ISLAND PEAK (6,165M)

Early in the morning, after an amazing breakfast, we will take a thrilling flight to Lukla Airport. The flight gives you a bird’s eye view of the valleys, rivers, hills, and gradually mountain ranges. Even though the flight is only for half an hour, it does not fail to mesmerize you now and then. As we land at Lukla Airport, which is already exciting, we start our trek to Phakding, our destination for the day. After obtaining the permit for the region, we will slowly move through the settlements on a mixed trail of dirt, stone pathways, and some rocky sections at times. This is an easy start so make sure to enjoy all the greeneries, floras, and faunas as you walk. The trail takes you over several suspension bridges and along the Dudh Koshi river. Enjoy the rest of the day at Phakding after 4-5 hours of walk.

After Phakding, we move towards another beautiful destination, Namche Bazaar, which is the commercial point of the Khumbu region. Passing through the dense luscious forests of pine, juniper, Rhododendron, looking out for animals in the Sagarmatha National Park, walking up the stairs paved with stones, and mostly walking uphills are the major activities of the day’s trek. This trek will be 5-6 hours long and tiring as we start gaining significant elevation. As we reach Namche, we rest at our hotel and enjoy our dinner. The next day, we will go around the village area and experience some local sherpa culture. We will also hike up to the Everest View Hotel for a mindblowing vista of the Grand Everest itself.

After acclimatizing at Namche, we set our feet on the trail towards Khumjung valley, also called the green valley because of its dense vegetation. We follow the rocky pathways, steep uphills, rugged terrain, and most importantly enjoy the glimpses of the mountains at a distance throughout.

After Khumjung, we then approach the most beautiful and tranquil part of this Trek, the Tengboche monastery. This trail is a mix of smooth up and downhill paths with a steep uphill climb through the forests before we reach Tengboche. If we get lucky, we may even be able to spot some musk deer, a herd of Himalayan Thar, and pheasants along our way. 

Tengboche monastery is one of the most revered monasteries among Buddhists around the world. The views of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam are visible towards the north while Thamserku and Kangtega stand towards the south with striking views. We will also join in some prayer ceremonies and rest for the day.

After 5-6 hours of trek, we will finally rest at a lodge in Tengboche.

After spending our night in Tengboche, we begin our trek for the day towards Dingboche where we will stay overnight. Following the path down from Tengboche towards Deboche through the forests of Rhododendrons, we cross a bridge over the raging Imja river. Then, we gradually climb uphill to reach the village of Lower Pangboche where we can witness the spectacular views of Ama Dablam. We then move across the valley to reach our destination Dingboche at the start of the Imja Tse valley after an approximate walk of 5-6 hours.

Our next destination is Chhukung, a small village away from the regular crowded route of the Everest Region. From Dingboche, after breakfast, we start our trek alongside the river down the valley, passing through the settlements of Dingboche. Walking on trails of dirt, rocks, and sand, witnessing the stunning views of Ama Dablam, Lhotse, and Nuptse in the background, we finally reach Chhukung to rest overnight. Chhukung houses only a few teahouses to serve the climbers and trekkers heading to Island peak, Chhukung Ri, and Kongma La Pass.

We will spend our next day here at Chhukung for acclimatization and training for climbing.

The trek from Chhukung valley to the Island Peak base camp takes about 5 hours on rugged and rocky terrain. The trail passes through the Imja river leading to the Lhotse Glacier, showcasing some magnificent views of surrounding peaks. Enjoy the overwhelming beauty and tranquility of the area as it rejuvenates the inner soul of every traveler. We set up our base camp at 4970 m so that we can acclimatize ourselves.

On this day, we will ascend towards the high camp at 5600 m. The trail is steep and tough as it gets narrower as you approach the high camp. We will take a day’s rest at the high camp for acclimatization.

From the high camp, we climb up on steep slopes that lead to the glaciers. Walking on the ridges along the glacier and crossing some steep slopes of snow and ice, and traversing some crevasses, we finally reach the summit of Island Peak or Imja Tse at 6189 m. The climb requires us to walk with the fixed ropes, use ice-axe and crampons and climb up the ladder at times. The struggle is real but it's worth it. You will have climbed one of the snow-capped peaks above 6000m and stepped into the alpine zone. The beauty of the mountain ranges that one can see from the summit is out of the world. It feels like you are standing on the top of an island beholding the vast sea of ice and snow with other peaks peeking out. After spending some time at the Summit, capturing some unforgettable memories of the Khumbu Region, we retrace our steps back to the Base Camp.

The next day, we will walk down the Imja River valley and cross the river over a suspension bridge. From there onwards, the trail is steep and ascends towards the village of Pangboche. Pangboche is a small settlement of local Sherpas with an old monastery and enchanting Sherpa Culture and Traditions.

From Pangboche, we trek back to Namche Bazaar and rest in a cozy hotel. We will enjoy the iconic scenes throughout the trail. If we get lucky, we may even encounter some wildlife in the Sagarmatha National Park. 

From Namche Bazar, we retrace our trail back to Lukla passing the villages of Phakding and Monjo. We will stop by for lunch on the way.

From Lukla, we take the thrilling flight back to Kathmandu. We will enjoy the marvelous vista of the Khumbu region from the sky.

In Kathmandu, you can relax in Thamel, a thriving touristics street where you can get anything you want. You may do some shopping, eat in a nice restaurant, get some spa, do some laundry and many other things. There are also many different attractions in Kathmandu valley including  Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Bouddhanath Stupa, Basantapur, Bhaktapur, Patan, and so on. You may go sightseeing around these areas with one of our city guides. We will join for the farewell dinner in the evening. 

NOTE: If we use one day as a contingent in the Base Camp before the summit day because of bad weather, this day shall be deducted.)

Our journey of Trek to Everest Base Camp ends on this day. With so many beautiful memories together, we gratefully and delightedly bid you farewell and good luck for your flight back home. One of our representatives from 8K expeditions will drop you off at TIA 3 hours prior to your scheduled flight.

Upon your arrival at the TIA, you will need to fulfill the procedures of Visa obtaining. While at the arrivals, one of our representatives will be waiting to welcome you. After meet and greet, you will be transferred to the hotel booked for you to rest. There you will freshen up and relax. You can go around the streets of Thamel for refreshments.

On the second day, we will fulfill all our official procedures including necessary documentation, obtain permits, and other formalities needed for our expedition. We will start our preparation for our trek. We will now pack our bags, do some necessary shopping, re-check everything that we need (Especially medicines and essentials). Briefings will be made about each and every aspect of the trek and trip duration, accommodation, facilities at the base camp and during the trek. It is also an opportunity for you to communicate and introduce yourself to your fellow trekkers and teammates.