Kothe
3,600 m
Lukla
2,845 m
18 mins
8:00 AM
$350
per seat
$900
aircraft
CAAN licensed
Free weather reschedule
Rescue capable
Lobuche to Lukla helicopter flight
Lobuche
4,940 m
Lukla
2,845 m
- Flight time
- 22 mins
- Seats
- 4
- Baggage
- 10 kg
- From
- $500
Flight overview
Flying Lobuche to Lukla helicopter flight
| Route | Departs | Seats | Flight time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lobuche to Lukla helicopter flight | 7:30 AM | 4 | 22 mins |
Lobuche sits at 4,940 metres against the western moraine of the Khumbu Glacier, the last comfortable night before Gorakshep. For trekkers coming back down from base camp, it is also the sensible place to get on a helicopter.
The flight to Lukla takes about twenty-two minutes and saves the best part of three days: Lobuche to Pheriche, Pheriche to Namche, Namche to Lukla, all of it descending on legs that have already done the hard part.
Two hundred metres that matter
Lobuche is lower than Gorakshep, and at these altitudes two hundred metres changes what an aircraft can lift. If you are walking back down from base camp and have the option, getting to Lobuche before flying makes the seat cheaper and makes it more likely your whole group goes in one lift.
What to expect on the pad
Cold, wind, and a small landing site on rough ground. The crew will want to load quickly. Have your jacket on, your bag closed, and nothing loose in your hands.
Booking it
Almost all of these are booked the evening before from a lodge with a weak connection. The price is on this page so you do not have to ask for it first.
- From
- Lobuche
- To
- Lukla
- Aircraft
- AS350 B3e / H125
- Passenger insurance
- Included
- Flight rules
- Visual, daylight only
Pilot advisory
Lobuche sits at 4,940 metres and the aircraft is working near its limits. The single early departure is the one that carries a useful load; by late morning the same machine may take two passengers instead of four.
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
- 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 Lukla
- Helipad
- Tenzing-Hillary Airport helipad
- Area
- Khumbu, Everest region
- Altitude
- 2,845 m
- Coordinates
- 27.68690, 86.72970
The airstrip is 527 metres long, slopes uphill at around twelve degrees, and ends in a rock face. Helicopters use the pad adjacent to the apron rather than the runway itself. Stay behind the marked line until the rotor has stopped and approach only from the front, where the crew can see you.
Safety
What you need to know before you board
A high-altitude departure with genuine payload limits. Baggage is ten kilos and the crew may split a group across two lifts or stage through a lower pad.
The Lobuche pad is small, on moraine, and exposed. Keep the group together and everything secured until the crew signals.
If someone in your party is unwell rather than simply finished, say so when you book. That changes the priority and may change the destination.
Questions
What travellers ask about this route
Lobuche is two hundred metres lower, which means the aircraft can carry more. If you are coming down from base camp anyway, walking the extra two hours to Lobuche makes the flight cheaper and more reliable.
Two and a half to three days. Lobuche down through Pheriche, Tengboche and Namche to Lukla is a long descent.
Often, but not guaranteed. It depends on the morning temperature and the total weight of the group. We will tell you honestly the night before.
Yes, see the Lobuche to Kathmandu route. It costs around six times as much, because the aircraft commits to the full transit.
Cold and usually clear in season, with wind picking up mid-morning. It is one of the more flyable pads in the upper valley at first light.
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.
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