Nepal Trekking and Everest Himalaya Heli Tour
Experience the Best of Nepal
Trekking and Everest Himalaya Heli Tour
The Nepal Trekking and Everest Himalaya Heli Tour is a 7-day trip combining trekking with a helicopter flight starting and finishing in Kathmandu. The high point is 5,545 m. A normal day is 3 to 4 hours of walking. We run it as a private trip on your own dates, or as a small group departure.
The route runs Dhulikhel, Dhulikhel Village Walk, Khumjung Valley and Syangboche. Sherpa Buddhist. Tengboche monastery, the Mani Rimdu festival in late autumn, and mani walls you always pass on the left.
Graded moderate. Nothing on the route is technical, but the altitude is real and it is what decides who finishes. Altitude, not technical difficulty, is what turns people back. Our itineraries build in two acclimatisation days and follow the climb-high-sleep-low principle.
Best time to go. Late September to early December, and March to mid-May. October gives the clearest air of the year, November is colder but quieter, and April brings rhododendron colour below 4,000 m.
Permits and getting there. Sagarmatha National Park entry permit and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry permit. The old TIMS card is not issued for Khumbu. Both permits are included in your trip price and we arrange them before you fly. A 35-minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, or from Manthali (Ramechhap) in the peak weeks of October and April when Kathmandu air traffic is capped. Manthali means a 4 to 5 hour pre-dawn drive; we build it into the plan and tell you which airport you are using once the season schedule is published.
Where you sleep. Teahouse lodges the whole way. Twin rooms with a shared bathroom to Dingboche; the higher lodges at Lobuche and Gorak Shep are basic, cold and often full in October, which is why we book ahead.
Why book with us. Trekking Team is a family company in Gongabu, Kathmandu, running trips since 1991 under TAAN licence 1106. About ten thousand people have travelled with us and we hold more than 630 TripAdvisor reviews. Every departure runs with a government-licensed guide, permits arranged before you arrive, insured and equipped staff, and a fixed price. If the dates or the route do not suit you, write to us and we will rebuild the itinerary around what you want.
Trip Summary
Duration
Difficulty
Max Elevation
Start point
End point
Daily Activity
Group Size
Best Season
Trip Outline
- Day 1Arrival in Kathmandu
- Day 2Kathmandu Sightseeing, Heli Ride to Dhulikhel
- Day 3Dhulikhel Village Walk
- Day 4Heli tour to EBC, land at Kala Patthar View Point (5,545m), Check-in to Hotel Everest View - Syangboche (3,880m), Trek to Khumjung Valley (3,790m)
- Day 5Trek to Namche Bazaar, return to Syangboche
- Day 6Heli ride to Kathmandu
- Day 7Final Departure
Included
- Airport pick-up and drop-off in a private vehicle
- Return flight Kathmandu to Lukla, or Manthali to Lukla in the peak October and April weeks, with 15 kg checked baggage and airport transfers at both ends
- Sagarmatha National Park entry permit and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit
- Government-licensed, first-aid trained trekking guide, paid, insured and equipped by us
- Porter support, one porter between two trekkers, carrying up to 20 kg, insured and issued boots, jacket and shelter
- Teahouse accommodation on trek, twin share, booked ahead in the peak weeks
- Hotel in Kathmandu on a bed and breakfast basis, as listed in the itinerary
- Down jacket, four-season sleeping bag and duffel bag on free loan for the trek
- Route map, trip completion certificate and a farewell dinner in Kathmandu
- Staff wages, insurance, meals, accommodation and equipment
- All government taxes, VAT and company service charges
- Secure storage for the luggage you leave in Kathmandu
Not Included
- International flights and the Nepal visa fee
- Meals on trek. Our packages run on a bed and breakfast basis: add a prepaid meal plan when you book, or pay the teahouses directly as you go
- Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu
- Travel insurance covering medical treatment, helicopter evacuation and repatriation. This is compulsory and we need your policy details before departure
- Personal trekking clothing and equipment
- Drinks of any kind: bottled water, soft drinks, alcohol and hot drinks
- Hot showers, battery charging, wifi and hot water bottles at the lodges
- Supplementary oxygen, which is always an optional extra
- Extra nights in Kathmandu, and any cost arising from an early return, a flight delay or a change of itinerary caused by weather or illness
- Emergency helicopter evacuation, which your insurance must cover
- Tips for your guide, porters and drivers
- Anything not listed under what is included
Get started on your journey
Detailed itinerary
Arrival in Kathmandu
You will be met in the arrivals hall at Tribhuvan International Airport and driven to your hotel, usually 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. Nepal issues visas on arrival: fill in the form at the electronic kiosks before the payment desk, and bring a passport photograph and cash in a major currency to speed it up.
Once you have settled in, your guide will come to the hotel for a full briefing: the day by day plan, the gear check, what the weather is doing, and any questions you have been saving up. This is also when we collect passport details for permits if we do not already have them.
Kathmandu sits at about 1,400 m so there is no altitude concern tonight. If you arrive early enough, the walk from Thamel down to the Durbar Square area is a good first hour in the city.
Altitude: 1,350 m | Overnight: 3-5 Stars | Meals: Breakfast
Travel duration
Elevation
Meal
Accommodation
Kathmandu Sightseeing, Heli Ride to Dhulikhel
Spend the morning exploring the cultural highlights of Kathmandu, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhunath Stupa, and Boudhanath Stupa. In the afternoon, enjoy a scenic helicopter ride to Dhulikhel. Overnight at a hotel in Dhulikhel.
Pashupatinath is the most important Hindu temple in Nepal and one of the great Shiva shrines of the subcontinent, a UNESCO site on the banks of the Bagmati. Non-Hindus cannot enter the main temple but the far bank gives an open view across the ghats, where open-air cremations take place through the day. It is confronting the first time and it is also completely ordinary here, a public part of life rather than something hidden. Sadhus in ochre sit along the terraces, and the evening aarti draws a crowd.
Swayambhunath sits on a hill west of the city, reached by 365 stone steps through a forest full of rhesus macaques, which is where the nickname Monkey Temple comes from. The stupa is one of the oldest religious sites in the valley, with the Buddha's eyes painted on all four sides of the harmika and a spire of thirteen gilded rings. The terrace gives the best single view over Kathmandu, and it is at its best in the early morning when the kora is busy with local worshippers.
Boudhanath is one of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhist life in Nepal, particularly since 1959 when refugees settled around it. The white dome is 36 m across, ringed by prayer wheels, and surrounded by more than fifty gompas belonging to different lineages. Walk the kora clockwise at dusk with the local crowd and the monks coming out of evening puja: it is the single most atmospheric hour in Kathmandu.
Dhulikhel is an old Newar trading town on the road east, at about 1,550 m, with a genuine medieval quarter that almost nobody visits and a wide Himalayan panorama from the ridge above it. It is quieter and more lived-in than Nagarkot, and the short walk up to the Kali shrine at sunrise is one of the better easy mornings near Kathmandu.
Altitude: 1,550 m | Overnight: 3-5 Stars | Meals: Breakfast
Travel duration
Elevation
Meal
Accommodation
Dhulikhel Village Walk
Take a leisurely walk through the traditional village of Dhulikhel, experiencing local culture and panoramic views of the Himalayas. Return to the hotel for the night. Overnight at a hotel in Dhulikhel.
Dhulikhel is an old Newar trading town on the road east, at about 1,550 m, with a genuine medieval quarter that almost nobody visits and a wide Himalayan panorama from the ridge above it. It is quieter and more lived-in than Nagarkot, and the short walk up to the Kali shrine at sunrise is one of the better easy mornings near Kathmandu.
Altitude: 1,550 m | Travel: 2 to 3 hours | Overnight: 3-5 Stars | Meals: Breakfast
Travel duration
Elevation
Meal
Accommodation
Heli tour to EBC, land at Kala Patthar View Point (5,545m), Check-in to Hotel Everest View - Syangboche (3,880m), Trek to Khumjung Valley (3,790m)
Embark on a thrilling helicopter tour to Everest Base Camp, with a landing at Kala Patthar for awe-inspiring views of Mount Everest. Afterward, fly to Syangboche and check in at the Hotel Everest View. Later, trek to Khumjung Valley. Overnight at Hotel Everest View.
The Tibetan base camp sits at about 5,150 m at the foot of the Rongbuk glacier, reached by road rather than on foot, with the north face of Everest rising uninterrupted in front of it. Because you arrive by vehicle, this is the fastest altitude gain on any of our itineraries and the acclimatisation days before it are not optional.
Altitude: 3,790 m | Travel: 5 to 6 hours | Overnight: Hotel Everest View | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Travel duration
Elevation
Meal
Accommodation
Trek to Namche Bazaar, return to Syangboche
Trek to the bustling town of Namche Bazaar, the gateway to the Everest region. Explore the town and interact with the local Sherpa community before trekking back to Syangboche. Overnight at Hotel Everest View.
Altitude: 3,780 m | Travel: 4 to 5 hours | Overnight: Hotel Everest View | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Travel duration
Elevation
Meal
Accommodation
Heli ride to Kathmandu
Take a scenic helicopter ride back to Kathmandu. Transfer to the hotel and enjoy a free afternoon to explore or relax. Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.
Altitude: 1,350 m | Overnight: 3-5 Stars | Meals: Breakfast
Travel duration
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Meal
Accommodation
Final Departure
Transfer to the airport about three hours before your international flight. If you have a late departure we will hold a day room or arrange a final few hours in the city rather than leave you sitting in the terminal.
If you would rather not go home yet, this is the easy point to extend: a few days in Pokhara, a wildlife stay in Chitwan or Bardiya, a short Bhutan add-on, or a rest week somewhere quiet. Tell us before you travel and we will build it in at cost rather than as a late upgrade.
Altitude: 1,350 m | Meals: Breakfast
Travel duration
Elevation
Meal
Accommodation
Getting ready
Two to three months of preparation makes the difference between enduring this trip and enjoying it. Walk hills, not treadmills. Build to a five or six hour day with a 7 kg pack, twice a week, and add a back-to-back weekend so your legs learn what consecutive days feel like. Stairs with a loaded pack are the best substitute if you live somewhere flat.
Break in your boots properly. More trips are ruined by new footwear than by altitude.
Altitude and acclimatisation
The high point on this trip is 5,545 m. Altitude, not technical difficulty, is what turns people back. Our itineraries build in two acclimatisation days and follow the climb-high-sleep-low principle.
Rules we work to: gain no more than 400 to 500 m of sleeping altitude a day above 3,000 m, take a rest day roughly every 1,000 m, climb high and sleep low on those days, drink three to four litres daily, and skip alcohol and sleeping tablets above 3,500 m. Your guide carries a pulse oximeter and a first aid kit and records the group morning and evening.
Diamox (acetazolamide) is a legitimate aid, not a shortcut, and works best started 24 hours before you go high. Discuss it with your own doctor before you travel; we do not prescribe.
If anyone deteriorates, the answer is descent, immediately and without debate. Our guides have the authority to turn a client around and they use it.
Permits and paperwork
Sagarmatha National Park entry permit and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry permit. The old TIMS card is not issued for Khumbu. Both permits are included in your trip price and we arrange them before you fly.
Nepal issues visas on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport: 15, 30 or 90 days, payable in cash in most major currencies or by card. Bring two passport photographs and make sure your passport has at least six months validity.
Money, tipping and costs on the ground
Nepali rupees are the only currency accepted on the trail. Draw cash in Kathmandu or Pokhara before you leave; ATMs have a per-transaction limit of around NPR 35,000 and charge a fee, and above the roadhead there are no machines and no card terminals.
Budget roughly USD 10 to 20 a day for drinks, snacks, hot showers, charging and wifi that are not in the price. Bottled water is best avoided for both cost and plastic reasons.
Tipping is customary and genuinely matters to the crew, but it is not compulsory and never demanded. As a guide to the guide: around USD 8 to 12 per day for your trekking guide and USD 6 to 8 for each porter, pooled by the group and handed over at the end.
Staying in touch
Everest Link and AirLink sell prepaid data cards that work as far as Gorak Shep. Coverage is real but slow, and it stops working in bad weather. Charging is paid by the hour above Namche.
Ncell and Nepal Telecom tourist SIM cards are sold at Kathmandu airport and take about ten minutes. Bring your passport.
What to pack
We send a full checklist when you book. The items people most often get wrong:
- Broken-in boots with ankle support, plus trainers or sandals for the evenings
- A four-season down sleeping bag rated to at least minus 10 C, and a down jacket. We lend both at no charge if you would rather not buy them
- Layers rather than bulk: thermal base, fleece, windproof shell, waterproof jacket and trousers
- Sun hat, warm hat, glove liners and warm gloves, and category 4 sunglasses. Snow glare at altitude is brutal
- A one-litre bottle plus a two-litre bladder, and a SteriPen or chlorine tablets so you can refill instead of buying plastic
- Personal first aid: blister plasters, ibuprofen, rehydration salts, antiseptic, any prescriptions in original packaging
- A 20,000 mAh power bank, headtorch with spare batteries, and a two-pin European plug adapter
Health and safety
No vaccinations are legally required for Nepal, but hepatitis A, typhoid and tetanus are sensible and a rabies course is worth discussing if you are travelling for a long time. Check with a travel clinic six to eight weeks before you fly.
Drink treated water rather than bottled where you can, wash hands before every meal, and eat what is freshly cooked. Stomach upsets ruin more trekking days than altitude does.
Our guides carry a comprehensive first aid kit, a pulse oximeter and, on the higher routes, supplementary oxygen. We hold a 24-hour operations line in Kathmandu throughout your trip, and we run rescue coordination ourselves rather than handing it to a third party.
Responsible trekking
We pay porters above the TAAN minimum, insure every member of staff, cap load weights and provide boots, jackets and shelter at altitude. That is not a marketing line; it is the reason our crew come back season after season and some have been with the family for twenty years.
On the trail: carry your rubbish out, use refill points instead of plastic bottles, ask before photographing people, walk clockwise around mani walls and chortens, and give way to loaded yaks on the mountain side of the path, not the drop side.
Booking and cancellation
A deposit confirms your dates and the balance is due before departure. If your plans change we will move your booking to another date rather than treat it as a cancellation wherever the ground operators allow it.
Written quotes are fixed. We do not add fuel or permit surcharges after you have booked, and if a government fee rises between your booking and your departure we absorb it.
Questions before you commit are welcome and never rushed. Write to us with what you actually want and we will tell you plainly whether this trip is the right one, including when the answer is that a different route would suit you better.
Ready to start your journey?
Start planning your dream trip today. Enquire now for more information or customize this trip to tailor it to your needs and make it truly unforgettable.