What helicopter services can you book in Nainital?
Helicopter flights for Nainital are planned around the Naukuchiatal helipad, about 25 km from the town, and helipads cleared for a particular flight. Our office is in Dehradun, and we arrange every service below for travellers in Nainital and the rest of Kumaon:
- Help with the scheduled helicopter service between Dehradun and Naukuchiatal.
- Private charters, helicopters on rent, wedding flights and flower showering.
- Air ambulance transfers, aerial filming and aerial survey.
- The helicopter yatra to Kedarnath, Badrinath, the Chardham and Hemkund Sahib, planned from Dehradun.
Dehradun to Nainital by helicopter
Since March 2025 the Naukuchiatal helipad has been linked to Dehradun by a scheduled helicopter service under the UDAN scheme. The flight takes about 50 minutes, against a 6 to 7 hour drive. Fares and timings are set by the operator and can change, so send us your date and we will tell you what is running. See helicopter service in Dehradun for flights from the Dehradun end.
Elsewhere in Kumaon, scheduled helicopter services from Haldwani reach Almora, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Munsiyari.
Private helicopter charter in Nainital
A charter puts a helicopter at your group's disposal for a route and date you choose, flown by the operator cleared for that kind of flight:
- Private charter: business, VIP and point-to-point travel, quoted in writing by the operator.
- Helicopter on rent: hire a helicopter by the trip for travel, events or yatra.
- Helicopter for weddings: arrivals, guest transfers and departures for the couple.
- Flower showering for weddings, temples and inaugurations.
- Air ambulance transfers from the hills to hospitals.
- Film shooting: aerial cinematography with camera-mount support.
- Aerial survey: helicopter LiDAR for power lines, roads, forests and mountain terrain.
Landing near Nainital is possible only at a helipad cleared for the flight. If the helicopter has to come from Dehradun or Haldwani for your flight, that positioning is part of the price. See helicopter booking in India for every service we arrange.
Joy rides over Nainital
A short scenic flight from the Naukuchiatal helipad shows Naini Lake, Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal and Sattal, and the Kumaon Himalaya on a clear day. Scenic flights elsewhere in the Kumaon hills are arranged on enquiry. Seasons and what decides the price are on the Nainital helicopter joy ride page.
Helicopter yatra from Nainital
The yatra flights leave from Sahastradhara Helipad and Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, so pilgrims from Nainital start in Dehradun, by road or on the scheduled helicopter from Naukuchiatal. The main packages are:
- Chardham Yatra by Helicopter: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath in five nights and six days.
- Do Dham Yatra by Helicopter: Kedarnath and Badrinath in three nights and four days.
- Kedarnath helicopter yatra from Dehradun. The Kedarnath shuttle tickets themselves are booked on IRCTC.
- Badrinath yatra by helicopter, as a fixed-departure seat or a private charter.
- Hemkund Sahib yatra by helicopter, with the helicopter over the Govindghat to Ghangaria stretch.
The yatra departures leave early, so plan to reach Dehradun the day before.
How does booking work?
- Send the route, the date and the number of passengers.
- We come back with availability and a written quote from the operator cleared for that flight.
- You pay only after you accept the quote, and the confirmation names the departure point and reporting time.
Prices are on request, because they depend on the operator, the time in the air and where the helicopter flies from.
When do helicopters fly?
Charters and joy rides run in daylight and fair weather. Around Nainital, October to February gives the clearest air, March to June is the busy season with more haze, and the July to September monsoon cancels many flights. The yatra flights follow the temple season, from late April or May to October or November. For the rest of the state, see helicopter service in Uttarakhand.