Description
The helicopters used are modern French Ecureuil AS 350s and can reach altitudes up to 16,000ft, giving the scope to reach some truly wonderful parts of remote Nepal.
This itinerary is given as an example of what can be achieved in a two week journey – anything can also be tailored to suit your individual needs and for instance you can simply add a helicopter component to a standard tour of Nepal such as a flight around Everest Base Camp. This tour blends breathtaking helicopter journeys with the chance to add some trekking in both the Annapurna and Everest regions. But instead of simply flying in and out of the mountains, you are offered more of an interaction with the destination, giving a chance to see at first hand the wonderful village life of the local communities.
This journey starts with a 2 night stay in Kathmandu in the glorious Dwarikas hotel. You will have the chance to see the sights and sounds of Kathmandu whilst acclimatising to the country. The evening before you fly to the Everest region, you will have dinner in the infamous Rum Doodle Restaurant, where most mountaineers dine before heading off on expeditions.
The next day, there is a short flight to Lukla, the gateway to the Everest region where you will meet your guide for this portion of your journey, who is an Everest Summiteer and will no doubt recount fascinating stories about the places you will visit and bring the whole experience to life. You will be staying in the very comfortable Everest Summit Lodges with cosy en suite rooms which are run by friendly staff. Your route into the Everest region follows the main trail towards Base Camp and you will have overnight stops stop in Monjo and Namche Bazaar. Whilst in Namche, you will have a day at leisure to help you acclimatise where you can possibly visit the Saturday market or take the opportunity to walk up to Sir Edmund Hillary’s school in Khumjung where he did sterling work for the local communities of the Everest region.
The trail continues to Tashinga for the night, before your helicopter will arrive and take you towards the highest mountains in the world passing stunning mountains such as Ama Dablam, Nuptse and Lhotse before overflying Everest Base Camp. You will make a short stop at Tengboche where there is a stunning Buddhist Monastery and if you are lucky you can listen to the morning prayers. You will then fly via Kathmandu (to refuel) and onto Pokhara, the gateway to the stunning Annapurna Range.
The following day you will take off from Pokhara and firstly stop in the Gandaki Gorge, one of the deepest in the world offering staggering views in every direction. The helicopter will then overfly the Annapurna Sanctuary where you are surrounded by a ring of mountains all over 7000 metres – it is one of the most amazing mountain vistas to be found anywhere in the world.
Your helicopter will then land in the village of Ghandruk where you will spend the next two nights walking back towards Pokhara whilst staying in very comfortable Ker & Downey Lodges. Your final two nights can be spent relaxing and recuperating in the lovely Tiger Mountain Lodge which has wonderful views of the mountain range you have just ventured into the heart of.
After a short flight back to Kathmandu you will have a final two nights for some more sightseeing, shopping or simply sitting by the pool at Dwarikas looking at your huge collection of absolutely unforgettable images of the high Himalaya - up close and per
Guide price
£9,515 Per person
£9,515 Per person for 14 nights, based on 2 people sharing on a full board basis in the mountains (including some house wines and spirits in the Ker & Downey Lodges), and a B&B basis in Kathmandu and Pokhara, including a private car & local guides for sightseeing, private helicopter flights, transfers & International flights with Jet Airways.
Itinerary
Location and directions
Nepal
