Himalaya flight

A number of private airlines offer mountain flights with panoramic views of the Himalayas. The flights take off from Kathmandu airport in the early morning for an hour's worth of spectacular mountain scenery. The flight tickets can be pre-booked at any travel agency in Kathmandu (US$ 100 to US$ 130).

I got up early and arrived at the airport at 7am. Although I was planning to return to the very same airport later that morning I had to pay the domestic departure tax (NLP 170 or EUR 2) before being allowed to the departures lounge. At around 8am, I boarded the Buddha Air plane. After take-off the plane climbed for a while and eventually left the Kathmandu's smog behind. Suddenly, the Himalayas were visible on our left and we appeared to be really close.

The flight altitude was 8,000 metres, more or less level with the snow-covered mountain peaks just outside my window. It was a beautiful experience to fly along the impressive mountain peaks. Access to the cockpit was not only possible but also encouraged during the flight. As one would expect, the view from there was even better.

We flew past the summits of Gosain Than (8,013m) and Cho-Oyo (8,201m) before we reached the Everest (8,848m), flanked by the Lhotse (8,516m) and Makalu (8,463m). We turned north and headed straight for the Everest for a while, before turning west and back towards Kathmandu. Now the passengers on the right side of the plane could enjoy the Himalayas. However, by than the windows had started to freeze so I'd recommend to sit on the left side of the plane.

The Everest flight is a sparkling clear journey across the world's highest peaks including Mt. Everest. Buddha Air offers a panoramic view of the Himalayas in just about one hour.
Buddha Air leaflet

Check out Mountain flights for more details on the various airlines

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