Home to Mount Everest, Khumbu valley is one of the world’s most beautiful places, nestled among lush greenery, magnificent mountains, and alongside rich Sherpa villages. Khumbu is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in the world that one should come to in their lifetime. The Khumbu valley rewards you with ancient stone villages, monasteries, unique culture that you will never gonna explore in any part of the world, and undoubtedly the majestic sights of several peaks. And, what could be better than a sightseeing tour of Everest base camp helicopter tour from the air? From the vantage point of a helicopter, you’ll have unforgettable views of this beautiful entire Everest region, nestled against a backdrop of snow-covered peaks.
Before going to the depth of the Everest base camp helicopter tour, do you know that you cannot see Everest from its own base camp i.e. Everest base camp? Because of the Khumbu Icefall, which is quite near the base camp, the majority of the mountain gets blocked. So, while you’ll be able to have amazing views of other peaks from the Base Camp, you may not have the best Everest Summit Photos. Thus, to capture a clear view of Mount Everest your helicopter land at Kala Patthar and every trekker who joined the Everest base camp trek also summits the Kala Patthar Peak early in the morning for seeing the sunrise views over Mt. Everest giant.
The classic Everest base camp helicopter tour starts from Kathmandu. From Kathmandu, you will fly high over the beautiful crowded city to the hills covered by the lush jungle. You will reach the gateway of the Khumbu valley i.e. Lukla. Your Heli will land at Tenzing-Hilary airport for refueling in around 10-15 minutes. After enjoying the spectacular sights of glacial rivers, Sherpa settlements, and mountains your helicopter will head towards the next stop i.e. Kala Patthar at an elevation of 5545m. There you will find yourself surrounded by shiny snowcapped mountains like Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and so many nameless peaks.
Kalapatthar is regarded to be one of the best viewpoints of the summit of Mount Everest. The helicopter land there for 15 minutes during that you can take a picture as you want. Following Kala Patthar, your helicopter takes you to the Everest view hotel to have a tasty breakfast. Having breakfast in front of the world giant is a dream for many. After having breakfast you will head back to Kathmandu, where you started your journey.
Best time to do the Everest base camp helicopter tour
In today’s 21st century, everyone has access to a cell phone. Thus with just one click one can search for anything about any place so if you are one of those who is searching for the best time to visit Everest base camp by helicopter then you landed at the right place. Talking about the best time to do the Everest base camp helicopter tour is spring (March to May) and autumn (mid-September to mid-November). However, the helicopter tour is operated throughout the year. During autumn and spring, the weather remains clear and the chance of getting a flight getting canceled is low.
Similarly, in winter and summer, the possibility of getting a flight cancel is high due to the misty fog and continuous drizzle rainfall. Thus, before planning to do the tours make sure to check the weather and temperature to pack your thing accordingly.
Is the Everest helicopter tour for you?
Everest base camp helicopter tour is the alternate way to explore the hidden Khumbu valley nestled far from the hustle and bustle city. Thus, you don’t have to walk 15 days up the mountains to get a peek at Mount Everest. The tour offers the bird’s eye view of 8000 and 7,000-metre peaks – Lhotse (8,516m), Nuptse(,7861m), Makalu (8,481m), Cho Oyu (8,201), and mount Everest itself. Not only that the tour rewards aerial views of quaint Sherpa settlements (Namche, Tengboche, Phakding, etc.) and Sagarmatha National Park (a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site).
To explore these whole things you don’t have any criteria that you should meet. This tour can be done by people from every age and every ethnic background or the people. The flight does not discriminate against people so if you are one of those who want to do this trek go for it.
Having said that, if you are suffering from some kind of breathing problem make sure to take your medicine and please follow the guidelines that your pilot or helicopter staff advise you.
Offerings of Everest base camp helicopter tour
As we have mentioned above short itinerary of the Everest base camp helicopter tour, now let’s learn some offerings of the classic Everest base camp helicopter tour. Spectacular sights of the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest
- Tastiest breakfast at Everest View hotel
- Tenzing Hilary airport, the world’s most dangerous airport
- Amazing view of Khumbu glacier and stunning aerial views of the Himalayas, including Lhotse (8516m), Choyu (8201m), Nuptse (7861m), Pumori (7161m), Ama Dablam (6812m), and many nameless mountains.
- Aerial view of Sherpa villages, monasteries including Lukla, Namche, Tengboche, and Everest Base Camp within 4 hours
- The privilege of landing at Kala Patthar, at an altitude of 5545 meters.
- Aerial view of Kathmandu valley
Everest base camp helicopter tour permit
To travel to any part of Nepal, there is a certain permit that you must have. The same goes for the Everest base camp helicopter tour, you need two permits including a National park permit and local permit fees in Everest. The permit cost you around Rs. 5000. If you are traveling width a travel agency then they will provide them for you. In case you are not then you have to get it beforehand as your flight will land at Everest view point hotel for breakfast, the hotel lies at the territory of Sagarmatha national park. If you don’t have access to a permit, you have to pay extra so take the permit along with you.
Overall, the Everest base camp helicopter tour is just four hours tour. Within these four hours, you can witness the summit of the world’s giant Everest alongside many different mountains, an ever-changing landscape from the flat land to the home of mountains, and so many more. If you are one of those whose dream is to see the summit of Everest in just one day then this tour is perfectly designed for you. What are you waiting for just go and grab the ticket and towards Everest.