Private helicopter tour to Everest with a night at Hotel Everest View - a premium trip for a couple, a family or a small private group. Instead of a multi-day trek, guests spend an evening, a night and a morning in the mountains with the Everest panorama in front of them, and the trip uses a private helicopter and a bespoke schedule.
The programme suits a romantic trip, an anniversary, a marriage proposal or a short visit to the Himalaya. The physical demand is minimal only when the helicopter lands at the hotel itself. If the only landing available is at Syangboche, it is a walk of about 45 minutes up to Hotel Everest View; that version is only offered with prior agreement and is never substituted without the guests‘ consent.
Important. The hotel stands at roughly 3880 m. A fast flight from Kathmandu is no substitute for acclimatisation, so this is not an ordinary sightseeing flight. Before booking, guests need to assess their state of health, arrange suitable insurance and leave spare time in case the weather keeps the helicopter on the ground.
The trip at a glance
- Two days and one night in the Everest region
- A private format for a couple, a family or a small private group
- A night at Hotel Everest View, subject to confirmed room availability
- A view of Everest from every room in the hotel in clear weather
- A route with no multi-day trekking
- An individual quotation once the helicopter, the hotel and the list of services are confirmed
- A spare day after the programme is compulsory
Why Hotel Everest View
Hotel Everest View sits on a ridge above Namche Bazaar in Sagarmatha National Park. On its official website the hotel lists 12 rooms with private bathrooms, balconies and views of Everest and the surrounding peaks. The rooms have a sitting area, a heater, a thermos flask and an electric blanket; there is Wi-Fi on site.
The panorama is the main reason for choosing the hotel. If Hotel Everest View is unavailable on the date requested, Mountain Guide offers other dates first. Staying at a different lodge is possible only as a separately agreed version of the trip, with no promise of the same views or the same comforts.
The Everest helicopter tour, day by day
Day 1. Kathmandu - the Everest region - Hotel Everest View.
In the morning a private transfer takes guests from their hotel to Kathmandu airport. After the weather check and the pre-flight briefing, the helicopter leaves for the Everest region. The exact route, the technical landings, the number of passengers and the permitted baggage are set by the confirmed operator, allowing for the type of aircraft, the weight, the wind and the aviation rules in force. The preferred option - a landing on the Hotel Everest View helipad. A landing at Syangboche with a walk of about 45 minutes is used only by prior agreement. Once they have settled in, guests rest, watch the Himalayan panorama and spend the evening at the hotel. The night is spent at about 3880 m.
Day 2. Sunrise over Everest - return to Kathmandu.
In clear weather the morning opens with the panorama of Everest and the peaks of the Khumbu. After breakfast guests get ready for the flight back. The pilot sets the departure time by the actual weather, visibility and wind. After landing in Kathmandu a private transfer takes guests to their hotel. No international departure should be planned for that day: a weather delay to the helicopter can move the whole schedule.
What the individual quotation may include
- A private helicopter on the confirmed route
- Private transfers between the hotel and Kathmandu airport
- One night at Hotel Everest View
- Confirmed meals at the hotel
- The permits required and the compulsory fees
- A meet-and-greet and organisational support from the host team
- Extra services for a special occasion, agreed in advance
The final list of inclusions is set out in the personal offer. Until it arrives, no particular operator, helicopter type, meal arrangement, oxygen equipment, in-flight escort, decoration or other extra service can be treated as confirmed.
What is normally paid for separately
- International flights to Nepal
- The Nepali visa
- Accommodation in Kathmandu before and after the mountain part
- Medical insurance covering altitude and helicopter evacuation
- Meals and drinks not listed in the personal offer
- Personal spending and extra hotel services
- Costs arising from changes to the programme requested by the guests
The private format and the size of the party
The programme is designed as a closed trip. Whether a helicopter can be provided with no other passengers on board, how many people may take part and what the final price is are all confirmed for a specific date, once the weight of the passengers and their hand luggage has been worked out. Mountain Guide does not promise a particular airline or aircraft model in advance.
For a romantic occasion, individual touches can be requested - a special table setting, say, or help in staging a proposal. Services of that kind depend on what the hotel can do, on the aviation logistics and on local rules, and are included only after written confirmation.
Altitude and safety
The flight from Kathmandu up to about 3880 m is quick. Even without a long walk, headache, nausea, weakness, breathlessness and disrupted sleep are all possible. Participants report chronic conditions, any medication they take and any known reaction to altitude in advance. If there is any doubt, the decision to take part should be discussed with a doctor before payment.
In the mountains what counts is moving calmly, sipping water regularly, avoiding alcohol and telling the host team at once if anyone starts to feel worse. Whether oxygen equipment is carried, and what it consists of, is confirmed with the chosen operator; it is not a substitute for going down at the first signs of altitude illness. Decisions about the route, about postponing a departure and about turning back rest with the pilot in command.
Children on the trip
No single minimum age is set in advance. Whether a child can take part is considered case by case, allowing for age, health, the altitude, the make-up of the family and the requirements of the confirmed operator. A minor must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Weather, postponement and refunds
Departure and return depend on visibility, wind, cloud, the state of the landing site and the pilot’s decision. The Everest panorama, a fly-past of any particular point and departure at the appointed time are not guaranteed.
The terms for postponement, cancellation and refund depend on the hotel’s rules, on the helicopter operator and on when the cancellation is made. Mountain Guide requests them before payment and sets them out in the personal offer. No general refund scheme applies without a confirmed supplier.
When to go
The main seasons for the trip - spring and autumn. In its transfer section Hotel Everest View states that the seasonal helicopter services between Lukla and Syangboche usually run from about the middle of March to early May and from early October to early December, although the exact dates change from year to year. The hotel also confirms that a private charter from Kathmandu is possible, landing either at Syangboche or on its own helipad. Which landing option applies, which operator flies and when the return flight goes are agreed separately for each date.
How to prepare
- Leave at least one spare day after the return
- Bring warm layers and a windproof jacket
- Wear closed shoes with a non-slip sole
- Bring sunglasses, sun cream and a hat
- Agree the weight of every participant and of their hand luggage before payment
- Keep baggage to a small soft rucksack within the confirmed allowance
- Take out insurance that covers time spent at no less than 3880 m and emergency helicopter evacuation
Price and booking
The price is worked out individually for the particular date and party. To prepare it we need the dates you have in mind, the number and ages of the participants, the approximate weight of each person together with their hand luggage, the name of the hotel in Kathmandu and any wishes for a special occasion.
Before payment Mountain Guide confirms the availability of Hotel Everest View, the landing arrangement, the operator, the weight limits, the list of inclusions and the rules for postponement. A booking counts as agreed only once those terms are set out in the personal offer.