Simrik Air Everest Helicopter Tour

Simrik Air is a Kathmandu helicopter company established in 2001, which describes itself as a pioneer in Nepali aviation and cites a strong record in high-altitude rescue. Its fleet includes three Airbus H125 helicopters, single-engine machines that carry five passengers and are designed to perform at very high altitude and land in small spaces, as well as a four-seat Bell 505 Jet Ranger X. Alongside charter and rescue work, it runs an Everest helicopter tour that takes passengers from Kathmandu into the Khumbu region and back in a single morning, which unlike a fixed-wing mountain flight includes landings in the mountains.

The tour departs from the domestic terminal helipad at Tribhuvan International Airport. On the standard route the helicopter heads east over Nagarkot, Panchkhal, Charikot, Jiri and Junbesi to Lukla, the gateway to the Everest region, where it refuels and passengers can freshen up. When the weather is cloudy, the pilots follow an alternative route via Ramechhap and Okhaldhunga along the Dudh Koshi River.

From Lukla the flight continues past peaks and camps in the Everest region, including Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Makalu, towards Gokyo, Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar. Simrik Air says the flight passes within one or two nautical miles of Everest, over the Khumbu Icefall. A breakfast stop of 30 to 45 minutes at Kongde or at the Hotel Everest View gives time to take in the view on the ground; whether breakfast comes before or after the sightseeing loop depends on the number of passengers, their combined weight and the weather. The helicopter then returns to Lukla to refuel before flying back to Kathmandu. The whole tour takes about three hours.

The tour suits travellers short of time, those who cannot trek at altitude, and anyone celebrating a special occasion. Besides sightseeing, the company flies medical evacuations, rescue missions, pilgrimage tours, sling operations, aerial surveys, firefighting, skydiving and heli-skiing.

Simrik Air's office is at Puspa Marg in Tinkune, Kathmandu, and it has a dedicated airport line as well as hotlines for bookings. The company is ISO certified, and it publishes its packages and mountain flight options on its website.