Trekking to one of the most popular destinations in the world has never been more adventurous. Indulge in a life-changing trek to Everest Base Camp with the Himalaya Land Treks along with scaling one of the most frequented trekking peaks in Nepal- Island Peak (6189m). The trip suits anyone with utmost interest in outdoor adventures.
Although an Alpine PD+ peak, you are not required to obtain an expedition permit to climb Island Peak. A normal climb permit, along with the assistance from an experienced Sherpa guide, will be enough to undertake this trip. The trek takes off at Lukla and goes all the way up to Kalapatthar (5545m) before taking a plunge towards the Chhukung glacier.
EBC with Island Peak Trek lasts 17-days in total. The trip begins once you arrive in Kathmandu, followed by a scenic sightseeing tour of the city and visiting some of its popular UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, and Boudhanath. You’ll embark on a brief flight from Kathmandu to the small airport town of Lukla that serves as the gateway to the Everest region. You’ll gradually advance through the traditionally rich Sherpa villages, including Phakding, Namche, Tengboche, Pheriche, Lobuche, and Gorakshep towards the Everest Base Camp while observing the endemic lifestyle and culture of the region.
Almost the entire trail lies inside the Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO dedicated site in the Everest region. A short hike will take you to Kalapatthar (5545m), the highest point of the trek, from where you can catch close sight of many peaks in the Everest region. From here, you’ll begin descending towards Lobuche village that takes you towards the Chhukung village located at the Chhukung Glacier. You’ll approach Island Peak Base Camp and camp for a night. You’ll begin the summit before dawn. This allows you to get to the top and back without any delays. The entire climb may last around 10 hours and will offer majestic vistas of the mountains including the Mount Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8516m), Ama Dablam (6856m), and Makalu (8475m). You’ll retrace your path and head back to Lukla. The trip concedes once you arrive in Kathmandu.
There are a certain factors that may affect the EBC with Island Peak Trek. The weather conditions in the Himalayas are unstable for major parts of the year. As such, the flight to/from Lukla is often prone to delays and cancellation. Thus, it is wise if trekkers allocate contingency days on this trip.
Himalaya Land Treks specializes in climbing and expeditions around Nepal. You can choose to join our fixed groups or undertake an entirely private trip at a reasonable cost. Our Sherpa leaders are amply experienced and have led the countless number of trips to Island Peak.
Trip Facts
- Geography : Himalayas/Hills/Forests/Glaciers
- Location : Solukhumbu
- Level of Difficulty : Difficult
- Duration of Trek : 20 Days
- Max Altitude : 6189m
- Religions : Buddhism
- Ethnic People : Sherpa
- Accommodation : Hotels/Tea-House
- Transportation : Private Vehicle/Tourist Bus/Flight
- Minimum Pax : 2
Day 01: Kathmandu: Arrival Day (1300m/4265ft)
Welcome to the historical Kathmandu City! Upon your arrival, you’ll be warmly welcomed by a representative from Himalaya Land Treks at the airport. He will then escort you to your hotel located at the heart of the city. You’ll meet your trek guide and discuss the itinerary in detail.
Day 02: Full Day Kathmandu sightseeing
You’ll embark on a scenic sightseeing tour of the historical Kathmandu City along with your tour guide. The tour begins with a visit to Swayambhunath, located atop the hill. You’ll also climb the 300+ steps to reach the top that offers one of the best panoramic views of the city. Afterward, you’ll drive towards Pashupatinath, a revered Hindu site in the entire country. After exploring the site, you’ll embark on a short drive towards Bouddha to witness the largest spherical Stupa in the world of Boudhanath. If time permits, you can explore few of the other UNESCO heritage sites around Kathmandu City as well, like the Kathmandu Durbar Square.
Day 03: Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (2840m/9318ft) | 35 Mins and Trek from Lukla to Phakding (2610m/8563ft) |3-4 Hrs
The day starts early as you have your breakfast and drive towards the airport. You’ll embark on a 45-minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. En route, you can catch the beautiful aerial sight of the forested hills of eastern Nepal. Once at Lukla, you’ll pack your bags and embark on the first day of the trek. A 3-4hr trek will take you towards Phakding village located just 11km from Lukla.
Day 04: Trek from Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3440m/11286ft) |5-6 Hrs
Leaving Phakding village, you’ll gradually begin trekking along the Dudh Koshi River to reach Monjo. Monjo village serves as the gateway to the Sagarmatha National Park. After obtaining the permit, you’ll begin traversing through the park while enjoying the exotic flora and fauna of the region. A short trek from here will take you towards the uphill trail that leads directly to Namche Bazaar (3440m). Overnight at Namche.
Day 05: Namche Bazaar: Rest and Acclimatization Day
As you're already above 3000 meters, it is essential that you spend the day acclimatizing before advancing. You can enjoy this free time to explore the valley and make a short hike towards the nearby villages of Khumjung and Khunde. Khumjung village is home to Khumjung monastery that is known to have preserved the supposed scalp and limb of a Yeti inside a glass jar. You can choose to visit the largest school in the region at Khunde before heading back to Namche as well.
Day 06: Trek from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3860m/12664ft) |5-6 Hrs
Leaving Namche, you’ll continue climbing the stone-steps going along the Dudh Koshi River towards Phunki Tenga. From here, the trail ascends through the rocky terrain to reach Tengboche. Tengboche will welcome you with the beautiful sight of Ama Dablam (6856m) in the distance. It is also home to the Tengboche Monastery, the biggest Buddhist monastery in the entire region.
Day 07: Trek from Tengboche to Pheriche (4240m/13911ft) |5-6 Hrs
After visiting the Tengboche monastery, you’ll begin trekking downhill through the forested path towards Imja Khola. After crossing the river, the path rises steadily and climbs towards Pangboche. Pangboche village lies directly opposite to the Ama Dablam (6856m). A further two hours of the hike will bring you to the Pheriche village. Overnight stay at the guesthouse at Pheriche.
Day 08: Acclimatization day in Pheriche
You’ll spend the day acclimatizing at Pheriche and give your body a much-needed break. However, you won’t remain idle. You’ll make a short hike towards Tshola Tsho, located just below the Cholatse (6335m) and the Taboche (6367m). You can climb onto the ridge overlooking Dingboche that offers the best view of the Imja Valley and Mt. Lhotse (8516m). Afterward, you’ll head down to Pheriche village.
Day 09: Trek from Pheriche to Lobuche (4910m/16109ft) |5-6 Hrs
Leaving Pheriche, you’ll begin trekking up the wide valley overlooking the impressive peaks of Cholatse and Taboche. You’ll make a steep climb towards the foot of the Khumbu Glacier and have lunch at Duglha. You will find numerous Mani stones, prayers flags, and memorial dedicated to the climbers en route to Lobuche village. The trail climbs gently along the glacier to reach Lobuche.
Day 10: Trek from Lobuche to Gorakshep (5140m/16864ft) and Everest Base Camp (5364m/17598ft) |8-9 Hrs
Leaving Lobuche, you’ll begin ascending the rocky trail going all the way to Gorakshep. Gorakshep village serves as the transit to Everest Base Camp and Kalapatthar. A comparatively easier trail, you will ascend to Gorakshep and take a turn right to head towards Everest Base Camp. A short hike will take you to the base camp located just beside the Khumbu Glacier. After exploring the site, you’ll make your way back to Gorakshep for the overnight stay.
Day 11: Hike from Everest Base Camp to Kalapatthar (5545m/18192ft) and Trek from Kalaptthar to Lobuche |6-7 Hrs
The day begins early as you leave Gorakshep and make a short hike towards Kalapatthar. Kalapatthar is one of the popular landmarks in the Everest region that offers a panoramic view of the entire valley along with the close view of the Mt. Everest (8848m). After exploring the site, you’ll make your way back to Gorakshep. After having your breakfast, you’ll begin heading down towards Lobuche village.
Day 12: Trek from Lobuche to Kongma La (5535m/18159ft) to Chhukung (4730m/15518ft) |7-8 Hrs
Leaving Lobuche village, you'll begin descending the moraines and make way towards the Kongma La Pass (5535m). One of the highest mountain passes in the Everest region, it can be quite difficult to cross the Kongma La. You’ll cross the Khumbu Glacier and head uphill towards Kongma La Pass. From the top, you can catch the beautiful sight of the Chhukung Ri (5550m) and Chhukung Glacier. Afterward, you’ll begin descending along the snowy and rocky trail to reach Chhukung village located at the base of the Chhukung Ri.
Day 13: Trek from Chhukung to Island Peak Base Camp (4970m/16306ft) |5-6 Hrs
Leaving Chhukung village, you’ll begin climbing steeply up the southeast trail to enter the Chhukung Valley. You'll continue trekking along the pleasant path. One of the turns leads to the Amphu Lapcha Pass (5845m). However, you’ll take a different route and head north towards the Lhotse glacier moraines. A short distance from here lays the Island Peak Base Camp where you’ll set up the tent for the overnight stay.
Day 14: Trek from High camp to Island Peak: Summit (6189m/20302ft), Return to Chhukung |9-10 Hrs
Today is the big day as you make your way to the summit of Island Peak. You’ll wake up approximately at 2 am and have your breakfast. Afterward, you’ll prepare your backpack and begin the climb to the summit. The initial ascent is comparatively easy, but you may encounter difficulties crossing the numerous crevasses before arriving at the right side of the gully leading to the top. The steep trail goes along a ridgeline towards the exposed traverse onto the snout of the summit glacier. Once at the top, you can relish in the magnificent sights of some of the pristine Himalayan peaks- namely the Mt. Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8516m), and Makalu (8475m), before heading down to Chhukung village.
Day 15: Reserve day for contingency
A contingency day is kept in hand in case you fail to climb the peak the earlier day due to bad weather or other difficulties. If you’ve already climbed the summit, you can consider heading down towards Tengboche village.
Day 16: Trek from Chhukung to Tengboche (3860m/12664ft) |6-7 Hrs
Leaving Chhukung village, you'll begin trekking away from Chhukung Glacier and make your way down towards the Dudh Koshi Valley. A short distance from here lays Dingboche. From Dingboche, you’ll begin descending the valley and cross the Khumbu Khola. You’ll eventually cross the Imja Khola before reaching Deboche. A short trek through the forests of birches, oak, and rhododendron will lead you back to the Tengboche village.
Day 17: Trek from Tengboche to Namche (3440m/11286ft) |5-6 Hrs
Leaving Tengboche, you’ll continue traversing along the Dudh Koshi valley to reach Phunki Tenga. From here, the trail descends along rocky terrain and through stone steps towards Namche Bazaar. You can choose to shop around the place and visit the popular restaurants around Namche before resting for the night.
Day 18: Trek from Namche to Phakding and Lukla (2840m/9318ft) |6-7 Hrs
You’ll leave Namche Bazaar and begin heading towards Monjo village. At Monjo, you’ll exit the Sagarmatha National Park and trek downhill towards Phakding. A short trek from Phakding will lead you to Lukla. Once at Lukla, you can enjoy celebrating the end of the trek with your guide and colleagues.
Day 19: Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu (1300m/4265ft) |40 mins | Farewell Dinner
You’ll bid farewell to Lukla and catch the last glimpses of the mountains before heading back to Kathmandu. A short flight will take you over the lush hills of Nepal towards the historical Kathmandu city. You can catch the scenic aerial sight of UNESCO world heritage sites in Kathmandu from the flight. Once at Kathmandu, you’ll be escorted back to your hotel. At the end of the day, you will participate on a farewell dinner hosted by the Himalaya Land Treks.
Day 20: Departure Day
Our representative will drop you off at Tribhuvan International Airport today so you can catch your scheduled flight back home. You will leave for the airport approx. 2 hours early. On the way, you can share your trip experience or your next adventure with us.
- Airport picks up and drops off, upon arrival and departure.
- City entrance fees in Kathmandu.
- Pre trek meeting.
- 3-star Hotel in Kathmandu for 3 nights.
- Full day city tour in Kathmandu by a private vehicle.
- Kathmandu-Lukla-Kathmandu flight tickets.
- All necessary paperwork and trekking permits (National Park Permit, TIMS).
- Trekking equipment: down-filled sleeping bag, walking poles and a duffel bag.
- An experienced English-speaking Govt. registered trekking guide and local porters to carry luggage (2 trekkers: 1 porter).
- Guide and porter salaries, insurance, equipment, transport, food, and lodging.
- Full meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner on your choice.
- Supplementary snacks: energy bar and cookies.
- Fresh seasonal fruits after dinner.
- Unlimited Chlorine treated Safe Drinking water.
- Oxi-meter: To check pulse, heart rate, and oxygen saturation to Everest base camp and return.
- All accommodation during the trek (Soft, comfort, private room with shared toilet).
- A comprehensive First Aid kit.
- All government and local taxes.
- Souvenir: Himalaya Land treks t-shirt and Trekking Route map.
- Farewell dinner at one of the finest Nepalese Restaurant with traditional ethnic music and dance.
- Nepal visa (USD 30 for 15 days and USD 50 for 30 days).
- Your international flight to and from Nepal.
- Meals in the city except for breakfast and other mentioned special dinner.
- Hot and bottle drinks.
- The cost incurred during the tour around the city.
- Cost for additional trips.
- Extra Battery Charging, Hot shower, and wifi.
- Travel insurance covers emergency rescue and evacuation.
- Tipping to Staff.
trekking in Nepal, tour in Nepal, Everest
