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Charter Nepal

Private helicopter tour · Kathmandu – Lukla – Everest Base Camp

Everest Base Camp Fly-Over: Helicopter Tour Without the High Landing

All the Everest scenery from the comfort of the cabin, without stepping out at 5,500 m. It's a gentler choice for young children, older travellers or anyone worried about the altitude: you fly over Base Camp and only land at Lukla and Syangboche.

Highest point
5,364 m
Length
About 4 hours
Passengers
Up to 5
Price
US$4,300 per helicopter
Everest Base Camp Fly-Over: Helicopter Tour Without the High Landing

Not everyone wants to stand on a ridge at 5,500 metres, even for ten minutes, and that's perfectly sensible. This flight shows you the same mountains from the air, and every landing stays below 4,000 metres.

The helicopter follows the Khumbu valley past Namche Bazaar and Tengboche, circles over Everest Base Camp, the Khumbu Glacier and Gorak Shep, and then turns in front of Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse so that both sides of the cabin get the view. On the way down you'll stop at Syangboche for breakfast at Hotel Everest View (3,880 m), or fly straight back to Lukla if you'd rather.

It's a good choice for families with children, travellers over seventy, and anyone with a heart or breathing condition who should avoid the higher landing.

Facts

Duration
About 4 hours
Flight time
About 2½ to 3 hours in the air
Highest landing
Syangboche, 3,880 m
Passengers
1 to 5 per helicopter
Suits
Children, older travellers, altitude worries
Best months
October to December, March to May

Highlights

  • Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam from the air
  • Circling over Base Camp and the Khumbu Glacier
  • No landings above 4,000 m
  • A breakfast stop at Hotel Everest View

Flight route and altitude

Highest point 5,364 m

  1. 1Kathmandu 1,338 mDomestic terminal, Tribhuvan Airport
  2. 2Lukla 2,860 mRefuelling stop
  3. 3Over Base Camp 5,364 mFly-past, no landing
  4. 4Hotel Everest View 3,880 mBreakfast stop
  5. 5Lukla 2,860 mRefuelling stop
  6. 6Kathmandu 1,338 mDomestic terminal, Tribhuvan Airport

How the day goes

  1. Up the Khumbu by air

    • We'll pick you up from your hotel at about 6:00, then check in at the domestic terminal.
    • Fly to Lukla, where the helicopter refuels.
    • Follow the valley past Namche and Tengboche, then circle over Base Camp, Gorak Shep and the Khumbu Glacier.

  2. Breakfast and home

    • Land at Syangboche and enjoy breakfast at Hotel Everest View.
    • Then fly back to Kathmandu via Lukla.

What's included

  • Pickup and drop-off at your hotel in Kathmandu
  • The helicopter, pilot and ground crew for the whole route
  • Fuel, landing fees and airport taxes
  • Passenger insurance, carried by the helicopter operator
  • Breakfast at Hotel Everest View

Not included

  • Sagarmatha National Park and local area entry fees (we arrange these for you; they're paid in Nepali rupees)
  • Your Nepal visa
  • Your own travel insurance (do check that it covers helicopter flights)
  • Tips

Good to know

Pickup
At your hotel in Kathmandu.
Before you fly
  • No high landing doesn't mean no weight limit. The helicopter still climbs past 5,000 m over Base Camp, so send us everyone's weight with the booking and keep it to one small bag per person.
  • Don't worry about which side you sit on. Over the glacier the pilot swings round so the other half of the cabin gets Everest in their window too.
  • Helicopter cabins aren't pressurised or heated much, and it's cold up the Khumbu at dawn. Wear a warm layer, a hat and sunglasses, even if Kathmandu feels mild.
  • Syangboche (3,880 m) is the highest you'll stand all day. Take the walk from the helipad to the hotel terrace slowly and you'll enjoy breakfast a lot more.
  • The day starts early because the mountains are clearest first thing. If cloud or wind rules the flight out, you move to the next clear morning or take your money back.
Weather and cancellation
If the weather grounds your flight, you can pick another day or take a full refund. Should you cancel with more than 10 days still to go, you'll get 50% back. Within 10 days of the flight, or once the trip has started, there's no refund. Booking terms

New to mountain flights? Read about altitude and safety and the best months to fly.

Questions

Can children come?

Yes. This is the Everest flight we recommend for children, because there is no high landing. Children under ten may need oxygen on board as a precaution, and the helicopter carries it.

Will I still see Everest?

Yes, on a clear morning you see the summit for much of the upper valley, and the pilot turns so both sides of the cabin get the view.

How does this compare with the Kala Patthar landing flight?

Same valley, same mountains, same breakfast stop. The difference is the 5,545 m landing: the Kala Patthar flight puts you on the ridge for a few minutes, this one keeps you in the cabin over Base Camp. It's also a little cheaper: US$4,300 per helicopter instead of US$4,800.

We're only two people. Is there a cheaper way?

The fly-over is priced per helicopter, so two people pay the same as five. If you're happy to land at Kala Patthar, a seat on the shared Everest flight is US$1,250 per person. If the high landing is the thing you want to avoid, the fly-over is still the one to book.

Do we have to stop at Hotel Everest View?

No. If someone isn't feeling great, or you'd rather be back sooner, tell the pilot and you can fly straight down to Lukla instead.

Who actually flies the helicopter?

Charter Nepal books your flight with a licensed Nepali helicopter company, and one of their pilots flies it. The passenger insurance listed under "What's included" is the operator's cover, which is why we still ask you to bring your own travel insurance.

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