Langtang Helicopter Day Tour
- Duration
- 1 day
- Max altitude
- 4,300 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
- $845.00
Overview
Langtang is thirty minutes north of Kathmandu by helicopter, which makes it the cheapest way to stand in a high Himalayan valley from the capital. It is also a valley that lost almost everything in 2015, when the earthquake brought down a section of hanging glacier that buried Langtang village. What is there now was rebuilt by the people who survived it, and going there puts money directly into that.
The landing is at Kyanjin Gompa at 3,870 m, below Langtang Lirung at 7,227 m, with the Langtang glacier running up behind. On a clear morning the pilot can continue to a higher point for a wider view.
Trip highlights
- A landing at Kyanjin Gompa, 3,870 m, below Langtang Lirung
- Thirty minutes from Kathmandu, the nearest high valley by air
- The Langtang glacier and the Tibetan border ridge behind it
- An optional higher set down towards Tserko Ri at 4,300 m
- Money that goes into a valley rebuilt after 2015
- The most affordable of the three helicopter tours
Day by day
The itinerary
-
Day 1: Kathmandu to Kyanjin Gompa and back 4,300 m 2 to 3 hours door to door hrs Noneincluded
Picked up from your hotel at about 6.30am for the domestic terminal. Langtang flies early for the same reason everything in the Himalaya does: the cloud comes up the valley by mid morning.
North out of the valley
Over the Shivapuri ridge, then up the Trishuli and into the Langtang Khola. About thirty minutes. You pass over Syabrubesi and Lama Hotel, the roadhead and the first night stop for trekkers walking in.
Langtang village
The pilot will point out the site. In April 2015 an ice and rock avalanche off Langtang Lirung crossed the valley and destroyed the village almost entirely. The rebuilt settlement sits slightly away from the old ground. It is worth knowing before you look at it.
Kyanjin Gompa
The landing is on the flat by the lodges at 3,870 m, and you get about twenty minutes. Langtang Lirung at 7,227 m fills the sky to the north west, the glacier runs up the valley behind, and Tserko Ri rises on the far side.
The higher option
If the weather and payload allow, the pilot can set down higher on the Tserko Ri shoulder at around 4,300 m for a wider look down the whole valley. This is at the pilot's discretion on the day and is not guaranteed.
Back at your hotel by about 9.30am.
What's included
Included
- Included: Return hotel transfer to the domestic terminal
- Included: Helicopter flight Kathmandu to Kyanjin Gompa and back
- Included: Landing at Kyanjin Gompa, weather and payload permitting
- Included: Langtang National Park entry permit
- Included: Supplementary oxygen on board
- Included: A Soulful Nepal representative with you at the terminal
- Included: All government taxes and administrative charges
Not included
- Not included: Meals and beverages, though tea at a Kyanjin lodge is a good idea and costs very little
- Not included: Tips for the crew, your representative and driver
- Not included: Travel insurance covering helicopter travel and activity to 4,400 m
- Not included: The higher Tserko Ri set down if it requires additional flying time
- Not included: Anything not listed under what is included
Know before you go
Suitability & requirements
- ⚠ Prakash: derived from a charter cost of roughly USD 2,200 for up to five passengers plus the park permit and handling. Confirm against your operator's quote before this page goes public.
At 3,870 m most people are comfortable, and this is the easiest of the three helicopter tours on the body. Even so, if you have a heart or lung condition, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or are pregnant, tell us and speak to your own doctor.
The valley narrows and the weather in it changes fast. Cancellations happen and the pilot decides. Full refund if nothing flies.
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 | $2,400.00 | base rate |
| 2 trekkers | $1,250.00 | $1,150.00 |
| 3 to 5 trekkers | $845.00 | $1,555.00 |
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.
Traveller reviews
What trekkers say
Why book with us
Every trail, one licensed team
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