EBC Trek with Island Peak Climbing

Welcome to Nepal for your exciting journey to Everest Base Camp and Island Peak Climbing in 2026!

Upon your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will be greeted by Nepal Spirit Adventure and transferred to your hotel, located in the prime tourist hub. After checking in and refreshing yourself, you may take a stroll around Thamel or explore the historic sites of old Kathmandu, depending on your arrival time. If you arrive at night, you will head straight to the hotel to rest.

Today is a complete rest day in Kathmandu. Visit Nepal Spirit Adventure's head office for a question and answer about the trek and climbing of Island Peak, check the climbing and trekking equipment, as well as the introduction with a trek and climbing guide. Even during the day, you can go on world heritage city sightseeing tours, deal with our tour manager at extra additional cost. 

Early Morning Transfer to Kathmandu Domestic Airport

Begin your day with an early morning transfer to Kathmandu's domestic airport for a scenic 40-minute flight to Lukla, offering stunning panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Upon arrival in Lukla, known for its unique airstrip, you'll start your trek towards Phakding. The trail takes you through traditional Sherpa farm villages, with views of snow-capped peaks along the way. After a pleasant 3-4 hours of walking, you will reach Phakding, where you will enjoy an overnight stay in a comfortable lodge by the bank of the Dudh Kosi River.

Flight Information during Peak Seasons

During the main trekking and climbing seasons (March to May, and September to November), the flight from Lukla will depart from Manthali Ramechhap. This location is approximately a 4-5 hour drive, about 130 km from Kathmandu. The flight journey itself takes about 15 minutes, followed by a trek to Phakding. Therefore, you will need to leave Kathmandu early in the morning to reach Manthali-Ramechhap in time for your flight.

Helicopter Option:

An excellent alternative to avoid the long drive from Manthali Airport to Kathmandu during peak season (March, April, May, October, and November) is to book a direct helicopter flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. This option is available for an additional charge of USD 550 per person, based on a sharing arrangement for five people.

The morning walk continues following the river upstream most of the way, crossing a few bridges over Dudh Kosi River and villages of Bhenkar and Monjo to reach Sagarmatha National Park entrance, from here leading to Jorsalle village for lunch, and then walk for a few hours to the last bridge leading with a steep uphill climb for few hours to Namche Bazaar, with many facilities good stores, shops, restaurant, pubs, cyber cafe, post office and banks overnight in guest house.

A perfect spot for a rest day and acclimatization before heading higher area, at Namche, one can relax or take a short hike to Syangboche Everest View Hotel, which takes almost 2 hours, or walk up to the top of Namche for better views of Everest, Amadablam, and adjoining peaks, visit the interesting museum overnight in a guesthouse.

From Namche, a morning walk leads up with an aerial view of Namche Bazaar overlooking beautiful towering peaks, walk on a gradual path, then head downhill to Imjatse River at Phunge-Tenga for lunch, after a break uphill through cool rhododendrons, pines, and fir trees with marvelous mountain views, and then reach Thyangboche Monastery with views of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Kangtenga, Thamasarku, Kwande, and the majestic peak of Amadablam. With time, visit the interesting monastery with young monks and priests for a ceremonial prayer overnight in a tea house.

Morning views of Everest and magnificent Ama-Dablam, walk leads downhill for a few hours to the bridge over Imjatse River, after the bridge walk on the open country where the tree lines disappear only for a few sparse vegetation and juniper bushes, walking on the gentle uphill for a while to reach at Pangboche village at 3,900 meters, the last permanent village before Pheruche and beyond, from here a slow climb to Somara for lunch and continue walking on the nice terrain with the last climb to Pheriche for an overnight stop.

Morning walk in the valley, then with an uphill to Dugla (Thugla) beneath the Cholatse and Taweche Peaks, Thugla is a nice spot for lunch as there is no lodge till Lobuche, from here climb steeply up to the top of Thugla Pass, which has numerous stone cairns, memorializing unfortunate climbers who have died climbing on Mount Everest and other high mountains of this area. Trek continues on the left side of the glacier, finally reaching the cluster of houses at Lobuche for an overnight stop.

Morning towards Everest Base Camp, starting with an uphill walk for a few hours, and then a short steep climb near Gorakshep, walking on a glacier, moraine to reach Gorakshep with few lodges, located beneath Mt. Pumori and Kalapathar, as the walk continues towards the east for a few hours to Everest Base Camp overlooking Khumbu glacier and Khumbu Ice Fall. After a great time and feeling high beneath the world's highest mountain, retrace the journey back to Gorakshep for an overnight halt.

A morning hike to Kalapathar, which stands at 5,545 meters, provides stunning views of the mountains stretching to the horizon, including a close-up view of Mt. Everest, framed by the towering peak of Pumori. After enjoying the experience, you will return to Gorakshep for breakfast. From there, you'll continue your hike to Lobuche. After walking on the same trail for about an hour, the route will diverge towards the Imja Tse Valley, where you'll stop for an overnight stay in Dingboche.

Today is mostly a rest day, featuring an easy hike to Chhukung village. We plan to explore the old Sherpa valley, look for climbing equipment, and hire anything we may need. Additionally, we will have an introduction to a climbing guide for Island Peak and practice some small training with him overnight at a guesthouse.

We have allocated two days to climb Island Peak, although we probably will not need more than one day if the weather conditions are favorable. The specific strategy for the climb will be determined by our climbing Sherpa leader at that time, taking into account the group’s acclimatization, weather, snow conditions, and other relevant factors.

He will provide ice climbing training to ensure you are skilled in using climbing gear such as ropes, ice axes, harnesses, and crampons. The campsite is located just below the permanent snowline.

We will depart very early in the morning for the final ascent to the summit, which may take between four to six hours, depending on the snow and weather conditions. For safety on both the ascent and descent, we will fix a rope on the headwall of the summit. Although the climb is not technically difficult, the snow slopes can be crevassed, the headwall is fairly steep, and having a head for heights is advantageous.

To reach the summit, you will need willpower and stamina, but the incredible feeling of achievement atop this 6,189-meter peak will create a lasting memory.

The view from the summit is absolutely breathtaking! Dominant peaks such as Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Makalu, and Baruntse rise majestically above a sea of smaller peaks. If the conditions are good, we should be able to descend back to Chhukung Sherpa village after our summit attempt.

Today’s walk will be much easier as we descend to the lower altitudes. Following the same route back through the wide valley of Khumbu Khola, we pass through the beautiful Sherpa villages of Orsho and Shomare. We can also take a different trail to visit the Gompa in Upper Pangboche, which is believed to be the oldest in the Khumbu region, or take the regular trail to reach Pangboche. Pangboche is a scenic village surrounded by Everest to its north, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Kangtaiga to the east, the Kongde range to the south, and the Imja Tse River flowing through the wide fertile valley.

From Pangboche, we retrace our steps down to the Imja Khola and up through the forest to Tengboche. If interested, we can also visit the nuns at the Tengboche monastery. After lunch at Tengboche, we continue through the hillside blanketed by rhododendrons 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 a Chorten, we reach the army camp at Namche Bazaar.

The trail descends steeply, so we need to walk cautiously as our shaky legs struggle against the rocky terrain. After crossing the suspension bridges over the fast-flowing Dudh Koshi and its tributaries, the trail becomes more even and natural. Once we arrived in Lukla, we stretched our sore legs and reflected on the experiences of the past couple of weeks.

Lukla to Kathmandu Flight Condition

1. Lukla to Manthali/Ramechhap Flight (Available in March, April, May, October, and November)

The flight from Lukla to Manthali takes about 20 minutes. After landing, it is approximately a 5 to 6-hour drive to Kathmandu, depending on highway traffic conditions. You will be transferred to your hotel in Kathmandu using a shared tourist vehicle.

2. Lukla to Kathmandu Flight (Available in January, February, June, July, August, September, and December)

The flight from Lukla to Kathmandu lasts about 35 minutes. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be transferred to your hotel in Kathmandu via a shared tourist vehicle. Please note that the operation of flights depends on the airline and may be influenced by the number of travelers during any given month.

Helicopter Option

For an additional charge of USD 550 per person (based on five people sharing), you have the option to book a direct helicopter flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. This is an excellent way to avoid the long drive from Manthali Airport to Kathmandu, especially during peak seasons (March, April, May, October, and November).

Full rest day, and it would be the best idea to take the extra day in Kathmandu. We may get disturbed flights from Lukla to Kathmandu due to the Khumbu weather conditions.

If all goes well, you can visit the historical site of Bhaktapur-Patan 

Your adventure in Nepal comes to an end today! There is nothing to do but trade emails with your travel companions and organize your photos. A representative from Nepal Spirit Adventure will take you to the airport, approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight. On your way home, you'll have plenty of time to plan your next adventure in the wonderful country of Nepal.