This flight links the two most important Hindu pilgrimage sites of the trans-Himalaya in a single morning.
Muktinath (3,760 m), above the Kali Gandaki in Mustang, is one of the eight svayam vyakta kshetras — the self-manifested shrines of Vishnu — and the only place where all five elements are said to be present. Damodar Kunda (4,890 m) is a chain of sacred lakes far out on the Tibetan plateau, source of the shaligram ammonites venerated across the subcontinent.
Reaching Damodar Kunda on foot takes a fortnight of camping across restricted country. By helicopter it is forty minutes from Muktinath over the Damodar Himal. The flight lands at both sites, allowing time for darshan at the Muktinath temple and its 108 water spouts before continuing north over the plateau.
The Flight at a Glance
| Duration | Half a day, early morning |
| Landings | Muktinath 3,760 m and Damodar Kunda 4,890 m |
| Departs | Pokhara |
| Difficulty | Easy — no walking, but 4,890 m with no acclimatisation |
| Best season | October to November, April to June |
| Pickup | 5.30 to 6.30 am from your hotel |
| Permits | ACAP and the Damodar Kunda restricted-area permit, included |
| Price | From USD 1,450 per person |
We run it as a one-day flight from Pokhara. For Muktinath alone by air, see the Muktinath helicopter tour; on foot, the Muktinath pilgrimage tour.
The Two Sites
Muktinath (3,760 m)
The temple complex sits above the Kali Gandaki in a valley of poplar and barley. The 108 water spouts run around the back of the shrine, fed by the Gandaki, and pilgrims bathe under all of them in sequence. Beside the spring an eternal flame burns on natural gas — which is why the site is said to hold all five elements at once.
It is sacred to Buddhists as well as Hindus, unusually and visibly so: the complex includes a Buddhist gompa, and Tibetan Buddhists know the place as Chumig Gyatsa, the hundred waters.
Damodar Kunda (4,890 m)
Forty minutes further north over the Damodar Himal and out onto the plateau proper. The lakes are associated with Vishnu, and the black ammonite fossils found in the area — shaligram — are venerated as his aniconic form across the subcontinent.
The setting is austere in a way that nothing on the southern side of the range is: no vegetation, no settlement, no shelter, and Tibet a short distance north. Nepali pilgrims walk up in the summer months; most of the year it is entirely empty.
Altitude and Who Should Not Go
4,890 m with no acclimatisation is the highest landing on any of our pilgrimage flights, and it deserves respect. You go from Pokhara at 822 m to the plateau in under two hours.
- Move very slowly at Damodar Kunda. The ground time is deliberately short for this reason.
- Supplementary oxygen and a first aid kit are carried on board, and pilots are trained to respond to altitude symptoms.
- Heart or lung conditions are a reason to take the Muktinath-only flight instead. Talk to us before booking.
- Older pilgrims often manage Muktinath comfortably and find Damodar Kunda hard. That is normal, and the aircraft is right there.
Read our altitude guide before booking, and the Muktinath guide for the site itself.
What It Costs
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 1 traveller | USD 2,030 |
| 2 to 4 | USD 1,800 |
| 5 to 7 | USD 1,655 |
| 8 to 10 | USD 1,565 |
| 11 to 14 | USD 1,510 |
| 15 and over | USD 1,450 |
The restricted-area permit for the Damodar Kunda sector is included — reaching it by any other means requires a full trekking permit package and about two weeks.
What Is Included
- Private vehicle transfers between your hotel and the helipad.
- Annapurna Conservation Area permit and all landing fees.
- Restricted-area permit for the Damodar Kunda sector.
- An experienced mountain pilot and ground crew; a licensed guide accompanies groups on request.
- Supplementary oxygen and a first aid kit carried on board.
- Time on the ground at both Muktinath and Damodar Kunda.
- All government taxes and service charges.
What Is Not Included
- Personal travel and evacuation insurance covering helicopter activity — check the wording carefully.
- Meals not specified in the itinerary.
- Offerings, puja donations and priest fees at Muktinath.
- Any additional night's accommodation caused by a weather postponement.
- Drinks, snacks, laundry, phone calls and souvenirs.
- Tips for the guide and driver.
- Any additional cost caused by flight delays, roadblocks, weather or other circumstances beyond our control.
If you intend to perform a full puja at Muktinath, tell us at booking — the ground time can be extended, which affects the aircraft schedule and therefore the price.
