Everest Mountain Flight
- Duration
- 1 day
- Max altitude
- 7,600 m
- Difficulty
-
Easy
Difficulty scale
- Easy Short walking days on good trails below about 3,000 m. Suitable for anyone in ordinary health, including families.
- Moderate 5 to 6 hours a day with some steep sections, reaching up to about 4,000 m. A reasonable level of fitness and a few weeks of preparation walking recommended.
- Strenuous 6 to 8 hours a day, high passes or altitudes above 5,000 m, and remote stretches. Good fitness, prior trekking experience and proper acclimatisation days are essential.
- Very strenuous Long days, multiple high passes or technical sections, sustained time above 5,000 m. For experienced, well-conditioned trekkers only.
- Best season
- Autumn (Sep–Nov) · Spring (Mar–May) · Winter (Dec–Feb)
- Group
- Private
- From
- $265.00
Overview
A scheduled aircraft leaves Kathmandu early, flies east along the main Himalayan chain and turns around in front of Everest before coming back. It takes about an hour and you are back at your hotel for breakfast.
This is the option for people who want to see the mountain but do not have two weeks, or who cannot go to altitude for medical reasons. Every seat on these flights is a window seat, and the cabin crew rotate passengers through the cockpit for a few moments each so everyone gets the head on view.
Trip highlights
- Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu and Kanchenjunga in one hour
- A window seat for every passenger, no middle seats sold
- A turn in the cockpit for the head on view of Everest
- No altitude gain, so no acclimatisation and no altitude risk
- Back in Kathmandu by breakfast
Day by day
The itinerary
-
Day 1: Early flight from Kathmandu along the Himalaya to Everest 7,600 m 3 hours door to door, about 1 hour flying hrs Alightsnackonboard
Picked up from your hotel at about 5.45am. These flights go first thing because the air is clearest and the mountain is least likely to be in cloud.
At the domestic terminal
Check in, security, and a wait in the departure lounge. Your representative stays with you through this, which matters because Kathmandu domestic departures are not self explanatory.
The flight
About an hour in total. The aircraft climbs east out of the valley and runs along the range: Langtang Lirung, Dorje Lakpa, Gauri Shankar, then into the Khumbu with Cho Oyu, Nuptse, Everest and Lhotse, and Makalu beyond. On a very clear morning Kanchenjunga shows at the far eastern end.
The aircraft turns roughly level with the summit pyramid, which is why the cruise is around 7,600 m rather than higher. The cabin is pressurised and there is nothing to do but look.
Everyone has a window. The crew will bring you forward to the flight deck for a minute or two in turn.
Back at your hotel by about 8.30am, with the day still in front of you.
Delays and cancellations happen, because the flight will not go if the visibility along the range is poor. If it is cancelled we will try the next morning, and if that is not possible you are refunded in full.
What's included
Included
- Included: Return hotel transfer to the domestic terminal at Tribhuvan International Airport
- Included: One hour scheduled mountain flight, window seat guaranteed
- Included: A Soulful Nepal representative with you through check in and departure
- Included: Airport departure tax on the domestic sector
- Included: A light snack on board and a certificate of flight
- Included: All government taxes and administrative charges
Not included
- Not included: Breakfast, since you are back before most hotels stop serving
- Not included: Tips for your driver and representative
- Not included: Travel insurance
- Not included: Anything not listed under what is included
Know before you go
Suitability & requirements
- ⚠ Prakash: this price assumes roughly USD 230 to USD 250 at the airline's current published fare plus our handling. Confirm the fare you actually hold with the carrier before this page goes public.
This flight is entirely weather dependent. December and January give the clearest air but also the most fog on the ground at Kathmandu, which causes delays. October, November and March are the best balance. During the monsoon the flight is often not worth taking and we will say so.
If the airline cancels for weather, you are refunded in full or moved to the next morning, whichever you prefer.
Your team
Led by a licensed guide
Every route is led by a government-licensed guide from our team. Licences are on record with us before departure, and you'll meet your guide once your trip is confirmed.
Guide language(s): English, Nepali
Group-size pricing
Walk together, pay less
Every trip is private, so the guide, permits and transfers cost the same however many walk. Sharing them is why the per-person price falls: arithmetic, not a sale.
| Group size | per person | You save each |
|---|---|---|
| 1 trekker | $265.00 | base rate |
| 2 to 6 trekkers | $265.00 | base rate |
| 7 or more | $255.00 | $10.00 |
Per person, including permits, park fees and taxes. Nothing is added at checkout.
Weather
What to expect, month by month
- Autumn (Sep–Nov)The most reliable trekking season: clear air, stable weather and cold nights, right after the monsoon clears.
- Spring (Mar–May)Warmer than autumn, with rhododendron forests in flower and slightly hazier mountain views as the season goes on.
- Winter (Dec–Feb)Cold and quiet, with the clearest skies of the year at lower altitude. High passes and very high routes are best avoided.
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