Adi Kailash and Om Parvat Yatra by Helicopter

Highlights & Route

Until a few years ago the Adi Kailash yatra meant a week or more on the border roads above Dharchula. A helicopter link between Pithoragarh and Gunji now makes the same darshan possible in four days, with the two high-altitude nights kept in and the long drives taken out. This programme is for yatris who are fit enough for 3,200 m but do not have the time, or the back, for eight days in a 4×4.

You spend the first night in Pithoragarh, where the district hospital does the fitness check that the tourism authorities require of every passenger flying into the valley, and where we brief you on the days ahead. The flight to Gunji on the second morning passes the Adi Kailash massif, so your first darshan is from the air. After a night of rest at Gunji, a short sortie takes you to Nabidhang for Om Parvat, with time on the ground at the viewpoint before you return. The fourth morning you fly back to Pithoragarh. The same hospital screening, Inner Line Permit and village homestays apply as for the road yatra; only the travel is different.

We want to be honest about two things. First, Gunji homestays are simple: shared rooms, bucket hot water, a few hours of electricity and almost no phone signal. Second, helicopter days in this valley are governed by the weather and by operator schedules that are released in blocks. We keep oxygen and a medical kit at the base, our coordinator stays with the group, and we ask every yatri to keep a buffer day at each end.

Route

Pithoragarh → (helicopter, aerial darshan of Adi Kailash) Gunji / Napalchu → (helicopter) Nabidhang for Om Parvat → Gunji / Napalchu → (helicopter) Pithoragarh

Good to know before you book

• Indian citizens only. Everyone landing at Gunji needs an Inner Line Permit, which we file for you once your medical certificate, affidavit and police verification reach us about a month before travel.
• The medical check at Pithoragarh district hospital on Day 1 is compulsory; a yatri who does not clear it cannot fly into the valley.
• The Adi Kailash season in 2026 ran from 1 May to November, paused in July and August. Helicopter dates inside the season are published by the operator and the tourism department in blocks.
• Only a small bag is allowed on the helicopter, and passenger weights are capped by the operator. Pack warm clothes, medicines and essentials only.
• Carry cash for the valley; there are no ATMs or card machines above Dharchula.
• Phone signal at Gunji is BSNL-only and unreliable. Tell your family you may be out of touch for two or three days.

Darshan, puja and timing notes

There are no fixed temple timings on this yatra; the mountains set the clock. Om Parvat is clearest in the first hours after sunrise, before cloud rises from the Kali valley, which is why the Nabidhang sortie on Day 3 is the earliest flight of the programme. Adi Kailash is seen from the helicopter on Day 2, so ask to sit on the side our coordinator suggests at boarding.

• Puja at the viewpoint: there is no priest at Nabidhang. Carry a small diya, agarbatti, roli and a little prasad in your bag so the family can do a short puja and aarti facing Om Parvat. Light the diya inside a cup; the wind is strong.
• Temples in the valley: the Manokamna temple at Nabi near Gunji and the Kali temple at Kalapani, near the source of the Kali river, are visited if time and the operator’s schedule allow. The Shiv–Parvati temple at Jolingkong is not on this plan.
• Season: the valley opens after the snow clears, usually in May, and the 2026 season was reported to begin in early May with a monsoon break in July–August. Helicopter dates are released in blocks by the operator and the state. Dates for 2027 have not been announced yet; we will publish them as soon as they are.
• Best months: late May–June and September–October give the clearest mornings. October nights at Gunji drop below freezing.

Is this yatra right for you?

Flying removes the long drives, not the altitude. You land at about 3,200 m within an hour of leaving Pithoragarh, and Nabidhang is higher still. Healthy adults who walk daily usually manage well with a slow first afternoon. The permit age range set by the district administration has recently been about 10 to 70 years, and the Pithoragarh hospital check is compulsory.

It is not the right yatra if anyone has heart or lung disease, uncontrolled blood pressure or diabetes, or cannot cope with very basic homestays. For them, our Adi Kailash and Om Parvat Aerial Darshan flies over the valley and returns without landing. If your sankalp includes Parvati Kund and the Jolingkong temple, choose a programme with a Jolingkong landing or a road yatra (see below). Our Adi Kailash permit guide explains the documents, and the Hindi page on Adi Kailash yatra is useful for elders.

How this differs from our other Adi Kailash yatras

Our page Adi Kailash and Om Parvat Darshan by Helicopter from Pithoragarh describes the same four-day helicopter plan; you can enquire from either page and receive the same quote. If you are still deciding between this and the Tibet yatra, read Adi Kailash vs Kailash Mansarovar.

Getting there

Pithoragarh has no railway; Kathgodam station is about 190 km and seven to eight hours away by road, and Tanakpur is another rail option. Most yatris arrive a day early, sleep in Pithoragarh or on the way, and are fresh for the hospital check on Day 1. Keep the day after Day 4 free in case a weather delay holds the return flight.