Everest Base Camp and Island Peak
- Kandoo Summits
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All trekkers need to organise their own flights to Kathmandu International Airport (KTM). From Kathmandu Airport we will arrange a private transfer to your hotel. That night or early the next morning you will meet your local Kandoo representative and have a full pre-trek briefing
The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla takes 45 minutes and is an adventure in itself with great views of the Everest region (from the left of the plane) and ending with a hair-raising landing on a steep mountain runway. After meeting our crew, we will start our trek by heading up the Dudh Koshi Valley on a well- marked trail to Phakding
From Phakding, we cross and re-cross the river on high suspension bridges. Beyond Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park, which was set-up to conserve this fragile mountain environment. We then ascend steeply to Namche and along the way, if the weather permits, catch the first glimpse of Mt Everest. Namche Bazaar is the main trading village in Khumbu and has a busy Saturday market. It is a meeting place for the Hindu traders from the lowlands and Tibetan yak caravans that have crossed the glaciated Nangpa La. You can enjoy an Illy coffee and amazing brownies here!
Namche is tucked away between two ridges and has lots of lodges, tea shops and souvenir shops. Today we will trek up to the Everest View Hotel at 3880m for our first view of Ama Dablam and Mount Everest. Following the ‘walk high, sleep low’ principle, this hike will really help with your acclimatisation
From Namche, the trail contours on to the side of the valley, high above the Dudh Koshi. We will get great views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam. Passing by several villages and numerous tea shops, we descend steeply to a bridge over the river at Phunki Tenga. The village is an ideal stopover for lunch. Here we can rest before making the steep climb to Tengboche, famous for its legendary monastery, the largest in the Khumbu.
We descend through a forest, cross the Imja Khola and climb steadily to the village of Pangboche. This village is directly opposite Ama Dablam (6856m), and has exceptional views of the mountain, the gompa, Mani walls and scattered pine trees. A further two hours walk brings us to Pheriche.
A day for rest and acclimatisation. We also have an opportunity to wander up the valley to look at the Tshola Tsho lake and the perpendicular walls of Cholatse and Tawache. Our guide will take us up onto the ridge overlooking Dingboche for the view of the Imja Valley and the incredible south face of Lhotse.
We continue up the wide valley beneath the impressive peaks of Cholatse and Tawache on the left. We then turn right and take a steep climb towards the foot of the Khumbu Glacier. The tea house at Duglha is a good spot to have lunch. The trail zigzags up through the boulders of the glacier's terminal moraine. At the top of this climb there are many stone cairns, built as memorials to the many Sherpas who have died while climbing Mt Everest. The path then climbs gently along the glacier, to eventually reach Lobuche
To reach our next stop, Everest Base Camp, we follow the Khumbu Glacier. The trail offers superb views of the surrounding mountains, especially where the path is forced to rise to cross a tributary glacier. We stop for lunch at Gorak Shep before finally making our way to Base Camp itself (5364m). This takes several hours as the trail weaves its way through ice pinnacles and past the crevasses of the Khumbu Glacier.
A very early start is required to reach the top of Kala Pattar (5554m) for one of the best viewpoints in the Himalaya. From here we can see the face of Everest and deep into the Khumbu icefield. After lunch we then descend to Dingboche for the night.
Today we have an easy walk for about 2 hours, climbing up gradually to the small settlement of Chukhung. Along the way we have great views of Island Peak and the challenge that awaits us.
Another easy day, the trail crosses the river and follows the valley for 3 hours, passing beneath the magnificent south face of Lhotse. Base Camp is by the side of the Imja glacier, below steep grassy slopes which mark the start of the climb on Island Peak.
We ascend a little further to High Camp, where we will relax and make final preparations for our climb tomorrow.
Crossing the gully above the camp, the trail makes a climb for another hour to a narrow ridge, leading on to the glacier. Here it is time to rope-up and put on our crampons to begin the glacier crossing. This is followed by the steep snow slope that leads onto the summit ridge. On reaching the summit we have stunning close-up views of the south face of Lhotse looming over us, while in the other direction there are more dramatic mountain views. We descend along the same route, down to Base Camp.
A contingency day allocated for poor weather, etc.
After descending along the trail to Chukhung, we continue on to Dingboche for lunch. It is then another couple of hours to the village of Pangboche where we will stay for the night.
From Pangboche we drop down to follow the river. After crossing it, we climb back up through birch and rhododendron forest back to Tengboche. From Tengboche we descend over the Dudh Koshi before making our way back to Namche.
Your final day's trekking follows the Dudh Koshi back down to Lukla. This last evening in the mountains is the ideal opportunity for a farewell party with the Sherpa guides and porters, where you can look back on a memorable trekking experience.
After an early breakfast, we will begin our return journey to Kathmandu.
A free day in Kathmandu to explore the city at your leisure. The Buddhist stupa of Boudhanath, the Monkey Temple at Swayambhunath and the Hindu temple of Pashupatinath are just some of the religious highlights of this fascinating city.
We will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Kathmandu Airport for your departing flight.
Climbing Island Peak is a very tough challenge. There is no technical climbing but you will need experience walking in crampons and with the use of an ice axe. If you have already trekked to altitude and want to be pushed that bit further then this is a great next challenge. The first part of the ascent is physically very hard because you are trekking up rough terrain at over 5000m. This part though is definitely non-technical. You then reach the glacier field and you will need to rope-up and wear crampons. During this section there is a risk of falling into snow covered crevasses, so you will be roped to the rest of the team for safety. There will be ladders strapped in place to cross the crevasses. These can be daunting, but you will be on safety lines at all times. You finally then reach the foot of the headwall. This is the toughest part of the climb, as the ascent is very steep and the air at its thinnest. Fixed lines make the climbing route safe, but it is very steep and will take lots of determination to get up to the summit ridge. From the summit ridge to the top is a short relatively easy ascent.
The expedition is ideally suited for trekkers with some experience in high altitude trekking and using fixed ropes and crampons. This is not essential as training will be given.
You choose what you want to eat at the lodges, and settle your own bill in the morning. While you can eat heartily for very little money at any lodge, we do recommend that you budget £20 to £25 ($30 to $35) per day for meals and drinks. This will ensure that you not only have plenty of food, but that you enjoy it a lot more. Where once there was a choice of perhaps 5 different rice or lentil based meals at any one lodge, most now offer a wide menu of 40 or more choices from the basic (such as dhal bhat) to the sophisticated (yak steak with blue cheese sauce).Please note that we prefer some of the more expensive lodges, so the prices are higher than they might be at more spartan facilities.
One word of advice, place your meal order as soon as you can upon arriving at the lodge as it is strictly ‘first ordered, first served’, and the best lodges are quite busy at meal times.
Trekking in Nepal is more popular than ever. As a result, the standard of accommodation available on most of the trek routes has improved dramatically. Where there were once simple peasant huts, large hostels have been built featuring running water, indoor toilets (some en-suite) and electricity. However, while internet access, charging facilities and hot water are available, you will need to pay to use them - if you plan on using the internet and showering every day, then you should budget around $10 per day.
However, development is still ongoing, and as you get higher into the mountains the lodges become more basic. Furnishing is generally fairly spartan, and most rooms feature little more than a bench bed and a thin mattress, so your sleeping kit will probably see some early use. Showers are not always available and it tends to be just the communal areas that are heated.
The exception to that rule is Namche. Namche features some really great lodges, including the Hil-Ten (this is not a region that makes much of copyright infringement) and if you are in need of refreshment there both Illy and Lavazza coffee are available
Kandoo has a list of lodges that we prefer to work with, all of which are regularly inspected to ensure the best quality rooms available. Even at the worst, they are clean and well-kept. When the route is busy, we send a porter ahead to hire rooms for the night, as they cannot be reserved in advance.
The general standard of driving
throughout Nepal is poor and badly regulated. Roads in Kathmandu are very
congested, many drivers are not properly licensed and vehicles are poorly
maintained. During the monsoon season (June to September) many roads outside
the Kathmandu valley are prone to landslides and may become impassable. We insist on using a high standard of
vehicle and driver for all of our transfers. In Nepal it is not a legal
requirement to have seatbelts fitted in the back of vehicles, and while we try
to use vehicles that do have rear seatbelts fitted, this cannot always be
guaranteed. If you are unhappy about any aspect of the vehicle or the standard
of driving, please speak to the driver or our local office.
Duffel bags
You will be provided with a large duffel bag at the pre-trek briefing that will be yours to use for the duration of your trek. Your equipment will then need to be transferred into this bag. If you are travelling with a duffel bag then it is up to you which bag you choose to use for the trek, if you are travelling with a suitcase then this will need to be left at the pre-trek hotel and collected upon your return as our porters need the bags they carry to be flexible.
If
you are renting equipment in Chukhung, please allow for the additional
weight when you leave Kathmandu, so that your bag does not exceed 15kg for the
porters to carry once the climbing kit is added later.
If you are relying on a credit or debit card for emergency funds, make sure you tell your card issuer that you will be using it abroad, or you may find that it won't work when you really need it.
We
realize that tipping may not be a common practice in all countries but for
Nepal it is a standard practice that all operators support. The decision on how
much to tip should be determined by how well the team served you while you were
on the trek. Tips are always discretionary and if you are not happy with the
service you have received you do not have to pay tips. Tips can be made in US
dollars or Nepali Rupees. It is very important that US bills be new (less than 10 years old), crisp and untorn.
We
are members of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal and the Nepal
Mountaineering Association, and follow their guidelines when recommending tip
levels for guides and porters. We would suggest you budget $300-$350 per
trekker for your tip contribution.
We
say goodbye to our porters in Lukla before we return to Kathmandu. Any tips
that you wish to give to the porters will need to be carried on the trek with
you.
You will be provided with a large duffel bag at the pre-trek briefing that will be yours to use for the duration of your trek. Your equipment will then need to be transferred into this bag. If you are travelling with a duffel bag then it is up to you which bag you choose to use for the trek, if you are travelling with a suitcase then this will need to be left at the pre-trek hotel and collected upon your return as our porters need the bags they carry to be flexible.
For
Island Peak you will also need additional specialist equipment. This can be hired
in Kathmandu but is also available to rent at a lodge close to base camp.
Prices below are for Kathmandu rental. Prices in the lodges can be more than
twice this cost. It is still cheaper though to rent from these lodges as you
only need to pay for 3-4 days hire. You should be aware though that the range
of sizes and the quality of rental gear available here is even more limited
than in Kathmandu and you may not find something that is perfect for
you. In addition, climbing boots may have only just been returned by a
previous user and may still be wet.
UPPER
BODY
LEGS
FEET
CLIMBING
GEAR
OTHER
ACCESSORIES
From | To | Price | Availability | Book | Enquire |
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20/10/2024 | 09/11/2024 | £2,749 $3,575 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
10/11/2024 | 30/11/2024 | £2,749 $3,575 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
09/03/2025 | 29/03/2025 | £2,899 $3,635 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
13/04/2025 | 03/05/2025 | £2,899 $3,635 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
27/04/2025 | 17/05/2025 | £2,899 $3,635 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
14/09/2025 | 04/10/2025 | £2,899 $3,635 |
Available
|
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28/09/2025 | 18/10/2025 | £2,899 $3,635 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
19/10/2025 | 08/11/2025 | £2,899 $3,635 |
Available
|
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09/11/2025 | 29/11/2025 | £2,899 $3,635 |
Available
|
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08/03/2026 | 28/03/2026 | £2,949 $3,689 |
Available
|
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12/04/2026 | 02/05/2026 | £2,949 $3,689 |
Available
|
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26/04/2026 | 16/05/2026 | £2,949 $3,689 |
Available
|
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06/09/2026 | 26/09/2026 | £2,949 $3,689 |
Available
|
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27/09/2026 | 17/10/2026 | £2,949 $3,689 |
Available
|
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18/10/2026 | 07/11/2026 | £2,949 $3,689 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
08/11/2026 | 28/11/2026 | £2,949 $3,689 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
Want to ask us a question or book a private trip? Don't hesitate to contact us!
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