The mountains are waiting.
A Pokhara expedition house for people who want the long way round — by balloon, on foot, and under canvas. Scroll, and take off with us.
Before first light
We inflate at 5 a.m. on the Pame flats, while the lake is still black and the burners are the only warm thing in the valley.
The ground lets go
No engine, no runway — just heat and patience. The basket clears the grass and Pokhara shrinks to a scatter of lights.
Face to face with 8,000 metres
Machhapuchhre first, then the whole Annapurna wall catches fire with the sunrise. We drift close enough to read the ridgelines.
The valley turns to gold
Light pours down the terraces and the river turns to brass. This is the half hour our pilots fly for — and why every seat faces out.
Land where the trek begins
We set down by the trailhead with tea waiting. Every flight connects to a walk, a camp, or a slow drive home — your journey, stitched together.
Cinematic journeys above the Himalaya, flown small and slow.
Small groups, slow travel, serious mountains
Skyward was founded by two Gurung pilots and a trekking sirdar who believed the Himalaya deserves better than a checklist. We fly four passengers at a time, walk with crews we've known for a decade, and camp where the road ends. Every itinerary below is one we run ourselves — no brokers, no bus-loads, no shortcuts.
Walk every route before you book it
Turn each expedition in 3D, tap the waypoints to read the route, and switch the departure season — then add it to your itinerary.
Annapurna Sunrise Balloon
SignatureRs. 24,500per traveller
Ninety minutes over the Pokhara valley at dawn, four passengers and a pilot, landing to a champagne breakfast at the trailhead.
Departure · Dawn Flight
3 waypoints · tap the markers
Drag to rotate · scroll to zoom · tap a waypoint marker for the route detail
Pick your mountain
How a journey comes together
Dream
Tell us the mountain, the month, and how slow you want to go. We sketch the route within a day.
Shape
We fit the flight, the trail, and the camps together — permits, porters, and weather windows handled.
Fly
Dawn launch over the valley. Your trek crew watches the landing and walks you off the field.
Return
Back with tea, photographs, and a compass engraved with everywhere you went.
Written on the way down
“The scroll on their website made me book it — the real sunrise made me cry. Four of us, total silence, the whole Annapurna wall turning pink.”
“I grew up here and still saw Mustang like a stranger. The camp above Lo Manthang at night is something no photo carries.”
Questions, answered
Is the balloon flight safe?
Yes — our pilots are CAA-licensed with 2,000+ mountain hours, the envelope is inspected before every flight, and we simply don't fly in marginal weather. Around one dawn in four is postponed; you rebook or refund in full.
How fit do I need to be for the treks?
Mardi Himal is a steady five-day walk any active person can do; Mustang is remote but driven and walked gently. Every itinerary lists daily hours and altitude, and we acclimatise slowly by design.
What's included in the price?
Everything from Pokhara back to Pokhara: permits, flights, camps, meals on trail, porters, and the gear kit if you need it. International flights and personal insurance are the only things you bring.
When is the best season?
October–November for glass-clear skies, March–April for rhododendron bloom. Balloons fly year-round outside monsoon; Mustang is at its best May–September when the rest of Nepal is wet.
Start your journey
Talk to a Skyward Expeditions pilot or guide — we plan every journey in person, by the lake or over a call.
Lakeside Road 6, Pokhara 33700, Nepal