Overview

Do Everest Base Camp Trek and return on a helicopter. What would other Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary be more exciting than this? We bet Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return 9 days is the best of all. Why? We have some good reasons.

First, you are doing one of the best treks globally, the Everest Base Camp Trek. Landing in Lukla, you’ll experience the magic of the Khumbu Region. Some of the trek offerings are suspension bridges, beautiful Sherpa hamlets, electrifying rivers, dense forests, glorious landscapes, and majestic mountains. You’ll witness all of the jaw-dropping beauty of the Khumbu Region.

Second, you’ll complete the journey’s half part on a helicopter. To fly over the Everest Region is even more beautiful than trekking. You get to experience all that the region has from a bird’s eye perspective. The entire panorama of the Khumbu region is available from the aircraft. You will see majestic views you would never have seen from the ground. Plus, you’ll dodge the long trek of 4 days with the helicopter return.

The journey will start with a quick flight to Lukla. From Lukla, you’ll trek through the trail of Everest Base Camp Trek. You’ll cross Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, and Gorakshep to reach Everest Base Camp Trek. After Everest Base Camp Trek, the tour takes you to Kala Patthar(5,645m), the ultimate point of the trek. And from there, a helicopter will fly back to Lukla and then a flight back to Kathmandu to finish the tour.

Hence, Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return is a worthwhile option for these two significant reasons. You’ll experience the exquisiteness of the Everest Base Camp Trek and the region by all means. First, you’ll trek on the popular trail and witness the happenings. Second, you’ll fly in the skies of the Everest Region to enjoy a helicopter tour. You’ll have two great experiences, Everest Base Camp Trek and Everest Helicopter Tour.

Why do two trips separately when you can do them in a single trip?

Major Highlights of Everest Base Camp Helicopter Trek with Helicopter Return

Do one of the best treks in the world in a new style.
Fly above the scenic landscapes of Nepal and land in the Everest Region.
Enjoy one of the best flights in Nepal.
Walk into the paradise, also known as the Khumbu region.
Adore the beautiful walks through the lush forests of Sagarmatha National Park.
Explore all the colorful streets of Namche Bazaar.
Spend a free day around Dingboche
Go to see Tengboche Monastery, the biggest in the region.
Come across mules and their owners taking loads along the trek.
Receive the charming smiles and hospitality of Sherpas.
Remain inspired by the local culture, lifestyle, and hardships.
Witness breathtaking panorama of peaks such as Mt Everest, Cho Oyu, Mt Makalu, Mt Lhotse, Mt Ama Dablam, etc.
Visit Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar, the two ultimate landmarks of the trek.
Fly straight back to Lukla from Kala Patthar and enjoy an exciting helicopter lift.
Shorten the trek of 14 days by five days.
Experience what the Everest Region has to offer in every manner.

Day 1 :

Kathmandu(1300m/4265ft) – Lukla (2845m/9333ft) – Phakding (2,610m /8,562ft); 35 min flight, ~8km, 3-4hrs trek

The quest of Everest Base Camp Trek begins with a scenic flight to Lukla. It will be 40 beautiful minutes of your life when you see the entire Himalayas belt. Then the airplane will lower at Lukla Airstrip. You’ll land in the Everest region. Next, you’ll do everything to put your feet to work. It will be a forested walk of around 3 hours to reach Phakding. You will move right along the Dudh Koshi River to find Phakding. Overnight in Phakding.

Day 2 :

Phakding(2610m/8562ft) - Namche Bazaar (3,440m/11,285ft); 11km, 6-7hrs.

The next morning, you’ll start another beautiful trekking day to reach Namche Bazaar. It will be done by running through the banks of Dudh Koshi Rivers and crossing several suspension bridges. After some hours of trek, you’ll enter Sagarmatha National Park in Monjo village.

Now, you’ll spend some hours walking the deep forest of the UNESCO-listed national park. When you get out of the woods, you’ll catch the first sights of Mt Everest. The mighty mountain may not look clear, but you’ll love the first vision.

You have to finish the day in Namche Bazaar, so you’ll follow the paved ways and several more suspension bridges. And after 6-7 hours of scenic trek, you’ll reach Namche Bazaar, a Himalayan town. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Day 3 :

Namche Bazaar(3440m/11285ft) – Tengboche (3,870m/12,696ft); 9km, 6-7hrs.

You’ll open your eyes to see a majestic view of the town. After the picture and breakfast in Namche Bazaar, it is time to leave the city's busy life. It is time to do a slight uphill climb from the town. In a while, you’ll reach the trail that is easy to trek and goes straight. You’ll start to see fascinating views of mountains along the route.

After enough of the views, the trail will go deep into a dense forest. You might see some animals while moving via this trail. You’ll drop until you find another suspension bridge. Crossing the bridge, you’ll begin to walk an uphill hike that takes you close to Tengboche. The trail is a little rocky and sandy, so you’ll walk slowly.

En route to Tengboche from that bridge, you’ll do several uphills and downhills. You will already view Tengboche Monastery arriving shortly. That will keep you going. The last trekking part of the day is an uphill one. You’ll complete that slight ascent to be in the stop at Tengboche Monastery. The monastery will welcome you with warm blessings. Overnight in Tengboche.

Day 4 :

Tengboche(3870m/12,696ft) – Dingboche (4,410m/14,467ft); 8km, 6-7hrs.

After a blissful night in Tengboche, you’ll get off your bed for another trekking day. The day will start with a brief exploration of the shrine and early morning prayers. Once you get the blessings from the monastery, you’ll take breakfast and start trekking towards Dingboche.

You will start the walk with a gentle descent into the forest of Rhododendron. Moving ahead, you’ll pass by a Sherpa village called Deboche. After Deboche, you have to do an uphill section where you will gain some elevation. As you move ahead, you’ll start viewing Ama Dablam more and more clearly. Take some time to grasp the beauty of one of the iconic mountains in the world.

Now, it is time to head to another side of the valley. On this site, you’ll find mountains quite easily. But the trail will get more uphill as you tap on the stone staircases.

Although the climb is not that hard, you’ll take some time to do this part. Enjoying the most fabulous mountains, you’ll find yourself in Shomare village, which comes just before Dingboche. After the town, the trail is pretty straightforward. One final crossing of a river, and you’ll be in Dingboche. Overnight in Dingboche.

Day 5 :

Dingboche Acclimatization and exploration day

You'll have just one acclimatization day on this Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return. And that will be in Dingboche. The place is just an ideal one for proper acclimatization before reaching Everest Base Camp. Located at an altitude of 4,410m, Dingboche is a scenic spot to spend a free day.

The day in Dingboche will have something special to do. It will have a conditioning hike to Nagkartshang Peak. After eating breakfast and keeping your belongings at Dingboche’s teahouse, you'll leave for the peak. Thus it will be a more comfortable hiking day to the top. You’ll just push your body to the top of Nangkartshang Peak. Altogether, this hike will be around 5 hours long.

Climbing it slowly and reaching the top, you’ll catch magnificent views of Mt Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Makalu, etc. And you’ll simply be impressed by the landscapes as well. Experiencing all of the good views and cool breeze at the top, you’ll descend back to Dingboche. The downhill has some slippery sections. So you have to watch out for your steps. You’ll settle in Dingboche’s teahouses for the night.

Day 6 :

Dingboche(4410m/14467ft) – Lobuche (4,910m/16,108ft); 7km, 5-6hrs.

Now it is time to leave Dingboche and approach Lobuche. The trek will continue on the route that goes straight through the valley. It will be a walk deep in the valley towards Pheriche, one of the famous villages of the region. From Pheriche, you’ll take a trail that goes further deep in the valley. This time you’ll start to gain some elevation.

After a while, you’ll reach the top of Thukla, also known as Dugla. It is a small stop with several teahouses. You’ll stop here for a break and a meal. Make sure you eat a good meal. The path ahead will be a bit demanding and uphill. For one straight hour, you will be doing a serpentine trek. The walk will lead you to the top of Thukla Pass, a place of memorials of souls lost on Mt Everest.

You will pause there to experience the emotional landmark. Following that, you will have a comfortable hike to reach Lobuche village. The mountains will keep you surrounded from all directions, and you’ll love that view. After several miles of trekking, you will reach Lobuche. Overnight in Lobuche.

Day 7 :

Lobuche(4910m/16108ft) – Gorak Shep (5,160m/16928ft) – Everest Base Camp (5,364m/17,597ft)- Gorak Shep: 14km, 8-9hrs.

One of the biggest days of the Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter return is here. The day when your feet get to kiss Everest Base Camp. So you will start the day with great joy and excitement. Before you reach the base camp, you have to come to Gorakshep, where you stay for the night.

So you will leave Lobuche behind by walking on the terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. The glorious mountain views of Nuptse, Lhotse, and others will keep you hooked. Do not get lost in the mountains. The road is rough and rocky; you might hurt yourself. It will take you 3 hours to reach Gorakshep if you keep moving without watching much of the mountains.

Once you reach Gorakshep’s teahouse, you'll check in and eat lunch. You will be in a hurry as you have to reach Everest Base Camp. Following the quick meal, you will leave Gorakshep and follow the trail to the mountains. The course will go side by side with Khumbu Glacier and its rocky moraine. After some hours, you will reach Everest Base Camp.

You will witness the most fantastic mountain from its base camp and more. All of the strenuous treks will come together and become fruitful here. You will enjoy a legendary view of the base camp until you get enough of it. Once that is done, you will return to Gorak Shep for the night.

Day 8 :

Gorakshep (5160m/16928ft)– Kala Patthar (5,550m/18,207ft) 7 km 5-6 hrs, And fly back to Lukla by helicopter

The trek is not yet done. You still have a popular landmark to reach. The famous viewpoint of Mt Everest and other peaks, Kala Patthar(5,550m), will await you in the morning. So you’ll feed your tummy and leave Gorakshep for Kala Patthar. While walking towards the viewpoint, you’ll be excited as you see the surrounding peaks.

The hike from Gorakshep to Kala Patthar progresses through a rocky uphill trail. It will be a hike of around 2 hours. As you reach Kala Patthar, you’ll realize why Kala Patthar is the best viewpoint of Mt Everest. This landmark provides heavenly visions of Mt Everest and other peaks. You can’t get the full view of Mt Everest from EBC. Thus, every EBC trekker has to reach Kala Patthar for a complete vision.

You will witness the most beautiful pictures of Mt Everest at Kala Patthar. While you enjoy the view, your ready helicopter will call you. As this is a helicopter return EBC trek, you will make the rest of the journey on a helicopter. After enough show, you’ll get into the aircraft for scenic air time. You will fly across the Everest Region like a bird towards Lukla. The flight will give you a complete view of the region. It will take the helicopter around 20 minutes to drop you in Lukla. Upon reaching Lukla, you’ll celebrate the success of the trek.

Day 9 :

Lukla(2845m/9333ft) – Kathmandu (1,300m/4,265ft) ~ 35 min flight

This is the last day of Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return 9 days. On this day, you’ll say goodbye to the Everest Region. With lots of good memories of the trip, you will join a flight back to Kathmandu from Lukla Airport. The following 35 minutes will be in the air of Nepal, which will be pretty scenic. After that, you’ll land at Kathmandu airport. Then you’ll head to your hotel for the rest and success celebration of the exciting trek.

Expand all

What is the highest point of Everest Base Camp Trek?

Kala Patthar(5,645m) is the highest point of Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return. Likewise, Everest Base Camp(5,365m) itself is the second-highest point of the trek.

What is the total length of the Trek?

The trek is around 65 km long, starting from Lukla(2,860m) and ending in Kala Patthar(5,645m).

Can you tell me more about the Helicopter Return?

Well, the helicopter return is for the returning trek from Kala Patthar. Instead of walking all the route again, you’ll just fly back to Lukla. Four days of the tour will be avoided. And for that, the helicopter will be standing by in Kala Patthar by the time you reach.

For how many hours do I have to trek?

Everest Base Camp Trek can demand you anywhere from 3-8hours daily. On some days, you’ll trek for only 3 hours, and on some days, it is 8 hours. You have to walk for around 5-6 hours every day.

What are the permits required for Everest Base Camp Trek?

The two permits necessary for this trek are Sagarmatha National Park Permit and Khumbu Rural Municipality Permit. You can get these permits from Kathmandu’s Nepal Tourism Board office. Your travel agency will manage these permits for you. A passport photocopy and passport-sized photos are needed for obtaining these permits.

What type of food and accommodation is available during the trek?

You do not have to worry about food and accommodation when doing Everest Base Camp Trek. The trail is a developed one with many essential to luxurious teahouses available. As per your choice, you can get the best service.

Can I customize Everest Base Camp Helicopter Return?

Yes, that is possible. If you want to add more days to this itinerary or do the complete trek on foot, we can do that.

Best Time

You can come to Nepal for this adventure whenever you like. However, if you want the weather to be perfect, Autumn and Spring are the best times for the trek. Autumn happens from September to November in Nepal. It is a busy time for traveling around Nepal.

That is why you will meet a lot of trekkers on Everest Base Camp Trek during Autumn. The temperature is mild, which ranges from 20 to 5 degrees. Moreover, the mountains are all visible and apparent. There are low chances of any weather turnaround during this season. Autumn is one of the best times to do the EBC trek for all these reasons.

Likewise, Spring is another good time for doing Everest Base Camp Trek. The season falls through March, April, and May. Like in Autumn, you will find vast numbers of trekkers on the EBC trail. The season is perfect for crystal-clear mountain views, warm temperatures, and low precipitation levels. The temperature of the Everest Region ranges from 18 to 12 degrees. Clearly, the season is a bit colder than Autumn, but that is workable.

On the other hand, you can make this trip during winter(January to February) and Monsoon(July-August). But these times are not as favorable as the earlier ones. You have to face a lot of weather adversities during Winter and Monsoon. That is all. It is not that the trip is impossible during Winter and Monsoon.

Difficulty level of Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return

You can’t expect a trek in the Himalayas to be easy. And, when it is about reaching the Everest Base Camp Trek, the journey automatically is hard. You cannot get to Mt Everest easily if you choose to trek. The traditional Everest Base Camp Trek, the 14 days long trek, is difficult. However, Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return 9 days is more accessible. You do not need to do half of the tour; you’ll just fly back.

But still, you have to face some difficulties. For example, you will trek for 5-8 hours daily. Let’s say 4-5 hours is the average trekking duration for this trek. Altogether, you have to cover 65 km on foot. So the walk and duration is the first real challenge of the tour.

Secondly, high altitude is another challenge of the trek. You will reach up to 5,500m on this walk. That will be difficult if you are not from an elevated area. You need to acclimate to the weather properly. Otherwise, the altitude sickness is real on this journey.

Thirdly, the region’s weather may be a challenge, which is entirely novel. The morning and night hours are freezing. Even during day hours, the temperature in the mountains is relatively high. If you are not used to such weather, you are again in trouble.

Overall, Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return is a moderate trek. This could be a challenging trek for you if you are a newbie. Otherwise, the trek is a moderate trek to do.

How to Prepare for Everest Base Camp Trek with helicopter return

Everyone who is planning to do Everest Base Camp Trek has to prepare. It is a must if you are a beginner, and this is your first trek. Forward, there are some ways to prepare for the tour.

The first way to get ready for the adventure of the EBC trek with helicopter return is through Cardiovascular training. Some examples are running, stair climbing, swimming, jogging, uphill climb, etc. These exercises make your body ready for the trek. Cardio training helps your lung produce more oxygen, essential on a high altitude trek.

Likewise, you can also indulge in strength training programs. Regular pull-ups, crunches, sit-ups, pushups, etc., are suitable for muscles. Your body muscles get strengthened with these exercises. And you can easily take any uphill on the EBC trek with solid muscles.

So this is how you can prepare your body for the trek. The earlier you start this training and be regular, the easier the hike will be. Make sure you begin this physical training around 3-4 months before the trek. Also, build a positive mentality right from the start of the trek preparation. Without that wisdom, the excursion may feel like a challenging journey.

Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return – 9 Days

Overview

Itinerary

FAQs

Useful Info

Overview

Major Highlights of Everest Base Camp Helicopter Trek with Helicopter Return

Itinerary

Best Time

Difficulty level of Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return

How to Prepare for Everest Base Camp Trek with helicopter return

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Overview

Itinerary

FAQs

Useful Info

Overview

Major Highlights of Everest Base Camp Helicopter Trek with Helicopter Return

Itinerary

Best Time

Difficulty level of Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return

How to Prepare for Everest Base Camp Trek with helicopter return

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

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