Everest Base Camp trek is a great adventure in the foothills of the high Himalayas. This high-altitude trek is among the most trekked paths in the world. Everest Base Camp trek with Helicopter return is a spectacular trekking package that combines adventurous trekking with luxurious travel.
In sum, a luxury helicopter return provides you scenic views of the snow-capped Himalayas of the Everest Mahalangur Himalayan range. In addition, the difficulty of this trek reduces significantly as you don’t have to trek back to Lukla. Similarly, you will pass through Himalayan settlements of Phakding, Namche, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, and Gorak Shep to arrive at Everest Base Camp.
However, the risk of altitude sickness and rugged trails make this trek quite challenging. You will also have the opportunity to go on a cultural exploration of ancient Sherpa settlements. Also, trekkers will stay in community-run tea houses and can experience the incredible hospitality of local people and taste their delicious cuisine.
Furthermore, if you have a short time on your schedule or cannot trek for a long duration in rugged conditions, then this trek is ideal for you. Besides, this incredible Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return package is available at a reasonable cost. Read further for detailed information about the Everest Base Camp trek helicopter return and other related information in detail.
Significant Highlights of the trip
- Spectacular Helicopter ride overlooking the snow-capped mountains
- Experiencing the stunning Khumbu ice glacier and icefall
- Staying at the famous “Everest view hotel,” which is the highest placed hotel in the world
- Visiting the adventurous Kala Patthar viewpoint
- Walking the pristine landscapes of the beautiful Sagarmatha national park
- Exploring the lifestyle, culture, and tradition of the Sherpa community
- The warm hospitality of the Nepalese people
Detailed itinerary - Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return
After you arrive at Tribhuvan International airport in Kathmandu, Our staff representative will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to your hotel. You can visit around major sightseeing points of the city including Basantapur Durbar square, and Thamel. You will return to your hotel in the evening and stay overnight.
Maximum Altitude: Phakding(2610 m)
Flight duration: 30-35 minutes
Trekking distance: 6.2 km
After having an early morning breakfast, you can take a scenic 45-minute flight to Lukla from Kathmandu. You can observe the beautiful snow-capped mountain ranges of the Everest Mahalangur range.
After arriving at Lukla, you can start your trekking journey to Phakding. The trail of Everest Base Camp trek and return by helicopter passes through Dudh Koshi valley. Also, you will pass through settlements of Monjo where you will have to show your trekking permits.
It is also the entry point of Sagarmatha national park. You will arrive at Phakding after trekking for around 5-6 hours. You can spend the night at a teahouse in Phakding.
Maximum Altitude: Namche Bazaar(3445 m)
Walking duration: 4-6 hours
Trekking distance: 7.4 km
After having breakfast, you will start your trekking adventure along the banks of the serene Dudh Kosi River. We will then pass through the settlements of Jorsale and Sagarmatha National Park. The national park is also a world heritage site that works in the conservation of rare and endangered wildlife and requires a permit.
Trekkers will cross the Sindhu river covered in prayer flags through suspension bridges along the trail. Trekking for 2 to 3 hours will lead you to the commercial town of the Everest region, Namche Bazar. You will get the first magical views of Mount Everest from Namche Bazaar.
There are many hotels, cafes, lodges, buses, and even a bakery in Namche Bazar. The vibrant atmosphere of the town filled with many trekkers and climbers who will spellbind you. Finally, we will spend the night at the local tea house in Namche Bazar.
As with many high altitude treks, Everest Base Camp Trek and return by helicopter requires regular acclimatization. However, you will not rest all the time and hike some distance even on acclimatization days. Similarly, you can explore around the area and observe beautiful Himalayan landscapes from various points around Namche Bazar.
You can take a short accent at a popular hiking site in Khumjung and Khunde. It takes around 4 hours to complete this journey. There is a local school established by Sir Edmund Hillary along with the monastery that contains Yeti's skull.
Moreover, you can also take a short hike to Syangboche Airstrip (3720 m) or Everest View Hotel. An incredible view of Mount Everest from this viewpoint is one of the best aspects of this trek. Finally, in the evening you will return to your lodge and stay overnight.
Maximum Altitude: Tengboche(3860 m)
Time Taken: 4-5 hours
Trekking distance: 9.2 km
After early morning breakfast, we will start the downhill trail. You will pass through settlements of Kenjoma, from where you can observe majestic views of Mt Everest and Ama Dablam. Additionally, some of the settlements you will pass through the trail include Sansa, Phunkithanga, and others.
You can find mani stones, prayer flags, and small chortens along the forested trails. The Tengboche monastery (3870m) is a spiritual hub in the Khumbu region. You can observe monks and nuns chanting prayers and mantras in the mornings and evenings. There is a scenic small settlement around the monastery area along with a viewpoint.
You can observe 360-degree panoramic views of the Snow-capped mountains from the viewpoint. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Kwangde, Tawoche, Amadablam, Thamserku, Kantega, and others. You will spend the night at a teahouse in Tengboche.
Maximum Altitude: Dingboche(4360 m)
Time Taken: 3.5 hours - 4 hours
Trek distance: 10.8 km
We will have an early morning breakfast, and start our trek for the day. We trek along the forested trail of Rhododendron and Pine trees. Trekkers will pass along the banks of Imja Khola. After trekking for 3 hours, we will arrive at an old monastery in the village.
In sum, trekking along through the summer pastures will lead you to Dingboche. We can observe the majestic view of Ama Dablam and the Island peak from the village viewpoint. Finally, you will stay overnight at a lodge in Dingboche.
At Dingboche, we will acclimatize again. This is the second point along the trail where we will acclimatize to adapt to the high altitude conditions. We will take a short hike around the villages. Besides, some of the popular hikes around the region include Chhukung (4750m).
It takes around 3 to 4 hours to complete and has a total distance of 8 kilometers. We can observe the inspiring views of Mt. Makalu (8463 meters), Island Peak, Peak 38, and other mountains of the Everest region. Besides that, we can also hike Nangkartshang Peak (5083m) which takes around 5 hours and covers a distance of 6 kilometers.
Trekkers can observe Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Kangtega, and Mt. Thamserku from this viewpoint. Finally, you will return to your lodge in the evening and stay overnight.
Maximum Altitude: 4930m, Lobuche
Time Duration: 4.5 hours to 6 hours
Trek Distance: 8.4 km
We will continue our trek after having an early morning breakfast. The trail starts with an accent to Chorten along the trail towards Pheriche (4240m). You can observe the Trekkers Aid Post, which is run by foreign volunteers to provide consultation and information about altitude sickness. Moreover, we will continue hiking on a gradual path before arriving at a small accent.
We will cross the village settlement of Pheriche to arrive at Thulga (4600m). From here, the route of the Gokyo lake trek separates from the Everest Base Camp trail. In particular, vegetations around the region are scarce as it is a high altitude region and you can find barren landscapes.
You can find up-close views of the Himalayas at every point of the Hike. We will then descend passing through the beautiful yak pastures where you can observe Yaks grazing silently. The enchanting views of Mt. Tawache and Mt. Nuptse will enchant you. Finally, you will then stay overnight at a teahouse in Lobuche.
Maximum Altitude: Everest Base Camp (5400 m)
Time Taken: 7-9 hours
Trekking distance: 15 km
We will start our trek to Gorak Shep (5160m) after having an early morning breakfast. The frozen sand bed of Gorakshep is the original Everest Base Camp and the highest human settlement in the region. The hike provides you with majestic views of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, and others.
After having lunch and some rest we will continue our hike to Everest Base Camp. The trail continues along the side ridge of the Khumbu glacier. After crossing the Glacier, we will arrive at Everest Base Camp. The magical atmosphere of the base camp will enchant any traveler. You can find many climbers and trekkers setting up tents around the base camp area.
The beautiful mountain vista of Mt. Khutse, Mt. Pumori, Mt. Changtse, and the Khumbu Glacier and Ice Fall is spellbinding. After taking some incredible pictures and exploring we will return to our teahouse in Gorak Shep from the Everest Base Camp area. We will rest in the evening and stay overnight in Gorak Shep.
Maximum Altitude: Kala Patthar(5545m)
Time Taken: 2-4 hours
Trekking distance: 3.5km
Flight Duration: 20 minutes (Gorakshep - Lukla), 30 minutes (Lukla - Kathmandu)
Early in the morning, we will start our trek to Kalapathar from Gorakshep. The trek begins early so that we will arrive at Kalapathar to observe the gorgeous sunrise overlooking the snow-capped mountains. Kalapathar is also the highest point of the Everest Base Camp trek with helicopter return.
Kala Patthar's viewpoint is one of the best places to take pictures of Mount Everest. In fact, most of the pictures for photographs of Mount Everest are taken from this viewpoint. Besides that, also observe various snow-capped mountains of the Everest mountain from Kala Patthar.
Mt. Everest (8848 meters), Mt. Pumori (7169 meters), Lhotse (8516 meters), Mt. Nuptse (7861 meters), and others are some of the mountains you can observe from this viewpoint. Likewise, you will return to Gorak Shep to take some rest and have breakfast. We will then take a stunning helicopter ride that takes you back to Lukla.
This incredible aerial ride allows you to observe the beautiful Himalayas of the Everest region. After refueling in Lukla you will return back to Kathmandu. Furthermore, this luxurious helicopter ride will reduce the difficulty along the trail significantly. Our staff will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.