Everest region
Island Peak Climb
Sixteen days from the Khumbu trails to a 6,189-metre summit
The trek
Overview
Island Peak — Imja Tse on the maps — got its name from Eric Shipton's 1953 Everest party, who looked down the Imja valley and saw a mountain rising like an island from a sea of ice. It has been the classic first Himalayan summit ever since: a real climb, with crampons, fixed ropes and a glacier, that a strong trekker can learn on the way up.
Our route earns the summit slowly. You acclimatize on the Everest Base Camp trail itself — Namche, Tengboche, Dingboche, Base Camp — then cross the Kongma La (5,535 m), the quietest of the Khumbu's three great passes, into the Imja valley. At base camp your climbing sherpas run a dedicated training day on the fixed ropes: jumar, figure-eight, abseil and crampon work, practised until they feel automatic. Summit day starts around 1 a.m. and climbs the glacier to the famous 300-metre headwall, protected by fixed lines, before the airy summit ridge.
This is a strenuous trip and the altitude is serious, but the technical skills are taught, not assumed. You climb with one climbing sherpa between two climbers, group climbing gear is included, and a reserve day is held in the schedule so one bad forecast does not end the attempt.
Highlights
- Stand on the 6,189 m summit of Imja Tse, eye to eye with Lhotse's south face
- The 300-metre summit headwall, climbed on fixed ropes above the Imja Glacier
- Everest Base Camp and the Khumbu Icefall on the acclimatization trek
- Crossing the Kongma La, 5,535 m, the quietest of the three passes
- A dedicated fixed-rope training day with your climbing sherpas
- Summit views across Ama Dablam, Makalu, Baruntse and the Imja valley
Trip facts
- Group size
- 2–8 trekkers
- Meals
- All meals on trek and at base camp; breakfast in Kathmandu
- Accommodation
- Teahouse lodges on trail; tented base camp; 3-star hotel in Kathmandu
- Transport
- Kathmandu–Lukla return flights and airport transfers
Itinerary
Day by day
Meet your expedition leader at Tribhuvan airport and transfer to your hotel in Thamel. Evening briefing with a full climbing gear check — anything missing or rentable is sorted a five-minute walk from the hotel.
1,400 m
Cost
What it costs
Group prices
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 1 trekker | US$ 2,790 |
| 2–4 trekkers | US$ 2,490 |
| 5–8 trekkers | US$ 2,390 |
| 9+ trekkers | US$ 2,290 |
What's included
- Airport transfers by private vehicle
- 2 nights' 3-star hotel in Kathmandu with breakfast
- Kathmandu–Lukla–Kathmandu flights (incl. Ramechhap transfer when flights divert)
- Teahouse accommodation on trek; tented camp at Island Peak Base Camp
- All meals on trek, and at base camp from our expedition kitchen
- Licensed trek guide plus climbing sherpas at a 1:2 climber ratio, insured and equipped, summit bonus included
- One porter between two climbers (max 18 kg shared load)
- Group climbing gear: fixed and main ropes, snow bars, ice screws and anchors
- Base camp equipment: sleeping and dining tents, mattresses and kitchen
- Dedicated fixed-rope training session at base camp
- Island Peak climbing permit, garbage deposit, national park and municipality fees
- First-aid kit, pulse oximeter checks above 3,000 m, walkie-talkies on the mountain
- NTP duffel bag, route map and summit certificate
- Farewell dinner in Kathmandu
Not included
- International flights and Nepal entry visa
- Travel insurance covering climbing to 6,500 m with helicopter evacuation (mandatory)
- Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu
- Personal climbing gear — double boots, crampons, harness, helmet, ice axe, jumar (rentable as an add-on)
- Personal trekking gear and sleeping bag (rentable in Kathmandu)
- Drinks, snacks, hot showers, Wi-Fi and device charging on trek
- Tips for guide, climbing sherpas and porters
Optional add-ons
Summit-day porter
A personal porter to crampon point and back on summit day, so you climb carrying only water, snacks and spare layers
US$ 120
per person
Emergency oxygen standby
A 4-litre cylinder with mask and regulator carried on the summit push — an emergency reserve, never a climbing aid
US$ 180
per group
Personal climbing gear rental
Double boots, crampons, harness, helmet, ice axe, jumar and carabiners for the climbing days, fitted in Kathmandu
US$ 140
per person
Single room supplement
Private rooms in Kathmandu and teahouses where available; tents at base camp are shared
US$ 250
per person
Extra night in Kathmandu
3-star hotel with breakfast, before or after the climb
US$ 45
per room per night
Route map
The route
Detailed route map in production — every itinerary stage above is GPS-logged.
Dates & availability
Departures
| Start | End | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 2026 | 12 Oct 2026 | US$ 2,490 | Open |
| 11 Oct 2026 | 26 Oct 2026 | US$ 2,490 | Guaranteed |
| 25 Oct 2026 | 9 Nov 2026 | US$ 2,490 | Full |
| 8 Nov 2026 | 23 Nov 2026 | US$ 2,490 | 3 spots left |
| 14 Mar 2027 | 29 Mar 2027 | US$ 2,490 | Open |
| 28 Mar 2027 | 12 Apr 2027 | US$ 2,490 | Guaranteed |
| 11 Apr 2027 | 26 Apr 2027 | US$ 2,490 | Open |
| 25 Apr 2027 | 10 May 2027 | US$ 2,490 | Open |
- Open
27 Sep 2026 – 12 Oct 2026
US$ 2,490
- Guaranteed
11 Oct 2026 – 26 Oct 2026
US$ 2,490
- Full
25 Oct 2026 – 9 Nov 2026
US$ 2,490
- 3 spots left
8 Nov 2026 – 23 Nov 2026
US$ 2,490
- Open
14 Mar 2027 – 29 Mar 2027
US$ 2,490
- Guaranteed
28 Mar 2027 – 12 Apr 2027
US$ 2,490
- Open
11 Apr 2027 – 26 Apr 2027
US$ 2,490
- Open
25 Apr 2027 – 10 May 2027
US$ 2,490
Every departure runs with a minimum of 2 trekkers — or book it as a private trip.
Before you go
Essential information
Permits
NMA Island Peak climbing permit
Seasonal royalty: US$250 in spring, US$125 in autumn, US$70 in winter and summer — included at the rate for your departure
US$ 250
NMA garbage deposit
Refundable deposit per expedition group — we post it and reclaim it after the climb
US$ 500
Sagarmatha National Park entry
NPR 3,000, collected at Monjo — included in the trip price
US$ 25
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee
NPR 2,000, replaces TIMS in the Everest region — included
US$ 15
Permits are included in the trip price.
Best seasons
Departure dates above keep to these windows.
FAQs
Questions, answered
Trusted by trekkers
Walked with us
4.9
out of 5, average rating
111
traveler reviews
15
years in the Himalaya
“I had exactly two weeks of leave and this itinerary used them perfectly. We earned Base Camp on foot — the full trail, acclimatization days included — then skipped the three-day walk out with the helicopter from Gorak Shep. Watching the route we had climbed for ten days unspool beneath us in forty minutes was the best debrief imaginable. December was cold but brilliantly clear and the trail nearly empty. The guide's daily health checks made a winter trek feel completely controlled.”
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