Safety
Experienced Mountain & High-Altitude Pilots
Mountain Helicopters Nepal
The scenic helicopter flight from Kathmandu to the foot of the world's fifth-highest mountain
Experienced Mountain & High-Altitude Pilots
One-way flight of approximately 90 minutes including a fuel stop; about 4 hours door to door for a day tour with landing time
4,870 metres / 15,978 feet (Makalu Base Camp)
Spring (April - May), Autumn (October - November)
4 or 5 passengers
400 kg (passenger weight + baggage weight per helicopter)
About This Flight
The Kathmandu to Makalu Base Camp helicopter flight is the ultimate access to Nepal's most remote base camp, a scenic transfer that skips the 18 to 22-day trek entirely and sets you down beside the Barun Glacier in a morning. The helicopter takes off from Tribhuvan International Airport, heads east over the Arun Valley with a fuel stop, and sets down at Makalu Base Camp, 4,870 metres above sea level, in roughly 90 minutes. On a day tour you have a short alpine stop for photographs and darshan before flying back; on the trending one-way option you begin the Makalu heli trek from the camp itself or continue the return on foot. As every flight is influenced by the weather, the exact duration may vary depending on visibility, wind, refuelling, and the flight route assigned on the day of departure.
The Kathmandu to Makalu Base Camp helicopter flight exists because the base camp of the fifth-highest peak on Earth is one of the least accessible places in the Himalaya. Reaching it on foot means a flight to Tumlingtar, then a 18 to 22-day trek through the Makalu-Barun National Park via Num, Seduwa, Tashigaon, and two high passes, rewarding trekkers with a solitude almost nowhere else in Nepal can match. This is the only protected area on Earth whose range of elevation exceeds 8,000 metres, climbing from subtropical forest to snow peaks within a few dozen kilometres, and a helicopter carrying you up the Barun Valley compresses that entire spectrum of landscape into a single unforgettable corridor of flight.
We operate the Makalu Base Camp helicopter tour from Kathmandu with the same care and safety standards as every Mountain Helicopters Nepal flight, from the pre-flight briefing to the final landing. The route climbs east over the deep Arun river gorge and crosses the ridges of the Makalu-Barun National Park, with Everest, Lhotse, Chamlang, Baruntse, and the colossal black pyramid of Makalu itself appearing in turn. It is especially popular with heli trekkers, photographers, mountaineering enthusiasts, and travellers who want to stand before the great south face of Makalu without the weeks of walking that ordinarily guard it.

Tour Feels Like
Passengers enjoy a comfortable and scenic helicopter flight aboard a modern helicopter operated by experienced professional pilots with years of flying in Nepal's high mountains. The journey is long enough to feel like a real expedition, yet smooth and efficient, carrying you from the capital to one of the most remote base camps on Earth in a single morning. Throughout the flight, the pilot ensures a safe and enjoyable experience, including the brief fuel stop, while the crew monitors the thin high-altitude air as the aircraft approaches the camp.
Shortly after takeoff, the Kathmandu Valley gives way to the endlessly folding hills of the east, the Arun gorge threading deep below. As the flight continues, the landscape turns from tropical jungle slopes to alpine wilderness, and one snow giant after another assembles ahead until the great black-white pyramid of Makalu dominates everything. While occasional light turbulence may be felt when flying through mountain terrain, this is a normal part of helicopter operations, and flights are conducted only when weather conditions are considered safe.
Upon landing at Makalu Base Camp, you step out into the thin, cold air of 4,870 metres, with the great south face rising a full 3,600 metres overhead. After safely disembarking under the guidance of the flight crew, you have a short window to stand before the mountain, feel the silence of the Barun, and photograph the scene before re-boarding or beginning your own descent by trail. The sheer scale of the setting makes the brief stop unforgettable.
Who should choose
Know Your Destination
Share your preferred travel date, the number of passengers, exact passenger weights, trek luggage details, and your Kathmandu hotel information with Mountain Helicopters Nepal. Our operations team will verify helicopter availability, weather conditions, the landing site status, fuel arrangements, and total payload to ensure the flight can be operated safely. Once everything is confirmed, you will receive your final itinerary, reporting time, meeting point, and baggage allowance.
Fares & Cost
Shared by the seat, or the cabin to yourselves. Both fly to the same standard.
Starting fares only, subject to change. Final price confirmed at booking.
Best Season
Months
March-May
Completion
92%
Visibility
Excellent
Health, Safety & Altitude Guidelines
Makalu Base Camp is a genuine high-altitude landing: at 4,870 metres the atmospheric pressure is barely half of sea level, and the helicopter gains that height rapidly. Short exposure at the camp is well within normal practice, but the very rapid rise can cause a mild headache, dizziness, or shortness of breath in anyone. The crew deliberately limits the time on the ground, oxygen is carried on board, and no passenger should push beyond a calm, short visit.
Consult the doctor before booking if you:
Why Mountain Helicopters Nepal?
Questions
Still have questions? Our team is available 7 days a week.
ASK US DIRECTLY→The flight can be arranged subject to morning weather, fuel availability, landing-site conditions, helicopter availability, and flight permissions. It operates through the spring and autumn seasons with shared departures, and private charters can fly on a confirmed date when conditions allow.
The helicopter departs from Tribhuvan International Airport, with the exact helipad, reporting point, and meeting instructions confirmed before the flight.
Makalu Base Camp is the base of Mount Makalu (8,485m), the world's fifth-highest mountain, sitting at 4,870 metres inside Makalu-Barun National Park in the sacred Barun Valley, the only protected area on Earth with more than 8,000 metres of elevation range, visited by fewer than 600 trekkers a year.
Yes. On the one-way option you can begin a descent on foot into the Barun Valley or join a Makalu heli-trek itinerary, with all park, restricted-area, and rural-municipality permits arranged with our team well in advance.
Flights operate only when conditions are considered suitable for safe operation. If weather, visibility, wind, fuel delivery, or other operational conditions are unsuitable, the departure may be delayed or rescheduled.
Let our experienced team create your unforgettable Himalayan journey.
At the airport, please have your passport and any required permits ready for check-in. Any items not required for the flight can be securely stored at your hotel; only a daypack or small trek bag should be carried on board. You will be guided to the helipad area, where our ground team confirms your boarding details.
Boarding procedures include how to board the helicopter, where to stand, how to fasten and unfasten the restraint belt, how to communicate with the crew, and what to do when you hear the crew's instructions. Because the landing is made at 4,870 metres, the crew also advises on altitude awareness and the short, calm routine to follow at the camp.
The helicopter climbs east from Kathmandu over the Arun Valley, touches down briefly for fuel, and then climbs the wild Barun corridor to the base camp below the great pyramid. Airborne time is normally about 90 minutes in total. The actual track and duration may change depending on cloud cover, wind, and air traffic control instructions.
The helicopter sets down at Makalu Base Camp, 4,870 metres above sea level. After landing, passengers remain seated until the crew confirms that it is safe to leave. On a day tour you have a short alpine stop for photographs before re-boarding; on heli-trek or expedition itineraries, the crew coordinates with the camp team as you begin or end your journey.
For day-tour passengers, the return to Kathmandu follows the same route over the Barun and Arun valleys. For heli trekkers, the landing at the camp is the beginning of the descent on foot toward Yangla Kharka and the trail down the Barun, and for one-way expeditions the crew hands you over to the camp team before flying back. Everyone should allow a reasonable time buffer for weather and fuel scheduling.
Makalu Base Camp lies deep inside Makalu-Barun National Park, and the Kathmandu to Makalu Base Camp helicopter price never includes park, trekking, or restricted-area permit fees. The Makalu-Barun National Park entry permit and a TIMS card are required for any landing or stay, a rural municipality fee applies, and trekkers continuing on foot must also satisfy any restricted-area requirements in force for the region. Our team will confirm exactly which documents you need for your plans.
| Countries | Entry Permit | TIMS | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAARC | 1000 | 1000 | 2000 |
| Other Foreign Countries | 3000 | 1000 | 4000 |
| Nepal | 100 | 100 | 200 |
Months
September-November
Completion
95%
Visibility
Excellent
Months
December-February
Completion
68%
Visibility
Medium
Months
June-August
Completion
34%
Visibility
Low