Overview
This Everest helicopter tour flies you from Kathmandu into the heart of the Khumbu in a single morning, for a close view of Everest and its neighbours without the trek. You lift off at first light, follow the mountains up the valley with a refuelling stop at Lukla, and, when the weather allows, land at Kala Patthar, the high viewpoint that looks straight at Everest. The morning finishes with breakfast on the terrace of the Hotel Everest View before you fly back to Kathmandu.
The itinerary
- Early hotel pickup and transfer to the domestic terminal in Kathmandu
- Lift off and fly east along the Himalaya into the Everest region
- Refuelling stop at Lukla, the gateway to the Khumbu
- Fly deeper into the valley, over Sherpa villages and glaciers, with the high peaks ahead
- Land at Kala Patthar for the closest view of Everest, weather permitting
- Breakfast on the terrace of the Hotel Everest View, looking at Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam
- Fly back to Kathmandu and transfer to your hotel
Things to carry
- Warm layers and a windproof jacket
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- A hat and gloves
- Comfortable shoes with grip
- Camera and passport or ID
Good to know
The Everest helicopter tour, a morning in the Khumbu
The Everest helicopter tour is the fastest way to stand within sight of the highest mountain on earth. What takes trekkers close to two weeks on foot, this flight does in a morning: from Kathmandu into the Khumbu, up past Lukla and the Sherpa villages, to a landing high on the ridge of Kala Patthar with Everest filling the view ahead. It is a short, intense experience, and the whole of it depends on the mountain weather.
What to expect on the Everest helicopter tour
The flight leaves early, when the air is clearest, and follows the Himalaya east from Kathmandu. After a refuelling stop at Lukla, the small airstrip that serves the whole region, you carry on up the valley with the big peaks rising around you. When conditions allow, the helicopter lands at Kala Patthar, the rocky viewpoint above Gorak Shep that looks straight across at Everest, Nuptse and the Khumbu icefall. The landing is brief, because of the altitude, then you drop down to the Hotel Everest View for breakfast on the terrace before flying back.
Kala Patthar and the view of Everest
Kala Patthar sits at around 5,545 metres and is the highest point most visitors reach on this tour. It is the classic vantage point for Everest, higher and better placed for the view than Base Camp itself, which is why the landing is made here rather than at the camp. Because the air is thin, the stop is kept to ten or fifteen minutes, which is enough to take in the view and a few photographs without pushing your body at altitude.
Weather, and why the timings stay flexible
Everything about this flight is governed by the weather in the mountains. Mornings are usually clearest, which is why departures are early, and the schedule is built to give the best chance of a clear window. If cloud moves in, the Kala Patthar landing can be shortened or skipped, or the whole flight moved to another day. None of this is within anyone's control, and the pilot's decision, always on the side of safety, is final. If you would rather see the Himalaya from lower down without landing, our Everest Mountain Flight is a fixed-wing scenic flight that stays in the air.
Best time to go and what to know
Autumn, from October to November, and spring, from March to April, bring the most reliable mountain weather and the clearest views. Winter flights can be beautiful but colder, and the monsoon months often bring cloud. Dress in warm layers even in the good seasons, since Kala Patthar is cold whatever the date, and bring sunglasses and sunscreen for the glare off the snow. National park and local permits and airport taxes apply and are arranged around the flight. For a gentler day closer to Kathmandu on either side of your trip, the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites day tour is an easy pairing.
