Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1337m)

Welcome to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal full of historical monuments, Hindu Temples, Buddhist Monasteries. We receive our valuable guests at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. One of our company representatives will be waiting to welcome our guests with guests’ names and a display board that reads Himalayan Vacation Treks and Expedition Pvt Ltd. The guests are dropped at the hotel and taken to the city for short sightseeing.

Day 2: Sightseeing in Kathmandu (1337m)

A tour guide according to the need of our guests will be provided. The guide takes the guests for sightseeing in Kathmandu. The sightseeing includes Pashupati area, Boudhanath, Patan, and Swoyambhunath area. The time for sightseeing begins after breakfast; it goes generally 9.00am to 5.00pm. On the same day, the company makes the permit and does other paper works for the trekking. Lunch and dinner will be on your own.

Day 03: Kathmandu-Lukla (flight) 2840m – Phakding (2610 m) 2-3 hours walk

We are going to have an exciting and adventurous flight from Kathmandu to Lukla today. We can compare this flight with the Moutain Flight. The flight is supposed to be exciting due to the climatic conditions; especially visibility and wind that affect our flight most may cause to delay.  In a little turboprop with the capacity of about 14 passengers, we fly in the altitude up to 3500 meters to Lukla. If the day is clear we are lucky to view in the north the ranges of snow peaks of the huge mountains bordering with Tibet. And to the south, we can view the beautiful small villages and terraces of the fertile lands. After landing in Lukla, we walk downhill up to Chheplung then we walk uphill along the Dudhkoshi River to Phakding. Wooden and suspension bridges in the several points welcome us to cross the river. We rest in Phakding this day. From today onwards, after the dinner or before we go to bed, the Himalayan Vacation Treks and Expedition trekking guide will take a report and give a briefing in every evening about the trek that we are going to make next day.

Day 04: Phakding – Namche Bazaar (3440 m) 5- – 6 hours

The path goes uphill and downhill to Namche Bazaar. We reach Monjo, a village which is the entrance of the Sagarmatha National Park too. This point is a very popular place so the trekkers don’t miss the chance to take some pictures over here. This is the point where our permit and TIMS cards are checked. Then we walk downhill to Dudh Kosi. We walk along the Dudh Koshi crossing wooden and suspension bridges in several points.  After we cross Larja Bridge over Dudh Koshi River, we can view the panoramic glance of Mt. Everest in about one and half an hour’s walk. We head to Namche Bazar, the very famous village in the Everest Region. We can hire horse if wish/needs at this point. We have a camp here.

Day 05: Namche Rest/ Acclimatization day HikingEverest view hotel or Khumjung village

 Since we are in the Everest Region Trek, we can view the Mt Everest almost from everywhere. We rest in Namche Bazaar today, especially for the acclimatization. The tribes living in Namche Bazaar are the Sherpas in a majority. We can experience somehow the lifestyle of Sherpas who has a culture close with Tibetan. We can visit the various places with the Himalayan Vacation Treks and Expedition guide including the museum about the Himalayan people. This is the place with army camp, health post, school, police check post, bakeries, internet cafes, disco,  bars, snooker, pool, foreign money exchanger etc. We can have a taste of local wine, alcohol, food etc. A number of shops and lodges welcome the tourists over here. Many trekkers stay here at least one or for several days for acclimatization. Especially the Friday and Saturday markets are very famous here.  People from far and near come to make their business. Various things (local and imported) are displayed for sale. Especially people from Khumbu area (upper Namche Bazaar) come for shopping here on those market days.

Day 06: Namche – Tengboche (3860 m) 4-5hours

The path goes slowly uphill in the beginning. We walk through almost barren lands; just a few small bushes in some places.  We can have a view of Ama Dablam, Lhotse Shar, Taboche,Kangtaiga, and Thamsherku on the way. Then we walk downhill to the Phungi Thanga Khola. We cross the suspension bridge and walk uphill to Tangboche. We can visit Monastery in Tangboche which is the biggest monastery of Khumbu region. A big water-driven prayer wheel (Maane) is the matter of attraction in Tengboche. An army barrack is also set up here.  Internet service is available in this campsite. We can use a telephone, mobile over here.

Day 07: Tengboche – Pangboche – Dingboche (4410 m) 5-6 hours

We walk downhill in the beginning until we Deboche. Then the path goes flat along the Imja Khola, a stream originated from a glacier. We have to cross the same stream in several places through the wooden and suspension bridges. We see some jungles too in some places on the way. In Pangboche we visit a monastery where the skull and bones of a hand of a yeti had been kept previously, this is what Lamas in the monastery and people in the village talk. But these have been already stolen by the smugglers so they are unfortunately no longer visible. The peaks of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Lhotse, Nuptse, Lobuche Peak, Pumori, and many other peaks give us the feeling that we are walking in the area among the highest peaks of the world. We may see blue sheep also in this part of our trek. Dingboche which is the highest permanently inhabited place in the world is located at the altitude of 4400 meters.

Day 08: Dingboche to Chhukhung (4,730m) 2-3 hours

We start today’s trek to Chhukhung by walking through stone-walled terraced fields, Imja Khola valley before walking in glacier moraines. During our walk, we will be surrounded by Lhotse and Ama Dablam mountains. Later, beyond Bibre village we see Island Peak towering above us. The path ahead is crisscrossed by icy streams. We reach Chhukhung, a small village in about half an hour from Bibre. From here, directly across the valley is the incredible Ama Dablam and the Amphu Labsa mountains. We spend the night in Chhukung.

Day 09: Acclimatization: Climb Chhukhung Ri (5,546m) and hiking back to chhukung. 

Today is another day set aside for acclimatization after Namche. Climbing Chhukhung Ri will physically help us to adjust to the high altitude. So Himalayan Vacation Treks and Expedition climbing guide will take us to the Chhukhung Ri which is located directly above the Chhukhung village. The climb to Chhukhung Ri will make us exercised for climbing the Island Peak. From the top, we can look directly across the valley for an incredible view of Ama Dablam and Amphu Labsa peaks. We come down back to Chhukhung to spend the night.

Day 10: Chhukhung to Island Peak Base camp (4970m) 3-4 hours

We need to be aware now because the path to Island Peak Base Camp is fairly steep. First, we climb south then turn east to the main line of the valley. We then walk on a winding path below the southern side of the moraine from the Lhotse Glacier. Next, we continue walking on a pleasant path along a streamside. The route to the Amphu Lapcha lies to the southeast. A crisscross route through the Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines leads to a wide valley adjoining the SW side of Island Peak. We spend the night on the Island Peak Base Camp.

Day 11: Pre-Climb training on Island Peak Base Camp?  

Today we start our pre-climb training after breakfast. Himalayan Vacation Treks and Expedition climbing guides will provide training on peak climbing skills and the proper ways of using climbing equipment such as the ice axe, climbing boots, and crampons, harness, ascender, etc. The training will also include using ropes to go up and down. Although it is not compulsory to have prior training for Island Peak climbing, we strongly believe that some training experience will boost our confidence and climbing skills to boost the chances of scaling the summit as well as to fully enjoy the experience. Usually, we will be climbing on rock surface for up to around 5770m. After that, we climb on ice and use ropes when necessary. However, the use of the rope and the length depends upon the season and the crevasses. We can spend the rest of the day hiking to high camp and back or resting for the next day’s climb. We spend the night at the base camp.

Day 12: Island Peak Base Camp to Summit (6189m) and back to Base Camp 10-11hours  

Today is the day of our goal. It is natural to be exciting. We wake up far earlier than as usual today; let’s say, by midnight or 1 is and have our breakfast before beginning the climb. It is important we reach the summit before noons because in the afternoon the strong winds in the highlands might become an obstruction for succeeding the summit. The path moves up beyond the base camp for several hundred meters before striking off the steep hillside. In the beginning sandy, then the path soon turns to grass before becoming boulder strewn. As we climb up the hill, we will see that the slope becomes narrow and the path enters a steep rock channel. We climb the rocky ravine. This is not difficult, but there are several short rock steps to climb before we emerge on the right side of the ravine. The route then follows a ridgeline, which leads to an exhilarating and exposed traverse onto the nose of the summit glacier. We need to rope up for the glacier as it contains several crevasses. The guides will fix a rope wherever necessary. 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. After enjoying the summit views, and taking pictures, we descend all the way to Island Peak Base Camp where some of our crews are waiting for us. We celebrate our success on the Island Peak climb.

Day 13: Island Peak Base Camp to Pangboche (3,930m)  5-6 hours

Since we are descending to the lower altitudes, today’s walk will be a much easier one. Following the same route back through the wide valley of Khumbu Khola, we pass through the beautiful Sherpa villages Orsho and Shomare. We can also take a different path to visit the Gompa in Upper Pangboche, which is believed to be the oldest one in the Khumbu region or take the regular path to reach Pangboche. Pangboche is a picturesque village encircled 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.

Day 14: Pangboche to Namche Bazaar (3440 m) 5-6 hours

From Pangboche we walk back down to the Imja Khola and up through the forest to Tengboche. If interested, we can also visit nuns at the Tengboche monastery. After lunch at Tengboche, we continue through the hillside covered by rhododendrons and juniper trees. After crossing the bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, our path follows the Dudh Koshi gorge descending rapidly through the pine forests before reaching Sanasa. 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. We spend the night in Namche Bazaar.

Day 15: Namche Bazaar – Lukla Bazaar (2840m) 6-7 hours

The trail descends steeply downward so we need to walk slowly as our shaky legs continuously battle the rocky land. After crossing the suspension bridges over the fast flowing Dudh Koshi and its tributaries, the trail becomes more level and natural. By today, we start to get warmed up by the light breeze. Any remaining sore throats and colds will be gone by today as we pass through this charming mountain air. Although we are traveling the same route down, we feel completely different views. We snap a mixture of open plains, rhododendron and pine forests, and in the distance snow covered peaks. We walk through the Sherpa villages’ noticing impressive faith in Buddhism and culture of prayer stones and prayers flag. On arrival in Lukla, we stretch those sore legs and recall the experiences of the last couple of weeks. We experience the culmination of a fantastic trek on a happy note with everyone back safe and sound. We stay overnight in Lukla. Every Thursday the local people around Lukla gather here for the weekly fair for their marketing/business and get together.

Day 16: Lukla – Kathmandu (1350 m) Flight 35munutes

Today we wait for the plane to fly Kathmandu. Who knows? We will come back to this region again or not in our life. So we may have look around for the last view of the Everest region.  The flight depends on the weather condition. Flight delay or cancellation for the day is a common phenomenon in this region. So, we may have to pay extra charge USD 250-350 for the plane charter so that we will not miss our flight to our home country from Kathmandu.

 Day 17: Rest/Shopping in Kathmandu or Bhaktapur (1401m) Sightseeing 3-4 hours

This day you spend on your own either looking around Kathmandu, buying a souvenir for your friends/family or you can have full rest or prepare for going back to your home country. Or if you wish you will be taken to Bhaktapur for sightseeing for 4 hours. But you have to extra charge for this. In the evening you will be served the Farewell Dinner by the company.

 Day 18: Departure from Kathmandu (1337m)

Himalayan Vacation Treks and Expedition representative will manage vehicle and staff to drop our valuable guests at the airport and bid goodbye. It will be not only goodbye to you but also the welcome for next visit to Nepal.