The Best Time for a Helicopter Tour in Nepal
Helicopters fly in Nepal all year round, but the mountains don't always come out to play. Here's what each season is like for flying, and how to give yourself the best chance of a clear morning.
The views on a mountain flight depend on two things: clear air and calm wind. Both are at their best first thing in the morning, and best of all in the dry months after the monsoon.
Month by month
October and November: the clearest skies
By now the monsoon has washed the dust out of the air, and the days are dry, calm and cold. It's the best time of year for Everest and Annapurna, and also the busiest, so try to book a week or two ahead.
December to February: crisp, cold and quiet
Visibility is often superb, and the snow reaches right down to the landing sites. It can be −15 °C at breakfast time on Kala Patthar, Gosaikunda is frozen, and Annapurna Base Camp may be deep in snow. The days are short, so flights need to leave on time.
March to May: spring, with afternoon cloud
Mornings are usually clear, but haze builds as spring goes on, and by late morning cloud gathers over the hills. In March and April the rhododendrons flower on the lower slopes. It's also the Everest climbing season, so the Khumbu is busy with expedition flights.
June to September: monsoon
Cloud can sit on the mountains for days at a time, and many flights are delayed or cancelled. When the weather does open up, though, the green valleys and waterfalls are spectacular. Upper Mustang is the exception to the rule: it sits in the rain shadow and stays mostly dry, so you can fly there right through the summer.
Why every flight leaves at dawn
In the Himalaya the air is usually at its calmest and clearest just after sunrise. By late morning the valley winds pick up and cloud starts building on the ridges. That's why our flights take off between 6:00 and 7:00, and why Everest flights aim to be back by noon. Early alarms, we're afraid, come with the territory!
When the weather says no
The pilot makes the final call on the morning of the flight, and safety always comes first. If your flight can't go, you can move it to the next clear morning or take a full refund. For Everest, it's worth keeping a spare day in Kathmandu at the end of your trip if you can.
Questions
What's the very best month for Everest?
Late October to mid-December gives you the best chance of a perfectly clear morning, with fewer cloudy days than in spring.
Can we fly in the afternoon?
For short, low flights such as the Kathmandu Valley or Pokhara, yes. For high landings like Kala Patthar or Annapurna Base Camp, we only fly in the morning.
Tours to consider
5,644 mKala Patthar
About 4 to 5 hours, Kathmandu start
Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour
A private morning helicopter flight from Kathmandu up the Khumbu Valley to land on Kala Patthar, face to face with Everest, then breakfast on the terrace of Hotel Everest View. You'll be back in Kathmandu before lunch.
from US$1,112 per person
3,840 mLo Manthang
About 6 hours, Kathmandu start
Upper Mustang Helicopter Tour to Lo Manthang
A full day out to the walled city of Lo Manthang, in the former Kingdom of Lo, flying over the red cliffs and cave dwellings of Upper Mustang. The restricted-area permit is included.
from US$1,846 per person
4,130 mAnnapurna Base Camp
About 2 hours, Pokhara start
Annapurna Base Camp Helicopter Tour from Pokhara
Just twenty minutes from Pokhara's lakeside to a landing inside the Annapurna Sanctuary at 4,130 m, ringed by Annapurna I, Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre. It's the shortest, best-value high mountain flight in Nepal.
from US$380 per person
