Safety
Experienced Mountain & High-Altitude Pilots
Quick Facts
Duration
One-way flight of approximately 55 to 70 minutes
Max altitude reached
4,870 metres / 15,978 feet (Makalu Base Camp landing)
Finest Season
Spring (March - May), Autumn (October - November)
No. of pax
4 or 5 passengers
Baggage
400 kg (passenger weight + baggage weight per helicopter)
Highlights
Passenger Insurance Included
Departures from Lukla on Your Schedule
Experienced & Professional Flight Crew
Direct Overflight of the Legendary Khumbu–Barun High Passes
Landing at the Remote Base Camp of Makalu, the World's Fifth-Highest Mountain
Perfect Access Flight for Makalu-Barun Treks From the Everest Side
About This Flight
Lukla to Makalu Base Camp Helicopter Flight
The Lukla to Makalu Base Camp helicopter flight is the fastest connection between two of Nepal's greatest mountain worlds, lifting off from the famous gateway airstrip of the Everest region and setting down at the wild base camp of Makalu, the world's fifth-highest mountain. The helicopter departs Tenzing-Hillary Airport at 2,860 metres, climbs over the high ridges that divide the Khumbu from the Barun, and descends into the Makalu-Barun National Park to land on the glacial moraine of Makalu Base Camp in about an hour. For trekkers, climbers and film crews crossing between the two regions, it replaces a link that on foot takes the best part of a fortnight of high, committing passes.
The Lukla to Makalu Base Camp helicopter flight exists because Makalu's base camp is one of the most remote points in the Nepal Himalaya, and because the Everest side already offers a functioning airport in the sky. Regular operators on the route fly expedition parties, guided treks and rescue missions across the watershed where the classic high passes of Mera La, West Col, Sherpani Col and Amphu Labtsa carry the famous Kamzela link treks between the two valleys. Whether you arrive at Lukla to shortcut into the Barun, need a charter into the base camp for a climb, or simply want the purest aerial crossing between Everest and Makalu country, this flight delivers it.
We operate the Lukla to Makalu Base Camp helicopter flight with the same care and standards as every Mountain Helicopters Nepal flight, from the briefing at Lukla to the timed landing on the moraine. The route leaves the Dudh Koshi valley, crosses the crest of the Hinku and Hongu basins below Mera Peak, enters the upper Barun valley, and comes down among the icy amphitheatres of Chamlang and Baruntse to the base camp plateau where the dark pyramid of Makalu fills the sky. It is popular with Makalu treks starting from the Everest side, expeditions using the base camp as a hub, and travellers who want the great divide crossed in scenic minutes rather than hard hours.
