After your first night in Kathmandu, you will be well informed on arrival about the time for gear preparation. In the evening, you will be briefed by your trek and climb leader about your trekking program the next day. In case you have fallen short of any trek and climb equipment that you may need, this time can be used to arrange for it.

You will be transferred to Tribhuvan Airport, domestic terminal early in the morning for Kathmandu to Lukla flight. It takes 30minutes of pleasant flight to take us to Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla. We will be greeted by aerial views of many snow-clad peaks and mountains. Lukla is the gateway to Everest Khumbu region. After reaching Lukla, you will be introduced to other crew members. We will take breakfast at one of the lodges. Once porters prepare necessary luggage, we will begin our trek for Island Peak. We will pursue the stone pathway downhill. After few hours, we will meet the flat trail. The trail has a spiritual ambience. Mani rocks decorate the path while we can rejoice the striking view of Lukla village. We will finally reach Phakding. After refreshment, you will have short walk to nearby village. Time permitting, we will also visit a local monastery. Return to lodge in Phakding for dinner. You will get briefing regarding following day’s trek.

Early in the morning after breakfast, we will continue our journey along Dudhkoshi River. The trail stretches through pine forest. After crossing thrilling suspension bridges at several points and passing through small settlements of Zapute, Toktok, Benkar and Chumoa, we will reach Monjo which is known as the gateway to the Sagarmatha National Park. We will take sharp descend to the river. Crossing another suspension bridge, we will proceed towards high Hillary Bridge located at the foot of the hill. Crossing this bridge, we will climb uphill to the Namche Bazaar. We can get view of Thamserku Mountain. If weather is clear, we can also have first view of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Kusum Khangru mountains.

Namche Bazaar is known as gateway to the high Himalayas. It is also the main trading center and a capital of Sherpa land. We will take a day of rest in Namche for acclimatization purpose. We will take a short hike to the ancient Sherpa village of Thame to wintness the rich Sherpa culture. We can also visit nearby Khumjung, Khunde or Khongde villages. Shopping in marketplace of Namche is another fine idea. National Park Head office, Museum and monasteries are other places of interest. The area is clustered with cafes, shops, bakeries and restaurants. The place supports facilities of post office, hospital, government health post. Internet access is also available at Namche so that you can contact your near ones before heading towards Island Peak.

Leaving Namche Bazaar, we will walk along the glacial water of Dudh Koshi River. We will be greeted with views of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse and, Thamserku and Ama Dablam Mountains. Our journey continues through the colorful forest of blooming rhododendron to Sanasa. The region is rich in wildlife like musk deer and different colorful local birds. In Sanasa lies the junction point. One of the path leads us to the Gokyo valley while the other one leads us to Everest Base Camp. We will take sharp climb to Tengboche monastery which is the largest Gompa in the Khumbu region. The journey rewards us with close-up views of many surrounding mountains. We will visit the monastery and walk through forest of birch and rhododendron to Debuche where we will stay overnight.

After breakfast, we will descend to Imja River. The trail takes us uphill to Pangboche (3860m) through the lush forest. We will visit the Pangboche Monastery. The village is also decorated with Chorten and Mani walls. The trail allows us an access to Imja Valley. We will take steep climb to Pheriche and continue further to Lobuche River. The final steepest climb of the day will take us to Dingboche. Agriculture is the chief occupation of locals in Dingboche. We can see fields enclosed by stonewall in Dingboche. Buckwheat, potatoes and barley are the major crops.

We will take final rest day in Dingboche. Dingboche is a summer settlement for locals. We can get panoramic views of Ama Dablam, Lhotse and other several big and small peaks from the ridge on the north behind the village. We can also get view of Imja River which flows directly east of the village. You can visit one of the world’s highest billiard parlors. You can also find internet café in Dingboche. So, take rest and save your energy for climbing on forthcoming days.

From Dingboche, we will retrace our route and begin a moderate walk to Dugla. After crossing by some of the teahouses of Dugla, we plod higher onto the pretty risky moraine of the Khumbu glacier, passing a chain of stone monuments built in memory of Sherpas who have died on mountaineering expeditions to Mt Everest. From hereabouts, the trail lowers and goes by the west side of the valley to Lobuche. The sunset on Nuptse from this point is an amazing sight to behold.

An early start is required to reach the Everest Base Camp. It takes several hours as the trail weaves its way through ice pinnacles and past the crevasses of the Khumbu Glacier. After a brief lunch and rest, we take the trail to Everest Base Camp through the once vast Gorak Shep Lake. Only upon reaching the Everest Base Camp do we really appreciate the Everest climbers who brave the risky route through the Khumbu icefall. Mountaineer's tents stand out in bright colors against the monotony of gray surroundings (especially in the spring). Nuptse, Khumbuste and Pumori are the mountains we can view from the base camp. On the return leg, we can take a higher route to get a grand view of the Khumbu icefall and the route to the South Col. We return to Gorakshep for a restful night.

Be prepared to tackle thin air at this high altitude. We start early at dawn to catch the dramatic views from Kalapatthar witnessing the first light of day shining on Mt. Everest. However, we need to get prepared for an early morning, dark and cold temperature (-10 to -14 C) departure beforehand. Plus, there is always the potential for chilly winds which are quite common. Familiar peaks such as Lingtren, Khumbutse, Changtse tower to the east even as Everest begins to expose itself emerging between the west shoulder crest and Nuptse. During the ascent to Kalapatthar we can pause to catch our breath at several outstanding viewpoints to click pictures. After several hours of ascent, we reach Kalapatthar. From here, we scuttle to climb the rocky outcrop near to the summit marked by cairns and prayer flags. As we reach the top, we sit on the Kalapatthar rocks and our eyes take in the unbelievable Himalayan views, wandering from one mighty massif to another. We take as many pictures as we possibly can with our camera so they can last a lifetime. After this we make our way back to Lobuche with a slow descent.

We will take early breakfast before leaving Lobuche. Following the trail through Khumbu glacier, we will reach Khong-ma La Base Camp that is located at 5000m altitude. We need to take sharp climb to the top of Khong-ma La Pass. The summit is decorated with cairn that is wrapped in prayer flags. After enjoying the pleasant sight of surrounding mountains and valley from the top, we will lower down to Imja River Valley. Brief descend from the valley will take us to Chhukung which is the small summer settlement of locals.

We will head south towards the main valley in the east. Crossing streams at few points, the trail gets rough with boulders and glaciated rivers. We will cross Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines and arrive at the valley which serves as the Base Camp for Island peak. We will rejoice the striking view of southwestern face of Island peak. Stay overnight in Island Peak Base Camp.

You will receive a pre climb training from our climbing guide on this day. You will get instructions on peak climbing techniques. You will also be taught how to use the climbing gears like ice axe, crampons, harness and ascender properly. You will learn how to use ropes while you move up and down. So, even an amateur with no prior experience of peak climb can also participate in Island Peak Climbing. We will follow the trail through rock surface for up to around 5770m and then the terrain shifts to ice which is when ropes become life saver. We can also climb up to the High Camp and return to the Base Camp for practice. Stay overnight in Island Peak Base Camp.

Since heavy wind blows during afternoon at the summit, our target will be to reach the summit before noon. Hence, we will wake up much early on this day. We will take moderate climb for the first part of the climb before reaching the steep hillside. The terrain frequently changes from sandy area to meadow to boulder. From the hill, we will follow the tapered path through a steep rock channel to emerge to the gully. Walking through a ridgeline, we conquer challenges proposed by seracs and crevasses. We will proceed through the snout of the summit glacier with the help of ropes and move through 40- degree snow slopes to reach the summit. The challenge of the climb is rewarded with the gratifying views of Lhotse Mountain, Nuptse Mountain, Makalu, Baruntse and Amadablam Mountains. We will capture the memories in camera and then prepare ourselves for long descend to the Base Camp. We will celebrate the successful climb and stay overnight in Base Camp.

This is a free day. Peak Climbing is a challenging task. Multiple factor like weather condition comes into action. Also, our crew members might get injured or sick from High Altitude Sickness. In such case, our schedule might get affected. This contingency day will help us to make sure that our schedule will go on smoothly without interruption even if there occur complications while climbing the peak.

Leaving the Base Camp, we will follow the easy trail to the lower altitudes. We will retrace the route through the wide valley of Khumbu River and walk past pretty tiny Sherpa settlements of Orsho and Shomare to Pangboche. Pangboche is popular for its oldest monastery in Khumbu region. We can rejoice the views of Everest, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kangtaiga and Kongde ridges and Imja Tse River from Pengboche village.

Leaving Pangboche early in the morning, we will follow the return trail along Imja River that takes us through the forest of birch and spruce to Tengboche village. After brief stop in Tengboche, we will follow the trail through forest of blooming rhododendron to the bridge. We will cross the bridge over Dudh Koshi River and move through Dudh Koshi gorge and pine forest to Sansa village. The region is rich in Himalayan wildlife like mountain goats, Thars and local birds. We will pass through the chorten to the army camp at Namche Bazaar.

Our last day of trek following the Dudh Kosi River down to Lukla. It’s only a gradual walk along the Dudhkhosi river after our steep descent from Namche. We’ll have lunch on our way and we make the final climb up to the airstrip at Lukla. Rest of the day is free and you can relax under the warm sun & reflect on the emotional experiences we had while hiking through these massive mountains that have probably helped us re-discover ourselves in ways least expected. This is our final day on these fantastic mountains. Later we celebrate our successful completion of trek & climb with our Sherpa guides and porters who we’ve got to know so well & are now good friends. It’s a pleasure to end this wonderful trip on a happy note. We then slumber into blissful sleep.

Take an early morning flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. We will be transferred to hotel in a private vehicle in Kathmandu. Take leisure and soothe your aching limbs from long and tiring peak climb.

Enjoy a leisure day. You are on your own. Participating in a day tour in Kathmandu is a pleasant plan. You can also go for shopping in Thamel, a tourist hub where you can buy souvenir items like handicrafts and arts to your family. At eventide, we will relish a farewell dinner to celebrate our successful climb. While enjoying our supper, we will also be entertained to a scintillating cultural dance performed by the local belles
Please do not hesitate to let us know if you would like to extend your stay. Kindly email us for more details on extensions.

Finally, the undeniable day of departure arrives. Thank you for joining us on this climb and it has been a pleasure getting to know you during this time.  We hope this venture has enriched your experience with happy memories. You will be assisted in your last minute preparation. Our representative will take you to Tribhuvan International Airport three hours before your scheduled flight. Keep in touch and hope to hear from you soon.  Bon voyage for a safe and pleasant trip home.