Skydiving in Nepal, real but rarely running
Jumps over the Himalaya only happen in organised windows. Find out how it works before you build a trip around skydiving.
By the Lakeshore team · 4 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
Skydiving over the Nepali Himalaya does exist, and the photos explain the appeal: freefall with eight-thousanders on the horizon.
But you can't walk up and book it, and that's the misunderstanding we hear about most often. Visitors read a blog listing it among Pokhara's adventure sports, arrive expecting to book it for Tuesday, and find nothing running.
So find out the dates first, and build the trip around them, not the other way round.
How the jumps are organised
Himalayan skydiving runs as organised events in set windows. Operators bring together aircraft, rigs and experienced jump staff for a season or a set of dates, and outside those dates nothing runs.
That comes down to altitude, aircraft availability and the small size of the market. Jumping at Himalayan altitudes needs specialist equipment, and oxygen for the higher drops, which a small operation can't keep standing by all year. So the useful question is when it's next scheduled, and the answer changes from year to year.
What it costs and what you get
Far more than skydiving anywhere ordinary, because of the aircraft, the altitude and the logistics. It's one of the more expensive single experiences you can buy in Nepal.
Tandem is the norm for visitors. Experienced solo jumpers with current licences and altitude experience are handled differently and should talk to the operator directly.
Drop zones have included high-altitude sites in the Everest region and lower ones near Pokhara, which are very different propositions in cost and in how much acclimatisation you need.
What to do instead, most of the year
Tandem paragliding off Sarangkot. You get thirty minutes in the air instead of a few minutes of freefall, for a fraction of the price, and it flies almost every day of the dry season. For most people it's the better experience, as well as the one that's running.
The long ultralight flight, if you're there for the mountains more than the sensation. It takes you up level with the Annapurna wall.
A helicopter tour, if budget isn't the constraint and you want to land somewhere.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
Can I skydive in Pokhara this week?
Almost certainly not, unless an event happens to be running. Ask us and we'll check what's scheduled for your dates.
Is it safe?
Operators running Himalayan jumps use experienced staff and specialist equipment, and that's what the price pays for. Altitude adds complexity that ordinary skydiving doesn't have.
Do I need experience?
Not for a tandem. Licensed solo jumpers have to show the operator they're current and have altitude experience.
What is the realistic alternative?
Paragliding. It's running, it's cheap by comparison, and thirty minutes in the air over Phewa is a better morning than most people expect. We book tandem flights with certified pilots, hotel pickup included.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates, and we'll tell you whether Sarangkot Tandem Paragliding is right for you. If it isn't, we'll say so.
Nothing to pay online. We confirm your dates first.
Or call the office +977 61-457830