Private Helicopter Charter in Nepal

Any two places

18 places, any pair.

These are the airports and landing sites operators fly most. Any two of them can be chartered, in either direction. A place not on the list? Give the desk a name or a coordinate and the operator says whether it is workable before pricing it.

Airports 7

Biratnagar: 72 mVNVT · BIR · Biratnagar
Nepalgunj: 165 mVNNG · KEP · Nepalgunj
Tumlingtar: 488 mVNTR · TMI · Tumlingtar
Pokhara: 827 mVNPK · PKR · Pokhara
Kathmandu: 1,338 mVNKT · KTM · Kathmandu
Jomsom: 2,736 mVNJS · JMO · Jomsom
Lukla: 2,845 mVNLK · LUA · Lukla

Heights are surveyed elevations, lowest first. Above about 12,000 ft the seat count stops being the answer: the weight of your group decides which aircraft can land there. Restricted areas such as Upper Mustang need a permit issued per aircraft, which takes several days.

Two ways to fly

The whole aircraft, or a seat.

Both end with a licensed operator flying you. The difference is whose timing the flight keeps, and how many seats you pay for.

An AS350 lifting off the helicopter apron at Lukla, the airstrip climbing away behind it.

Private charter

The helicopter is yours

You name the leg and the departure time, and operators price the whole aircraft for it. It is the only option for a sector nobody publishes, a time you choose, or work that is not sightseeing.

Up to five people, fewer at the high landings, depending on weight and temperature.
Priced per aircraft, not per seat.

The passenger cabin of a Nepali charter helicopter, rows of seats belted and empty.

Shared seat

One or two seats on a flight others are filling

Sharing puts you on a departure other travellers are already filling, at roughly an eighth of the price of the whole helicopter. Seat-share is often available on the Lukla transfer; ask the desk for your date.

The flight keeps its own departure time.
Restricted routes like Upper Mustang, and all rescue work, are whole-aircraft only.

A twin-engine charter helicopter coming in to land at Pokhara airport.

One way or return

Coming back? Say so when you ask.

A helicopter that drops you and flies home empty is billed for both legs either way. Tell the desk your plan and the quote is built around it.

Same-day return often costs close to half of two one-ways, because the aircraft is already paid for and waiting on the ground costs far less than a second positioning pair.
Overnight, the saving mostly disappears. The operator either flies the aircraft home or pays the crew to stay with it.
Return to a different place. Fly out of Kathmandu and come back to Pokhara, or the other way round. Choose the return place on the request.

How pricing works

We compare. You get the cheapest.

Operators set the rate. What you pay is decided by a few things underneath it, and the desk prices all of them at once.

You name the leg
From, to, the date, one way or return, and how many of you. Add your group's weight if you know it.
We ask every licensed operator
Every operator holding a current Air Operator Certificate that can fly your leg, checked before the request goes out.
You get the cheapest, itemised
The airline's price and our fee are separate lines on the quote. The operator's name is on your booking and your invoice. We aim to reply within four hours.
Nothing to pay until you accept
A quote you do not take costs nothing. Accepting it is what makes the booking.

What moves a charter quote

Weight. A helicopter lifts less the higher it climbs. At altitude your group's weight decides which aircraft can take you more often than the seat count does.
Positioning. If the aircraft is based in Kathmandu and your trip starts in Pokhara, someone pays for it to fly there empty. Asking every operator at once is how we find the one already near you.
Block time. Charter is billed engine start to engine stop, so a 55-minute sector is normally quoted as about 1.2 hours. Most operators also set a daily minimum of one to two hours.

The runway at Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla, in early light, the Dudh Koshi hills beyond.

The published example

Lukla ⇄ Kathmandu, when the planes cannot.

The most-requested charter in Nepal: out of Lukla when the fixed-wing flights are grounded, typically airborne within a few hours of the request.

Whole aircraft, from: US$2,600per flight, up to 5 people
Shared seat, from: US$599per person, when seats are shared
Flight time: 55 minVNLK → VNKT
Lukla: 2,845 mTenzing-Hillary Airport

The lowest fares the airlines publish for this leg, as a guide. Demand spikes whenever Lukla backs up, so prices on those days run higher. The quote you accept is the final figure.

Plan a transfer

Two places and a date.

The same request as the home page. Fill in what you know; the desk asks for the rest.

No account and no card.
We aim to come back within four hours.
Today or tomorrow? Call the desk on +977 98 6104 4994.

The leg

From

To

Seats

Trip

When and who

Date

Passengers

2

Combined weightAt altitude, weight decides which aircraft can take you.

Flight plan Kathmandu → LuklaService Private charter · One way

Nothing to pay until you accept a quote. The next page takes your name and how to reach you.

Questions

Chartering in Nepal.

The things people ask before naming a leg.

What is the difference between a charter and a tour?

A tour is a flight we already publish, with a typical fare on its page and the option to buy a single seat. A charter is you naming a leg, any two landing sites in Nepal, and operators pricing the whole aircraft for it. Tours are cheaper for the routes they cover. Charter is the only option for a sector nobody publishes, a departure time you choose, or work that is not sightseeing.

Can a helicopter land anywhere in Nepal?

Almost, and the limits are practical. A helicopter needs a level, firm site clear of obstacles and, at altitude, enough performance margin to lift off again, which is why high landings are made at established pads. Private land needs the owner's consent. Restricted areas such as Upper Mustang need a permit issued per aircraft, and those take several days.

How far ahead should I book?

A day is usually enough outside the two peak seasons, and same-day is normal for transfers. In October, November, March and April, aircraft are committed early and a fixed date wants two weeks or more. Allow three to five working days for a restricted-area permit.

Is a return cheaper than two one-way flights?

Almost always when you come back the same day, often by close to half, because the aircraft is already paid for. If you stay overnight the saving mostly disappears. Say which you intend when you ask.

How much luggage can I bring?

A helicopter has no separate hold, so everything on board is one number, and that number decides whether the aircraft can climb. On a transfer such as Lukla to Kathmandu, give your total baggage weight with the request and the flight is priced against it.

Who is responsible for the flight?

The operator. The aircraft, the crew, the Air Operator Certificate and the passenger liability cover belong to the operator whose quote you accept, and their name is on your booking and invoice. Go Heli Nepal is a booking service: we do not own aircraft or employ pilots.

One message

Name the leg. We do the comparing.

Send your two places, the date and who is flying. We ask every licensed operator that can fly it and come back with the cheapest, aiming within four hours.

Request a quote Desk, 24 hours +977 98 6104 4994

Charter a helicopter anywhere in Nepal.