Everest Base Camp - Helicopter Tour

5 Days

Why Book with Us?

  • Nepal Government certified
  • Respect guest time value
  • Voluntary community work
  • Responsible tourism
  • Professional Team building
  • Multi Country Program

  • Quickly fly to Everest Base Camp, near the majestic peaks of Nepal.
  • Get beautiful aerial views that are quite unique compared to what you see while trekking in the same region.
  • Have spectacular 360º views of Ama Dablam, Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, and other peaks from the vantage point of Kalapatthar.
  • Excellent opportunity for aerial photography and video clips using diverse camera kits
  • Close-up views of alpine forests, pastures, and glaciers
This is an exciting helicopter trip to Everest. In a couple of hours, you will be flying from the busy city of Kathmandu to arrive at the Everest Region, the top of the world!

The trip takes you on an exciting helicopter ride from Kathmandu to Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla. The Lukla Airport is one of the highest airports in the world in terms of altitude. The scenic 45-minute flight from Kathmandu will take you above valleys, hills, lakes, farms, forests, rivers, and pastures to arrive at the mountain town of Lukla. It is in fact, the gateway into the Everest region where people from around the world begin their expedition and treks.

Located at 2,820 meters, Lukla is where it all begins - trekking, mountaineering, and camping. You will spend some time while the helicopter is refueled in this busy mountain town surrounded by high peaks on several sides. The flight continues above the extraordinarily white waters of the Dhudh-Koshi river and passes through gorges near Kwangde. With fascinating views of Thamserku and other peaks ahead, you will fly above Namche - the de facto Sherpa capital. Down below you will witness markets and houses with their colorful roofs. In the town below, people will be seen walking in every direction while the fresh crip environment will enliven your experience.

In this trip, you will fly to Kalapatthar where you can have unobstructed panoramic views of the highest peaks on Earth. This vantage point is on the list of every visitor to Everest, and once you land here, you’ll understand why. From Kalapatthar you will fly to Syangboche for breakfast. This special breakfast is one which you will remember for a lifetime! Travel with your partner for a unique and precious morning in Nepal.

In this trip, you will see close-up views of Everest, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori and several other peaks of the Himalayan Range. The flight above Lukla, Namche, and Tengboche will become memorable as you will suddenly come face-to-face with the realm of Everest and see the iconic places that you’ve only read about. This trip from High Venture Plus will certainly leave an impression about Nepal in your mind, but more importantly, in a matter of hours, you’ll see how diverse and beautiful the world really is!

Itinerary
​Kathmandu to Lukla

On the day of the trip, we will pick you up from your hotel at 6 AM. Pack your camera and some warm clothes (a down jacket too) before driving to Kathmandu International Airport. At 6:30 we will begin our flight to Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla. Enjoy the scenes along the way before we land at Lukla 45 minutes later. Here, we will take a quick break (around 10 to 15 minutes) while the helicopter is being refueled.
Lukla to Kalapatthar
The next section of our trip begins at Lukla - headed for Kalapatthar. Our helicopter will pass through mountainous terrains above villages and forests. The views will get incredibly beautiful as the mighty peaks begin to get closer. You won’t even realize that 25 minutes have already passed before we land at Kalapatthar - one of the most popular vantage points of the Everest Region. Here, take out your camera kit and enjoy the rare mountain vistas. The total stopover time at Kalapatthar is 10 to 15 minutes.
​Kalapatthar to Syangboche
Here begins the trip to another exciting destination - Hotel Everest View in Syangboche. The flight time from Kalapatthar to Syangboche is around twelve minutes - flying mostly over the high-altitude terrain. You will see trekkers down below walking in a line surrounded by majestic peaks. You will also see glacial valleys and lakes, all of which will make your trip exciting beyond comparison. Land at Syangboche as it’s time for a breakfast in Everest.
​Breakfast at Syangboche
Today, you will have a very special breakfast overlooking giant peaks. Surrounded by white peaks on all sides, the experience is magical and beyond words. The time we stop here is well above 30 minutes but you will enjoy every second of it. Take that indelible selfie with your partner holding a cup of coffee - with Everest in the background. Quite exciting. Take 360-degree videos which you can later share with your friends back home. Imagine all the experience you will gain from this Everest trip!
Syangboche to Lukla to Kathmandu
After breakfast, hop in for a flight to Lukla. With a richer experience in the mountains, you will enjoy this return trip even more. Once at Lukla, you will proceed for a flight back to Kathmandu. The total flight duration from Syangboche to Kathmandu is a little above an hour. From Kathmandu Airport, you will drive back to your hotel.
 

Trek Info

Here are some of the Trekking accessories that you require for the easy and convenient journey-

In general you will need four sleeping bags (we could provide you one for the trek), a duffel or a trekking bag of 70-80 liters (we can provide one), down jacket (this too we can provide one if needed for the trek) and a normal travel bag of 25-30 liters.

For clothing, you will require the following-

Upper body- For this-shirts, waterproof jacket, fleece jacket or pullover, water proof jacketare needed. Wind proof jacket are optional but preferred. For T-shirts, baggy cotton T-shirts are the best especially for warm days in lower altitudes. Moreover, we recommend synthetic T-shirts as they quickly absorb the moisture. Then, for the waterproof jacket, we recommend you to have nylon which is light.

Lower body- For this, you need hiking shorts, trekking pants, soft shell and hard shell pants, cotton pants or jeans. For hiking shorts, buy the fabric which dries quickly. For trekking pants, go for the ones which have zipper in the middle of the knees so that you can take off the bottom part when necessary. Forsoft shell pants, buy a synthetic fiber. Then, for hard shell, buy a waterproof one. Full zipper from top to bottom is preferred for both soft and hard shell pants. For extra wearable, have a pair of jeans or cotton pants.

Inner wears- Regarding inner wears, you need lightweight underwear which is preferably made up of synthetic. For women, own synthetic sports bras. You could also have swimsuit if you would like to.

Footwear- For this, you need a trekking boot, gaiters and sandals. For Trekking boots, get a hard sole lug-cleated boots for good performance for every kind of landscape. We then recommend you to have a pair as it helps keep your feet dry quickly and keeping dust, rocks and snow out of your shoes. We also suggest you to have a pair of sandals as it helps while you are in the lodge. Then, for socks, you require 4 pairs of synthetic and 3 pairs of woolen socks.

Hand wears- The hand essentials are gloves, mittens and hand warmers. For warm weather, buy synthetic or thin woolen gloves. For cold weather, buy a woolen or fleece gloves. While for mittens, Gore-Tex mittens are the best. Regarding hand warmers, it’s completely your choice whether you want to have or not.

Face protection- For protecting the face against the snowfalls, heavy wind, direct sun, etc. we recommend you to have a cap or a hat, a synthetic woolen hat, a lightweightedbalaclava, glacier glasses having 100% UV protected lens with side shields and hard-sided storage, headlamp, ear muffs, neck warmer, etc. Ear muffs and neck warmers are not necessary but are up to your choice.

First Aid Kit- Though the trekking guides will be carrying a first aid kit box, we suggest you to have one as well. So, for this, you will need to have basic emergency equipment. You can discuss with us regarding what all to take along with you.

Personal care- The personal care products that you will require while trekking are tooth brush, tooth paste (biodegradable is preferred), towel, soap, hand wash, sanitizers, wet wipes, deodorants, crèmes, etc. along with your other needs.

Miscellaneous but important- These include valid passport, passport size photos, airline ticket (and its copy), luggage locks, thick garbage bags, water bottle, small bag for travel documents, passport, wallet/purse, etc., pocket knife, sunscreen lotion (SPF 40 recommended) and lip balm of at least SPF 20.

Extras- The extras include trekking poles, snacks, books, games, chargers, binoculars, batteries, camera, guide book, extra glasses (if you wear), notebook/pen, sleeping bag liner, hydration bladder with drinking tube, pee bottle for men and pee funnel for women, thermos, etc.

Note- Tight fitting clothes especially made out of fabrics like lycra, especially to women can be offensive to the local villagers. So, make sure that you pack something to wear on top of them if you want to pack them.

FAQs

A straight answer would be “Yes” but it depends upon a number of things such as the air pressure and the type of helicopter used. The weight it is carrying directly affects the height it can gain relative to the air pressure; so if you want to fly over Everest, you have to notify in advance so that we can arrange the right kind of helicopter.
A helicopter trip to Everest is designed for three people at a time. If you want to do a solo trip, contact us for the details.
We frequently have discounts and offers. Contact us to check your eligibility.
Yes you will. At several stops you will meet Sherpa people who tied to the trip you will be taking. For example on the restaurant where you’ll have breakfast, the owner is probably a Sherpa, and the servers as well.
Not much. Just contact us stating the time and season you want to fly to Everest with Orbit Alpine. We will reserve a seat for you in the first available flight.
First of all you need to reserve a seat. The maximum group size is three. If you want to fly solo, you will be paying for the trip on your own. We recommend you get in a group so that the cost is split among three passengers. For a complete list of terms and conditions, contact us.
Orbit Alpine operates this program on a daily basis during the season, which is usually in autumn and also from mid-spring to early summer. To avoid waiting, we recommend you to book early to get information about the fixed dates and costs.
You could of course, do a trek to Everest Base Camp; but riding on a helicopter will take you there in a day and back. On the plus side, you will enjoy the landscapes of Khumbu and other regions of Nepal from an aerial perspective. This aerial view is not possible for trekkers. Besides, the experience of reaching the Base Camp in a matter of hours is too tempting to resist!
While traveling in a group of three, the cost is around a thousand US dollars for one passenger. But if you wish to fly solo, you have to pay the cost of the entire trip - which usually costs upwards of four thousand dollars. For charter and private reservation (where a number of people will be traveling), the cost is nearly six thousand dollars. Everything considered, if we cannot operate a flight on the scheduled date due to unfavorable weather conditions we will take you on the next available flight. If flights are cancelled multiple times, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee.
Flying into thin air doesn’t always guarantee a landing. The weather will chiefly determine whether we land or not. While we will most definitely land at Kalapatthar (99% chance), we cannot guarantee a landing at Everest Base Camp (very slim chance - about 1%) even if the weather is clear at the Base Camp. Everything considered, the landing decision still depends on the current weather of the location.
You usually need to pack in warm clothes for the trip. Also bring along your camera kit as you will be capturing wonderful scenery not seen elsewhere. Keep the amount of weight as low as possible by eliminating personal belongings that you don’t need.
A handful of makes and models are available for regular trips to Everest. The exact model can be found out during the time of booking. Usually it’s a Russian or European model with proven record of safety throughout the world in high altitude excursions.

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