Everest Base Camp Trek with Island Peak Climbing - 17 Days

Mountain Treks Nepal will warmly welcome you at Tribhuvan International Airport when you arrive. We will escort you to your hotel and help you check-in. After some rest, you’ll attend a thorough briefing session where your trek leader will brief you about the itinerary, equipment, and, most importantly, safety protocols when trekking in this wilderness. This is all the preparation you need to ensure that you are well-informed for the adventure ahead.

Once you’ve been briefed, you’re free to explore the colorful streets of Kathmandu. You can explore the crowded streets of Thamel, filled with trekking gear shops, local arts, and aromatic restaurants. Or stay at your hotel and gear up mentally for the journey ahead. Stay overnight in Kathmandu.

You will start your day with a flight to Lukla for 35 minutes and have memorable views of snow-capped peaks like Gauri Shankar, Langtang, and Ganesh Himal. This will set the mood for the trekking journey when you land at the airport, namely Tenzing Norgay. After this, you will meet the crew and begin a gradual ascend to Phakding.

 The trek covers nearly three hours on the way to Phakding and is seen to be one of the charming trails beside the Dudh Koshi River. Along the way, see prayer wheels and suspension bridges with fluttering prayer flags and pass through small Sherpa settlements like Nurning and Chheplung. Phakding serves as a good resting place for acclimatization. Overnight at a teahouse in Phakding.

Today’s trek starts from Phakding. The route continues down to the Dudh Koshi River with some suspension bridges. The trail keeps going uphill, gradually turning towards thick pine forests and beautiful small settlements like Benkar and Monjo. Here you enter the Sagarmatha National Park. The trail becomes sharper close to Namche Bazaar with far-off views of Thamserku (6,608 m), among others.

After hiking for some hours, you will arrive in Namche Bazaar, which is a thriving Sherpa town. There, you can enjoy not only the beautiful old culture but also modern amenities. The town, located at the base of the mountains in the area of Everest, boasts a spirited market, bakeries, and breathtaking viewpoints. Stay overnight in Namche Bazaar.

On the fourth day of the Everest Base Camp Trek with Island Peak Climbing, we will acclimatize as we have already reached over 3400 meters above sea level. We will complete a morning trek towards the Everest View Hotel (3,865 m), which offers breathtaking views of Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. 

We will then visit the Sherpa Culture Museum and Everest Photo Gallery. This visit will open us a way to explore some of the rich heritage and mountain climbing histories of the area. Spend the night in Namche Bazaar.

Today’s trek will lead us from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche, where the famous Tengboche Monastery lies. You’ll pass through lush forests of rhododendrons and junipers past Namche Bazaar with some gradual ascending steps. As you hike uphill, you will be able to catch some great views of Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam from the peaks.

The final climb to Tengboche is steeper and much more gratifying, wrapping in the famous Tengboche Monastery. The monastery was built in 1916 by Lama Gulu and stands as Khumbu Valley’s largest Buddhist Gompa. In the evening, you can witness a Buddhist prayer ceremony inside the monastery. Overnight at a teahouse in Tengboche.

The sixth day of the Everest Base Camp Trek with Island Peak Climb 17 Days will bring us to Dingboche from Tengboche. The trail descends initially through the rhododendron forest to Debuche, and the Imja River is crossed on a suspension bridge. From here, the path climbs past beautiful little settlements like Pangboche and offers a close-up view of Ama Dablam. 

The scenery is sharp and rugged as Dingboche opens up into alpine meadows. Dingboche is a village beneath the peaks, which offers gorgeous views of Island Peak and the Imja Valley.

Day 7 of the Everest Base Camp Trek with Island Peak Climbing will follow a remote trail from Dingboche to Lobuche. The journey to Dingboche starts with a slightly uphill path on the very beautiful Pheriche Valley, where views of Tawache and Cholatse can be seen. A stop will then be made at Duglha, where trekkers sit and rest before making the steep climb towards the Thukla Pass at 4830 meters above sea level.

The trail goes uphill along the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier, which will eventually reach Lobuche. This tiny settlement gives you great views of Nuptse and the glacial landscape. Overnight at Lobuche.

Finally, we will complete the first phase of the Everest Base Camp Trek with Island Peak Climbing. Today is the day we reach Everest Base Camp via the last Sherpa settlement of Khumbu Valley, Gorak Shep. The rough trail from Lobuche to Gorak Shep climbs along steep rocks breaking off into sheer drops, all this aided by a view of Pumori and the Khumbu Icefall. 

After that, the final push to Base Camp continues. As we reach the base camp, you will be amazed by the glacial moraine and ice fields of the Khumbu Icefall. In addition, the views of the mighty Everest and Nuptse will take your breath away. Later, you will head back to Gorak Shep for an overnight stay after exploring the beautiful Everest Base Camp.

Now, it’s time to explore another major attraction of the Khumbu region, Kala Patthar. We will set off on an early morning hike to Kala Patthar at 5644 meters to see the breathtaking sunrise over Mount Everest, Nuptse, and Pumori. Kala Patthar is the world’s highest viewpoint from where you can have 360-degree views of the Mahalangur Mountain Range.

After that, you will retrace your steps back to Gorak Shep and then to Chhukung. The trail stretches through moraine and glacial landscapes, while the beautiful view of the Khumbu Glacier and Imja Valley makes your journey worth it. Chhukung is actually a base camp for Island Peak climbing, so you will be staying here overnight, preparing for the next day’s hike.

Today is separated for acclimatization to adapt to changing altitudes and preparation for Island Peak. You will hike to Chhukung Ri (5,550 m) and enjoy magnificent views of Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Baruntse. All these light activities help adapt your body to altitude but you also should focus on hydration, nutrition, and enough rest and sleep.

You can spend the rest of the day arranging your climbing gear, talking to guides, and relaxing at this lovely place. This day ensures that you are ready for the ascent of Island Peak. Overnight at a teahouse in Chhukung.

The second phase of the Everest Base Camp with Island Peak starts today. You will catch a trail that proceeds through the Imja Valley from Chhukung to Island Peak Base Camp, from where spectacular glacier views and the high mountains appear. At some point, you will observe pasturing yaks on rocky grounds as you approach base camp. 

The trek lasts about 5-6 hours. Upon arriving, your climbing guides and porters will help you set camp with the backdrop of the tallest peaks like Lhotse and Ama Dablam. Guides will also prepare you for the climb, including practicing with ropes and crampons. Overnight in tents at Island Peak Base Camp.

On the 12th day of the Everest Base Camp Trek with Island Peak Climb 17 Days, the real expedition of Island Peak begins. You will start your summit from around 1:00 AM (Mid Night). The trails are steep and icy and will require technical climbing skills such as the use of fixed ropes and climbing equipment. When you finally stand at the summit of the Island peak, you will admire the panoramic views of every mountain in the region, including Makalu, Lhotse and Everest. 

After conquering the Island Peak, you will ascend back towards the base camp. From there, you will advance towards Chhukung. As this day has been long and very tiring, there is no need for excessive activities for the night, hence you will have dinner and sleep early in a tea house.

This day is the ‘buffer day’ and is primarily designed to cater for unpredictable circumstances like bad weather conditions. If the day is not used then it would allow more for rest or sightseeing in Chhukung.

As usual, starting from Chhukung, the route again goes back via Imja Valley. On this route, you will also go through the same settlements namely Pangboche and Tengboche, and there are chances of going back to the monastery of Tengboche as well. 

After a long trek of about 7 to 8 hours, you will reach Namche Bazaar. The bustling town and its active market as well as the teahouses are a pleasant sight after the remote mountain trails. Rest and enjoy the lively activities of the town before the end of the trip. Overnight in a teahouse.

This day will take you from Namche Bazaar to Lukla and it is expected to take roughly 7-8 hours. The Namche to Phakding trek will take you through beautiful landscapes and Sherpa settlements of Monjo and Bengkar.

On reaching Lukla, you will check into a hotel where you stay overnight and prepare for a flight to Kathmandu tomorrow.

The 16th day of the Everest Base Camp Trek with Island Peak climbing will take us to Kathmandu from Lukla. The flight takes nearly 35 minutes to complete and as you land at Kathmandu, you will get escorted to your hotel.

In the evening, Mountain Treks Nepal Team will organize a dinner party, where you can celebrate your journey with fellow trekkers, guides, and porters.

Today, you will bid farewell to the Mountain Treks Nepal Team and onboard a flight to your home country. Our representative will help you get to Tribhuvan International Airport and go through the legal formalities.