Many of our climbers say that one of the best experiences of their entire expedition is taking a helicopter flight back down the Khumbu Valley and getting an aerial view of the trek, the peaks they’ve been climbing and the mighty Himalayan range. It is, without doubt, one of the most scenic, adventurous mountain flights in the world.
Further, while people initially think they will want to undertake the 3 day, 40 mile trek back down the valley, we’ve found that after two long months on the mountain, the draw of civilisation, getting back to family and friends & enjoying that well-deserved beer can be irresistible.
We also have climbers who wish to drop down to lower altitudes part way through the expedition to supercharge their rest and recovery between rotations.
We have a number of options available for you:
One Way Helicopter from Base Camp to Lukla*
$3,000 USD
A helicopter from Everest base camp to Lukla avoids the three day, 40 mile walk back down the valley. From Lukla you will catch a regularly scheduled fixed-wing plane back to Kathmandu either that day or the following.
*or Lukla back to Base Camp mid expedition
One Way Helicopter from Base Camp to Kathmandu*
$5,500 USD
For those that aren’t as price sensitive and who want to get back to Kathmandu and homeward bound as quickly as possible at the end of the expedition, we can arrange a helicopter for you directly from Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu.
*or Kathmandu back to Base Camp mid expedition
One Way Helicopter from Kathmandu to Lukla*
$4000 USD
If the fixed plane schedule does not suit you or the notorious weather in Lukla permits helicopter flights but not fixed-wing departures, you may elect to take a helicopter from Lukla airport back to Kathmandu or vice versa.
IPlease note: If you would like to include a helicopter option in your expedition please let us know BEFORE your trip so we can pre-book your flight in advance and include this in your trip total. If you decide to add a helicopter flight during your expedition we cannot guarantee availability. Further arranging services from the mountain or at short notice attracts an additional service fee of $1000. All helicopter flights need to be paid in advance with no exceptions.
These options do not include Medical, Evacuation and Rescue helicopters which will be organized in liaison with your trip insurer in the event of an emergency – this is another reason why good coverage in your policy is essential.
