Reach Mardi Himal Base Camp from Pokhara in about fifteen minutes, land for a 360° Annapurna panorama, and be back at your hotel by 8:15 AM: about two hours, door to door. Priced per person from USD 500 (full group of five) up to USD 2,300 (flying solo). No trekking, no altitude grind, all ages. Everything you need below: cost, route, what to expect, landing versus fly-by, and how to book.
The tour flies up the same valley the trek walks for five days, over Phewa Lake, the forested ridges above Pokhara, and the Gurung villages, before the Annapurna wall opens up: Machhapuchhre (Fishtail), Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Mardi Himal itself at 5,587 m. Departure follows a fixed early-morning schedule, though timing is variable due to weather and air traffic, so treat the times below as a guide.
We collect you from your Pokhara hotel and transfer you to the domestic terminal for check-in and the pre-flight safety briefing.
Lift off from Pokhara airport and climb fast over Phewa Lake, forested ridges, and Gurung villages toward the Annapurna wall.
Touch down at Mardi Himal Base Camp (4,500 m) for a 30-minute photography stop, with a 360° panorama of Machhapuchhre, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Mardi Himal.
Lift off again for a fresh angle on the valleys and ridgelines on the return leg to Pokhara airport.
Touch down at Pokhara airport after the return flight.
Transfer back to your Pokhara hotel. The rest of the morning, and the day, is yours.
Flying solo, you cover the full private rate for the helicopter.
Highest per-person rate, whole aircraft to yourself.Per person, splitting the same flight two ways.
USD 2,360 total for the pair.Per person, a small-group flight.
USD 2,400 total for the three.Per person, four of the five seats filled.
USD 2,400 total for the four.Per person, a full helicopter, the lowest per-head rate we offer.
USD 2,500 total for the group of five.Priced per person, by group size. The helicopter seats five, and the total flight cost is split across however many passengers join, so the fare per head drops the more people fly together: flying solo is the most expensive per person, a full group of five the cheapest. Prices above are per person for the Pokhara tour. Indicative 2026 figures move with fuel and season, so we confirm the exact rate when we check availability for your date. Deposit and cancellation terms are on the booking policy.
It is cold at the landing site even in summer. Wear a warm jacket, hat, and gloves, and bring sunglasses for the snow glare. The cabin is small, so leave big bags at the hotel.
You climb from 820 m to around 4,500 m in under fifteen minutes. Move slowly at the landing site, do not run for photos, and tell us beforehand about any heart, lung, or blood-pressure condition.
A phone is fine; a zoom lens is better. Keep the strap on, the door may be opened for photos. The best light is the early-morning slot you flew in for.
Flights are weather and air-traffic dependent and can shift or postpone at short notice, even within a fixed morning schedule. Keep a flexible morning, and ideally a spare day in Pokhara, so a cloudy start does not cost you the flight.
The flight always lifts off from Pokhara, because that is where the Annapurna foothills begin and the 15-minute hop to the ridge is possible. The only thing that changes is how you reach Pokhara.
Already in Pokhara? Then it is a single two-hour morning: 6:30 AM hotel pickup, flight from the domestic terminal, the landing at Mardi Himal Base Camp, and back to your hotel by 8:15 AM. The per-person prices above are for this Pokhara start.
No need for an expensive direct charter from Kathmandu. Flying via Pokhara is far more cost-effective, especially once you share the aircraft with others. Get to Pokhara, stay the night, and fly the tour the next clear morning. We can bundle the Pokhara connection and a night's hotel into the package, then get you back to Kathmandu the same afternoon.
A same-day round trip from Kathmandu is possible if you take the first morning flight down, but an overnight in Pokhara is far safer: it gives the weather a window to clear, and a grounded flight does not cost you the whole trip.
The standard Mardi Himal tour. The helicopter sets down at Mardi Himal Base Camp for a 30-minute photography stop so you can stand in the snow, photograph the panorama, and feel the altitude. This is what most people book.
A shorter option that stays airborne, banking past the peaks without landing. Cheaper and quicker, useful when landing sites are snowed in or weather is marginal, but you do not step out onto the mountain. Ask us if you prefer this.
The tour is priced per person, and the rate depends on how many passengers share the 5-seat helicopter. Flying solo costs USD 2,300; with two people it drops to USD 1,180 each; three passengers pay USD 800 each; four pay USD 600 each; and a full group of five pays USD 500 each, the lowest per-person rate. Prices are indicative for 2026 and move with fuel and season; we confirm the exact figure when we check availability for your date.
Yes. The tour is priced per person by group size rather than as a single fixed charter rate, so you can fly solo, as a couple, or with a group of up to five. Flying alone costs more per head (USD 2,300), because you cover the whole aircraft yourself; two people pay USD 1,180 each, and the per-person rate keeps falling as more of the five seats fill. We may also try to combine solo travellers or couples with others flying on the same date to bring the price down, though a shared departure cannot be guaranteed.
At Mardi Himal Base Camp, around 4,500 metres (about 14,760 ft), with the exact spot depending on snow and the safe landing site on the day. You spend about 30 minutes on the ground for photos and the panorama before flying back.
The flying is about 15 minutes each way, with a 30-minute stop at Mardi Himal Base Camp. Door to door from your Pokhara hotel it is about two hours, following a fixed early-morning schedule (6:30 AM pickup to 8:15 AM drop-off), though timing shifts with weather and air traffic.
The tour itself departs Pokhara. From Kathmandu you connect first by a 25-minute flight or a 6 to 7-hour drive to Pokhara, then join the heli tour. A direct private charter from Kathmandu is possible but considerably more expensive, so most travellers fly to Pokhara first.
No. The tour suits all ages and fitness levels with no trekking required. Because you reach altitude quickly, avoid rushing around at the landing site, and tell us in advance about any heart, lung, or blood-pressure conditions.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) have the most stable weather and clearest views. Winter flies on clear days but is cold with possible snow; the monsoon (June to August) is the least reliable for visibility.
Tell us your dates and group size and we will check availability, confirm the per-person price, and hold your slot. Flights fill in peak season, so the earlier you ask, the better.
