Season calendar
Flying in Nepal in December
6 of the flights on this platform are published as running in December. December falls in the winter window (December – February), when visibility is very good, cold and cancellations are low to moderate. These are the seasons operators publish for their own routes, not a forecast: a Himalayan morning is decided at first light on the day, in any month of the year.
- Window
- WinterDecember – February
- Visibility
- Very good, cold
- Cancellations
- Low to moderate
Clear and quiet, with the fewest other aircraft in the valley. Dawn temperatures at Kala Patthar run to −20 °C, and occasional western disturbances close the Khumbu for a day or two.
The flying day in December: 06:47 to 17:11
- First light
- 06:22
- Sunrise
- 06:47
- Sunset
- 17:11
- Daylight
- 10h 24m
In mid-December the sun rises over Kathmandu at about 06:47 and sets at 17:11 — 10h 24m of daylight, with usable light from around 06:22 and until about 17:37. That is the shortest flying day of the year here — 3h 29m less than June. These are horizon times at sea level: Kathmandu sits in a bowl and most landing sites sit in a gorge, so the sun clears the ridge later than this and drops behind it earlier. Charters here are flown at first light because the valleys cloud over as the day warms, which makes the front of this window the part worth booking.
In season in December
6 flights operators publish for December
Routes that name this month as one of their best come first. Every row carries the operator's own wording.
- Annapurna Base Camp Helicopter TourIn seasonOperator season: Oct–Dec and Mar–Apr · 2h door to door
- Everest Base Camp Helicopter TourIn seasonOperator season: Mar–May and Sep–Dec · 4h door to door
- Everest Region Medical EvacuationFlies year-roundOperator season: Year-round, 24/7 on-call · 1h 10m door to door
- Lukla – Kathmandu CharterFlies year-roundOperator season: Year-round · 55m door to door
- Pathibhara Temple HelicopterIn seasonOperator season: Oct–May · 1h 30m door to door
- Muktinath Darshan HelicopterFlies year-roundOperator season: Year-round, best Sep–Nov · 2h 30m door to door
Out of season in December
What the operators do not publish for December
Out of season is not the same as impossible — it is the operator saying this is not the month they would choose.
- Langtang Valley Helicopter TourOperator season: Mar–May and Oct–Nov · 2h 30m door to door
- Gosaikunda Lake Helicopter TourOperator season: Sep–Nov, and Aug for Janai Purnima · 2h door to door
- Upper Mustang & Lo Manthang TourOperator season: Mar–Nov · 4h door to door
- Everest Base Camp Landing TourOperator season: Apr–May and Oct–Nov · 4h 20m door to door
Asked about December
December, in detail
Which helicopter flights run in Nepal in December?
6 of the routes on this platform are published as in season in December: Annapurna Base Camp Helicopter Tour, Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour, Everest Region Medical Evacuation, Lukla – Kathmandu Charter, Pathibhara Temple Helicopter, Muktinath Darshan Helicopter. Those seasons are what the operators flying each route publish, not a forecast — every Himalayan departure is still decided at first light on the day.
What is the weather like for flying in Nepal in December?
December falls in the winter window, December – February. Visibility across that window is very good, cold and cancellations are low to moderate. Clear and quiet, with the fewest other aircraft in the valley. Dawn temperatures at Kala Patthar run to −20 °C, and occasional western disturbances close the Khumbu for a day or two.
What time does the sun rise and set in Nepal in December?
In mid-December the sun rises over Kathmandu at about 06:47 and sets at 17:11 — 10h 24m of daylight, with usable light from around 06:22 and until about 17:37. That is the shortest flying day of the year here — 3h 29m less than June.
Will a helicopter flight be cancelled in December?
It can be, in any month. Himalayan valleys build cloud and wind from mid-morning every day of the year, so a flight is released at first light against that morning's conditions — and in the winter window cancellations are low to moderate. Nobody is charged for a flight that does not happen: operators offer the next workable slot or refund in full.
Travelling in December?
Leave a number. A dispatcher rings back with what is genuinely flyable on your dates, how many spare days to keep, and what happens to your money if the morning goes against you.