In short: the Island Peak climb suits fit trekkers who want a technical first summit above 6,000 m, with a steep headwall on fixed rope, after six days on the Everest trail. It runs 14 days from Kathmandu, tops out at 6,165 m and is graded technically challenging. Prices start from USD 3,210 per person on Budget, USD 4,510 on Standard and USD 6,990 on Luxury, with permits, all technical gear, emergency oxygen and the USD 500 garbage fee included.
The 14-day Island Peak climb
The summit ridge of Island Peak narrows to a blade of snow and ice at 6,165 metres (20,226ft). Your boots punch through the crust with each step, the rope stretches taut between you and your climbing Sherpa, and the world drops away on both sides: the Khumbu Glacier to the west, the Imja valley to the east, and the summit pyramid of Lhotse filling the sky ahead. This is the moment you cross the line from trekker to mountaineer. This is Island Peak.
It is fourteen days from Lukla to the summit and back. The route follows the classic Everest trail through Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche and Dingboche, then turns east to Chhukung and the base camp of Island Peak (Imja Tse).
You walk the same Sherpa trails and sleep in the same teahouses as every EBC trekker, eat dal bhat in dining rooms warmed by yak-dung stoves, and cross prayer flag–draped suspension bridges high above the Dudh Koshi River. Then, when the trekkers turn back, you keep going: up onto the glacier, up onto the headwall, up onto the summit ridge.
Highlights
- Stand on the summit of Island Peak (Imja Tse), 6,165m / 20,226ft, your first peak above 6,000 metres, with Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam framed directly above you, and views of Everest, Makalu and Baruntse.
- Combine the classic Khumbu trek with real mountaineering. Four days on the Everest Base Camp trail come before you turn toward Island Peak base camp; the acclimatisation profile is built into the route, not bolted on.
- Acclimatise through the classic Everest corridor: Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche. Hike to the Everest View Hotel (3,880m / 12,730ft) on your Namche rest day for your first clear view of the summit, and visit Tengboche Monastery, the spiritual heart of the Khumbu, with Everest and Ama Dablam behind it.
- Trek to Chhukung (4,730m / 15,518ft), a quiet valley beneath the south face of Lhotse, away from the main EBC trail crowds.
- A pre-summit skills session at Island Peak Base Camp on the afternoon before the climb: fixed-rope ascent, jumar and descender technique, ice-axe arrest and glacier travel, taught by your own climbing Sherpa.
- One climbing Sherpa per trekker on summit day, not a shared rope team. Clip into the fixed rope on the headwall and you are climbing, not trekking.
- A 14-day schedule with a built-in contingency day at Lukla, so a cancelled mountain flight does not cost you your international connection.
- From USD 3,210 per person on the Budget tier (2 to 4 people), with permits, technical gear and the garbage fee included.
The route in three phases
Fourteen days splits into the approach, the acclimatisation and the climb. The approach follows the Everest trail from Lukla through Phakding (2,610m / 8,563ft), Namche Bazaar (3,440m / 11,286ft), Tengboche (3,860m / 12,664ft) and Dingboche (4,410m / 14,469ft), the same suspension bridges and Sherpa villages as EBC trekkers see, with the landscape changing from rhododendron forest to glacial moraine. It is also your acclimatisation corridor.
At Dingboche you turn east. While EBC trekkers continue north towards Lobuche, you head into the Chhukung valley (4,730m / 15,518ft), a quieter arm of the Khumbu beneath the south face of Lhotse. From Chhukung you climb to Island Peak Base Camp (5,087m / 16,690ft), where your climbing team sets up camp.
Summit day begins well before dawn. You climb the glacier in the dark by headlamp, then ascend the headwall on fixed ropes, ice axe and crampons biting into the slope, before emerging onto the narrow, exposed summit ridge with the Khumbu on one side and the Imja valley on the other. At 6,165 metres you see Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Ama Dablam, Baruntse and a horizon of Himalayan peaks. It is the moment that separates this trip from every other Everest region trek.
After the summit you descend to Chhukung, retrace the classic trail through Namche to Lukla, then fly back to Kathmandu. You return not just as a trekker, but as a climber who stood on a Himalayan summit.
Why I built this trek the way I did
I am Shreejan, the founder of The Everest Holiday. Island Peak and Mera Peak are the two trekking peaks most clients ask about, and people assume they are interchangeable. They are not. Island Peak is technically harder. The summit headwall is steep, the final 100 metres are on fixed rope, and the exposure on the summit ridge is real.
Mera Peak is the altitude challenge with gentle technical terrain. Island Peak is the technical challenge with slightly lower altitude. If you have done a glacier travel course, Island Peak is the better fit. If you have not, please tell me before you book.
The route matters. We approach via the standard EBC trail, then divert at Dingboche. By the time you reach Chhukung and Island Peak Base Camp, your body has already adjusted to 4,400 metres over eight days. I do not shorten it with helicopter assists or fewer rest days, because that is how summit chances are lost. The slow approach is what works.
The skills session at Island Peak Base Camp is part of every climb. You spend the afternoon before summit night with your climbing Sherpa on crampon technique, fixed-rope ascent on jumar, descent on figure-of-eight and ice-axe arrest. The first time you try these should not be at 4am on a steep snow slope in the dark. We teach it in daylight, on terrain that lets you make mistakes safely.
Getting there and the Lukla flight
Please arrive in Kathmandu by 4 PM the day before your trek. That gives you time for a final gear check, a climbing briefing with your guide and climbing Sherpa, and a good night’s rest before the early morning start.
After you book, we schedule a video call, our first coffee together but online. We walk you through what to pack for both trekking and climbing, what summit day is really like, how to prepare and what climbing experience (if any) you need. No question is too small.
Our itinerary does not include your Kathmandu hotel. Share your preferences and budget on the call and we will arrange it, from a USD 10 guesthouse in Thamel to a five-star hotel. Your package begins the moment you leave Kathmandu for the mountains.
You fly from Kathmandu to Lukla (2,860m / 9,383ft), about 40 minutes, a short ride between mountain peaks that ends on a runway carved into a hillside. The flight depends on weather, and fog, cloud or wind can delay it, sometimes for a full day.
That is normal in the Himalayas, but plan for it. Day 13 is a contingency day at Lukla, and we strongly recommend keeping a spare day or two, two buffer days in all, after the climb before your international flight home. See is the Lukla flight safe.
In the busy seasons, roughly 15 March to 15 May and 25 September to 30 November, flights may leave from Manthali (Ramechhap) instead of Kathmandu, with a pickup between midnight and 2 am, depending on your flight time, and a 4 to 5 hour drive. All ground transport is included in every package. On Luxury you fly by helicopter between Kathmandu and Lukla both ways. Standard and Budget fly by fixed-wing aircraft.
Climbing gear and team
All technical gear is ours and included on every tier: ropes, double mountaineering boots, crampons, harness, jumar, figure-of-eight descender, ice axe, helmet and all other technical equipment for the summit push. You do not need to bring or buy any climbing-specific gear.
Your climbing Sherpas are expedition-qualified professionals from the Khumbu region, with mountaineering qualifications and deep experience on Island Peak and other Himalayan summits. If our main team is unavailable, we bring in other climbing Sherpas from the Khumbu. Many of our guides hold a Bachelor's degree in Mountaineering. We name your guide, and their qualifications, once you have booked.
Difficulty, safety and packing
Difficulty: technically challenging
This is one of the harder climbs we offer in the Everest region. Island Peak combines a full multi-day Himalayan trek with technical mountaineering. The trekking section (Days 1-8) is equivalent to the classic EBC route, 5-8 hours of walking per day over mountain trails with significant altitude gain. The climbing section (Days 8 to 10) involves glacier travel, fixed rope ascent on a steep ice headwall, crampon and ice axe technique, and an exposed summit ridge at 6,165m.
Excellent cardiovascular fitness is required, and you should be comfortable with sustained effort at altitude. Previous trekking experience is strongly recommended. Previous climbing experience is helpful but not essential: your climbing Sherpa teaches you everything on a training session before summit day and guides you through every technical section. Two acclimatisation days are built into the itinerary.
Safety and altitude
You sleep at Namche (3,440 m) with a rest day, Tengboche (3,860 m), Dingboche (4,410 m) with a rest day, Chhukung (4,730 m) and Island Peak Base Camp (5,087 m), so your body has had eight days to adjust before the summit at 6,165 m. Summit day crosses a glacier, climbs the steep headwall on fixed rope (the final 100 metres) and traverses a narrow summit ridge with drops on both sides.
You climb with crampons, ice axe, jumar and descender, and one climbing Sherpa goes with each climber. On a climb your guide goes to base camp and a climbing Sherpa goes from base camp to the summit; you never climb alone. We carry a pulse oximeter, first aid, altitude medication and emergency oxygen, and the climbing team's decision on summit night is final.
Your insurance must cover helicopter evacuation to 6,500 m (the summit is 6,165 m, rounded up) with mountaineering and climbing included, and you should buy it at home. See is Island Peak dangerous and Chhukung, the Island Peak base.
Packing basics
You bring your own trekking clothing and warm layers, gloves and liner gloves, a warm hat, goggles and sunglasses, a head torch with spare batteries and boots for the trek. We lend you a sleeping bag and a down jacket free on every tier, and Standard and Luxury also get a duffel bag. We send the full list when you book.
Best time to climb Island Peak
| Season | Months | What it is like | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | March to May | The main climbing season; warmer, stable snow on the summit slope, and the busy Base Camp window | Best overall |
| Autumn | October to November | Clear and cold, the second climbing season, and the NMA royalty is lower than spring | Great, second season |
| Winter | December to February | Very cold with high wind on the summit; only for experienced, well-equipped teams | Only with care |
| Monsoon | June to mid-September | Snow, cloud and avalanche risk on the approach | Avoid |
Month by month: when to go
| Month | Dingboche average night low (C, modelled) | On the climb | NMA royalty | Our view |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -15.3 | Very cold, with high wind on the summit. Only for experienced, well-equipped teams. | USD 175 | Only with care |
| February | -14.2 | Very cold, with high wind on the summit. | USD 175 | Only with care |
| March | -10.5 | The spring climbing season begins. Cold early in the month and warming. | USD 350 | Yes |
| April | -7.0 | The main climbing season, warmer with stable snow on the summit slope. | USD 350 | Best |
| May | -3.5 | Still the main season, but the rain is building at Lukla (127.6 mm). | USD 350 | Best, early May |
| June | 1.1 | Monsoon. Snow, cloud and avalanche risk on the approach. | USD 175 | Avoid |
| July | 2.9 | Monsoon, with heavy rain at Lukla. | USD 175 | Avoid |
| August | 2.3 | Monsoon, the wettest month. | USD 175 | Avoid |
| September | 0.3 | The monsoon is clearing, but Lukla still gets 419.0 mm and the approach is wet. | USD 175 | Avoid until late September |
| October | -5.3 | Clear and cold. The second climbing season, and the royalty is lower than in spring. | USD 175 | Best |
| November | -11.0 | Clear and cold, with almost no rain at Lukla (6.2 mm) and much colder nights. | USD 175 | Yes, wrap up warm |
| December | -13.4 | Dry and very cold. Winter climbing is for experienced, well-equipped teams. | USD 175 | Only with care |
The approach follows the Everest trail to Dingboche, so the night lows are the Dingboche figures from our Everest weather page, modelled data you should treat as a guide and not a forecast. The royalty is the Nepal Mountaineering Association's published rate, and we pay it for you. See Everest weather month by month and Island Peak cost: the 2027 budget breakdown.
What the Island Peak climb costs
| Duration | 14 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu |
|---|---|
| Summit | Island Peak (Imja Tse), 6,165 m |
| Region | The Khumbu, Sagarmatha National Park; the Everest Base Camp route then east to Chhukung |
| Fly in and out | Lukla, 2,860 m, with a contingency day at Lukla |
| Summit team | One climbing Sherpa per climber on summit day |
| Royalty | NMA royalty USD 350 in spring and USD 175 in autumn, winter and summer, included in your price |
| From price | USD 3,210 Budget, USD 4,510 Standard, USD 6,990 Luxury (2 to 4 people; solo USD 4,160, USD 5,190, USD 7,955) |
Permits
We arrange the NMA climbing permit, all park fees and your TIMS card, and include them in your climb price. Permits need 48 hours in government working days. See NMA rates for 2026.
| Permit | Cost per climber |
|---|---|
| NMA climbing permit (Island Peak / Imja Tse, one of the climbing peaks NMA manages) | US$350 in spring, US$175 in autumn, winter and summer |
| Sagarmatha National Park entry | about USD 20 (official fee NPR 3,000; NPR 1,500 for SAARC) |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality | about USD 20 (official fee NPR 3,000) |
| TIMS card | about USD 13 (official fee NPR 2,000; NPR 1,000 for SAARC) |
Dollar amounts are approximate, at the 17 October 2026 Nepal Rastra Bank rate; the official fee is set in rupees.
What the price covers, and what it does not
The USD 500 garbage fee for the climb is included in your price on every tier, as are the permits above, emergency oxygen and all technical gear. Meals on the climbing days above base camp are included on every tier.
Not in the price: your international flights, your Nepal visa (USD 50 for 30 days on arrival), climbing insurance bought at home, your Kathmandu hotel, tips for your team, and on Budget your meals on the trek. Kathmandu hotel nights are not included in any trek tier, so tell us your budget at the online briefing and we will book them for you.
A 10% deposit (about USD 390 on Budget) confirms your dates. You pay it by card through Himalayan Bank's secure gateway, and we cover the card charge on the deposit. You pay the balance when you arrive in Kathmandu, in US dollars or euros, in cash or by card (card payments carry a 3.5% bank charge).
If your plans change we move your trip to any date within a year, free, with 72 hours' notice. The deposit itself is not refunded if you cancel. If we cannot run the trip ourselves, we refund what you have paid, less taxes, bank and card charges and any money already spent for you on permits and flights.
Budget, Standard or Luxury: what actually changes
Same climbing Sherpas, same gear, same summit. Only the comfort changes.
| Budget | Standard | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | USD 3,210 | USD 4,510 | USD 6,990 |
| Meals | Not included on the trek; you choose, about NPR 2,000 a meal at current prices. Meals on the climbing days above base camp are included | 3 meals, plus tea, fruit and 2L water daily | All meals, plus tea, coffee, fruit, nuts and soft drinks carried by your porter |
| Rooms | Shared teahouse | Private twin with bathroom | Private deluxe with ensuite bathroom |
| Porter | None. You carry your own bag | 1 porter for every 2 trekkers | 1 dedicated porter for every trekker (you carry nothing) |
| Guide | 1 guide up to 8 trekkers (assistant from 9) | 1 guide per 6, assistant at 7+ | 1 guide per 2 trekkers, plus an assistant guide for every 2 more |
| Climbing Sherpa | Included, expedition-qualified | Included, expedition-qualified | Included, expedition-qualified |
| Climbing gear | All provided by TEH | All provided by TEH | All provided by TEH (premium quality) |
| Duffel bag | Not included | Included | Included |
| Transport | Local vehicle and the flight to Lukla | Shared tourist vehicle and the flight to Lukla | Private vehicle and a round-trip helicopter, Kathmandu to Lukla both ways |
| SIM data | SIM only | Limited data | Unlimited data |
| Best for | Ambitious climbers on a budget | Comfort climbers, first-time summiteers | Premium climbing experience |
If you are going alone, Luxury still gives you your own dedicated porter. On Standard there is no porter, because porters are shared one between two trekkers, so your guide carries up to 10 kg of your bag instead. Budget never has a porter. You can add a porter of your own on any tier for USD 25 per day, plus 13% VAT and the 3.5% bank charge on top.
Himalayas for every budget: same climbing Sherpas, same gear, same summit, three comfort levels.
Climbing as a group
Every climb we run is private, with your own party only. We never add strangers to your booking. If you would like company, you can choose to join one of our fixed departures instead. Whether you choose Budget, Standard or Luxury, the mountains are yours and your companions’ alone.
Bring your own group (friends, family, a club, a university society, your workplace, or a cause you are raising money for) and any of the three comfort levels can run privately on your own dates. Private or group, the price per person is the same. The more of you there are, the less each person pays:
| Group size | Budget (per person) | Standard (per person) | Luxury (per person) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | US$4,160 | US$5,190 | US$7,955 |
| 2-4 people | US$3,210 | US$4,510 | US$6,990 |
| 5-8 people | US$2,700 | US$3,990 | US$6,740 |
| 9-12 people | US$2,680 | US$3,955 | US$6,690 |
| 13-20 people | US$2,595 | US$3,910 | US$6,665 |
The organiser travels free. Get fourteen or more paying people together and whoever organised the group joins the trip free. The organiser still pays their own flights and permits, since those are fixed costs we pay out for every person and cannot absorb. Your departure is guaranteed on your own dates, from a solo traveller up to a group of twenty.
Planning a group? Message me on WhatsApp with the trip, roughly when, and how many of you, and I will send you a price and a plan.
Six thousand metres, one school year
Island Peak (Imja Tse) is 6,165 metres. Every booking on this trip helps fund free education for 70 children at our Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum, where roughly seventy local children study for free and eat two meals a day on us. The centre is registered with the Nepalese authorities, and verified and listed on the UN Partner Portal.
Secure payment by Himalayan Bank.
Mera Peak Climbing
