Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour - 1 day

Itinerary details

1. Pick up from your hotel (meeting place), drive to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), and flight briefing. 

We will take you to TIA early morning for a helicopter flight to Lukla. There will be a briefing from the flight instructor detailing safety majors and guidelines to follow just before the flight. Then, you will meet your pilot.

2. Take off from Kathmandu to Lukla

Your helicopter heads east of Kathmandu Valley, and you will be able to get glorious views of snow-capped mountains, including Langtang, Ganesh Himal, Manaslu, and Gaurishankar. You will also be greeted with fantastic views of beautiful valleys, traditional villages, calm lakes, and raging rivers. After flying over Jiri, your helicopter will land in Lukla. 

3. Refueling at Lukla

By reaching Lukla, you have entered the Everest region. Lukla is home to Tenzing Hillary Airport, where your helicopter will refuel. This process takes about ten to fifteen minutes. During this time, you can enjoy the Himalayan geography, perhaps, far different than the one you have ever seen or experienced.

4. Fly from Lukla to Kala Patthar (5,555m)

After refueling, the helicopter will start flying over the Dudh Koshi River valley to Namche Bazaar, an economic lifeline of the Everest region. From the helicopter, you will get breathtaking views of high Himalayan mountains, including Ganesh Himal (7,429m), Gyachung Kang (7,952m), Pumori (7,161m), Lhotse (8,516m), Gauri Shankar Himal (7,134m), Shishapangma (8,013m), Nuptse (7,855m), Ama Dablam (6,812m), Kusum Kanguru, Thamserku, and Kwangde.

Your helicopter will take an aerial route over Syangboche, Tengboche, Pheriche, Gorak Shep, the Everest Base Camp, and the Khumbu glacier. You will see that the Everest Base Camp lies surrounded by high mountains, including Lhotse, Nuptse, Cho Oyu, and Lobuche, just below the Khumbu ice-fall. 

5. Stop at the Kala Patthar (5,555 m)

After flying over the Everest Base Camp and the Khumbu Glacier, your helicopter will land at Kala Patthar. However, please be cautioned that if the weather suddenly turns unfavorable, your helicopter may not land at Kala Paathar. However, this is very rare. From Kala Patthar, you can get a panoramic view of Everest standing together with Nuptse, Changtse, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, Khumbutse, Changtse, Pumori, and Lhotse. 

Since you will stay for a maximum of 15 minutes at Kala Patthar, we advise you to take enough pictures to relive the moment later. You cannot stay at Kala Patthar any longer due to the risk of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness).

6. From Kala Patthar to Everest View Hotel (Syangboche) for breakfast

After enjoying the views from Kala Patthar, you will board the helicopter again. This time your helicopter will fly to Syangboche and land. By now, you might be hungry, and you can have breakfast at Everest Hotel (self-pay). This hotel, one of the world's highest hotels, also provides a fantastic view of Everest. 

7. Flight from Syangboche to Lukla (for refueling) and back to Kathmandu

The helicopter will make one last landing for about fifteen minutes to refuel at Lukla Airport before taking off to return to Kathmandu. The return flight will also be scenic and relaxing. After the helicopter lands in Kathmandu, we will drop you off at your hotel. We hope that your Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour was entertaining and refreshing.