Everest Base Camp Helicopter Return Trek

A representative from our team will be waiting for you at the arrival terminal of Kathmandu airport. Make sure that you look after a person with your nameplate! The representative will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel in Kathmandu.

As you check into the hotel, the representative will give you a short synopsis of our plans for the Everest Base Camp Trek with a helicopter return to Kathmandu.

Tonight, spend your time at a hotel in Kathmandu

The sightseeing tour in Kathmandu includes a guided tour of the artistic, historical, and cultural monuments around Kathmandu city that have been listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Site charts. Today, after breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up for a city tour.

The day tour starts at Patan Durbar Square, a historical palace that dates back to the 16th century during the Malla reign in the medieval period of Nepal. The palace is a huge complex with a palace, courtyards, and temples.

After we explore the perimeter of the palace and visit a museum inside the palace, we head to the Swayambhunath stupa, a large stupa placed on a hilltop surrounded by various Buddha statues and monasteries.

Next, we drive to Pashupatinath Temple, the oldest Hindu temple with many temples and statues that date back to ancient times.

Finally, we head to the Boudhanath Stupa, a huge stupa placed on a three-layered Mandela.

We visit all these beautiful heritage sites and end our day with a drive back to your hotel. This is also the day for shopping in Kathmandu. If you need any gear for your Everest Base Camp Trek with helicopter return, you can get it in Kathmandu.

Tonight, spend your time at a hotel in Kathmandu.

After breakfast at the hotel, our guide will come to pick you up for an exciting flight to Lukla. All the flights to Lukla will either be from Kathmandu Airport or Ramechhap Airport and are scheduled in the morning. It’s because the wind picks up in the afternoon and it becomes hard to fly.

The flight to Lukla is itself a rare adventure and will chill your bones. As soon as you leave Kathmandu, you will be greeted by the green hills and the surrounding mountains. The scenery is worth watching. The Tenzing Hillary Airport is one of the most extreme high-altitude airports in the world. So, flying between the high green hills and landing on a narrow lane at the base of the mountains will surely skip your heart a bit.

After a thrilling flight, you will start your trek. Before the start, you will meet porters at the airport who will carry most of your loads.

After you make yourself ready, the tour guide will make his way along the busy street to the start of the trek down to Phakding. You will walk along the Dudh Koshi River and the alpine forest with the amazing sounds of nature. You will then cross the suspension bridge to reach Phakding. Walking above the swinging bridge will add a thrill to your journey.

Then, head to a local teahouse and rest your bags. Later, visit nearby villages or chill in the teahouse. We will have a long hiking day tomorrow. So, take enough rest. Tonight, you will spend your time in the best guest house available.

Note: During peak season (March, April, May, October & November), flights to Lukla may operate from Ramechhap (Manthali Airport) instead of Kathmandu. This means you will wake up early, drive 4–5 hours from your hotel in Kathmandu to Ramechhap, and then fly from Ramechhap directly to Lukla. Please note that the cost of this drive is NOT included in the package and will be charged separately. 

The days ahead will be more interesting. As we leave Phakding, we follow a trail that traverses through Sagarmatha National Park. We march ahead through a forested area enriched with various species of flora and fauna.

On the way to Namche, we pass through interesting Sherpa villages like Monjo and Jorsale. The trail from Phakding to Namche undulates many times, up and down. It can be quite tiring, but the pristine air, amazing views, and the quest to reach the top of the world will keep you going.

Tonight, spend your time at a guesthouse in Namche.

Today, you are at Namche, which means you are already at a height of around 3440 meters. Therefore, we stop and take our time acclimatizing in Namche.

Namche Bazaar is a vibrant town in the Khumbu region. It is the only gateway to Everest, and it is teeming with hotels, lodges, cyber cafes, shops, and other amenities.

After breakfast in the guesthouse, we hike up to the Everest View Hotel. You will see some fascinating views of mountains like Mt. Everest, Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Cho-Oyu, Mt. Thamserku, Mt. Tawache, and many more from the hotel balcony.

After spending some time there, we make our way back to Namche. On our way, we also visit a photo gallery, a museum, and a few Sherpa villages.

Tonight, we will stay at a guesthouse in Namche.

Leaving Namche, we follow a trail that climbs up to Tengboche at an elevation of 3860 meters. It’s an easy way up to Tengboche and the route offers some incredible views of Mt. Everest, along with other mountains like Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Lobuche, and many other adjacent peaks. At first, we descend to the Dudhkoshi valley at Pungi Thanka and slowly ascend to Tengboche.

At Tengboche, we visit a popular monastery known as the Tengboche monastery. It is an old Buddhist monastery on the way to Everest. It is not just known for its spiritual significance but also for its amazing location. One can see the great Mt. Ama Dablam rising just above the monastery.

Likewise, the views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Lobuche, and many other mountains in the region look magnificent from here.

Tonight, we will stay at a guesthouse in Tengboche.

Moving ahead from Tengboche, we follow a trail that descends to the Imja River. From the river, we follow a scenic trail full of mountain views and picturesque landscapes to Pangboche village.

The village, at an elevation of 3900 meters, is in a dramatic location with appealing views of mountains in the backdrop. Enjoying the majestic views of mountains like Mt. Everest, Mt. Amadablam, and Mt. Lhotse, we ascend to the pastures of Dingboche.

We pass various pastures and summer settlements of yak herders until we reach the vast pasture of Dingboche. Dingboche is also referred to as the "summer valley."

In winter, it is fully covered by snow, but in summer, it looks wonderful with grassland and yaks herding in it.

Tonight, we will stay at a guesthouse in Dingboche.

As we ascend to the high-elevation region each trekking day, we need to acclimatize to ensure our health and safety. Hence, today we will stay in Dingboche for acclimatization. In the daytime, after breakfast, we hike up to Nagerjun.

At an elevation of 5,100 meters, Nagerjun is a beautiful viewpoint that lies just above Dingboche on the edge of the Chhukung Valley. As we walk towards Nagerjun, the trail gets steeper, which makes walking a bit difficult. However, the spellbinding views of the mountains from Nagerjun make the walk worthwhile.

From Nagerjun, we will relish some amazing views of Lobuche peaks, Thamserku, Taboche, Kangtega, Mt. Ama Dablam, and many other peaks in the range. The hike is also an opportunity to get a stunning glimpse of Mt. Makalu, the fifth-highest peak in the world. After some refreshing moments at the top, we drop to Dingboche for the night.

Tonight, we will stay at a guesthouse in Dingboche.

With time, we are getting closer to Everest Base Camp. Today, we leave Dingboche and make our way to Lobuche, at an elevation of 4910 meters.

From Dingboche, we follow the trail that takes us to the wide valley until we reach Dughla. From here, we move ahead to the Trekkers' Aid Post at Pheriche, at an elevation of 4240 meters. There, we can see a few Western doctors treating the trekkers voluntarily.

Continuing our walk, we pass the valley and some yak pastures on the way before reaching Lobuche.

Tonight, we will spend our time at a guesthouse in Lobuche.

Finally, the wait is over. We are on one of the most anticipated days of our entire trekking journey.

After breakfast in Lobuche, we walk towards Gorakshep and then to Everest Base Camp, the base camp of the world’s highest mountain. It is a moment of pride for anyone. We explore the area and witness the glory of the mountains that rise just before us. This is the last trekking day of your Everest Base Camp Trek with a helicopter return.

Though Mt. Everest is hidden between Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Nuptse, the views of the other mountains are simply incredible.

As we explore the base camp and capture the moment in photos, we return to Gorakshep for an overnight stay. Tomorrow is the day we are waiting for.

Tonight, we will spend our time at a guesthouse in Gorakshep.

It is another most-awaited day of our trekking journey. In the early morning, we wake up and hike to Kala Patthar.

Kala Patthar is one of the renowned viewpoints in the Everest region of Nepal. It is popular for sunrise views and panoramic views of mountains in the Everest region, including the mighty Mt. Everest.

From Kala Patthar, we catch the golden rays of the sun falling over the glittering snow of Mt. Everest, along with other towering peaks in the range. We descend to Gorakshep after spending some time at Kala Patthar.

A helicopter will pick us up at the helipad near Gorakshep settlements and fly us over the Everest region.

The helicopter ride will provide us with some incredible views of mountains, Sagarmatha National Park, and many other attractions in the Everest region. We land at Lukla and then again again have a shuttle flight back Kathmandu in a helicopter.

Upon landing at the Kathmandu airport, we will transfer you to your hotel in Kathmandu.

Tonight, spend your time at a hotel in Kathmandu.

This is the end of your Everest Base Camp Trek with a helicopter return. Today, you will have two options: either fly home from Kathmandu or continue your travels to some other destinations around the globe.

We will drop you off at the airport three hours before your scheduled flight. We hope you had a great time with us.