Kathmandu
1,400 m
Everest Base Camp
5,364 m
4 to 5 hrs return
6:30 AM
7:30 AM
$1,200
per seat
$4,800
aircraft
CAAN licensed
Free weather reschedule
Rescue capable
Lobuche to Kathmandu helicopter flight
Lobuche
4,940 m
Kathmandu
1,400 m
- Flight time
- 1 hr 5 mins
- Seats
- 4
- Baggage
- 10 kg
- From
- $550
Flight overview
Flying Lobuche to Kathmandu helicopter flight
| Route | Departs | Seats | Flight time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lobuche to Kathmandu helicopter flight | 7:30 AM | 4 | 1 hr 5 mins |
From the moraine at 4,940 metres to the Kathmandu valley in about an hour and five minutes of flying. This is the flight for trekkers who have finished at base camp and need to be in the capital, rather than at the trailhead.
The aircraft comes down the Khumbu, takes fuel at Lukla or Phaplu, and crosses the middle hills into the valley. You lose three and a half thousand metres in a morning.
Why it is cheaper per seat than Gorakshep
Because Lobuche is lower. A helicopter lifting out of 4,940 metres carries more than the same machine at 5,164, so the cost of the transit is divided across more passengers. If you can walk the extra two hours down from Gorakshep, you will pay noticeably less.
The fuel stop
It is planned, it is normal, and it takes fifteen to twenty minutes. No single-engine helicopter carries passengers from this altitude to Kathmandu without refuelling. We would rather you knew that now.
Medical cases
If this is an evacuation rather than a transfer, contact the dispatch desk directly. We need symptoms, duration, patient weight and an insurance policy number, and we will make different decisions about routing and destination.
- From
- Lobuche
- Aircraft
- AS350 B3e / H125
- Passenger insurance
- Included
- Flight rules
- Visual, daylight only
Pilot advisory
Expect a planned refuelling stop at Lukla or Phaplu. The aircraft leaves Lobuche light because of the altitude and takes fuel on the way down. This is normal and adds fifteen to twenty minutes.
Pricing
What this flight costs, and what it does not include
Both figures are the price we quote on WhatsApp. A shared seat puts you on a scheduled departure with other travellers. A private charter is the whole aircraft on your schedule.
Included
- Confirmed seat or aircraft on the stated departure
- All government taxes on the charter
- Passenger liability insurance
- Pilot and crew
- Free rescheduling if the flight is held for weather
Not included
- Domestic airport service charge, NPR 400 per passenger, paid at the terminal
- Personal travel and medical insurance
- Meals, accommodation and ground transport
- National park permits and TIMS cards
- Excess baggage above the stated allowance
- Anything arising from a delay outside our control
We publish how these prices are set and when they move. Read the price transparency policy.
Operators
CAAN licensed operators
We charter aircraft only from operators that hold a current air operator certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Each one below is reviewed by us before we put passengers on their aircraft.
Air Dynasty Heli Services
Manang Air
Simrik Air
Mountain Helicopters
Altitude Air
Heli Everest
Kailash Helicopter Services
Prabhu Helicopter
Upcoming departures
The next flights on this route
All departures are subject to visual flight rules and weather. Seat counts are confirmed with operators each morning.
Landing site
Where you land at Kathmandu
- Helipad
- Tribhuvan International Airport, domestic apron
- Area
- Kathmandu Valley
- Altitude
- 1,400 m
- Coordinates
- 27.69660, 85.35910
Departures use the domestic side of Tribhuvan International. Traffic is heavy between seven and nine in the morning, so a helicopter slot can be held on the ground for twenty minutes even in perfect weather. Arrive an hour before your departure time with your passport.
Safety
What you need to know before you board
High-altitude departure, reduced payload, ten kilos of baggage, and a planned fuel stop on the way. The crew may split the group.
At the fuel stop, stay with the aircraft and follow the crew’s instructions. A busy apron with turning rotors is the least safe part of the journey.
For medical cases, contact us directly rather than using the booking form.
Questions
What travellers ask about this route
One booking, one aircraft, one planned fuel stop. You do not change aircraft. We say so up front because the word direct gets used loosely on this route.
Lobuche is lower, so the aircraft can carry a fuller load, and the seats on a fuller aircraft cost less each.
About an hour and five in the air plus the fuel stop. Allow two hours from leaving the lodge.
Ten kilos total per passenger on a shared seat. On a private charter we work to a total aircraft weight, which usually accommodates a proper trek load.
We hold at Lukla or Phaplu until it opens, or we put you down at Lukla and continue the next morning at no extra cost.
Hold a seat
Request this flight
No payment now. Tell us the date and the group, and we will come back with a confirmed aircraft, a confirmed price and a deposit link.
Related
Other flights from and to these places
Need a helicopter? We answer in minutes.
Dispatch desk staffed 24 hours, every day of the year. Bookings, weather holds and emergency evacuations.