Island Peak Climbing 20 days

Upon your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, our company representative will welcome you and explain the program further. You will be transferred to your hotel. There are no planned activities for the day, so you may check into the hotel and relax or spend the rest of the time as you please. Overnight stay at the hotel in Kathmandu.

The sightseeing tour of the Kathmandu valley includes touring the four major UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu city. The heritage sites include the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Boudhanath Stupa, the holy temple of Pashupatinath, and the Swayambhunath Stupa. Each of the heritage sites holds a religious reverence in Nepal's art and architectural context. The Kathmandu Durbar Square is a sprawling complex of old buildings, medieval structures, temples, and the former old royal palace of the Nepalese monarchy. The Boudhanath Stupa, likewise, is the largest Buddhist Mandala in the world. The Pashupatinath temple, on the other hand, is the holiest Hindu shrine in Nepal, and the Swayambhunath Stupa - also known as "the Monkey Temple" - is a sacred temple to both the Hindu and the Buddhist people of the country. After the tour, you will be transferred back to the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel in Kathmandu.

After an early morning transfer to the airport for your Lukla flight, you will be entering the Khumbu region. The flight to Lukla is a lifetime experience in itself. The airfield of Lukla, called the Tenzing-Hillary Airport, is at high elevation and the difference between the two ends of the runway is about an exceptional 60 meters only! From Lukla, you will trek to Phakding accompanied by beautiful Himalayan landscapes with verdant hills that surround the valleys and far-off Himalayan views of peaks of the Khumbu. Overnight at the guesthouse in Phakding.

Following the Dudh Koshi River, we will ascend through Himalayan pine and cedar forests to the celebrated village of Namche Bazaar. Namche is a major trade center of the region and also boasts a variety of modern conveniences. On the way to Namche, you can capture your first glimpses of Everest (8,848 m) and neighboring peaks. Overnight at the guesthouse in Namche.

Today is specially sanctioned for acclimatization. It is important to be properly acclimatized while trekking as it prevents altitude sickness. Namche is a great place for acclimatization as you can spend the day exploring the town. You can also visit the famous Everest View Hotel today that is situated a little distance away from the town. The hotel is the highest located hotel in the world and you can look at the views of Mount Everest as well as peaks like Lhotse (8,414 m), Ama Dablam (6,856 m), and Thamserku (6,608 m). Overnight at the guesthouse in Namche.

From Namche, we will wind our way through amazing terrains laden with pine and cedar towards the settlement of Thyangboche. With the gushing Dudh Koshi River flowing beside the trail, the trek is quite pleasant. Thyangboche lies at the confluence of the Imja Khola and the Dudh Koshi Rivers. From the Thyangboche monastery's hamlet, you can get amazing views of the glimmering peaks as well. Overnight stay at the guesthouse in Thyangboche.

Beyond Thyangboche, the landscape enters the steppes where the altitude starts increasing beyond the 4,000-meter mark. The trail drops down towards Dingboche. You will be crossing the Imja River and climb past amazing Mani stones carved with Tibetan Buddhist chants and prayers to Pangboche. Then the trail climbs to Pheriche. Overnight stay at the guesthouse in Pheriche.

Today is another day of acclimatization. You can explore the village today and take stunning pictures of the Himalayan peaks. Pheriche is situated above the Tsola River and is a popular stop for trekkers and climbers. At Pheriche, you can also pay a visit to a memorial area dedicated to those who have died attempting to climb the peaks of the Himalayan mountain ranges. Overnight stay at the guesthouse in Pheriche.

From Pheriche, it is a gentle climb towards Lobuche. The trans-Himalayan landscape is mostly moss-covered woodlands and the gaping valleys open wide towards vast pastures with donkey caravans and yaks contentedly grazing. The village of Lobuche is situated at the foot of the Khumbu Glacier. The views of mountains like Nuptse (7,861 m), Lobuche East (6,119 m), and Everest (8,848 m) from the village are very beautiful. Overnight stay at the guesthouse in Lobuche.

After a short climb through the Himalayan meadows, you can look down at the Khumbu Glacier. After admiring the gorgeous natural grandeur, we head to the Everest Base Camp. We mostly travel on moraines and ridges to reach the base camp. From here, you can enjoy the magnificent view of the Khumbu Glacier and the Khumbu Icefall. After spending time at the base camp, we will return to Gorakshep. Overnight stay at Gorakshep.

The day starts with a hike up to Kalapatthar (5,545 m), an excellent viewpoint from where you can observe the Mount Everest massif and innumerable spectacular mountain views of the Khumbu. Usually, the hike to Kalapatthar is done before sunrise so that trekkers can witness the rising rays of the sun amidst the Everest Mountains like Mt. Everest (8,848 m), Lhotse (8,414 m), Ama Dablam (6,856 m), Nuptse (7,861 m), Pumori (7,165 m), Thamserku (6,608 m), and Lobuche Peak (6,145 m). After spending time at Kalapatthar taking in the view, we will trek back to Gorakshep, have our breakfast, and descend to Dingboche - the summer valley of the Khumbu. Overnight at the guesthouse in Dingboche.

From Dingboche, you will make your way towards the Chhukung Valley where lies the village of Chhukung. Along the upward trek, you can come across many small Buddhist stupas that stand with a line of prayer flags stretching out to other stupas in the distance. Looking back down below the valley, you can see Dingboche, with the snow-covered Himalayas towering high above in the far distance. Overnight stay at the guesthouse in Chhukung.

From Chhukung, we will make a leisurely start following the valley with great views of Ama Dablam (6,856 m) dominating the skyline. The trek to Island Peak Base Camp is on a fairly steep trail. Climbing south from the valley, we will walk on a winding path followed by a pleasant trail along a streamside. Following the moraines that flow from Lhotse (8,414 m) towards the sand flats at PareshayaGyab, we will reach the Island Peak Base Camp. Overnight at Island Peak Base Camp.

From the base camp, we will make our way towards High Camp. We ascend only a short altitude to reach the High Camp. There is no access to water at the High Camp so you will need to bring extra supplies. We rest for a while and then make a final preparation for our summit attempt. The day is set aside for preparation for the following day's ascent. Overnight at the High Camp.

The summit attempt starts very early in the morning. The climb to the summit is quite challenging with the need to scale the vertical ice walls. It will require climbing gear and techniques. Once at the summit, the panorama of the Everest and surrounding peaks is breathtaking. After making the summit, we return to the High Camp and continue our descent to Chhukung. Overnight stay at Chhukung.

Descending from Chhukung, we head towards Pangboche. The trek back follows the same route through Dingboche and past the beautiful villages of the Khumbu Valley. Overnight stay at the guesthouse in Pangboche.

We continue our descent towards Namche Bazaar. This portion of the trek takes us back through beautiful trails and offers magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. We will return to Namche Bazaar and stay there overnight.

The final stretch of the trek will take us back to Lukla. The trail follows the Dudh Koshi River and passes through various small villages and forests. Upon arrival in Lukla, you can relax and enjoy a well-deserved rest. Overnight stay at the guesthouse in Lukla.

In the morning, you will board your flight back to Kathmandu. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Kathmandu and shop for souvenirs. Overnight stay at the hotel in Kathmandu.

Your adventure ends today. Depending on your flight schedule, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure. Safe travels!