Faqs Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour

The Everest base Trek is considered moderately difficult due to the high altitude, steep ascents and descents and the potential for altitude-related challenges. The Everest Base Camp trek is very achievable for people who have proper preparation, and acclimatization. There are no technical elements to the journey. The key is not to rush, take your time and choose the right company.

Everest Base Camp trek, you can expect to walk approximately 4-6 hours each day, depending on factors such as your pace, and the conditions of the trail. Some days might involve shorter walks, while others could be longer, especially as you get closer to a higher altitude. Please keep your mind that these are approximate time frames and can vary based on individual fitness levels, weather conditions and the pace of the group you are trekking with them.

Yes, The Everest Base Camp Trekking trail does involve steep ascents and descents some part of the trail but it includes a mix of gradual sections as well.

Steep ascents: 

Particularly as you gain elevation, you will encounter steep uphill sections that require more effort and can be physically demanding. These ascents often involve switchbacks and rocky paths.

Find your walking rhythm with coordination breath and walk.

Steep descents:

You will also encounter steep downhill sections that can be challenging, especially for your knees and joints. Trekking poles can be beneficial for stability and support, especially during steep sections.

There are also some parts of the trail that have relatively gradual inclines and provide some respite for trekkers. These sections might pass through forests, meadows, and villages where the trail gently ascends and descends. The trail takes you through a variety of terrain, including rocky paths, several suspension bridges and stone steps. This diversity adds to the adventure of the trek.

One helicopter for Everest Base Camp costs around 4000 USD and normally 4-5 people share this cost. Until Lobuche, one helicopter can carry 4 people and until Everest View Hotel, one helicopter can carry 5 people and only two people can be landed at Kalapatthar. And, if the helicopter goes up to Kalapatthar with 3 people, the helicopter cannot land at Kalapatthar but only with two people.

All 5 people will fly to Hotel Everest View and land there. Two of them will fly to Everest Base Camp and land at Kalapatthar and fly back to Hotel Everest view and will do another shuttle flight for rest of the people. So, the total time they spend will be round 3-4 hours which costs between 3500-4000 USD. The helicopter ride to base camp Everest costs USD 700-800 per person. With this cost, they can have a marvelous time with Everest Helicopter Tour.

Yes, definitely you can go Everest Base Camp by helicopter. The helicopter will take you to Everest Base Camp on a private or sharing basis. If you want a private Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour, you can go on your own and you can enjoy the things as you like. But if you go with sharing helicopter tour, you can share the budget like only 700 USD. You can to Everest Base Camp with helicopter only with SD 700 per person on sharing helicopter. The flights are guaranteed and takes off everyday from Kathmandu.

Optionally, you can fly to Lukla or Namche and trek to Everest Base Camp as well and while returning from Everest Base Camp, if the cost is expensive for you, you can fly up to only Namche or Lukla.  

However, if you have some serious heart related problems, it is not recommended to do Everest Base Camp Helicopter tour due to high altitude which is above 5000m. 

Yes, there are several helicopter tours of Everest in Nepal. The different helicopter tours of Everest are: Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour, Everest Helicopter Private Tour, Everest Helicopter Sharing Tour, Everest Hotel View Helicopter Tour, Lukla Helicopter Flight and many other returning helicopter tours Everest. Mainly, Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour is the most popular one. You can go to Everest Base Camp and Kalapatthar within 3 hours from Kathmandu to Kathmandu by helicopter. Maximum 5 people can share one helicopter to Everest Base Camp and back. 

Yes, you can fly a helicopter around Everest. Actually, to fly at the border of Tibet and on the Tibetan side is not allowed. But you can fly very near to, it means, just above Everest and other all majestic mountain peaks neighboring to it. During the time you fly around and above Everest, you will get marveled by the astounding views of Mt. Everest and other summits.

Helicopter flight around Mt. Everest will be a marvelous experience and exciting moments to celebrate. It will be very distinct from trekking/hiking to Everest Base Camp and Back. 

Helicopter ride to Everest Base Camp has two different costs for private and sharing basis. The private Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour with landing costs USD 5000 and the sharing helicopter to Everest Base Camp costs USD 1500. In sharing helicopter cost, an individual traveler has to share the helicopter with other 4 people not exceeding the maximum weight limit 500kg. If the weight limit exceeds, then, the helicopter will do shuttle flight from Lukla or from Everest View Hotel and you have to wait for that.

 If you have 4-5 people in a group, then, it will be the best idea to book a private helicopter tour to Everest sharing the total cost USD 5000. Or, if you can collect 4-5 people in a group, you can share the cost USD 5000 and it will be cheaper for you than paying USD 1500 per individual.

Yes, you can easily go to Everest Base Camp by helicopter within 2 hours from Kathmandu. You can book the Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour from Kathmandu at least day earlier and can fly via Lukla the next day. You will land at Kalapatthar(5545m) nearby Everest Base Camp for the views( photos and videos) for 10-20 minutes and come back to Everest View Hotel (3880m) and have  snacks there viewing Mt. Everest for the last time before you fly back to Kathmandu during this tour. It means, you can go and  step at Everest Base Camp or Kalapatthar in a couple of hours and come back to Kathmandu by helicopter from Kathmandu.

 If you don’t entertain this idea of flying directly to Everest Base Camp, you can go with Everest Base Camp Trek. Moreover, you can walk to Everest Base Camp and fly back to either Lukla, Manthali or directly Kathmandu by helicopter

Undoubtedly, Everest helicopter tour is worth doing/experiencing. Actually, you are doing helicopter tour to the world highest mountain base camp, Everest Base Camp (5364m), landing at Kalapatthar(5545m) and witnessing the top of the world, Mt. Everest (8848.86m) and entire massive mountain panoramas. Isn’t it worth doing? Yes, definitely, it’s worth doing and each individual traveler who go to Nepal wish to do it once in their lifetime.

 You may ask why Everest Helicopter tour worth it? It is worth for the following reasons

• To step and Everest Base Camp (5364m) and Kalapatthar (5545m) and make a history in life
• To celebrate aerial views breathtaking mountains panoramas of Nepal especially Mt. Everest
• To witness Mt. Everest (8848.86m), the top of the world with your own eyes from Kalapatthar, the closest viewpoint to see Everest
• To enjoy sips of coffee/tea and other snacks at Everest View Hotel (3880m) the star hotel located at the highest point the world
• To enjoy luxury and comfortability during your Everest Base Camp Tour

If you want to return back to Kathmandu from Everest Base Camp after you accomplish your Everest Base Camp Trek when your are tired and wish to escape long hours walk down to Lukla, it costs USD 3000 to fly back directly to Kathmandu and if you want to fly back to lukla from Everest Base Camp, it costs USD 1700. Also, you can fly back to Manthali from Everest Base Camp which costs USD 2000. After you fly back to Lukla or Manthali, you can drive back to Kathmandu avoiding all kinds of flights back to Kathmandu. 

Helicopter ride to Everest Base Camp costs USD 5000 (private) and USD 1500 on sharing. If you and your group (maximum 5) people are planning private Helicopter tour to Everest Base Camp, you require paying USD 1000 which will be cheaper than sharing helicopter to Everest Base Camp from Kathmandu. It means, if you go with sharing basis, the cost will be USD 1500. You will be sharing the helicopter ride to EBC with other 5 people and the helicopter may require shuttle flight to and from EBC if the weight limit (maximum 500kg) exceeds.

The Helicopter ride to Everest Base Camp lands at Kalapatthar flying over EBC and Khumbu glacier for the views. While landing, you can capture mesmerizing mountain panoramas including Mt. Everest, Pumori, Nupse, Loa Tse, Makalu and many other alluring mountain summits in Khumbu region.

The cost you pay for helicopter ride to Everest Base Camp includes all the flights from and to Everest Base Camp, shuttle flights if necessary, stop at Hotel Everest View for snacks (3880m) and pick up and drop to the hotel after you accomplish it.

Also, you can fly to and back from different destinations of Everest region if you want. It means, if you are doing any kind of activities like trekking, hiking etc, you can fly to and back from EBC instantly. If you want to know more information about Everest Helicopter Tours from different destinations, you can go through the following table: 

Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour Costs Details

Yes, helicopter can reach Everest Base Camp from Kathmandu. You can directly fly to Everest Base Camp from Kathmandu airport by helicopter. You can land at Kalapatthar(5545m) after flying over Everest Base Camp(5364m) and Mt. Everest. You can land at there for 5-20 minutes and even sometimes, for 30 minutes (more than 30 minutes landing at Kalapatthar is not recommended for high altitude issue). 

The distance between Kalapatthar and Everest Base Camp is 3.5 km. It means, you will land at Kalapatthar means just 3-4 kilometers away from Everest Base Camp. Actually, the helicopters which are doing Everest Helicopter Tour and doing rescue activities are not allowed to land at Everest Base Camp, but you can go there by walking/trekking, because of the fragile topography of it. The Everest Base Camp is all fed by and supported by Khumbu Glacier and if the helicopters land at Everest Base Camp, it may collapse at any time. For this reason, no helicopters (except for Everest Expeditions) are permitted to land at Everest Base Camp. So, don’t expect landing at Everest Base Camp while doing Everest Base Camp Heli Ride. But, landing at Kalapatthar is more mesmerizing than landing at Everest Base Camp. You can enjoy better views of Everest from Kalapatthar. 

While landing a t Kalapatthar, you can witness and celebrate the most breathtaking views of Mt. Everest, Pumori, Khumbu Glacier, Everest Base Camp, Loa Tse, Nupse, Makalu, Sagarmtha National Park and many other snow-covered summits in Everest region. You will have this moment for the most exciting and exhilarating memory in your life and you will save it for your lifetime. 

The helicopter ride from Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp is a day tour with the duration ranging from 4-5 hours maximum. The time schedules and the durations are like this:

Wake up at 5.30 and transfer to the airport by 6 am ( half an hour)

Get through security process and get ready for take off( 15 minutes)

Take off and fly to Lukla ( 20 minutes)

Refueling at Lukla ( 15 minutes)

Fly to Everest Base Camp ( 20 minutes)

Land at Kalapattar and make video and photographs ( 20 minutes)

Fly back to Hotel Everest View ( 15 minutes)

Have snacks, tea, coffee or breakfast at Hotel Everest View ( half an hour)

Fly back to Lukla and refueling ( 20 minutes)

Fly back to Kathmandu ( 20 minutes)

Land at the Kathmandu airport and drive back to Hotel ( 30 minutes)

So the total duration including landing at Kalapattar and refueling at Lukla will be between 4-5 hours in total. Why not trying Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour if you have 4-5 hours to spend in Kathmandu as you are going to witness Mt. Everest, the highest in the world landing at Kalapattar(5545m).