Trip Details

  • Destination: Nepal
  • Trip Difficulty: Very Strenuous
  • Trip Style: Trekking and Climbing
  • Transport: Private Vehicle & Flight
  • Food: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Lodge & Camping
  • Group Size: 16
  • Max Elevation: Island Peak (6189m)

Highlights

  • Summit the Island Peak (6189m)
  • Island Peak Base Camp (Pareshaya Gyab)
  • Island Peak also is known as Imja Tse
  • Imja Tsho (5010m)
  • Amphu Labste Tsho (4985m)
  • Good view of Mt. Ampulapcha (5663m), Mt. Makalu (8481m), Mt. Ama Dablam (6812m)
  • Lhotse Glacier

Description

Island Peak Climbing is one of the main climbing peaks in the Everest Region of Nepal with an impressive and highly glaciated West Face that rises from the Lhotse Glacier. It is situated in Sagarmatha National Park of the Himalayas of eastern Nepal.

The peak was named Island Peak in 1951 by Eric Shipton’s party since it appears as an island in a sea of ice when viewed from Dingboche. It is designed for energetic and physically fit trekkers with little or no experience in mountain expedition.

16 Days Island Peak Climbing Itinerary

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This day, you will take a morning flight to Lukla. This flight will give you glimpses of the mountains of the Everest region. This is a short flight that lasts 25 minutes long. When you land in Lukla, you’ll greet your guide and porter. After having a short break in Lukla, you will start your trek.

Firstly, the trek to Chaurikharka village is quite easy. Then, you will make a descent towards Thadokoshi to Ghat (2,530m). The trail follows the bank of the Dudh Koshi River until you reach Phakding (2,652m). The trek to Phakding(2650 meters) from Luka is 3-4 hours long. You will have your overnight stay in the beautiful village of Phakding. You can enjoy the view and vibe of this wonderful little village. 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 2650m

After breakfast in Phakding, you will be gearing up for the trek to Namche Bazaar (3440 meters). It is the biggest Sherpa village in Nepal. Our trail takes us first over the Dudh Koshi River via a long suspension bridge, and then through a beautiful pine forest to Monjo. We will enter to Sagarmatha National Park for a brief permit check. After the respective officials have checked your permit, you will descend to Dudh Kosi River and reach Jorsale.

We will stop to Jorsale for the Lunch and then depart to Namche. Your trek exists of crossing one of the highest bridges in Khumbu Region, known as Hillary Suspension Bridge. From Top Danda, you will see the first glimpse of Mount Everest. After one hour of trekking, you will reach your final destination of the day- Namche Bazaar. The trek to Namche Bazaar from Phakding is 5-6 hours long. Namche Bazaar is said to be the only gateway to Everest.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 3440m

This day, you will hike to Everest View Hotel (3880m) from Namche Bazar. You will be able to experience the beautiful landscape of Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Amadablam and other mountains. This hike will help in speed acclimatization for trekking to Everest Base Camp.

Also, you can check out the Sherpa museum for an overview of the Sherpa culture and history of mountaineering.

On Saturdays, the Hatt Bazaar is open for trading and an intimate look at the locals’ marketplace. It is part of the larger Namche Bazaar shopping hub. It is full of trekking and mountaineering clothing and gears. Namche Bazaar is the last stop for exchanging foreign currency and withdrawing money from ATM.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 3440m

After Breakfast in Namche Bazaar, you will prepare yourself with proper trekking gears to trek Everest Base Camp. You can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Himalayas. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Kwangde – are some of the highlights you don’t want to miss.

A short drop takes you to the riverside and then cross the river upwards through the forest pass. Continual uphill trek between a gradual grade and some seriously steep ground may make your trek challenging. After trekking for 5 hours, you will reach Tengboche (3876 meters). We’ll stop in the Tengboche monastery, one of the largest monasteries in Khumbu. Chanting and prayer from the resident Buddhist monks are bound to give you inner peace and refreshment for the rest of your trek.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 3876m

After hot breakfast in Tengboche, your trek will start through the rhododendron forest to Deboche. This will be followed by a bridge over the raging ‘Imja Khola’ River. You will then pass the valley before crossing the last suspension bridge for Everest Base Camp Trek. We will trek toward Pangboche village, which is one of the biggest settlement of Sherpas in the region. Here, you will get to enjoy a great opportunity to observe a typical Sherpa village and have lunch.

You can also hike to the Pangboche monastery, which is one of the oldest monasteries in the area. After hiking to Pangboche, you will be heading towards a wide valley. This valley has a dry atmosphere and deserted mountains. Finally, after trekking for 5-6 hours, you will reach your overnight stop at Dingboche (4410 meters). 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 4410m

Accimilitization in Dingboche is a beautiful opportunity to spend some quality time in this village of remarkable landscape views. You can utilize your day by exploring Dingboche and hiking up to Nagarjuna Hill (5083m). From Nagarjuna hill, you can enjoy the beauty of Island Peak Summit, Mt. Makalu, Mt. Amadablam, Lobuche Peak, Glacier Lake, Amphu Laptsa, and Makalu Barun National Park. After getting back from a day hike, you will have your lunch at a teahouse and take a rest. If you have any clothes to wash, then you can do it during your leisure time after lunch. 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 4410m

After breakfast in Dingboche, the trek will move gradually and be more challenging due to the higher altitude. You’ll pass Thukla with a tough steep walk to the high of a hill. There you will find some memorial stupas dedicated to the climbers and trekkers who lost their lives while trying to get to the top of Mt. Everest over the years.

The next part of our adventure brings you over a rocky mountain landscape to Lobuche. Lobuche is quaint little settlement with amazing views of Mt. Lobuche, Mt. Pumori and the Nuptse. You need to keep yourself warm and be fully prepared for freezing cold because we are now almost at 5000m above sea level. Lobuche stands at an altitude of 4930 meters.

Today’s trek is quite pleasant as it is 2-4 hours long. This short trek will help you get plenty of rest before heading out to Everest Base Camp the next day. 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 4930m

After a breezy cold morning with warm breakfast, you will head to your final destination for Everest Base Camp (5364 meters). On the way to your destination, you’ll come closer to the famed Khumbu Glacier and icefall. The icefall lies on the slopes of Everest. During the spring season, you will meet climbers attempting to scale the mountain’s summit.

Don’t forget to take out your cameras to capture mesmerizing views of majestic mountains. After enjoying the sunset, you’ll head back to Gorak Shep (5180 meters) for rest. We will overnight at Gorak Shep because of high altitude and low temperature at Everest Base Camp

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 5364m

Today, we will wake up before sunrise to trek towards Kalapathar (black rock). Kala Patthar lies at an altitude of 5545 meters. The day’s first light will illuminate your spectacular view of Nuptse Nup, Changtse, and Lhotse. Kalapathar is one of the best viewpoints of Everest and its region. It is also the highest point that you can be during this trip.

You can capture amazing pictures of mainly Khumbu Glacier and Mt. Everest. After capturing some amazing pictures you’ll be heading back to Gorak Shep for breakfast. After breakfast, you will trudge down and set off to your overnight stop at Dingboche. As you trek down to Dingboche, you will lose an altitude of around 1100 meters. The total duration of today’s trek is 7-8 hours. 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 4410m

After having a hot breakfast, we start out trek from Dingboche to Chukkung. Total time for the trek is 2 hours and is quite easy. Chukkung is a beautiful valley nestled between mountains like Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Imja Tse, etc. You can get a really good and close view of these mountains and their glaciers. The river Imja Khola runs past the Chhukhung village where we will be lodging. We prepare for the climb. 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 4730m

Next day, we are quite close to Island Peak. The trek to Island Peak Base Camp is on a fairly steep trail. First, we climb south then turn east to the main line of the valley. We then walk on a winding path below the southern flank of the moraine from the Lhotse Glacier. Next, we continue walking on a pleasant trail along a streamside. The route to the Amphu Labtsa lies to the southeast. A crisscross route through the Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines leads to a wide valley flanking the side of Island Peak.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Camping
  • Altitude: 4970m

We wake up early today at around 12 to 1 am and have our breakfast before beginning our climb. It is important we reach the summit before noon because in the afternoon the strong winds in the highlands might become a barrier for a successful summit. The trail moves up beyond the base camp for several hundred meters before striking off the steep hillside. Initially sandy, the path soon turns to grass before becoming boulder strewn. As we climb up the hill, we will see that the slope narrows and the trail enters a steep rock channel. We climb the rock gully.

This is not difficult, but there are several short rock steps to climb before we emerge on the right side of the gully. The route then follows a ridgeline, which leads to an exhilarating and exposed traverse onto the snout of the summit glacier. The guides will fix a rope when required. A steep snow slope leads us onto the summit ridge. 

Both fixed rope and man rope will be used during the climb for safety. We use fix rope after successfully climbing on rock. The length of the rope will usually be of 350m. However, the length depends on the time of the season and the crevasses

There are two newly formed crevasses which are approximately 3 and 4 meters long. We will be using ladders to cross them. After enjoying the summit views, and taking pictures, we descend all the way to Island Peak Base Camp where some of our crew is waiting for us. We celebrate on our successful Island Peak climb. Later, will trek back to Chhukhung. 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 4730m

After Breakfast in Chhukhung. We will start the trek down to Tengboche. You can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Himalayas – Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Kwangde – are some of the highlights you don’t want to miss. 

A short drop takes us to the riverside, then it’s across the river downwards. Get ready to downhill trek at this point, alternating between a gradual grade and some seriously steep ground! 

Our destination, Tengboche, is known as one of the most beautiful places in the Everest region. View incredible and legendary Ama Dablam. We’ll stop in on the Tengboche monastery, which is one of the largest monasteries in Khumbu. 

Enjoy the guided tour of the monastery grounds, followed by chanting and prayer with the resident Buddhist monks. At this monastery, Lama will give you a blessing for successful trekking and expedition ahead.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 3860m

First, we will have a hot breakfast. We will start our trek from Tengboche. We will retrace our steps down to the Imja Khola and up through the forest to Tengboche. We will continue through the hillside blanketed by rhododendron and juniper trees. After crossing the bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, our trail follows the Dudh Koshi gorge descending rapidly through the pine forests before reaching Sansa. We keep a lookout for wildlife such as mountain goats, snow leopards, colorful pheasants, etc., while passing through the forest. After passing stupas, we will reach Namche Bazaar. 

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 3440m

After breakfast, we will trek towards the Hillary Suspension Bridge and then pass through several local villages. In the evening, we will celebrate the victory of completing the trek. Last night to experience a teahouse in Mountains with your entire trek team.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Accommodation: Teahouse / Lodge
  • Altitude: 2840m

After early breakfast in Lukla, we will take a 30-minute flight back to Kathmandu from Lukla. This ends the trekking part of the journey. One last you can revel in the different sights of the landscapes while on the flight. 

After landing at Kathmandu airport, you will be directly transferred to the Hotel where you will stay overnight. One of the Mount Mania representatives will invite you to attend a farewell dinner with a cultural show.

  • Altitude: 1320m

What to Expect

Cost Includes

  • Airport pickups and drops 
  • Teahouse accommodation during the trekking
  • Tented accommodation during the climbing 
  • 3 meals a day (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) 
  • Round Trip Domestic flights (Kathmandu- Lukla -Kathmandu)
  • English Speaking Trekking Guide (leader) and Climbing guide (leader) with Insurance, Transportation, Food, and Accommodation
  • Down jacket (to be returned after trip completion)
  • Duffel bag, T-shirt, and Trekking Map
  • Trekking permits and Island Peak climbing permit
  • Good quality tents and kitchen utensils for camping
  • Group mountaineering (climbing) equipment
  • Daily seasonal fresh fruits after dinner 
  • A first aid kit carried by the guide (Oximeter to measure your oxygen and pulse in high altitude) 
  • All government and local taxes

Cost Excludes

  • International Flight Ticket and Nepalese Visa Fee
  • Hotel & Meals in Kathmandu
  • Extra Baggage Charges
  • Extra night accommodation in Kathmandu in case of early arrival, late departure, and early return from the trek (due to any reason) than the scheduled itinerary
  • Personal expenses (WiFi, Phone calls, Laundry, Bar bills, Battery Recharge, Water, Shower, and Tea / Coffee)
  • Other costs not mentioned in 'Cost Includes' section 
  • Travel and Rescue Insurance
  • Tips for Guides, Porters, and Drivers

Useful Information

Island Peak Climbing Permit Cost

Special Climbing Permit Cost:

  • Spring Season: USD 250
  • Autumn Season: USD 125
  • Winter Season: USD 70
  • Summer Season: USD 70

Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Cost: USD 20

Best Seasons for Island Peak Climbing

  • Spring Season (March to May)
  • Autumn Season (September to November)

Documents you need to bring for Mera Peak Climbing 

  • Valid Passport
  • PP Size Photo (4 Pieces)
  • Insurance Paper

Customer Reviews

  • Binod was outstanding. He went above and beyond our expectations. Essentially all we had to do is walk, he looked after everything for us. He and our porter even climbed up to the crampon point to help my cousin after an extremely exhausting day climbing Island Peak. That for us ... read more

  • noimage
    Bill
    Australia

    Trip was excellent

    Mount Mania is the absolute best. The organization and attention to detail for the trip was excellent. Everything went like clockwork. Our guides and porters were extremely friendly and helpful and without them, I wouldn’t have been able to summit. The personalized service was one of the highlights of the ... read more

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