If you have a day flight, you will be lucky enough to glimpse the Himalayan mountains from the flight before landing. Our representative will be at the airport waiting for you at the terminal. He will drive you to your hotel and help you check in. Take a rest, and later on, if you feel like it, stroll around Thamel, a lively tourist hub.
Late afternoon or evening you will meet your guide who will brief you about your upcoming adventure. You can go through the gear and equipment list and rent or buy any item that’s not with you. There are plenty of rental shops in Thamel from where you can rent gear and equipment. Have an early night as we will be leaving early tomorrow..
Overnight in Kathmandu.
During peak trekking seasons (March, April, May, September, October, and November), flights from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu to Lukla may be redirected to Manthali due to traffic congestion. To catch the early morning Lukla flight from Manthali, we’ll pick you up from your hotel around 12:30 am and drive you for about 5 hours to Manthali Airport. The subsequent 20-minute flight from Manthali will take you to Lukla.
If you want to avoid the Kathmandu-Manthali-Lukla route, you can book a helicopter from Kathmandu to Lukla. The cost is approximately 550 USD per person when the expenses are shared among five individuals.
In December, January, February, June, July, or August, you will directly fly from Kathmandu to Lukla. After breakfast, we’ll take you to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for an exhilarating 40-minute flight to Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla, offering breathtaking views of the Himalayan ranges.
After your exciting and scenic flight, you will land at the Tenzing Hillary Airport at Lukla. The trek begins from Lukla, passing through Chaurikharka Village.
Once your plane lands, meet your porters and the rest of the crew. Sort out your luggage and pack for the final time before hitting the trail. Make your way out of the colorful Lukla bazaar and descend the trail to Phakding. Do walk carefully as there will be mule trains and yaks sharing the trail. Cross a metal suspension bridge and arrive at the riverside settlement of Phakding. Head to a teahouse where your rooms have been booked. Rest and afterward explore the village or make your way down to the Dudh Koshi Khola (Milky River) and take pictures of the scenic valley. Later, head back to the teahouse and take a rest.
Overnight in Phakding.
The walk to Namche is filled with magnificent views. For the first time, you get to see Mount Everest and a host of other mountains. Walking alongside the Dudh Koshi River, you take a trail decorated with mani stones and prayer flags. These are placed at various places on the trail by Buddhist monks to safeguard and protect the travelers from negative forces. The path goes through a forest of juniper, pine, and rhododendron. En route, you cross five metal suspension bridges, including the Hillary Bridge over the Imja River.
Make your way across the Sagarmatha National Park and hike up to Namche, the Sherpa capital. Carved like a bowl on the side of a mountain, Namche is one of the prettiest and most important Sherpa settlements in the Everest Region.
Overnight in Namche.
Spend a day acclimatizing in Namche. A bustling town lined with high-end as well as budget lodges, shops, restaurants, bakeries, and the only ATM beyond the 3000m mark, Namche is the economic heart of the Khumbu region. Traders from all over Khumbu converge in Namche Bazaar to buy or sell food items and other commodities. Start your day early and walk up to the Sagarmatha National Park for a sunrise view. Watch the sunrise over the snowy summits of Mount Everest, Thamserku, and Ama Dablam.
After breakfast, takes an acclimatization hike to Hotel Everest View through Shyangboche. It is a steep ascent filled with incredible views of some of the highest views in the world. Hotel Everest View, which was at one time the highest hotel in the world, offers 360-degree views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Mount Everest. After enjoying the splendid views, head down to Namche. If you still have the stamina, you can trek further to the historic village of Khumjung. Visit the Hillary School, the first school in the region established by Sir Edmund Hillary. At Khumjung Monastery, you can view the scalp of a Yeti, the abominable snowman.
Overnight in Namche.
Take a scenic walk to Tengboche, a small Sherpa settlement. The Tengboche Gompa, the most important Buddhist monastery in the Everest Region, dominates the skyline of this small settlement. Your teahouse lies close to the Gompa. You can visit the monastery and witness the monks praying and chanting. Send out a silent prayer for the success of your expedition and seek blessings from the monks. The Sunrise and sunset view of Ama Dablam from Tengboche is not to be missed. Keep your camera ready for this magnificent sight.
Overnight in Tengboche.
From Tengboche, you head to Dingboche, descend a forested trail, and cross a couple of suspension bridges. En route, you cross a couple of Sherpa villages, including Pangboche, the village with the biggest settlement of Sherpas in the region. As you ascend higher, the tree line vanishes, and you enter a rocky and barren landscape. The gain in elevation leaves you a bit breathless.
Dingboche is where many trekkers start feeling the effects of high altitude. Once you reach the settlement, head to a teahouse and take a rest, keep yourself hydrated by including plenty of fluids in your diet. Dehydration leads to AMS (acute mountain sickness), so do take good care.
Overnight in Dingboche.
You spend your second acclimatization day at Dingboche. This is a small farming village with few houses and fields with stone walls. This settlement lies at a trail junction that forks towards Everest Base Camp and Island Peak. This is a popular overnight stop for climbers and trekkers.
For your acclimatization hike, you ascend a hill that lies right above Dingboche. Locally known as Nagarjun Hill (5,100m), this hill is also called Nangkartshang Peak. This hike is important as this ascent will acclimatize your body for the tough high altitude ascents in the coming days. It is a straightforward climb with no technical maneuvers.
Nagarjun Hill is one of the best viewpoints in the Khumbu region. Enjoy 360-degree views of Lhotse, Cholatse, Kantega, Ama Dablam, and Makalu. You can view the entire Ama Dablam peak from the base to the summit from the vantage point. You also get a close-up view of Island Peak, Imja Tse, Imja Glacier, and Cholatse. After soaking in the views and taking pictures, you head down to Dingboche. Take a late afternoon stroll around the village.
Overnight in Dingboche.
Keeping your pace slow but steady, you walk through the Khumbu Valley and reach Thughla. At Thughla Pass, you visit the memorials of mountaineers who lost their lives climbing Mount Everest. The ones dedicated to Rob Hall, Scott Fischer, and Late Babu Chhiri Sherpa (the daredevil Sherpa who climbed Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen and spent 22 hours at the summit) are covered with prayer flags and khatas (scarves offered as a mark of respect). Jon Krakauer has detailed Hall and Fischer’s ill-fated Everest expedition in his best selling book “Into Thin Air” and the movie “Everest.” The trail evens out, and we follow a rocky moraine to Lobuche.
There are only a handful of teahouses in Lobuche and you follow your guide to the teahouse where your rooms have been booked. Lhotse and Nuptse appear very close.
Overnight in Lobuche.
Today you have a long and tiring walk ahead. But the hike is filled with thrilling moments as you reach the base camp of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain. Leaving Lobuche, we follow the ablation valley beside the Khumbu Glacier and head up. The walk proves to be difficult because of the altitude gain and thin air. Gorak Shep lies below the dark mound of Kala Patthar. We head to our teahouse, take some rest and refreshments and continue onwards to Everest Base Camp. We walk on the moraine crest and carefully make our way through rubble and loose stones.
The Everest Base Camp lies beneath the spectacular Khumbu Icefall. Colorful tents of expedition groups dot the grey and frozen landscape. Take photographs and spend some moments taking in the views before retracing your steps to Gorak Shep. Spending a night at Gorak Shep is crucial for acclimatization before you head onward to Island Peak for your big climb.
Overnight in Gorak Shep.
We wake up early and hike to the most popular viewpoint in Everest Region, Kala Patthar. While the summit of Mount Everest is not visible from Everest Base Camp, one can view the rocky summit of the world’s tallest mountain from Kala Patthar. 7,000 and 8,000-meter peaks surround the viewpoint. Enjoy a 360-degree view of Pumori, Nuptse, and Lhotse.
After taking pictures and soaking in the views, it’s back to Gorak Shep. Have some refreshments, carry your bags, and head onward to Lobuche.
Overnight in Lobuche.
Leaving Lobuche, we cross the Khumbu Glacier and make an ascent up the Kongma La pass. Today we take a packed lunch with us as we pass across an isolated route with no teahouses. The walk is difficult as we make our way past a trail filled with rubble and moraine debris. We walk over boulders and scree and reach Kongma La. Cairns covered with colorful prayer flags mark the pass. The views of the 8 miles long Nuptse and Lhotse walls are stupendous, and we pause for a moment to take in the glorious sight before heading descending to the Imja Khola Valley. We walk past a frozen lake and arrive at the valley before making the final descent to Chukkung. Formerly a yak herder’s camp, Chukkung is now an important stop for climbers en route to Island Peak.
Apart from teahouses and lodges, there are gear and equipment rental outlets from where you can hire good quality stuff. There will be final and thorough equipment and gear check. Good quality climbing equipment and gear are available for hire, and you can rent any item you need. But please do note large sized climbing boots (size 12 and above) won’t be available.
Overnight in Chukkung.
Today’s walk brings us to Island Peak Base Camp. We inch closer to our destination. It is a steep climb, and we take the uphill path that winds below the southern flank of the Lhotse glacier. The trail snakes past a stream and a striking glacial valley. We walk across the stunning Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines before finally arriving at the Island Base Camp. Base camp is located on a grassy slope beside the Imja Glacier. By the time we arrive at the base camp, our crew has already set up camp, and we make our way to our tents.
Pre-climb training will begin right after lunch. We sort our gear for our climb, and the climbing guides will offer special tips on climbing techniques. You can use this session to brush up on your climbing skills. The guides will demonstrate the proper use of a harness, ascender, carabiner, rappel device, ice axe, etc. As part of the training session, you will have to climb up and descend using ropes. This pre-climb training is very important, especially for first-time climbers, as this will boost your confidence level. As the climbing sherpas assigned to your group are seasoned climbers with several years of experience, you will be receiving very valuable inputs from these experts. It’s like being coached by the best mountain climbing experts.
Overnight at tented camp.
This is another acclimatization day before ascending Island Peak. So, today will be a relatively easy day with a few hours of climbing to a high camp at 5,500 meters. Gradually you will climb steep uphill, and after reaching the top, you will make your way through a steep rocky path and reach the high camp of Island Peak. It is a small campsite with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers. You’ll get enough time for a good rest and general preparation for tomorrow’s climb.
Overnight stay in Island Peak High Camp.
Wake up at midnight and make an early start by 3 AM or earlier. It is important to start as the wind begins to pick up speed in the mountain as the day progresses. We have to make it to the summit before the wind gathers force and halt our ascent to the top. We carry a packed lunch and some energy bars and take the trail away from the High Camp. From High Camp, it takes around 3 hours to reach Crampon Point. It is called Crampon Point as the route becomes icy, and we wear our crampons from this point. At around 5,700m, we begin to use man rope for safety. We follow a narrow ridge that leads to the base of the Imja glacier. From the glacier, we enjoy stunning sunlit views of Ama Dablam, Makalu, Baruntse, Mera Peak, Chamlang, Cho Polu, Peak 38, and other Himalayan giants. Our guides will fix ropes, and we cross the glacier following the rope line.
The climbing is not too technical as the path tilts to an angle of about 45 to 50 degrees. Depending on the weather and season, there will be crevasses or no crevasses en route. If there are crevasses en route, we will be using ladders (longest 8 meters and shortest 2 meters) to cross them. The number of crevasses may vary as per the weather. We are welcomed by the massive frozen wall of Lhotse’s south face as we reach the summit ridge. The guides will fix the ropes at some sections for safety. We follow the snowy ridge and finally reach the summit of Island Peak.
From the summit, it becomes clear why the peak is so named. The peak stands alone like an island surrounded by jagged mountains and glaciers. This is a moment of triumph, and we capture this momentous occasion in our camera. Before we head down, we soak in the panoramic views of the highest mountains in the world for one last time. We take time to enjoy the magnificent views of Imja glacier and Lhotse before arriving at the base camp. Evening we celebrate our success with our teammates and crew.
Overnight in Chukkung.
A spare day that can be used in bad weather or sickness foils your summit attempt on Day 14. This day can also be used as a contingency day in case of flight delays or cancellations. If everything goes as planned, you can use this spare day to explore a village en route on the trail. You can also walk at a leisurely pace on your return trek. If you would like, you can use this spare day to explore Kathmandu once you get back to the city.
We have a long and arduous walk to Namche. But this tiring walk is filled with inspiring Himalayan views. We will find the trail covered with rare Himalayan wildflowers like the Himalayan Edelweiss, Black pea, and Spiny Mountain Poppy if we are lucky. A Himalayan Tahr or a Musk Deer may cross our path. We walk past Dingboche, Shomare, Tengboche and Sansa en route. As we walk through pine and juniper forests, we are greeted with grand views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Everest, and other peaks. Once we get to Namche, we enjoy a hot shower and have our favorite meal.
Overnight in Namche.
The final leg of your trek takes you from Namche to Lukla. Tread carefully as it is a steep descent. Once we reach Lukla, we head to a teahouse and rest our aching knees. As this is our last day in the mountains, we celebrate with our crew. There is local brew (chhyang) and Sherpa music to get us in the mood.
Overnight in Lukla
After your adventure, it is time to return. From Lukla, you will either fly to Manthali or Kathmandu, depending on the ongoing trekking season. If your trek is in March, April, May, September, October, or November, you’ll likely fly to Manthali, followed by a subsequent drive to Kathmandu. In December, January, February, June, July, or August, you will fly directly from Lukla to Kathmandu.
If you choose, you can bypass the Lukla-Manthali-Kathmandu route. For this, you can collaborate with four other individuals to book a helicopter, incurring an additional charge of approximately 550 USD per person.
If everything goes according to the schedule, you will return to Kathmandu on this day. We hope your journey back to Kathmandu will be relaxing, with no more trails to trek and no peaks to climb. You will probably be looking back at your journey, recreating the unforgettable memories you formed. Your trek package ends at Kathmandu.
Today is your last day in Nepal. Bid goodbye to the friends you have made. You will be driven to the airport at least three hours before your flight departs. If you want to explore Nepal or extend your trip and visit other Himalayan destinations, please let us know.