Helicopter Day Tours in Nepal: Annapurna Base Camp and Everest Compared

Last updated 10 October 2026.

Short answer: If you are in Pokhara, the Annapurna Base Camp helicopter day (4,130 m) is the cheaper way to see the mountains from the air, from USD 800 per person on a shared seat for 2 to 4 people. If you are in Kathmandu, the Everest day takes you to Kala Patthar at about 5,545 m, and starts at USD 2,085 on a shared seat or USD 2,299 per person for a full helicopter of four. A landing is never guaranteed.

A helicopter day is for people who want the view without the walk, or who have one day to spare. It is not a trek, and I do not pretend it replaces one. Below I compare the three helicopter day tours we sell today, with real prices, and tell you what can go wrong. The Annapurna tour is the one I get asked about from Pokhara, and you can see it on our Pokhara to Annapurna Base Camp Helicopter Tour page.

Helicopter day tours in Nepal at a glance

These are the live prices today. The Everest whole-helicopter tour is priced by how many fly, and the full price rules are on its page.

What is the Annapurna Base Camp helicopter day?

You are collected from your Pokhara hotel in the morning, fly by helicopter into the Annapurna Sanctuary and are back in Pokhara afterwards. On Budget and Standard you fly on a shared seat, so you may fly with other travellers on the operator's flight. On Luxury the flight is private to your group. Time on the ground at the sanctuary depends on the operator and the weather, and a landing cannot be guaranteed. Nobody needs to walk uphill, but the sanctuary sits at about 4,130 m, so tell us about any heart, lung or blood-pressure condition.

What each tier adds: Budget gives you the seat, the permits and the hotel transfer. Standard adds a private vehicle and an escort guide who looks after your transfers, permits and briefing, and stays on the ground while you fly. Luxury gives your group a private flight, SUV-class transfers, an escort guide and lunch. The Annapurna Conservation Area permit and TIMS card are included. If you would rather walk there, my guide to the Annapurna Base Camp trek shows the route.

What is the Everest helicopter day?

You fly from Kathmandu up the Khumbu valley to the foot of Everest in one morning. On the whole-helicopter tour the helicopter leaves Kathmandu, stops at Lukla to refuel, continues to Kala Patthar, where you land for a short stay, then flies over Everest Base Camp before landing at the Everest View Hotel at 3,880 m for breakfast. The total is roughly four to five hours including stops. A landing flight carries 4 passengers because of the weight limit at altitude, and the pilot is also your guide.

The shared-seat tour is a single seat on the operator's helicopter alongside other travellers. It is back in Kathmandu by late morning. On Standard and Luxury a landing at Kala Patthar is planned, where the weather and the operator allow. Budget is a flight over the Khumbu with no landing. For a fuller cost breakdown, read my Everest helicopter tour price guide.

Which one should you choose?

• In Pokhara with one free morning: the Annapurna helicopter day. It is the lowest price of the three and the lowest altitude.
• In Kathmandu with one free morning and Everest on your list: the shared seat if you are one or two people, the whole helicopter if you are four.
• Not sure you need a helicopter at all: read my notes on when a helicopter return makes sense. A day flight shows you the mountains, but a trek shows you the country.

Is the altitude a problem on a helicopter day?

There is no time to acclimatise on a day flight, so some people feel light-headed or short of breath at Kala Patthar. The stay on the ground is short, a few minutes, so altitude sickness is unlikely, but I still ask you to tell us about any heart or lung condition before you book. Move slowly, follow the pilot's instructions, and wear warm layers: it is far below freezing at Kala Patthar. At the Annapurna sanctuary it is cold even on a clear morning.

What can go wrong?

Weather. Helicopters fly only in clear conditions, which is why the flights leave early in the morning. The operator makes the final call on the day. If we cannot run your flight because of weather or the operator, we refund what you have paid, less taxes, bank or card charges and any money already spent on your behalf, or move you to another date. A landing is never guaranteed. Our best-time window for the Annapurna area is September to November and March to May, and I would ask you to check with me before booking outside it.

Buy travel insurance at home that covers helicopter flights and the altitude of the tour. I also wrote a warning on helicopter scams in Nepal that is worth reading before you book with anyone.

What is included and what is not?

The Annapurna tour includes the hotel pick-up and drop-off, the helicopter seat, and the Annapurna Conservation Area permit and TIMS card. It does not include your Pokhara hotel, meals and drinks, travel insurance, the Nepal visa, tips, or extra landing time or any change to the flight plan on the day. The Everest tours include the helicopter and the planned landing. On the whole-helicopter tour, breakfast at the Everest View Hotel is included on Standard and Luxury, and Budget meals are not.

What are the terms?

The deposit is 10 per cent and it is non-refundable, with no refund if you cancel. You can reschedule free of charge with at least 72 hours notice, to any date within one year. The balance is paid on arrival in Kathmandu, in USD or EUR, cash or by card. Card carries 3.5 per cent and cash carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign clients. We do not merge separate private bookings on the ground.

Questions people ask

How much does a helicopter tour to Annapurna Base Camp cost? From Pokhara it is USD 800 per person on Budget, USD 830 on Standard and USD 1,680 on Luxury for 2 to 4 people. A solo traveller pays USD 810, USD 865 or USD 3,260.

Will the helicopter land at Annapurna Base Camp? Not always. A landing and the time on the ground depend on the weather and the operator's decision on the day. We tell you before you fly if a landing looks unlikely.

How much does an Everest helicopter tour cost? The shared seat is USD 2,085 on Budget, USD 2,500 on Standard and USD 2,520 on Luxury for 2 to 4 people. The whole helicopter starts at USD 2,299 per person for four on Budget.

How long does the Everest helicopter tour take? The whole-helicopter day is roughly four to five hours including stops. The shared-seat tour is back in Kathmandu by late morning.

Is a shared seat private? No. You fly with other travellers on the operator's helicopter. We do not merge separate private bookings on the ground.

Is it safe at 5,500 m? The stay is short, so altitude sickness is unlikely, but there is no time to acclimatise. Tell us about any heart, lung or blood-pressure condition before you book.

What should I wear? Warm layers, a windproof jacket, gloves, sunglasses and sun cream. It is far below freezing at Kala Patthar.

What if it is cloudy? We move you to the next clear morning, or refund what you have paid less taxes, charges and money already spent, if no flight is possible.

How do you book?

Message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300 with your dates, where you are staying and how many of you there are. I will tell you which tour and which tier I would choose and send the exact quote.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.