Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour

Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour does capture the attention of the travelers across the globe to Nepal for the gorgeous Himalayan trips. The Tourist has loved going Heli rides to Everest base camp for a pretty long time. If you take an Everest Helicopter tour, then you can have a nice time on Everest in just one day which also saves your time. The best possible vista of viewing natural beauty of the Khumbu region would be from an aircraft showcasing snow-capped Himalayas, glaciers, and Sherpa settlements all at once.

It is an amazing helicopter flight starting from Kathmandu. Our representative drives you from the hotel to the International Airport. Then, after a flight of almost one hour, the helicopter lands at Lukla to get on with fuel. This exciting flight takes you through a luxurious helicopter to the beautiful Khumbu region for an experience that you will not forget. From the comfortable forward-facing seats, you see the tallest peaks in the world.

The snow-capped peaks, which surround you, are just a fingertips distance away in this helicopter flight. The chopper almost overflies the Everest Base Camp and Khumbu glacier. After flying for 20–25 minutes, it lands at Everest Base Camp or Kala Patthar 5,545 meters. You will be viewing Mt. Everest, Nuptse west face, Lhotse, Khumbutse, Pumori, and Ama Dablam right in front of you.

From there, after you have captured this beautiful moment and shot pictures, you will fly for breakfast at the Everest View Hotel. You can observe the beautiful Himalayan mountains all around you while enjoying a hot breakfast of food from the Himalayas. Later on, you will fly back to Kathmandu with a few minutes at Lukla for refueling. Reaching Kathmandu Airport, transfer back to your hotel.

“Mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery.”

By John Ruskin

Table of Contents

• Everest Base Camp Heli Tour Highlights
• Weather And Climate At Everest Base Camp
• Everest Base Camp Heli Tour Route
• Everest Base Camp Heli Tour In Brief
• Packing List For The Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour
• Is It Safe To Take A Helicopter Tour To Everest Base Camp?
• Everest Base Camp Heli Tour Vs Trekking
• Cost For The Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour

Everest Base Camp Heli Tour Highlights

1. Fly to the Mount Everest Base Camp, where mountain climbers camp before attempting to climb the mountain.
2. From a helicopter, you can see a great view of the Himalayan range.
3. Land at Kala Patthar, which is 5,545 meters above sea level.
4. Sagarmatha National Park is a nature reserve in the Himalayas that is known all over the world.
5. From above, you can see Mt. Everest and the other peaks around it, such as Lhotse (8,516 m), Nuptse (7,861 m), Phortse (3,950 m), Cho Oyu (8,210 m), and so on.
6. At the world’s base camp, you can see the Himalayas in a way that will blow your mind.
7. A great look at the Khumbu icefall.
8. Enjoy a tasty breakfast at the Everest View Hotel, which is the hotel at the top of the world.

Weather and climate at Everest Base Camp

The weather around Everest or other higher Himalayan belts depends on the season, but one can basically visit the Everest Base Camp at any time of the year. However, the months of July to mid-September are going to be wet but greener due to heavy moisture. The best time falls between September to May from March to June when the wild flowers are in full bloom at altitudes between 2,000-3,000 meters and tree lines and vegetation thin out to make way for rough arctic terrain. It is around 15-20 degrees centigrade throughout the day, but can be much cooler in the early morning and night, within a range of -5 to +5 degrees centigrade, not taking into account wind factor. As the flight takes you to land above 4,000 m, the temperature drops in the shade and morning and evening. The day will be clear, strong sunlight, and UV due to a drop in oxygen and air pressure at the high elevation. Use a strong sunscreen to avoid sunburn in direct sunlight.

The clearest period will be from about middle September until the end of December, but the days will be short. The temperatures will be between -5 and -10 degrees Celsius in the morning and at night, and between 15 and 20 degrees during the day, depending on the altitude and where one goes. December to March will be the coldest, having temperatures between -10 and -15 degrees Celsius, with a high of 15 to 18 degrees Celsius without the effect of wind chill. Large parts of most days will be fine with clear blue sky.

Everest Base Camp Heli Tour Route

The Everest Base camp helicopter tour starts from Kathmandu and moves to Lukla. On the way, the helicopter flies over Bhaktapur-Banepa and Dhulikhel to Charikot/Dolakha and Jiri in the east. From Solu to Lukla in the high Khumbu area. From Lukla, over the valley of the Dudh Koshi River, lies Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, and Pheriche all the way to Gorakshep.

The plane can fly above Gorakshep depending on how much room there is and where the Everest base camp exists below high Kalapathar Hill and Mt. Pumori. The landing of a helicopter tour to Everest Base Camp at the base of Kalapathar offers a great view of Mt. Everest and other big peaks around.

Please note that Mt. Everest is not visible from Everest base camp because Nuptse, Lhotse, and Lola peaks come in your way. The best and most fascinating views of Mt. Everest are available underneath Kalapathar.

Everest Base Camp Heli Tour in Brief

• 06:00am: Pickup from hotel or designated meeting point
• 06:15 am: Transfer to Kathmandu airport
• 06:45am: Check-in to helicopter counter
• 07:00am: Takeoff, Kathmandu to Lukla
• 07:30 am: Landing, stop at Lukla to refuel Helicopter
• 07:45 am: Takeoff, Lukla to Everest Base Camp
• 08:00am: Landing at Everest Base Camp / Kala Patthar
• 08:15am: Takeoff, Everest Base Camp to Syangboche
• 08:30am: Landing, Breakfast at Everest View Hotel, Syangboche
• 09:30am: Takeoff, Syangboche to Lukla
• 09:45am: Landing, at Lukla for short time for refueling Helicopter
• 10:00am: Takeoff, Return flight to Kathmandu
• 10:30am: Landing, Arrival at Kathmandu, and successful completion of Everest Base Camp Heli Tour
• 11:00am: Transfer to hotel

Note: The exact timing may vary depending on weather, air traffic, and other factors.

Packing List for the Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour

For the Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour, you need to wear the right clothes for the season. During the warm season, you also need a down jacket and warm pants to stay warm at the high altitude. The temperature is usually below freezing most of the time.

Unlike the trek to Everest Base Camp, this helicopter tour won’t require a lot of gear. To stay warm at a high altitude, all you need are some good clothes. You can use the list of must-have items below:

• Down jacket (Windproof and waterproof)
• Warm trekking boots
• Gloves with layers inside and out
• Bottle of water
• Sunglasses that block 100% of UV rays
• Scarfs, shawl
• Warm hat or hat made of wool
• Lip balm
• Bottles of water and snacks
• With a memory card and extra batteries
• Toiletries

Is it safe to take a helicopter tour to Everest Base Camp?

Before flying in a helicopter to the base camp, the weather and wind direction in the Everest area are measured. Only when the experts finally say it is safe to fly, do the tours begin.

It is extremely concerned for the safety of its guests, and regular maintenance or inspections are carried out to avoid problems in planes. The planes are flown by some of the best pilots in Nepal, most of them recipients of several awards.

Worth mentioning, we are not going to spend more than 10 minutes at Kala Patthar because it’s a very high altitude; we will be gaining so much height, 5,545m, in such a short time that its staying there for a long time could get dangerous for our health.

Everest Base Camp heli tour vs Trekking

Trekking to the Everest Region is quite a decent way to be near nature, while EBC Helicopter Tour gives you an opportunity to observe Everest from a bird’s view. Now, you will have some time on the ground, not as much as you would have had trekking. Therefore, if you do not mind spending long hours, about 5-8 hours, hiking for a few weeks, then go for it. However, the best option to save time and embark on an adrenaline experience would be taking the Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour with a landing.

Cost for the Everest Base Camp helicopter tour

The area is at high altitude, and the flying conditions are difficult; hence, helicopter tours to Mount Everest cost more as compared to other helicopter tours in Nepal. Mount Everest is more than 8,848 meters above sea level or over 29,000 feet. It is far higher than the altitude of other famous tourist spots in Nepal. At such a high altitude while flying a helicopter, you encounter a couple of challenges: thin air, very cold temperatures, and possibilities of getting sick from the altitude.

These issues make the helicopter tours to Mount Everest Base Camp require special equipment and highly experienced pilots, raising the operation cost for these tours higher than other helicopter tours in Nepal. Secondly, a trip to Mount Everest is very tedious to plan compared to getting a helicopter to land at Kalapathar. All these factors make it costlier to go for a helicopter tour to Mount Everest.

Although these tours are incredibly expensive, once in a lifetime, one gets to see some of the most breathtaking and wonderful places in the world. According to people who have gone on these, they find it to be once in a lifetime opportunity, which is well worth the money being spent. Helicopter tour cost for Everest Base Camp: the price for shared flight-per person is US$ 1200 and a private flight will cost US$ 4500. A minimum of 5 people is needed for a set departure. Price per person varies with the number of people going.