Trip Itinerary
Outline Itinerary
Day 01: Arrival Day (1,300m/4,264 ft)
Day 02: Kathmandu valley sightseeing and trip preparation (1,300m/4,264 ft)
Day 03: Fly to Lukla and Trek to Phakding (2,652m/8,700ft)
Day 04: Trek to Namche Bazaar (3440m/11,283ft)
Day 05: Acclimatize day at Namche
Day 06: Trek to Tengboche (3,867m/12684ft)
Day 07: Trek to Dingboche (4,358m/14,295 ft)
Day 08: Acclimatized day
Day 09: Trek Chhukung( 4,730m/15,518ft)- 3 to 4 hrs
Day 10: Trek to Island Peak Base camp (5,200m/17,060ft), 3-4 hours
Day 11: Island Peak High Camp (5,600m/18,372ft), 2-3 hours
Day 12: Island Peak summit (6,189m/20,305ft) & return back to Chhukung, 8-10 hours
Day 13: Trek to Khumjung (3,780m/12,401ft)
Day 14: Trek to Namche (3,440m/11,283ft), 4-5 hrs
Day 15: Trek to Lukla (2,652m/8,700ft)
Day 16: Fly to Kathmandu (1,300m/4,264 ft)
Day 17: Final departure
Detail Itinerary
Day 01: Arrival day (1,300m/4,264 ft)
AME Treks heartily welcomes you to Nepal. Upon your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), you will be greeted by one of our company representatives who will further escort you to the hotel. Later that day (if possible) or the following day, a meeting is scheduled at our head office to brief you the details of your upcoming trek. Here, you will also be introduced to your trekking guides and Sherpas. If your flight arrives on time, a welcome dinner is also scheduled for you at one of the most popular local restaurant where you can enjoy Nepali food along with a glimpse of cultural music and ethnic dance. On request, dinner can also be postponed to the following day (as per your convenience).
Day 02: Sightseeing tour of various historical, natural and cultural world heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley and trek preparation (1,300m/4,264ft)
Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, itself offers a wide range of unique historical, natural and cultural sites. You will be guided to some of these sites for the purpose of sightseeing. The sites include the World heritage sites like Kathmandu Durbar Square – one of the most important historical structure that offers eye appealing architectural wonders, the Pashupatinath temple - a Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva (the lord that holds the power of destruction), Swyambhunath (Monkey Temple) and the Boudhanath Stupa – dedicated to Lord Buddha. However, you also have an option to skip one of these sites and visit another World Heritage site, ‘Patan Durbar Square’ along with Mahabouddha Temple, Kumbeshwor Temple, Krishna Temple and Golden Temple that simply offers some of the historical masterpieces to the connoisseurs of art. After spending 3-4 hours observing these beautiful sites, we will meet one more time to finalize your clothing and trekking gears (sleeping bag, down jacket and trekking boots). The evening will be spent in Kathmandu.
Day 03: Fly to Lukla and trek to Phakding (2,652m/8,700ft) 30 minutes flight and 4 hours walk
Early in the morning you will be escorted to Tribhuvan International Airport (in a private vehicle) to board a flight to Lukla (2,800m). After 30-35min scenic flight the plane will land at a Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla. Lukla is known as a gateway destination. A clear day normally offers a great aerial view of the terrain while you are in the sky.
On reaching Lukla Airport, you will be introduced to other crew members. Breakfast will be served at the lodge and luggage will also be prepared for the Porters. Shortly after this without wasting any time, the trek begins following the stone pathway downhill that leads you out of Lukla and towards Phakding.
We walk for four hours before we reach Phakding. This trail from Lukla to Phakding offers downhill and flat trail experience. Along the trail you can also experience prayer rocks (Mani in local language) and a splendid view of the colorful Lukla village. Upon reaching Phakding, you can freshen up and then our guides will take you for a short walk to the village or even hike up to the nearby Gompas (monasteries) for the purpose of acclimatization. We then get back to the lodge where the dinner is served. After dinner briefing regarding the following day’s trek will be made by the team leader. The night is spent at a lodge in Phakding.
Day 04: Trek to Namche Bazaar (3440m/11,283ft) 5-6 hours walk
After having breakfast, without wasting much time we set out from our lodge in Phakding and move towards Monju which is also known as the gateway to the Sagarmatha National Park. In between Phakding and Sagarmatha National Park you will get to experience the thrill offered by many suspension bridges, and the small settlements like Zapute, Toktok, Benkar, Chumoa and Monju. Here, you can also enjoy small tea houses and shops while your leader takes care of the necessary national park formalities at the entrance to the park. On entering the national park the trail drops steeply down to the river, crosses another suspension bridge and continues towards the high Hillary Bridge at the bottom of the hill. After the bridge the trail leads you uphill to the Namche Bazaar offering you the first great view of Mt. Everest, hidden behind Lhotse-Nuptse along with the view of Mt. Kusum Khangru. The night will be spent at a lodge in Namche Bazaar.
Day 05: Acclimatize day at Namche
Namche Bazaar, a gateway to the high Himalayas, is the main trading center and a tourist hub in the Khumbu region. This place is very popular for altitude acclimatization. Though this is a rest day it is highly recommended to keep moving and stay active for proper adaptation. Therefore, we organize a short hike to Thame, which is an old Sherpa village or visiting Khumjung/Khunde/Khongde is also considered a very good option to enhance acclimatization. Moreover, Namche Bazaar offers many ways to spend a day. You will have you enough time to visit the National Park Head office, Museum, and other monasteries. You can also have your own quality time at cafes, shops, bakeries or restaurants. The place also features other essential services like post office, hospital, government health post, 24 hour electricity and water supply and high speed internet access. You can also contact your family before heading towards the base of Everest Base Camp. This is night is also spent in a lodge in Namche Bazaar.
Day 06: Trek to Tengboche (3,867m/12684ft) 5 hours walk
Shortly after having breakfast at the lodge in Namche Bazaar, we continue to follow the trail along the hastening glacial waters of the Dudh Koshi. The trail offers dramatic views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Ama Dablam along with the close up view of Thamserku. Before reaching Sanasa, you can also enjoy the blooming Rhododendron forest. If you are lucky you will also get a chance to spot wildlife musk deer, multi-colored pheasants and a herd of Himalayan Thar. On reaching Sanasa, which is a major trail junction to Gokyo valley and Everest Base Camp, we take a steep ascent that will lead us to the famous Tengboche monastery (the largest Gompa in the Khumbu region of Nepal) which is draped with a spectacular view of the Himalayan Mountains. We spend our night at a lodge in Tengboche.
Day 07: Trek to Dingboche (4,358m/14,295 ft) 5-6 hours walk
After having breakfast, we again start the usual hike walk. This time, we first hike half an hour downhill to the riverside then through the lush forest, across the river and finally climb up to Pangboche (3,860m/12,664ft). Here you can experience magnificent Chorten and Mani walls. We then ascend to Pheriche and from here a moderate walk will lead you to the Imja Valley. From here, we climb the last and the steepest climb of the day and finally reach Dingboche. The night is spent at the lodge in Dingboche.
Day 08: Acclimatized day
This is the final, yet the mandatory acclimatization day before heading towards Island Peak. Dingboche is a summer settlement that offers a magnificent view of Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Lhotse and numerous other peaks, from the ridge on the north behind the village. You can also observe the Imja River that flows directly east of the village. Another interesting thing about this village is, the kilometers of stone walls that cover the entire valley of Imja. You will also be surprised to see an internet café and one of the world’s highest billiard parlors. Therefore, this place offers some of the best options to spend your day.
Day 09: Trek Chhukung( 4,730m/15,518ft)- 3 to 4 hrs
After having breakfast, the day’s walk begins towards the east of the Chukkung valley through stone walled fields, Imja Khola valley. This rocky trail is overshadowed by the beautiful views of Mt. Lhotse and Ama Dablam. On reaching Chhukung, we check into the lodge and meet our climbing guide. Our guide will brief you regarding the following climb. You can also discuss your queries related to climbing with our climbing guides. We will also check the necessary gears and equipments to get prepared for the next day’s climb. The night will be spent at a lodge in Chhukung.
Day 10: Trek to Island Peak Base camp (5,200m/17,060ft) 3-4 hours
After having breakfast, we will be lead by our climbing team towards the south, which then heads toward the main valley in the east. The trail is fairly pleasant along the stream. The trail heads towards huge rock and then becomes glacial as it crosses Imja and Lhotse glacier moraine. After this we finally reach the valley where we set our camp for the day. The base camp presents the magnificent view of the southwestern face of Island peak. The night is spent in a tented camp at the base camp.
(Note: For amateur, one hour training is arranged for the following day’s successful climb.)
Day 11: Island Peak High Camp (5,600m/18,372ft), 2-3 hours
After having breakfast, we start the climb up the hill making our way through the narrow slopes and uncompromising paths. After 2-3 hours walk upwards, the trail will finally take you to the High camp of Island peak where we stop for overnight. The high camp itself offers the spectacular view of lofty pinnacle and glacier surrounding the Island Peak. At high camp, all the required elements and gears will be re-checked, your boots will be fitted with crampons and if required, you may also be provided with the last minute techniques for your following day’s successful climb. The night is spent in a tented camp at the high camp.
Day 12: Island Peak summit (6,189m/20,305ft) & return back to Chhukung, 8-10 hours
This day is the day that takes you to your actual destination. Therefore, we start as early as the light permits. The techniques learned earlier will fully come into play today. We walk past short rock steps, seracs, crevasses, snout of summit glacier and icy 40-45 degree slopes to finally get to the summit. On reaching the summit (6189m) you can enjoy the view of breathtaking peaks like Lhotse, Lhotse Middle Peak, Lhotse Shar, Nuptse, Makalu, Baruntse, and Amadablam. We spend some time taking snaps and then descend all the way to high camp collect the remaining gears and walk all the way to Chhukung. The night is spent at a lodge in Chhukung.
Day 13: Trek to Khumjung (3,780m/12,401ft)
After having breakfast at the lodge, the trail heads towards Pangboche and then Tengboche through Rhododendron and pine. The trail then drops, steep down to the valley crosses the suspension bridge and continue towards Khumjhung. You can enjoy a hot shower and loosen your muscles. The night is spent at a lodge in Khumjung.
Day 14: Trek to Namche (3,440m/11,283ft), 4-5 hrs
After having breakfast, we start the day towards Namche Bazaar. The trail first drops down through the ridge and then the walk is fairly easier till Namche Bazaar. We spend the night in Namche Bazaar, where you can enjoy a hot shower and loosen up your muscles. You also have an option to relax in the nearby restaurants, cafés and bakeries. The night is spent at a lodge in Namche Bazaar.
Day 15: Trek to Lukla (2,652m/8,700ft)
After the breakfast, we continue our walk downhill from Namche toward the second bridge across the Dudh Koshi River near the meeting point of Bhote Koshi and Dudh Koshi rivers. Then we walk towards Monjo where on fulfilling the formalities at the check post of the National Park at Monjo, we continue our walk towards Phakding. We stop at Phakding for lunch and soon after the lunch we continue the trail that leads us to Lukla. Along this flat trail you can enjoy prayer stones, rhododendron and pine forest, prayer flags, Sherpa village as well as open plains. This is the last day of the trek. On reaching Lukla you can either spend your time with the rest of the crew members or look for some alone time to summon up the wonderful memories made during the past few days. The night will be spent at a lodge in Lukla.
Day 16: Fly to Kathmandu (1,300m/4,264 ft)
Finally, it’s time to bid farewell to the Khumbu region of Nepal. The Sherpas will take your luggage to the airport and other airport formalities will be taken care of by the guides allowing you to enjoy your last breakfast in the Khumbu region. Once the aircraft arrives, you can directly board the plane and fly back to Kathmandu. A private vehicle depending on your group size will be awaiting your arrival in the airport. Your guide will then escort you to the hotel.
Day 17: Farewell day
This is the last day of your trip. One of our company representatives will assist you to get to the airport as per your flight departure time if you have already booked your return ticket. However, if you are looking to extend your trip, Adventure Mountain Explore Treks and Expedition can make the required arrangements. If your flight is scheduled late in the evening, then you can also go for shopping to collect few gifts for your friends and family.
Note: During the entire trek, we serve you a full board meal (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and tea & coffee). Our guides will come to wake you up around 7am. Breakfast will be served between 7 am to 8am. Ordered lunch from the teahouse menu will be served around 12 which can also be postponed if you plan to eat a little later than the scheduled hour. The dinner will be served in between 8pm to 9 pm. Tea/coffee will be provided twice a day. Accommodation is usually arranged in lodges, however, in this trek two nights will be spent in a tented camp. During the walk you can also ask your guide to stop in those areas where you wish to take pictures and enjoy the scenery. If you get tired, you can also request to slow down and rest for some time. After dinner and before going to bed your team leader will brief you regarding the following day’s itinerary.
Cost and payment details
Island Peak Climbing Information
Special train for beginners before fly to Lukla
Island peak is not very difficult climbing but it is technical enough to climb and it is one of the most common trekking peak for adventure climbing experience so you could easily join us for this lifetime adventure. Basic technique and information of mountaineering (such as using crampons on boots, using climbing ropes, ice axe, harness, carabineers, Descender device etc ) is required to plan this trip. So you should have basic knowledge about this. Do not worry if you do not have basic knowledge we are here to train before you head for this adventure. We do train for beginners in Kathmandu before fly to Lukla to start this trip. You need to have an extra day for this as we do take you to the rocky cliff to train you the basic ideas about the climb as you will learn basic ideas to use climbing tools to ensure your successful climbing trip.
Important Trip Notes & Activities
Pleased acknowledge that you are joining us for the adventure climbing trip in the remote Himalayan region, where weather conditions, health and fitness of the member or unexpected natural disaster can compel us to change the itinerary and if so you have to understand it but we would try our best to keep the suggested itinerary as per the original schedule. Your safety and satisfaction of the trip is our prime concern while travelling with us and we ensure you our best team, logistics, professional services to make sure that you would have an amazing trip of a lifetime with us. Also note that our trip leader deserved the final decision if the trip has to amend, change the route or cancel due to the extreme conditions for the safety precaution. However, he will try his best to ensure that the trip runs as according to the stated plan but be prepared for flexibility if necessary.
Train Yourself
This trip requires walking on maximum altitude above 3500m – 6189m from sea level for the duration of 7 to 8 days. So it is very essential that you should be preparing for this trek before reaching to join us at our trek date at Kathmandu. The best preparation you can do is to hike, even if it is under gym conditions. Running will help your stamina but does not fully prepare your muscles for a strenuous hike. Go for walks. It is advisable to go for frequent walks which should include some uphill and downhill sections if possible in your surroundings. Take your daypack with you with at least a weight of three kilograms or more. This will simulate the conditions you will encounter while on your trekking with us. Join a gymnasium. Ask your gym instructor to work out a fitness program that consists of progressive resistance exercises. An experienced instructor will be able to tailor a safe exercise regime based on your age, condition and strength. Work with a schedule that progresses to higher resistance or weights as you develop your fitness.
Visit Your Medical Doctor:
Please do visit your medical doctor, consult him before heading to such altitude trekking destination. Those who have a problem of heart, lung, respiratory or blood should talk with their medical doctor and take his reference and report us before planning this trip with us.We deserve not to take those on our trip who are having such medical conditions.
Why to Trek with us!
We are passionate to deliver real adventure experience that allows you to visit places that unseen and cultures and traditions that untouched. Trip itineraries are optimized to the best of our knowledge to cover the most famous travel routes and interests of the discerning traveler. We have put our heart, soul and over 15 years of experience into an outstanding adventure trips. We are committed to a high level of service so that all of our customers' expectations are met. Our local Sherpas and Leaders are very much dedicated to their services. It is our highest priority to provide you with the best services available through our company. We are here to fulfill your desire. We can tailor trips to your liking. We know how to cater to the needs of our valuable clients. Our specially trained staff understands the best destinations for people with varying interests, physical abilities, budgets, and ages. Customer care is our priority. We also pass your day to day trip update to your family if required. Our guide and Sherps will have cell phone which works most places on this route. Hence, you can tell us what to write to your family about your trip so that they should not worry about your adventure trip.
Our legal documents
We are a government authorized and certified company. We have special authorization from the government of Nepal to operate trekking tours, expeditions, Tibetan tours, Bhutan tours and many other tourism related services. Besides being registered with the government, we are proud to be members of different professional organizations such as the following:
Ministry of Finance, Department of Taxation PAN No. 304585539
Company Registration Office, Pvt. Ltd. No. 79438/067/068
Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Department of Tourism Industry License No. 1288/067
Central Bank of Nepal, Nepal Rasta Bank Foreign Exchange Department License No. 1159/1/068
Nepal Tourism Board
Trekking Agent Association of Nepal (TAAN)
Kathmandu Environment Education Project (KEEP)
Travel Insurance
You should have travel insurance to be adequately protected in terms of insurance. A travel insurance policy that should cover cancellation, injury, death, lost baggage, theft,liability, medical treatment and expenses is strongly recommended. Make sure the insurance covers all theactivities that you will be undertaking during your stay in Nepal. If a clientbecomes ill, all hospital expenses, doctors' fees and repatriation costs are the client's responsibility.If you are injured and unable to travel, you can ask for a rescue helicopter from a remote area only if you havedefinite proof you can pay for it. They pay a cash deposit to the helicopter operator and collect the money from youifyou have been rescued. Be sure your policy specifically covers those.
Health and Fitness for trekker
We strongly recommend you to consult the doctor before planning your holidays. You should obtain professional advice from a travel clinic or your local GP about which vaccinations to have before you arrive inNepal. Your doctor will advise current inoculation requirements. If a doctor has recommended against travel orindicated travel may be inconvenient then kindly inform us of the details. On all trekking and exploratory tripstechnical experience is not required, hiking/camping experience is an advantage, but by far the most importantthing is a positive attitude and a generous amount of determination. We run regular first aid courses for our all trekking guides and Sherpa helpers.
Meals and Accommodation
In Kathmandu we use tourist standard hotel to ensure a comfortable stay and relaxed environment before and after youradventure. All breakfasts are included at the hotel in Kathmandu. Rooms are generally twin share – dependingon group size and room availability, triple share may be offered up on your request. A single supplement room isavailable at an additional cost for accommodation and required expenses during the trek to provide good quality food and services. For breakfast you expect to haveporridge, toast or chapattis, omelet and local bread. We will provide all meals on full board(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and tea & coffee) from the teahouse menu during the trekking period. Whilst trekkingon the Everest, the accommodation is in guesthouses or Lodges which are basic with shared facilities.Some lodgesoffers shower and mostly offers bucket hot water up on request. During the trip you can expect for 2 times hot shower.
While you are on a trek
While you are on a trek, there are not much communication facilities so that we would pass your message to your family and friends if required. Our guide will have cell phone and we often speak with you so that easy for us to deliver message. Our every effort will be made to keep to the proposed itinerary, however as this is adventure travel in a remote Himalayan region. The health of member, weather conditions can all contribute to changes the itinerary. The leader will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but please be prepared to be flexible if necessary. If you are delayed longer than the itinerary date we can help reschedule your international flights but prepare to pay some extra charge if required.
Climbing Gears
Personal Climbing Gears:
-Ice axe
-Crampons
-Harness
-Tape Slings (2)
-Screwgate Karabiners (2 lock, 2 unlock)
-Descender/Abseil Device
-Plastic Mountaineering Boots
-Ascender
-Helmet (optional)
Group Climbing Gears:
-Snow bar
-Ice Hamer
-Rope
-Ice Screw
Clothing
Head:
- Sun hat or scarf
- Light balaclava or warm fleece hat
- Sunglasses with UV protection
Lower Body:
- Under Garments
- Hiking shorts
- Lightweight cotton long pants
- Light and expedition weight thermal bottoms
- Fleece or wool pants (seasonal)
- Waterproof (preferably breathable fabric) shell pants
Feet:
- Thin, lightweight inner socks
- Thick, warm wool hiking socks
- Hiking boots with spare laces
- Camp shoes (sneakers and/or sandals) Gaiters for hiking in winter to the base camp
-Gaiters
Upper Body:
- T-shirts
- Light and expedition weight thermal tops
- Fleece jacket or pullover
- Fleece Wind-Stopper jacket (optional)
- Waterproof (preferably breathable fabric) shell jacket
- Down vest and/or jacket
Passport & Visa Information
Nepal visa is the easiest visa to obtain; you may buy your Nepal visa at your nearest Nepalese Embassy/ Consulate or Mission offices abroad or buy this upon on arrival to Kathmandu international airport as per your convenient. You have to have 2 passport size photographs, Visa fees in US cash & valid passport at least for 6 months valid at the starting of the trip. Nationals of SAARC countries and China do not need visa when visiting Nepal. As per this rule, Indian nationals do not require visa. Transit visa is provided for foreign nationality for 3 days. Visa must be obtained for staying over the initial period of three days. Currently, foreign national can obtain Nepalese visa from the following border.
Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu
Kakarvitta, Jhapa (Eastern Nepal)
Birganj, Parsa (Central Nepal)
Kodari, Sindhupalchowk (Northern Border)
Belhiya, Bhairahawa (Rupandehi, Western Nepal)
Jamuna, Nepalgunj (Banke, Mid Western Nepal)
Mohana, Dhangadhi (Kailali, Far Western Nepal)
Gaddachauki, Mahendranagar (Kanchanpur, Far Western Nepal)
Tourist Visa Fees
3 days transit visa - Free of cost
Multiple entry 15 days - US$ 25 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry 30 days - US$ 40 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry 90 days - US$ 100 or equivalent convertible currency
(For further information, please, contact Department of Immigration, Kalikasthan, Dillibazar, Kathmandu
Tel: 00977-1 443393400977-1 4433934 / 4429660 / 4438862, 4438868 Download visa form-: www.immi.gov.np