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The Lukla airstrip cut into the hillside above the Dudh Koshi valley.© Bigforrap / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Charter

Lukla – Kathmandu Charter

Point-to-point transfer out of Lukla when the fixed-wing flights are grounded — the most-requested charter in Nepal.

Flight time
55m
Max altitude
12,000 ft / 3,658 m
Best season
Year-round
Operators
3 certified

From

Lukla

VNLK · Lukla Tenzing-Hillary

To

Kathmandu Tribhuvan International

VNKT · Change route

Depart

Travellers

Get quotes

3 of 3 operators

Showing 3 of 3 operators on the Lukla – Kathmandu Charter.

Lowest published

Heli Everest

Airbus H130 (9N-AAM)

LicensedNo reviews yet

LUA

Lukla

55mNon-stop

KTM

Kathmandu Tribhuvan International

Indicative from

US$2,600

whole helicopter

  • Airport transfers in Kathmandu or Pokhara
  • All domestic airport and landing fees
  • Supplemental oxygen on board
  • Down jacket loan on request

Fishtail Air

Airbus H130 (9N-AAE)

LicensedNo reviews yet

LUA

Lukla

55mNon-stop

KTM

Kathmandu Tribhuvan International

Indicative from

US$2,750

whole helicopter

  • Airport transfers in Kathmandu or Pokhara
  • All domestic airport and landing fees
  • Supplemental oxygen on board
  • Down jacket loan on request

Simrik Air

Airbus AS350 B3e (9N-AAA)

LicensedNo reviews yet

LUA

Lukla

55mNon-stop

KTM

Kathmandu Tribhuvan International

Indicative from

US$2,900

whole helicopter

  • Airport transfers in Kathmandu or Pokhara
  • All domestic airport and landing fees
  • Supplemental oxygen on board
  • Down jacket loan on request

These are published prices, not your price

Every figure above is what an operator has advertised recently. Yours depends on the date, the party and what everybody weighs — at these altitudes payload is what moves a price. One request goes to all 3 of them at once. Nothing is charged, and you are tied to nobody until you accept a quote.

Get quotes from 3 operators

Highlights

  • Flies when fixed-wing cannot
  • Priced per aircraft, not per seat
  • Typically airborne within a few hours of request

Questions about this route

What is the weight limit on this flight?

Operators on this route cap passengers at about 75 kg including your day bag, and you will be weighed at check-in. Helicopter performance drops sharply with altitude — this route reaches 12,000 ft, so the limit is a safety figure, not a guideline.

How long does the whole thing take?

About 55m door to door. Departures are early: Himalayan valleys cloud over as the day warms.

When is the best time to fly this route?

Year-round

What if the weather closes in?

You are not charged for a flight that does not happen. The operator will offer you the next time that works or give all your money back. No good operator flies into poor conditions in these valleys.

How do I get a price, and when do I pay?

Nothing on this page books a flight. You send one request with your date, how many people and their weights. Every licensed operator that can fly it comes back with a price, usually within a few hours. You compare those prices side by side and accept the one you want. Only accepting makes a booking, and only then do you owe anything. The figures on this page are a guide, taken from the prices operators publish.

Not sure which operator to pick?

Tell us your dates and group size and we will come back with the options that actually have availability.

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