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Licensed operator since 2004 4.9 Google (89) Tripadvisor Excellent (386+)

  • 4.9 Google · 89 reviews
  • Tripadvisor Excellent · 386+ reviews
  • Government-licensed since 2004
  • Tailor-made private & group trips
  • Local guides from the mountains
  • Replies within a few hours
Ram Sapkota “Kamal”
Ram Sapkota “Kamal”Founder · usually replies within a few hours
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Island Peak Direct Route
Island Peak Direct Route Island Peak Direct Route – photo 2 Island Peak Direct Route – photo 3 Island Peak Direct Route – photo 4 Island Peak Direct Route – photo 5

Island Peak Direct Route

5.07 reviews (out of 5): read them

Loved by Mattias, Samuel and 5 others from Denmark and Norway

  • 17 days13 days climbing & trekking
  • 6,189 m max altitude
  • Difficult grade
  • 1-16 Pax group
  • Autumn/Spring best season

FromUS$ 2,299per person

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fromUS$ 2,299
Inquire Book
Starting from US$ 2,299 per person · 17 days · final price depends on group size & dates
  • 20% deposit confirms your place; the balance is paid on arrival in Kathmandu
  • Cancel 60+ days before departure and you lose only the deposit
  • Licensed since 2004Government of Nepal
  • 5.0 on Google89 reviews
  • Fair porter loadsMax 25–30 kg, insured
  • Secure paymentCard or bank transfer
Destination Nepal
Group Size 1-16 Pax
Region Everest
Trip Duration 13+4 Days
Activities Peak Climbing
Meals B/L/D
Accommodation Hotel/Lodge/Camp
Max Elevation 6189m
Best Month Autumn/Spring
Trip Grade Difficult
Trek Starts / Ends Kathmandu
Transportation Car/Bus/Flight

Island Peak Direct Route Overview

Island Peak, also known as Imja Tse Peak in Nepal, is the most popular trekking peak in the country. It appears to be an island in an ice sea from Dingboche. With a heavily glaciated west face ascending from the Lhotse Glacier, the summit is magnificent and appealing. The ridge leading to the top of Island Peak rises to the south from this point. Climbing Island Peak with Everest Base Camp Trek is also a popular training peak for Mount Everest climbers. You will be getting an adventure that is very amazing and thrilling!

The conventional path leads to the South Summit by the expansion of this ridge descending southwest. All of the giant mountains in the Everest region, including Nuptse (7,879m/25849fyt), Lhotse (8,501m/27890ft), Lhotse Middle Peak, and Lhotse Shar, may be seen clearly from the summit of this remarkable Peak.

The trip's high point, the summit of Island Peak, also offers a spectacular mountain panorama. The summit day is both tough and exciting because it includes treks on a rocky path and a snow trail. You'll have a great time walking to the top without having to do much technical work.

Island Peak Direct Route Itinerary

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bed Hotel meals Lunch/Dinner

On your arrival at Kathmandu international airport, our company representative will meet and welcome you to Nepal and then you will be transferred to the hotel. You can rest and relax at the hotel. After short rest, you can roam around thamel and enjoy the night life of Kathmandu. you can shop and enjoy the different kind of food in thamel. After a short explore you will be taken to our office for a trip briefing meeting. Overnight in hotel.

bed Hotel meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

After having warm morning breakfast, we will start the Kathmandu sightseeing tour which includes Pashupatinath Temple and Bouddhanath Stupa.

Pashupatinath Temple: It is a most famous Hindu temple devoted to Lord Shiva, located beside the Bagmati River. One of the most significant temples for the Hindu devotees around the world and the UNESCO site. The golden pagoda style temple is richly carved with silver doors. On the day of Shivaratri, a big fair is held around the month of February/March.

Bouddhanath stupa: One of the biggest Stupas in the world is located on the east in Kathmandu. It stands with four pairs of eyes in the four prime directions, keeping watch for virtuous behavior and human success. King Man Deva at the advice of the Goddess Mani Jogini had built this remarkable Stupa. The Stupa resembles the Mahayana philosophy.

After returning back from the tour you have some times for rest and prepare your gear and so on for next day trip. Overnight in hotel.

duration3.5 Hours bed Lodge meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Take an early morning flight to Lukla, the gateway town to the Everest trek. Flying for about 30 minutes enjoying a spectacularly beautiful view of the middle hills and mountains of Nepal, we land at the airstrip of Lukla. We, then, meet our complete trekking crew at Lukla and proceed on our trek for the day towards Phakding. After a four hours’ trek on a gradual downhill trail, we reach the small village of Phakding on the bank of beautiful Dudh Koshi River. Overnight local lodge.

duration6 hrs bed Lodge meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

The walk to Namche today, which begins after breakfast at the teahouse, is primarily uphill. We come across multiple suspension bridges that allow us to cross rivers and canyons from one mountain to the next. The stunning beauty of Namche bazar and the vista of the Himalayan peaks from here make the walk worthwhile. The breathtaking mountain peaks that can be observed from the Sherpas' homeland include... This legendary climbing tribe's hometown, with origins dating back generations in Tibet, has been an ethnic Sherpa village for centuries, ever since they crossed the Himalayas to reach the Everest region. Development of tourism activities in the Everest region has brought a significant change in the social and economic lives of the Sherpa community, as they have been the most preferred climbing assistants and trekking guides. All local Sherpa households of Namche bazar have been benefitted from the tourism industry as they have been able to run hotels at their own hometown. Stay overnight at Namche Bazar. Overnight local lodge.

duration4-5 hrs bed Lodge meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

As part of our acclimation to the high altitude and to acclimate to the thinner air, we stay an extra night in Namche Bazar. We go on a short hike to a museum that honors the Sherpa people's traditional ways. From the peak, you can see Mount Everest. Alternatively, we can trek around Everest View Hotel and up Syangboche Airport (Old Airport). We can enjoy wonderful views of the Himalayas from this vantage point, including a spectacular sunrise and sunset above the Khumbu peaks. If you are not too exhausted, you can visit the Everest region's largest Sherpa settlement, Khumjung, where the Hillary School is located, as well as Khunde nearby, before returning to Namche bazar. Local lodging for the night.

duration6 hrs bed Lodge meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

We walk to Tengboche today on an uphill trail to an even higher elevation today. We will be walking higher and higher on the trek for the next few days until we reach the Everest Base Camp and Kalapatthar. On reaching Tengboche and checking into a teahouse, we can explore the surrounding and Tengboche Monastery. Some overwhelming views of the Himalayan peaks including incredible Mt. Ama Dablam make our moments at Tengboche wonderful. Overnight local lodge.

duration4.5 hrs bed Lodge meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Today we will start with a gentle climb following the magnificent scenery of Thamserku, Kantega, Lhotse, and Everest. As we descend down to the Imja Khola river, we cross the bridge and make an easy climb through the open trail to reach Pangboche. Pangboche Gompa in this village is regarded as the oldest monastery in the Everest region, going back three centuries. Crossing the river again, we steadily trek up to Dingboche village. Overnight at local lodge. 

duration2.5 hrs bed Lodge meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

We start early morning after breakfast. It’s a short walking day. Traversing the scenic trail overlooking the enigmatic Island peak, we eventually reach Chhukung for the lunch. At Chhukung, we get ourselves ready double checking our equipment for our Island summit day. We can go around for some exploration to acclimatize in the altitude. Overnight local lodge.

duration3.5 hrs bed Tent meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

The walk to the base camp of Island Peak today takes us along the Lhotse glacial moraine. Although a short walk, we go through such a diverse range of terrains with beautiful scenic views along the glacial moraine and river valley. After mapping the beautiful winding trail, we eventually reach the base of Island Peak to spend our night there. After reaching the base camp, we have our lunch and pre-climbing training. We will talk about all the climbing techniques and the use of climbing equipment. As a group adventure, we will feel motivated by the expectation of each other in the group, their skills, and determination for the adventure. Stay overnight at Tent.

duration10 hrs bed Lodge meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Today, our day begins quite early, shortly after midnight. The big day has arrived for climbing Island Peak, commonly known as Imja Tse. We're going to walk down the trail that a Swiss climbing team laid out successfully in 1953. We start our climb on a sandy trail and then move on to a grassy trail before reaching the boulder-filled trail. We work furiously to keep our spirits up and our efforts up in order to reach the breathtaking top. As we climb higher up the mountain, we can feel the trail shrinking before it entirely transforms into a snowy ridgeline and leads us to the top glacier. The glacier section of the climb is the most difficult because it contains multiple crevasses. To trek along the glacier to the summit, we'll need to be roped in. After the ropes are in position, we begin the final portion of our ascent to the summit. After a grueling endeavor and a test of willpower, we are finally granted access to the summit of the Island peak. We congratulate ourselves on reaching the summit, spend some quality time there, and take photos before returning to base camp. We return to Chhukung on foot. Overnight stay in a local lodge.

duration2-3 hrs bed Lodge meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

This is our extra day for the trip as a contingency day. If you are tired, In case of bad weather and many other unfavorable circumstances, we might need to use this day to get the situation in our favor. Whether or not to use this day depends on how much the circumstance favors us for the adventure.

duration5 hrs bed Lodge meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Today we trek to Phortse village via dazzling Dingboche. We start the trek early from Chhukung village leaving the massive Island peak behind us and walk past Dingboche and cross Imja Khola before heading towards the destination, Phortse, today. Phortse is a typical Sherpa village in the Khumbu region and little less explored village as it lies off the regular main base camp trail. Almost 6 hours of trekking journey brings us incredible views and amazing cultural experience. Overnight local lodge.

duration6 hrs bed Lodge meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

We walk down to Monjo today after breakfast. The first section of the trek goes downhill towards Dudh Koshi River and moves ahead towards Phortse Thanga. The trail goes uphill from here to Mong where some incredible views are awaiting us before we start descending towards Namche Bazar. After spending some relaxing time at Namche Bazar we head on our descent towards Monjo for our overnight stay. Overnight local lodge.

duration4.5 hrs bed Lodge meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

We are going to complete a round trip to Lukla today. Traversing the trail down towards the Dudh Koshi River and walking alongside it, we eventually reach Lukla trekking past Phakding and several other beautiful places. Once we reach Lukla, we say thank you and goodbye to our amazing crew members who made a wonderfully successful trip possible. Whatever we do is not enough to express our gratitude towards them but we are highly thankful to them. Overnight local lodge.

bed Hotel meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

We take another beautiful morning flight back to Kathmandu by a fixed-winged aircraft. Saying a heartfelt goodbye to the majestic mountains after so many days of wonderful moments amongst them is quite difficult but we have to do it anyway. We finally land at Kathmandu airport to feel the city air after so many days of wonderful and fresh mountain air. We are transferred to our hotel and left on our own to enjoy and relax. Overnight in Hotel.

bed Hotel meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

After breakfast at your Hotel, we take you to the mysterious Kathmandu city tour. This historical, cultural and spiritual city unveils the social and historical mysteries to visitors. You will walk through the narrow lanes of the ancient Kathmandu – the center of power – that includes markets of Ason, Glass beads market at Indrachowk, oldest supermarket at New Road, Kilagal, and Hidden Stupas inside the family courtyard.

Visit of Kathmandu Durbar Square – the administrative quarter of Malla Kings (fourteenth to eighteenth century), and Shah Kings who ruled Nepal from 1768 until 2008. The most unique experience in the square is the visit to the temple of the living goddess “Kumari”.

After the tour, return back to your Hotel. If you are staying in Thamel, you can hang around this bustling tourist market and enjoy shopping. Overnight in Hotel.

meals Breakfast

You will be transferred to the Tribhuwan International Airport 3 hours before departure. We hope you had a wonderful time traveling with us and that the experience was unforgettable.

Island Peak Direct Route Route Map

route map

Island Peak Direct Route Cost Include/Exclude

What are Included In My Package ?

  • Airport picks up & drop.
  • All food (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Two times tea biscuit) during the trek and climb
  • Accommodation.
  • Hot drinks. (Tea, coffee, hot milk, hot chocolate).
  • All transportation.
  • Trekking permit.
  • Four nights Hotel with breakfast in Kathmandu.
  • Sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley.
  • All temple Entry Permit in Kathmandu.
  • All food, drinks, accommodation, salary, Insurance, Medical, Equipment, all camping gear, transport, etc for Nepalese staff.
  • All taxes.
  • Guide, cook, Kitchen staff, Sherpa, porters and other necessary staffs.

What are excluded from the package ?

  • Bar bills (alcoholic drinks, mineral water,), cigarettes, client's personal insurance, and any kind of unforeseen & personal expenses
  • Lunch and Dinner in Kathmandu.

Island Peak Direct Route Altitude Profile

Traveller Useful Information

Equipment Checklist

Climbing Gears (Personal)

  1. Ice axe
  2. Crampons
  3. Harness
  4. Tape Slings (2)
  5. Screw gate Karabiners (2 lock, 2 unlock)
  6. Descender/Abseil Device
  7. Plastic Mountaineering Boots
  8. Ascender
  9. Helmet (optional)

Climbing Gears (Group)

  1. Snow bar*
  2. Rope*
  3. Ice Hammer*
  4. Ice Screw*

Clothings (Head)

  1. Sun hat or scarf
  2. Light balaclava or warm fleece hat
  3. Sunglasses with UV protection

Clothing (Lower Body)

  1. Under Garments
  2. Hiking shorts
  3. Lightweight cotton long pants
  4. Light and expedition-weight thermal bottoms
  5. Fleece or wool pants (seasonal)
  6. Waterproof (preferably breathable fabric) shell pants

Feet

  1. Thin, lightweight inner socks
  2. Thick, warm wool hiking socks
  3. Hiking boots with spare laces
  4. Camp shoes (sneakers and/or sandals) Gaiters for hiking in winter to the base camp
  5. Gaiters

Upper Body

  1. T-shirts
  2. Light and expedition-weight thermal tops
  3. Fleece jacket or pullover
  4. Fleece Wind-Stopper jacket (optional)
  5. Waterproof (preferably breathable fabric) shell jacket
  6. Down vest and/or jacket *

Hands

  1. Lightweight gloves
  2. Heavyweight gloves or mittens with a waterproof shell outer (seasonal

Accessories

  1. Sleeping bag rated to -30 degrees centigrade and below (depends on season)*
  2. Headlamp (e.g. Petzl Zoom) with spare bulbs and batteries
  3. Trekking Bags/Duffel bag *
  4. Basic First Aid Kit
  5. Large plastic bags - for keeping items dry inside trek bag
  6. Daypack (approximately 2500 to 3000 cubic inches)
  7. Trekking Poles
  8. Water bottle (2) or camel bag
  9. Toiletries (Small wash towel, Toilet paper, etc)
  10. Ear Plug (who knows some people in the group are snoring)

Toiletries

  1. 1 medium-sized quick drying towel
  2. Toothbrush/paste (preferably biodegradable)
  3. Multipurpose soap (preferably biodegradable)
  4. Deodorants
  5. Nail clippers
  6. Face and body moisturizer
  7. Feminine hygiene products
  8. Small mirror

Personal Hygiene

  1. Wet wipes (baby wipes)
  2. Tissue /toilet roll
  3. Anti-bacterial hands wash

Extras/Luxuries

  1. Binoculars
  2. Reading book
  3. Trail Map/Guidebook
  4. Journal & Pen
  5. Walkman
  6. Pencils and small notebooks
  7. Travel games i.e., chess, backgammon, scrabble
  8. Swimming customs (for Kathmandu)

Safety and altitude

Island Peak Direct Route reaches 6,189 m, which is very high altitude. Most people adapt well when they climb slowly, so the pace of the itinerary matters more than fitness alone.

How we pace it

The higher routes include acclimatisation days. Your guide checks every day how you are coping, can add a rest day, and will turn the group around if conditions or anyone's health make it unsafe to go on.

Know the signs

Headache, nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness and poor sleep are early signs of altitude sickness: tell your guide and do not go higher. Confusion, breathlessness at rest or unsteady walking are serious: descend at once.

Insurance and rescue

Travel insurance that covers medical treatment, air ambulance and helicopter rescue is a condition of booking. Check that your policy covers mountaineering up to 7,000 m. If an evacuation is needed, we coordinate it with your insurer.

Our crew

Our guides are licensed and come mostly from the mountain regions. Porters carry no more than 25–30 kg, are insured, and are never sent down alone when they are sick or hurt.

Booking and insurance terms · Ask us about fitness and acclimatisation for this trip

What travellers say

Rated Excellent by 500+ travellers on

5.0from 7 reviews of this trip

5.0 Excellent386+ reviews
Mattias m10 contributions

Island peak

Oct 2024 • Solo

Perfect trek, my sherpa Geli was very helpful, and when summitday arrived he Got everything under control. :)
He made sure i got to The top safely and Down again.
Mountain delight provided very good help under The whole trip.

Written October 30, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Samuel R4 contributions

Absolutely incredible trip to island peak/EBC

Oct 2024 • Friends

Absolutely fantastic trip. Guides were all stellar and went above and beyond. The fella who helped us organise everything, Sandeep couldn't have been better. Great prices and service.

Written October 19, 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Johan W1 contributions

Amazing trek that was very well organized!

Apr 2023 • Couples

This was our second trip to Nepal. The last trip in 2022 was the Everest base camp trek with a group. Mountain delights arranged everything perfectly. This year we were two people that wanted to trek to two different locations (Everest base camp and Island peak). Mountain delights made a custom trek that allowed us to trek together as long as possible (just 3 days apart) just as we wanted.

This year we only booked the flight tickets to Kathmandu and Mountain delights fixed everything else (Transfer from and to airport, hotel in Katmandu, domestic flights and transportation, Teahouse reservations and all the food during the trek.)

Mountain delights and their excellent staff did a perfect job. Thank you Ram!

Written June 6, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Dennis B1 contributions

Island Peak, via Everest base camp.

Apr 2023 • Friends

We had a epic trip to Island Peak via EBC, where everything was executed in a good and professional manner.
Mountain Delight can be highly recommended, changes had to be made due to weather conditions which is to be expected, this were handled in good way and new plans were swiftly executed.
Our guides Mingur and Mindu were a delight and the decisive factor for our success in reaching our targets.
Mountain Delight and team is highly recommended.
BR Dennis

Written May 1, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Indanian5 contributions

Awesome

Apr 2019 • Friends

They are very nice and professional. We felt very safe and in capable hands throughout our 20 days in Nepal(Kathmandu + Island Peak expedition)
They very also very flexible as to accommodating our needs and never once hesitated to pick up their phone or talk to us in person when we needed help. Kudos to you guys :)

Written May 6, 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Tina P9 contributions

Very good company

Oct 2018 • Couples

We had a trip to Base Camp And Island Peak booked. The start of the trip was very nice and the guides were excellent. Unfortunately I got sick after a couple of days. But the company followed up in a very good way and I felt safe and good taken care of by the company and the guides. They had a very good program when we had to go back to Kathmandu because of the interrupted trip. I would for shure use them the next time I am going to Nepal.

Written January 14, 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Totravelistobealive117 contributions

Outstanding service from Kamal and Mountain Delights.

Dec 2014 • Friends

We used Mountain Delights for a variety of activities in Oct.-Nov. 2013. We did an Everest Circuit trek, followed by an Island Peak climb. Additionally we enjoyed some great rafting and Chitwan safari.
In all this we received nothing but the greatest service from Mountain Delights. When the airport at Lukla was shut down because of wind and rain, Kamal got us on the first available plane when the weather cleared up - ahead of many others who had been waiting much longer than us.
We felt he took an interest in us personally, and he invited us out to dinner among other things.
But, by far the biggest impression he left, was when we got stuck in Chitwan because of an Election. Here the Goverenment unexpecdedly closed all roads and issued a curfew. We had to reach Kathmandu by the next day, since we would miss our plane to Europe otherwise.
Here Kamal got us out of the village where we were stuck, by a horse-cart, which took us along mumerous back-roads to a waiting helicopter, some 8-10 kilometres away, that he had hired for us. We then took the helicopter to Kathmandu through completely empty skies and with a great view of the empty roads below, and reached our plane well ahead of time.
Needless to say, Kamal and Mountain Delights, will give service that goes well beyond what is normally expected from such companies. I expect to be returning to Nepal numerous times in the future, and will make it a point to always use Mountain Delights to cater to my needs.
It should also be mentioned that Kamal is deeply involved in making lives better for the local people, and money given to Mountain Delights will therefore benefit the local populace rather than going abroad or lining wealthy local investor pockets.

Written November 19, 2015

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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5.0 · 7 reviews
Island Peak Direct Route 17 days 6,189 m Difficult
Starting from US$ 2,299 per person · final price depends on group size & dates

Travellers

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Book this trip Send an enquiry
  • 20% deposit confirms your place; the balance is paid on arrival in Kathmandu
  • Cancel 60+ days before departure and you lose only the deposit
  • Secure card payment (Visa / Mastercard) or bank transfer

Free, no-obligation enquiry. We reply personally. Full booking terms

Questions? Talk toRam Sapkota “Kamal”Founder Director
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