmosphere on earth.  The helicopter pilot also acts as guide during the trip as s/he points out the major mountain ranges, briefs and leads your trip, and answers your questions.

Right from the word go from Kathmandu airport, the views in the north of  snow-clad mountain ranges are stunning. The Langtang range in the center with other famous mountain ranges and peaks of Nepal are spectacular, and the photographers on the board will certainly disturb others with their shutter noises. Flying above forests and villages, at times flying just a few hundred meters above them, especially at highland passes is exhilarating. Travelers have reported seeing houses, animals and people in the field below. The helicopter noise and high altitude will reduce your hearing, just as in any other flight. Your cameras and eyes, however, will not rest for a bit.

We land at Lukla airport for refueling. Lukla is a busy airport, which can be easily felt by zooming airplanes and helicopters. This is our first stop, however, we will not get out of the aircraft. After refueling, we take off again flying over the amazing villages of Tengboche, Dingboche and Gorakhshep (common tea-house points for Trekkers on foot).

Based on the weight of Passengers, the chopper will stop a few miles before reaching Everest Base Camp. Two rounds of trips are done with calculated weight and other precautions by the pilot.

You land at Everest Base Camp after flying over Kala Patthar for 5 minutes taking a photographs and we will get off the chopper to enjoy a footed view of Mount Everest (8,848m) along with Nuptse and Lhotse towering before her. It is a mesmerizing moment to grasp that we are at the highest grounds of the whole planet. It’s easy to feel tiny and insignificant to see how big and grandeur the Himalaya actually is.

After some thoughtful observation, we head back to Hotel Everest View at Syangboche for breakfast. The hotel’s name keeps up to its promise. We will enjoy our meal in the northern balcony of the hotel to enjoy view of Everest and neighboring peaks in the region. We fly back to Lukla for refueling and later fly again back to Kathmandu airport.

Preparing for Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour: Packing and clothing?

Everest Heli Tour needs some preparations to gain a great experience. First things first, get a good camera to capture the bird-eye view of Kathmandu Valley, northern mountains, and of course, settlements as you fly over them real high. Of course, we would recommend you to keep a balance between taking pictures and simply enjoying the moment. Helicopter flights are exciting and each ascend/descend fills you up with adrenaline. Carry a bottle of water to stay hydrated and avoid alcoholic beverages to avoid altitude/motion sickness. Carrying some snacks is useful as well.

We recommend wearing a pair of warm trousers, t-shirts/shirt, down-jacket, light jacket, boots and UV Protected sunglasses during the trip. Do use/carry moisturizer and sunscreen to protect your skin from cold and direct sunlight. While wearing caps and mufflers be extra cautious about loose clothing while getting on/off the chopper.

Weight limits for High Altitude Helicopter Tours

Helicopters come with weight limit. And in high altitude flights, weight is one of the significant aspects of flying. Hence, avoid carrying heavy backpacks. In fact, wear what you need, and carry a very light bag if you absolutely need it (to keep water, snacks and purse). If you can do without a bag, that’s even better.

As we have already mentioned above, this trip requires passengers to take turns in 2 or 3 to fly to the Base Camp and Kalapatthar. This protocol is directed by the captain and should be strictly followed.

Safety Precautions and Insurance

Listen to the flight brief and follow all the directions provided by the pilot. Buy a travel insurance that covers the cost of evacuation and medical expenses when traveling to remote areas. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by a helicopter flight. For this trip, keep in mind the following precautions.

1. Always wait for the captain’s signal for getting on/off the aircraft. Approach the aircraft from front left and front right side only – where the pilot can clearly see you.
2. Duck while walking towards the aircraft or away from it. Make sure clothing that can fly off easily – are tightened. If you lose any items, don’t pursue.

Everest Helicopter flight tour safety measures

The Flying hours and brief stopover totally depend upon the weather and pilots decision, whether it’s perfect for stops and landing at villages or at Everest base camp, as the Himalayan weather can be unpredictable sometimes during late afternoon times.

We will try our best to cover important highlights stops on this Helicopter trip as much as possible providing you with extra time to witness local culture visit of monasteries, as mentioned above with full 4 to 5 hours of enchanting and enjoyable time in our Helicopter Flight to Everest Base Camp.

Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour Sightseeing: Is it suitable for you?

Helicopter Tours are generally classified as safe and easy, as they do not require strenuous efforts like trekking. In fact, if you love to see Everest Region but don’t have time/effort to trek, this tour is perfectly suitable for you. It’s a fact that not everyone is ready to trek, and not everyone has time to do so. In this case, tour to Everest Base Camp via a helicopter is actually a better option. This trip will be unforgettable for those who love flying. Plus, the views of mountains are clearer and the terrain makes sense when you see them from above. For an eyed traveler, for example, it might be interesting to see how the Khumbu Valley took form as a result of the mountain glaciers cutting through it. This took centuries, and it takes a flight to watch this movement. It’s an exciting feeling.

Weather during the flight

The weather in hills is unpredictable. Though this flight can be taken all the year round, however, monsoon months of July to mid-September are wet and much greener because of heavy moisture.

The best time is from March to June when wildflowers are in full bloom with temperature in the range of 15 – 20 degree Celsius during the day with sunlight. Mornings and evenings are cooler with a minimum of -0 to 05 degree Celsius plus wind chill factors.

High altitude means less shelters and also less oxygen and lower air pressure – thereby meaning clear skies, strong sunlight and high UV and you might need a strong sunscreen to avoid sunburn.

Areas covered during Everest base camp helicopter tour

Everest base camp Helicopter tour starts from Kathmandu, flies over Bhaktapur, Nagarkot, Lukla, Namche bazaar & Mt Everest View hotel, Tengboche, Everest base camp, and Khumbu glaciers and finally landing at Mount Everest base camp (EBC).

On the return trip we fly over Everest base camp / Kalapather, Lobuche, Tengboche, stop at Everest View hotel breakfast stop, Namche, Lukla airport and finally to Kathmandu airport.

Important Note

We provide the best of the guides and pilots, who are expert and professional in this line of job with more than decades of experience with full knowledge of flora-fauna, local culture and history with traditional life of the villagers including Eco-tourism and responsible tourism caring, preserving and respecting local culture and saving the pristine environment from destruction. The all are well trained with medical knowledge and can help you when an emergency situation arises, and also well equipped in case of emergency evacuation.

In case of weather problems or non-availability of landing space at Everest Base camp the helicopter will land above Gorakshep on route to Kalapathar. This can happen many times of the year due to the movement of glaciers and rock falls that changes the area every season. The helicopter will make a swift round around base camp.

Alternative options

Yes, we do have alternative options for the tour for those who want to experience the Everest region in a different way. We pick up you from Lukla airport on the way and continue to Everest base camp and land at Kalapather, then have breakfast at hotel Everest view and back to Lukla and Kathmandu. If you are trekking in Namche or Tengboche to Pheriche or Lobuche or Gorakshep or Everest base camp, we pick you up from any places where there is Helipad, then drop you in Lukla or fly you all the way to Kathmandu

• We offer a small aircraft flight fly Kathmandu to Lukla and then helicopter for the tour. We can also make arrangements for you to stay overnight in Lukla before the Everest helicopter tour, if you so wish.
• You can also join us from intermediate points of the traditional trek route like Phakding, Namche, Tengboche, Dingboche, or even from Everest Base camp after you have finished one way trek and then dropped back to Kathmandu.

This option in fact is the best way for you to enjoy the trek as well as the flight to Everest Base Camp and catch close views of towering Mt. Everest. The option can also be used if you start feeling sick during the trek or have difficulty in walking uphills at points to Namche Bazaar to fulfil your dream adventure destinations.

The Everest Base camp helicopter tour with landing is of 45 minutes duration from Kathmandu to Lukla airport including the refueling ground.