Everest Helicopter Tour in Nepal

As per the standard practice, our Everest Helicopter Tour in Nepal starts at around 5:30 in the morning. We will head to the Tribhuvan International Airport’s domestic terminal and get on the helicopter flight to Lukla.

We should start the tour early in the morning to make sure that we can return to Kathmandu before the afternoon swift winds start, which bring in clouds, blocking the amazing view of the landscape. In addition to that, the early morning scenes are clear, and the visibility is at its peak.

We will stop at Lukla for about 15 minutes or less to refuel the helicopter fully. This is also a great time for you to stretch your legs and look around the serene hilly landscape.

The weather conditions in the Himalayas can be very unpredictable, which causes flight delays and sudden reschedules. Flights are mainly rescheduled on the same day, but if it gets too late, we will miss the target of exploring the Everest region before the afternoon clouds block the view.

In that case, we will take the next day’s flight. However, a helicopter flight is more resistant to environmental conditions in comparison to standard small aircraft that go to Lukla.

The standard Everest Helicopter Tour in Nepal package offers a shared helicopter ride, which is the most inexpensive helicopter ride option available. Usually, there are 5 passengers in a group. If you and your friend group want an exclusive flight, we can arrange a private charter as per your preferred itinerary.

The latter option will cost you more, but it offers flexible timing, which is a great exchange. You can extend the time you spend in certain locations to make the most out of the tour.

In general, Eurocopter AS350 models and AS250 H125 helicopters are used for the Everest Helicopter Tour in Nepal. Some travel agencies also use the Russian MI-17 for its huge body and high weight capacity in comparison to Eurocopter models.

The Eurocopter models can go up to 23000 ft above sea level with 5 to 6 passengers and a pilot. Meanwhile, the Russian MI-17 can carry up to 21 passengers, which seems suitable for larger groups of people. Its only drawback is that it can only go up to 17060 feet above sea level.

Seats are assigned by the tour guide; however, this does not mean that if you are seated in the middle seat, you will not get to enjoy the views from the window. The windows are large enough that you can see the landscape even from the middle seat.

Moreover, the Everest Helicopter Tour in Nepal guide will make sure that the passengers rotate their seating, making sure that everyone gets a chance to sit by the window.

As previously discussed, the weather conditions in the Himalayas are very unreliable, especially after we reach over 12000 ft above sea level. In cases such as mid-flight weather condition changes, the pilot holds the utmost authority to make the necessary decision.

He will drop to a safer altitude and fly to Lukla before heading back to Kathmandu. Things like weather conditions and natural calamities are out of our control, so the extra expenses incurred due to such events are not a part of the standard Everest Helicopter Tour in Nepal package.

Yes, landing at Kala Patthar is very safe since we will be riding helicopters equipped for high-altitude operations, such as the AS350 models of Eurocopter. There are standard safety protocols to make sure that your helicopter ride to high-altitude places such as Kala Patthar is fully safe. Sitting at 5545 meters, Kala Patthar is the highest point of the tour. To minimize the risk of altitude sickness, the whole landing process takes about 10 minutes.

In general, we will spend about 15 to 20 minutes at Kala Patthar, witnessing the panoramic scene of the Himalayas and glaciers. After walking a short distance from the helipad, we will reach the viewpoint, and you can walk around a little, but not that much. The high altitude limits our exploration options, and a hike to a higher elevation is not a possibility at all. We must not spend much time at such a considerable altitude because it increases our chance of getting altitude sickness.

There are no permanent helipads at the base camp; the Government of Nepal does not allow anyone to fly there directly. This is done to protect the landscape of the base camp and prevent any kind of noise pollution. The constantly shifting, delicate glacier terrain can be affected by the helicopters landing and taking off.

Another good reason not to land at EBC is the fact that you can not really see the Everest peak from the base camp. Sounds counterintuitive, but it is the truth. Only rare cases and emergency helicopter landings are permitted at the Everest Base Camp.

In most cases, we will fly out from the Tribhuvan International Airport, but there are times when flights are booked for weeks and months at a time, which might make it impossible for you to visit the Everest Base Camp in your preferred time. We can go around this obstacle by taking a flight from the Ramechhap domestic airport.

However, we must drive about 5 hours to reach Ramechhap from Kathmandu, so we must travel to Ramechhap the day before the flight and spend a night there. The extra expenses that occurred during the process will be adjusted to the final bill accordingly.

During the flight, you will get to see dramatic scenes of the Everest Base Camp and the Khumbu Icefall. You will fly over the base camp for an overhead view of the multi-colored tents; it is the only vibrant thing you will see in the brown and white landscape of Everest. You will also see EBC and the Khumbu Icefall from the viewpoint of Kala Patthar.

Syangboche, where the highest hotel on earth is located, the Everest View Hotel, is a great viewpoint to see scenes of Thamseku, Ama Dablam, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and more peaks in the nearby distance. This hotel is particularly visited for the views it offers and also because it is one of the few luxury hotels in the Everest region.

You will have enough time to admire the view as we will be stopping there for breakfast before heading back to Lukla.

While hiking from Kala Patthar is generally not recommended, you can go on a 3 to 4 minute walk, but make sure that you are back in time to fly out of there. Meanwhile, at Syangboche, you will have to walk about 5 minutes to reach the Everest View Hotel.

You can explore the surroundings while your meal is being prepared, but there is not much to explore around the hotel; the scenes are more than enough to keep you engaged for the time being.

As per the data, we have only encountered 15% of our trekkers having altitude-related complications, almost all of whom were treated immediately with a pill and dropped to a lower altitude. A few of the people had lingering effects, which went away after a while.

In general, you are highly unlikely to get altitude sickness on your Everest Helicopter Tour in Nepal if you follow all the preventive measures mentioned by the tour guide. Common altitude sickness symptoms include a slight headache, nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness, etc.

Yes, oxygen supplies are kept in the helicopter as a part of emergency supplies, along with a first aid box and other common medical and emergency kits. If you are getting some mild symptoms of altitude sickness, we will have you administered an oxygen mask, helping you get rid of the effects of altitude sickness.

Glory Adventure’s tour guides are highly experienced, and they know how to handle different altitude sickness cases. If you get any symptoms, you should report to the guide immediately.

While there is no legal age restriction, most of the tour agencies, including us, do not take children under the age of 7. Children under the age of 2 require a special medical approval to join the Everest Helicopter Tour in Nepal.

Kids over the age of 7 will have their own seat, and there is no provision for making them sit on your lap. Travelers who suffer from heart or lung conditions must get medical approval before getting on this tour.

Yes, the pilots you will be assigned to are highly experienced with a great sense of the mountains. They have been doing this for years and can even predict the weather better than weather stations sometimes. In addition to that, Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority makes the pilots take occasional tests to make sure that they are capable of flying high-altitude flights.

Travelers who weigh more than a hundred kilograms are usually not suitable for the helicopter’s weight limit. If the group’s weight limit exceeds the capacity of the helicopter, we will have to break the group into two, splitting into two different flights. The extra expense incurred from this event will be accounted for and added to the final amount of the Everest Helicopter Tour in Nepal package.

Any kind of DSLR is allowed in the region since photography is a big aspect of the Everest Helicopter Tour in Nepal. However, flying drones for personal or business purposes is highly regulated. You will need a special permit to fly drones in the region.

Generally, regular travelers are not given the permit to fly drones since they can cause many unwanted disturbances and issues. You can bring it along, but you can fly it anywhere within the restricted region.