Everest Base Camp and Island Peak Climbing - 16 Days

On the first day of your journey, you will fly from Tribhuvan International Airport (Kathmandu) to Tenzing Hillary Airport at Lukla (2800m) early in the morning. The airport at Lukla may scare you because of its narrow runway. While you are flying from Kathmandu to Lukla, you will be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Kathmandu Valley, mountains, and villages on the way through the sky. This flight will take about 30 minutes to reach Lukla.

After landing at Lukla, you will have to start your trek by walking to Phakding (2610m) with your guide and porter. You will be crossing the Dudh Koshi River through suspension bridges with an astounding view of the river. After walking for around 3–4 hours, you will reach the wonderful village of Phakding, where you will spend your first night at some local tea houses.

On the second day, after breakfast, you will begin your walk from Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3440 meters). Namche Bazaar is also regarded as Nepal's biggest village. On the first day, you'll have to cross the Dudh Koshi River suspension bridges and then walk through a pine forest to get to Monjo. You need to cross five suspension bridges. The last bridge is also known as the world's 123rd tallest bridge.

After three hours of walking, you will arrive at Sagarmatha National Park, where officials will examine your permit. Then you'll descend to the Dudh Koshi River and head for Namche Bazaar. After one hour of trekking, you will arrive at Namche Bazaar and be greeted cordially by Sherpa Hospitality. The journey from Phakding to Namche Bazaar takes approximately 4-5 hours, depending on your rate of walking. You will spend the night at the lodge, experiencing Sherpa interaction and culture. Namche Bazaar is also renowned as the only gateway to Everest.

The third day is your rest day in the village of Namche Bazaar, which is also an acclimatization day to acclimate to the altitude. This will help you adjust to the high altitude and prevent suffering altitude sickness during your journey to Island Peak Climbing. During this day, you can explore the village, walk through the markets, and learn about the culture and history of the Sherpa community. Another option is that you can also visit Sagarmatha National Park’s headquarters. Similarly, you can explore a museum devoted to Mt. Everest. Likewise, you can also visit Khumjung and Khunde villages.

However, if you want to spend your whole day at Namche Bazaar, take a day off by soaking in the heavenly beauty of the village and surrounding peaks. It’s up to you. Hence, you will be ready for your tomorrow adventure full of emotions.

On the fourth day, after a fantastic breakfast in Namche Bazaar, you will depart for Tengboche's altitude in the early morning. Along the trip, you'll see panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, Nupste, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and other Himalayan peaks. These are the high points of the day's journey that will make your day even more enjoyable.

On the journey, you will have to pass through numerous little settlements and gorgeous forests. The trail is a little challenging because it is an ongoing ascent with some quite steep terrain. Five hours of walking will get you to Tengboche (3874m). In the Khumbu region, there is a well-known Buddhist monastery named Tengboche Monastery, where monks live. In this serene place, there are numerous breathtaking views and landscapes to take in. Here is where you will spend the night and recover from the incredibly hard trek.

On the fifth day, your walk will begin by heading downhill from Tengboche for over an hour until you reach a wooden bridge. At Debunche, you'll slide through a forest of birch, fir, and rhododendrons. Your journey will continue uphill toward the settlement of Pangboche, where you may enjoy a panoramic view of Mount Ama Dablam. During your tour, you will encounter many yak herds, which is an added pleasure to enjoy. You will just need to walk 30 to 40 minutes from this path to reach your fifth-day objective, Dingboche (4400m). You will be lodged in one of the village's hotels for the night.

You can acclimatize at Dingboche on the sixth day of your expedition. You can spend your day in the village, viewing the beautiful scenery of the mountains, and exploring more about Dingboche village. Similarly, you can also choose to hike to Nagarjuna Hill (5100 meters), which is straight up from Dingboche village. After reaching Nagarjuna Hill, you can see multifarious mountains such as Lobuche Peak, Glacier Lake, Ama Dablam, Amphu Laptsa, Mt Makalu, Lhotse, and Island Peak Summit, which are truly breathtaking and marvelous.

You can take pictures or videos and soak in the beauty of the landscape and capture beautiful moments with friends, family, or your fellow travelers so that you can relive that moment again whenever you see that photo or video. After returning from the hike, you will dine in the same place and take a rest for tomorrow’s trek.

On the seventh day, after having your tasty breakfast in Dingboche, you will be departing for the trek early in the morning. The trek begins with an ascent to Dughla at the end of the Khumbu terminal moraine. Also, today’s trek will be a bit more challenging because you are climbing to a higher altitude. You will be trekking through the Khumbu Valley. After passing Dusa, the valley gets gradually thinner.

You can see beautiful, mind-freshening scenes of Cholatse, Thamserku, Pumori, Nuptse, and other mountain views when you are passing through Phulung Karpo. On your trek to Lobuche, you will find memorial stupas, which are built to commemorate the climbers and trekkers who lost their precious lives trying to conquer Mount Everest over the years.

Now, you will hike up the Khumbu Glacier's final moraine. Then, you will be descending to the Khumbu Glacier and climbing toward the Lobuche (4940m). Finally, when you reach Lobuche after a 5-hour trek, you will see old-fashioned settlements with amazing, pleasing views of Mt. Lobuche, Mt. Pumori, and the Nuptse. You will be accommodated here to stay overnight.

On the eighth day of your expedition, you will be heading to Gorakshep (5180m) and Everest Base Camp (536 m). This will be the longest trek with a challenging and exhausting path to reach Everest Base Camp, which is the pathway to the most popular mountain, Mt. Everest (8848 m), in the world. The journey will be relatively easy at first, along with many rocky boulders and slippery trails on which you have to walk carefully with more caution while passing through the ablation valley. The increasing elevation and thin air will make your trail harder and more compelling.

After you reach Gorakshep, you will be having lunch to regain your energy for the trek. After some refreshing rest, you will be heading towards Everest Base Camp. Then, after trekking for 2 hours from Gorakshep, you will have to pass through the Khumbu Glacier, where you will be amazed by its landscape beauty, and finally arrive at Everest Base Camp. You will be seeing a glorious view of a group of mountaineers who will be climbing Mt. Everest from there.

The feeling of being at Everest Base Camp will make you feel more alive than ever. We will be heading back to Gorakshep after discovering the Everest Base Camp with the flavor of amazing memories with us. You will be spending the night in one of the lodges, preparing for the next quest.

On the ninth day, you will be trekking towards Kala Patthar (5400m) early in the morning to see the sunrise view from Kala Patthar. Kala Patthar is also known as Black Rock. Kala Patthar's viewpoint is regarded as the best viewpoint in the world, which provides the best view of Mt. Everest better than Everest Base Camp. You can see spectacular views of mountains like Everest, Changste, Lhotse, Nuptse, and many others from this viewpoint. The sun's glimpse hitting early in the morning in the mountains will be the takeaway of this viewpoint, which will cherish you and make your day fantastic.

You will be descending back to Gorakshep after the hike for breakfast, take all your things from the lodges, and return to Dingboche. You will have to walk for almost 7 to 8 hours to reach Dingboche, descending around 1100 meters, where you will stay at night in the same place as before.

On the tenth day, you will be starting the steep trek from Dingboche to Chukkung (4760m). It will take a total time of 3 to 4 hours to reach Chukkung Valley. This trek will be quite easy and comfortable. When you reach Chukkung, you will see the beautiful sights of mountains like Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, and Imja Tse (The Island Peak). Also, the river Imja Khola flows through the Chukkung Valley of the village which is a mesmerizing scene with the sounds floating of clear water. You will be able to explore Imja Khola glaciers along with the glaciers of Lhotse Shar. You will be lodging in the Chukkung village for a good rest. And this day, your journey will mark 10 days as your traveling milestone.

The eleventh day marks the start of your ascent to the peak of Island Peak, or Imsa Tse, as it is otherwise known. This journey represents your ultimate destination and, upon completion, will stand as the most gratifying achievement in your personal history of trips taken. The path will present challenging elevations as we head southward, making our way uphill below the southern countenance of the Lhotse glacier. It will indeed be arduous; however, every stride taken holds significance towards reaching the summit of Island Peak. The reward? Magnificent views overlook cascading waterfalls interwoven between valleys blanketed by glaciers. Every effort you make on this trek brings you closer to capturing these breathtaking scenes from a vantage point few have witnessed before.

Prepare yourself for a visual feast of the Imja Khola Glacier as we traverse the Lhotse glacier moraine en route to Island Peak Base Camp. Upon reaching the camp, indulge in the serene beauty that surrounds you while our guides and crew assist with tent setup and lunch preparation. Take note that no lodging facilities are available here. We will also introduce climbing techniques and provide training on using mountain gear; tonight's sleep in the tent will ensure you're well-rested for the challenges that lie ahead tomorrow.

On this twelfth day, you are going to wake up at midnight, around 12 to 1 am, so that you can summit the peak before noon and trek down to Chukkung Valley. After having breakfast, we will begin climbing, arranging all required gear and tools, and providing necessary guidance. You need to follow this strategy because, in the afternoon, there will be a high possibility of strong and intense winds in the highlands that could be challenging obstacles to summiting the peak. Hence, if this happens, we might have to halt our ascent, so time is very crucial here. We will be heading toward Crampon Point (5700 m), which is approximately three hours away. As we climb up the hill, we will be entering through steep rock channels. After there, the route follows a ridgeline that ends in an exciting and slippery traverse onto the summit glacier's snout.

We will be navigating a narrow ridge that will lead to the base of the Imja glacier, where you can see the views of Makalu, Chamlang, Baruntse, Mera Peak, Cho Polu, and many other breathtaking Himalayas. Then, we cross the glacier, securing the routes with fixed ropes with the assistance of our professional, experienced guides, ensuring your safety. Our guides generally use a rope length of 350 meters, but it depends on the season. Crevasses may present on our route depending on the season, but in case they are present, ladders of length 3 to 8 meters will be used to navigate them. The guides will be like our angels, as they are the ones who are in charge of our safety summit and return.

Eventually, you will be greeted with warmth by the majestic frozen wall forming Lhotse's south face. After arriving at the summit of Island Peak, which is encircled by mountains and glaciers, you will be soaking in the magnificence. That's going to be the moment that gives you uplifting, thrilling chills. Along with the vistas of Imja Glacier and Lhotse, you will be treated to a panoramic mountain panorama of the world's tallest peak, Mount Everest. Before descending, you can record the breathtaking scenery with photos and movies and commemorate reaching the summit of Island Peak successfully. Once we return to Chukkung from the base camp with our teammates and staff, we shall celebrate.

On the thirteen days of your expedition, after summiting Island Peak successfully, you will be walking down to Pangboche from Chukkung after having a tasty breakfast. On the way, you can enjoy all the breathtaking views of the mountains, such as Everest, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse, etc., with a feeling of thrilling excitement. Then, you will be trekking downward through Debunche and finally to Tengboche. You can also view the beautiful Pangboche village during the trek.

It will take you 3 to 4 hours to reach Tengboche, which is a beautiful location in the Everest Region. You can also stop at Tengboche Monastery and see the surroundings and monks. You will be spending your night at Tengboche and resting for the next day.

On the 14th day, after having breakfast at Tengboche, you will commence your trek in the morning. You will be going through the hillside, surrounded by rhododendrons and juniper trees, passing through the beautiful forests. Our trail follows the Dudh Koshi gorge, crossing the bridge over the Dudh Koshi River.

Then, you will be marching down towards the Sherpa town of Namche, where you stayed previously at lodges. You will rest here and visit pubs and local cafes, interact with the locals, and spend your last night at Namche Bazaar.

On the 15th day, we must depart from the lovely Namche Bazaar and trek back to Lukla. You will begin your trek after breakfast. Your trail will descend from the town of Hillary Suspension Bridge and follow the Dudh Koshi River to reach Lukla.

After reaching Lukla, you will have finally completed the walking party, and this marks almost the end of the package of the trek. You will have to spend the night at Lukla. We will be celebrating our successful journey to Island Peak and resting tomorrow to return to Kathmandu.

After breakfast on the final day of your fruitful trek, you will pack your bags and board a flight from Lukla back to Kathmandu. Approximately 30 to 40 minutes will pass before arriving at Tribhuvan International Airport. During the journey, you can look out the window of your airplane and see the stunning views of the mountains and surrounding areas.

You can soak all the memorable experiences and moments during your journey. After reaching Kathmandu, we will drive to our hotels where you will spend your overnight. This will mark the completion of the Everest Base Camp with Island Peak Climbing.