Everest Base Camp Heli Trek is one of the most thrilling adventures in Nepal. It is a trip that takes you all the way to the base camp of the world’s tallest mountain peak and then presents you to fly back to Kathmandu via a helicopter over the soaring Himalayas. Imagine, flying high above the mountain peaks and taking in the glorious aerial view of the Himalayas below you! There is nothing quite like the feel of getting a bird’s eye view of the towering peaks.
The trip begins from Kathmandu with a guided sightseeing tour of the city’s major UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Thereafter, the trip heads toward mountain trekking just flying to Lukla which is one of the major villages of the Khumbu region and also home of the ethnic Sherpa people and the mighty Everest massif. The short flight to Lukla is in itself quite amazing as the airport in the village is situated on a high cliff that drops down towards the valley at one end!
From Lukla, the trekking trail coruscates around many ethnic Sherpa villages and settlements to finally conclude at the Everest Base Camp. The trip is filled with wonderful views of Mt Everest and other surrounding mountains that tower over the Dudh Koshi and the Imja River valleys. Famous hallmarks of the trip include the Himalayan town of Namche Bazaar, the Tengboche Monastery, the vantage point of Kalapatthar as well as the Sagarmatha National Park among many others.
Namche Bazaar is one of the most famous Himalayan towns of the region, situated on a cliff-side and shaped like a natural amphitheater. Views of the mountain peaks from Namche are just spectacular as they surround the town like a giant colossus watching a spectacle. The town also used to be a trading point between highland merchants and lowland traders in ancient times. Moreover, Namche bazaar is also known as “the Gateway to Everest” and boasts one of the most colorful and lively Sherpa cultures in Khumbu.
Likewise, the Tengboche Monastery at the Tengboche village is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in the region. Situated between the confluence of the Imja Khola and the Dudh Koshi Rivers, the village presents one of the most beautiful views of the Mahalangur Himalayan Range, like the Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, the Kongdi RI, and Mount Thamserku among many others.
The Everest Base Camp Trek Return Helicopter also takes you trekking through the Sagarmatha National Park – a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. It presents mesmerizing alpine woodlands to trek through. You can occasionally catch glimpses of elusive animals that reside in the forests and a vast array of avifaunal life. With rhododendron groves and bamboo woods decorating the land, pasturelands covering the low foothills like emerald carpets, and the high mountain peaks shadowing the valleys, the trip is utterly dripping with pleasing aesthetics that is hard to come by anywhere else on Earth.
Additionally, the trip is also a great opportunity to enjoy the ethnic Sherpa culture of Nepal. Khumbu is the ancestral home of the legendary Sherpa people who practice their form of Buddhism and have a distinct dialect, costumes, art, literature, and festivals. The trek presents you with ample experience with the local people where you can witness the day-to-day lifestyle of the people of the mountains.
Finally, as you trek to the base camp of Mount Everest, you will then conclude your trekking journey with a flight back to the city via a helicopter! You will also visit the vantage point of Kalapatthar- one of the most famous vantage points in the region that presents panoramic views of the entire Mount Everest massif. Early morning treks to Kalapatthar are quite famous as the sunrise view from there amidst the Everest peaks is simply indescribable.
In correspondence to the bird’s eye view of the Himalayas, you also get extensive sight of the landscape as well, changing from snowy peaks to green pastures and chartreuse woodlands and terrace farms as you fly. It truly is an out-of-this-world experience.
Note: We want to recommend you schedule your arrival to Kathmandu within the morning or daytime so on allow you to attend the pre-trek brief and obtain over the beginning of your Everest Base Camp Helicopter Trek.
You may arrive in Kathmandu at any time. Upon your arrival, you will be welcomed by one of our representatives. Our representative will help you get a transfer to the hotel. After a quick rest, Attend a pre-trek brief and meet your trekking Guide. Get your answers for queries regarding the trek if you have. Check your trekking gear if you have got omitted on any item you will buy or hire on trekking gear shop in Thamel. Have an early night as you would like to form an early start tomorrow. Overnight in Kathmandu.
You will be transferred to the airport early in the morning for your Lukla flight. The short flight is quite thrilling as you will get your first views of the mountain peaks. Upon landing at Lukla, you will then have a short trek to Phakding, one of the famous overnight stops for trekkers doing the base camp trek. Overnights stay at the guesthouse at Phakding.
Leaving Phakding behind, you will be entering the Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo and then trekking through the park's woodlands and eventual hills towards Namche Bazaar. The trek is relatively flat and easy with occasional up-and-down-hill trekking and crossing of the Dudh Koshi River via suspension bridges at various intervals. The trek is also filled with views of the peaks like the Kusum Kanguru and the Kongdi RI. From Namche, you will get your first proper view of Mount Everest and many of its neighboring Himalayas. Overnights stay at the guesthouse at Namche.
This day is reserved for acclimatization. Today, you can have a visit to Namche's Everest Photo Gallery as well as the town's Sherpa Culture Museum. If you want, you can also make your way towards the Syangboche Airstrip that is located above the ridge at Namche. From Syangboche, you can get good views of the Everest Peaks, like the Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, Thamserku, the Kongdi RI, and many others as well as a snow-globe view of the town itself, which looks quite pretty with colorful tin roof houses laid out on a terrace on the cliffside. You can also visit the Everest View Hotel, located a few kilometers from the town that presents breath-taking views of the peaks. The hotel is also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records to be the highest-located Hotel in the world. Overnights stay at the guesthouse at Namche.
Following the Dudh Koshi River, you will leave Namche and trek through the pastures and the pine woods down the valley to come to the raging Imja Khola. The path leads you through many smaller settlements as well as you wind your way on the path that rounds several ravines and high ridgelines with the river flowing below. Finally, you will reach Tengboche, home of the Tengboche Monastery, from where breath-taking views of the Ama Dablam peak are seen in a remarkable fashion, surrounded by rhododendron woodlands and the chirping of Himalayan birds. Overnights stay at the guesthouse at Tengboche.
You will be steadily gaining altitude today. Passing by many small chortens, you will follow the trekking path down the Imja valley towards the Dingboche village, also known as the "summer valley" of the Khumbu. The village has a kilometer-long wall that is built to protect the village crops from the sweeping Himalayan winds that flow down the mountains. It is a beautiful journey filled with alpine woods and Himalayan ambiance. Overnights stay at the guesthouse at Dingboche.
This is another day reserved for acclimatization. You can spend the day relaxing at the village or can also choose to trek to Tserko RI, a vantage point that presents great views of the Imja Valley and the Everest Himalayas. The trek uphill to Tserko RI is challenging, but the view of the peaks is definitely worth the effort. Overnights stay at the guesthouse at Dingboche.
The trekking trail now leaves the foothills and climbs upwards to a more Himalayan landscape where snow covers the terrain. As you leave behind the woodlands, you can notice the chilly environ and its lack of bright green foliage. Instead, the landscape is snowier here and vast fields of snowy plains cover the line of sight as far as the eye can see. The horizon is also decorated with Himalayan views, except this time, the sight isn't obscured by woods. Finally, you will reach Lobuche, a village situated between the mountains named after the village- the Lobuche Peaks. Overnights stay at the guesthouse at Lobuche.
From Lobuche, you will steadily make your way to Gorekshep today, one of the last stops before the base camp. Gorekshep is a sparse village with not many lodges. It was the original site of the Everest base camp before it was moved further up. From Gorekshep, you will follow the Khumbu Glaciermorainetowards the base camp where you can get good views of the Khumbu Icefall and the Khumbu Glacier. The base camp is where the Everest expedition begins. After taking in the views at the base camp, you will then return to Gorekshep. Overnights stay at the guesthouse at Gorekshep.
Today is an exciting day of the trip! Early in the morning before dawn, you will make your way to Kalapatthar, one of the best vantage points in the region. It presents panoramic views of the entire Mount Everest massif. As the sun rises, you can catch the first glimmer of shimmering tincture of the mountains as they shine under the sun's rays in the crack of dawn. It is a breath-taking sight, indescribable in words. After enjoying your Himalayan sights from Kalapatthar, you will then ride a helicopter back to the city, enjoying the same Himalayan views that you have been seeing from the ground from the air. Sweeping Himalayan terrains of the Khumbu pass below you like moving canvases of paintings. After you land at Kathmandu, you will be dropped off at your Hotel. Overnights stay at the Hotel in Kathmandu.
Approximately three hours before your scheduled fight, you will be dropped off at the airport for your departure.
The best time to visit Everest base camp heli trek, where one can travel all year round, depending upon your holiday duration and chosen destination.
As Everest offers many various regions for the trek, as well as climbing peaks and major mountaineering expeditions.
The most favorable and best time to visit around Everest region is in spring, as well one of the high seasons for trekking, almost every day from morning till afternoon is fine and clear for excellent views of snow-capped peaks and surrounding beautiful scenery. Can get cloudy in the late afternoon with clear bright starry nights.
Spring season is also the best time for the famed bloom of rhododendrons which occurs during the spring season from March to May months, makes the country enchanting with flowers in seasonal bloom, especially when you trek from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche. Where the trail is covered with various species of rhododendron from tall trees to bushes including magnolia and other wildflowers.
During spring morning and night time is much cold with additional wind-chill factor around higher areas, day time temperatures are pleasant for walks and enjoying the views of surrounding dramatic scenery. It can get snowed in sometimes even in the best season.
The next best time is in autumn or falls till the pre-winter season from September to early December months, most days are clear with the crystal blue sky a great contrast against the white snow mountain range. Much colder morning and from late afternoon till night time, but one can enjoy clear starry nights. It can get snowfall sometimes during this time of the year, but a pleasant day with short sunlight hours due to the autumn and per-winter season.
For botanists and naturalists or trekkers who enjoy walking with less foreign visitors can trek from December till February, which is a low season with few numbers of trekkers to encounter, most days are clear and fine despite the cold morning and night time.
The three Night in Kathmandu is in a deluxe hotel and Eight-night teahouse accommodation on the trek
In Kathmandu, we usually occupy a 4-star hotel located within walking distance of the Thamel district. All rooms have suite facilities and there are a restaurant, a bar, and an outside courtyard. there's complimentary Wi-Fi within the hotel lobby and Wi-Fi throughout.
The teahouse is the dining room, typically decorated with a colorful established mat, sometimes with a stove or heater (some lodges charge a fee to place the heater on). Most teahouses sell snacks and other essentials like tissues, soap, and toilet tissue. Most lodges have electricity but it's not wholly reliable and lighting might not be bright enough to read by – a torch is important. Electrical charging is generally offered only within the dining room (charged at approx. Rs130-400 per hour per device). Most of the lodges use solar energy so sometimes there's not sufficient electricity for charging. Many lodges have Wi-Fi not long – in some areas it works well but in others, it's slow and unreliable. We offer twin-share bedrooms all through the trek. Beds with foam mattresses, bedsheets, and a pillow are provided in the teahouse. Bedrooms are unheated and may get cold in the dark so you'll get to bring or hire a sleeping bag. Most lodges have just one or two basic toilets and sometimes these are located outside most lodge buildings. Most of the teahouse has hot 'showers' now a day. (They charged at approx. Rs200-500 per shower). Sometimes a hot shower is just a bucket of predicament and not a showerhead.
Remember, you will be trekking to the world's highest trekking route in the Everest region. You will reach to highest elevation at kala pather, its height is 5554m. Altitude Sickness and acclimatization are the main major topics that all trekkers and adventurers should know, which is very necessary when traveling on high altitude Himalayan destinations.
Altitude Sickness is also known as AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), which can occur to some people at a higher altitude from above 2,000 m to 3,000 m, trekkers who are well acclimatized sometimes catch AMS above 3,000 m to 5,000 m high.
Where some can take protective measures using Diamox or Acetazolamide tablets which prevent and reduce symptoms of AMS and can lower headache in high altitude walks and climb. The common symptoms are mild headache, lack of appetite, feeling nausea, dehydration as well lack of sound sleep. Critical and severe cases are when one gets the symptoms of HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema) which is water in the brain and HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema), a symptom with some water in the lungs.
When the victim should be brought down to safe and secure places with a medical team or doctors to attend, the fastest means is emergency evacuation by any means of immediate and fast transportation where available. In Nepal Himalaya, the quickest emergency evacuation by Helicopter services is to bring the victims back to Kathmandu for further treatment.
For emergency evacuation where trekkers should be well insured with a good Insurance policy that covers all medical sides and the use of a Helicopter or other means of transportation.
A high altitude trek of Everest base camp heli trek. This trek is very important for acclimatization. so we have designed two days itinerary for acclimatization, To avoid AMS, a rest day is very necessary at a certain height like around 2,800 m or above 3,000 m spending a few days to support acclimatization. Enough rest and taking a short hike around, as well as drinking much fluid like water, a light cup of black or green tea, or lemonade can overcome high altitude sickness or AMS.
Safe drinking water is the most important part of daily life as well as trekking or taking exercise. We should be drinking at least 3-4 Liters per day. Drinking water is available in every place, while you are on a trek in the Everest region.
Three types of safe drinking water are available while on the trek, which is fresh from the creek or spring, but one needs to have a good water filter to be on the safe side, as Himalayan water contains heavy minerals like iron, magnesium, and bicarbonate. Where travelers are not used to liking the local people.
Mineral or bottled water is available in every store, shop, and restaurant of the lodge on route trekking, one can buy bottled water but can be very expensive as you go to higher areas the price will be double or triple the amount that you pay in Kathmandu.
As High Route Adventure, is very much involved in Responsible Tourism and Eco-Trekking, we try to discourage trekkers from buying bottled water, as it is a plastic bottle that adds more garbage for the country to cope with and as well much more expensive. Unless you are very desperate and sick, you can buy bottled water, to keep fit as per medical advice on high altitude, one needs to consume a minimum of 2 liters per day.
The best safe drinking water, buying a liter or more from the lodge or on a route around local lodges and restaurants, where you will be served boiled and filtered water which is very safe.
You can need to connect your device while trekking, post updates, and upload pictures on your social media. Internet facilities and Wi-Fi are available en route Everest region, but not in all villages or at some small settlements. Internet and Wi-Fi are available in major hotels, lodge-like at Lukla, Phakding, Monjo, Namche Bazaar, and Tengboche including Dingboche and Lobuche. After Lobuche on the way to Everest base camp, internet communication will be available in Gorakshep, except for one place which is well hidden a little beyond the main trail, at Glass Pyramid a metrological station on route to Gorakshep and Everest base camp. You can request internet service, and the charge will be of standard prices like at Lobuche and other high places.
Sometimes the internet network is slow, and disturbing in some areas due to weather with overcast conditions, as well as in places that are located in a deep valley and gorge. Nearly, all places where you can get cell phone services, and even with a re-charge card the main popular and widely used in Nepal are Ncell and NTC or Namaste. Sometimes the network of internet communication is much slower.
The other SIM card, one can buy is the local one used by the Khumbu Sherpa, the main station and service at Namche Bazaar, the problem with internet service will be the same as mentioned above. The other problem related is electric power, beyond Tengboche and Pangboche most lodges have solar power that might be weak due to bad weather conditions.
The permit requirement is much important and necessary, as all visitors and adventurers require entry permits, in all Himalayan regions including the Everest base camp heli trek. Around the Everest region, past few years TIMS (Trekking Information Management System) card had to be obtained and issued by TAAN (Trekking Agent Association of Nepal) in Kathmandu by all visitors to the Everest Area. For the past few years, the local Sherpa communities issued entry permit passes/tickets to enter the Everest region
Where all trekkers need to pay the entry fee, which will be done by your guide during the High Route Adventure. Besides, the entry fees for the trek to Everest, other permits required are of Sagarmatha National Park (Sagarmatha name for Mt. Everest in Nepal). Where all trekkers and mountaineers are charged a fee of little less than US$ 20 per person. All trekking permits and park fees help to maintain the trail condition and welfare of local villagers, as well as to protect and conserve the fragile beautiful environment.
When you book the trek to the Everest base camp with another reputed trekking company in Nepal or with us. Where all arrangements will be organized by High Route Adventure, with the guide, and field staff including porters.
All trekkers in groups or solo / single travelers must be accompanied by an expert guide, the guide should have a proper license authorized and registered by Nepal Government related to tourism and trekking.
Trekking with local expert guides, field staff, and porters entirely depends upon your budget and the way you book as per the Government Regisrated Company’s rules and regulations. Some companies can provide only guide cum porters, or with a guide with strong healthy porter.
On booking a trip with us all expenses of the guide, porters and some field staff will be covered by the local company. Like daily wages, meals, accommodation, transportation, and medical insurance. Trekkers can have options as well, where few young trekkers require only a guide to accompany them throughout the trip.
Trek to Everest base camp and where porters are picked from Lukla, A guide will take care of you from the main arrival to final departure in Kathmandu
Most guides of High Route Adventure, are honest and friendly with a wide knowledge of the Everest region from culture, flora/fauna as well as basic medical training. All porters and guide we provide are friendly and has worked with us for many years and are most reliable to make your trek enjoyable and memorable.
All trekkers and adventurers require Travel and Medical Insurance to travel around Nepal's high Himalayas, including the Everest area and base camp.
It is very important and necessary to obtain travel and medical insurance for your own safety purposes. One can never know what befalls ahead you might get very sick from diarrhea or altitude sickness known as AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), or other illnesses as well as sudden unavoidable accidents.
When the victims need to be evacuated immediately by any means of quick transport like by Helicopter, where all your medical bills including the service of the Helicopter, will be reimbursed by your insurance company, depending upon the nature of the insurance policy.
Another reason for travel insurance is just in case the trip can be obstructed by bad weather, where the trek needs to be re-routed to another destination or might get canceled.
Most important is the flight to Lukla or flying back to Kathmandu, which operates only in good and fine weather conditions, sometimes the flight can get delayed or canceled, which will affect the whole itinerary days or you might be stuck in Lukla for many days till the flight resumes. In this situation where you’re insurance can cover most of your expenses.
