The Top Ten Highest Mountains In the World

Monday, February 2, 2026

Have you ever stood at the base of a towering peak, neck craned backwards, and felt a primal mix of awe and wonder? The world’s highest mountains are more than just rock and ice; they are the planet’s ultimate monuments, calling to adventurers, dreamers, and anyone who has ever looked at a map and wondered, “What’s up there?”

For centuries, these colossal giants, often called the “Eight-Thousanders” for their elevation above 8,000 meters (26,247 feet), have represented the absolute frontier of human exploration and endurance. They are places where the sky touches the earth, where legends are forged, and where the air is so thin it can turn back the most determined souls.

In this definitive guide, we won’t just list names and heights. We discover on a virtual expedition to each of the top ten highest mountains in the world, delving into the thrilling stories of their first ascents and the breathtaking landscapes that surround them. From the legendary peak of Everest to the savage beauty of K2, we’re unlocking the secrets of our planet’s most magnificent rooftop.

Did you know?
14 mountains are above 8,000 meters, and they are all located in Central and South Asia and the western China mountain ranges. The highest peak outside Asia is the 6,962-meter Aconcagua in the Argentine Andes. It is 22,841 feet high. Mount Elbert, at 4,401 meters (14,439 feet), is the next highest peak in the Rocky Mountains.

Top Ten Highest Mountains in the World

The world’s tallest mountains can be found in Asia, specifically in the Himalayan range. It is exciting that eight of the ten highest mountains in the World are in Nepal’s Himalayas. Mountains are enormous giants that soar over the globe and are just waiting to be discovered. Which mountains are included in the list of the world’s tallest? How you measure a mountain could decide everything.

So here we have put forward a list of the top eight tallest mountains in the world, along with their heights and locations.

1. Mount Everest (29,031.7 ft/8,848.86 m), Nepal

Nepal’s Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. Mt. Everest, a peak in Nepal, is located on the border between Nepal and China and is 8,848.86 meters (29,029 feet) above sea level. Everest is referred to as “Sagarmatha” and “Chhomolongma.” It is one of the simpler mountains to climb, even though it is the tallest mountain and draws many climbers with both advanced and beginner climbing skills.

As part of a British expedition, Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese Sherpa, and Edmond Hillary, a New Zealander, reached the top of Mount Everest for the first time in 1953 A.D. They did this by going up the South Col route. Many people’s life goals include summiting Mount Everest.

The Great Himalayas’ focal point, or knot, of this tectonic movement, is formed by Everest and the peaks surrounding it. This enormous mountain massif. Global positioning systems that have been there since the late 1990s show that Everest is still moving a few inches to the north and south.

2. Mount K2 (28,251 ft/8,611 m), Pakistan

Mount K2, which lies only below Mount Everest, is the second-highest mountain on the planet. Pakistan’s Mount K2 is a mountain in the Karakoram Range of the Himalayas. Mount K2 is located in Pakistan. Although the Karakoram Range has several peaks, the second summit, K2, is the highest mountain in Pakistan and the Karakoram Range’s highest point.

Among the “eight thousanders,” K2 is also called the “Savage Mountain” by those who attempt it. One person has lost their life trying, compared to four who have reached the summit. An Italian expedition team led by Mr. Ardito Desio finally reached the top of K2 for the first time. A successful ascent to the top of K2 (8611 m/28,251 ft) was made by his team, which included Mr. Lino Lacedelli and Mr. Achille Compagnoni.

The world only has a small number of mountains that rise above 8000 feet. All 14 can be found in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges. During the summers of 1950–1964 and the winters of 1980–2021, all 14 of the eight-thousanders were conquered. The latest mountain ascended was K2. Just 377 K2 submissions have been made thus far.

3. Mount Kanchenjunga (28,169 ft/8,586 m), Nepal

Mount Kangchenjunga is the world’s third-highest mountain, rising 8,586 meters above sea level (28,169 ft). On Nepal’s border with India. In addition to being the name of the Himalayan region in which it is found, Kangchenjunga also refers to the tallest mountain in India.

The mountain’s name, “The Five Treasures of Snows,” comes from the fact that it has five peaks. The five stores of God that the riches stand for are represented by the five elements: grain, gems, gold, silver, and sacred texts. Kanchenjunga is the name of the highest mountain on Earth to the east. George Band and Mr. Joe Brown of the British Expedition team successfully scaled this summit on May 25, 1955.

The rocks that make up the Kanchenjunga range in age from the late Precambrian to the Ordovician (i.e., about 445 million to 1 billion years old). During the summer monsoon season, the mountain and its glaciers are blanketed by a lot of snow, whereas the winter months see less of it. The four prominent ridges that connect each summit to its neighboring peaks are the Zemu (northeast), Talung (southeast), Yalung (southwest), and Kanchenjunga (northwest) glaciers.

4. Mt. Lhotse (27,940 ft/8,516 m), Nepal

The world’s fourth-highest mountain is called Lhotse. Through the South Col, it is connected to Everest. In Tibetan, Lhotse is known as “South Peak.” Lhotse Middle (), Lhotse Shar, and the main summit, which rises to a height of 8,516 meters (27,940 feet), are also east among the other summits (27,503 ft). It is situated on the dividing line between Tibet (China) and Nepal’s Khumbu area. Mr. Fritz Luchsinger and Ernst Reiss from Switzerland made the first ascent of Mount Lhotse on May 18, 1956. The magnificent and spectacular South Face of Mount Lhotse is starting to gain popularity. The steepest face of this scale in the world is the South face, which rises 3.2 km and is 2.25 km in width. Few people attempt to climb Lhotse, which is regarded as one of the most challenging mountains to climb.

At an altitude of roughly 25,000 feet, Lhotse is situated close to Mount Everest, with a ridge connecting the two mountains (7,600 meters). In some instances, it is regarded as a component of the Everest massif. The Survey of India gave the mountain its original name, E1, which stands for “Everest 1 (1931).” Two Swiss mountain climbers named Fritz Luchsinger and Ernest Reiss achieved the initial ascent of Lhotse I on May 18, 1956.

5. Makalu Mountain (27,825 ft/8,481 m), Nepal

With an elevation of 8,481 meters (27,825 ft), Mount Makalu is the fifth-highest peak in the world. It is situated on the border between Nepal and China, 19 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Mount Everest. The first climb of Mount Makalu was undertaken in the spring of 1954 by a group of Americans under the direction of William Siri. The two main climbing routes on Mount Makalu are the Southeast Ridge and the Northwest Ridge. It is situated in the eastern region of Nepal at the coordinates of 27°53’21” N and 87°05’27” E.

Makalu I can be reached in about 75 days. Makalu can be accessed through a flight to Tumlingtar. The first climbers to successfully conquer the peak were Jean Couzy and Lionel Terray on May 15, 1955. Beginning at Tumlingtar, the caravan route for Makalu I travels through Bamling, Seduwa, Sadema, KaloPokhari, and eventually the Base Camp. The caravan route passes via Tumlingtar for a total distance of 93.7 kilometers. 5.8 kilometers make up the entire climbing course. Sadema, located 41.4 kilometers away from Makalu I, is the closest town. The Murmi Danda health post, located 48.6 kilometers from the peak, is the closest one.

6. Mt. Cho Oyu (26,863.52 ft/8,188 m), Nepal

Mount Cho Oyu is the sixth-tallest peak in the world. It is located on the border between Nepal and China. Cho Oyu translates from Tibetan as “Turquoise Goddess.” The mountain is 20 kilometers west of Mount Everest and is the westernmost significant point of the Khumbu sub-section of the Mahalangur Himalaya.

Cho Oyu is regarded as one of the more accessible 8,000-meter summits because to its direct approach and absence of apparent dangers. On October 19, 1954, Australian Joseph Joechler, Herbert Tichy (Italy) and Pasang Dawa Lama became the first to climb Mount Cho-Oyu (Nepal).

7. Dhaulagiri Mountain (26,795 ft/8,167 m), Nepal

Dhaulagiri Mountain (26,795 feet /8,167 meters) is the seventh-highest mountain in the world. It is close to Nepal’s capital city’s northern border. The name Dhaulagiri is derived from the Sanskrit words Dhawala, which means “Dazzling, White, Beautiful,” and Giri, which means “Mountain.” The standard ascent route for Dhaulagiri is up the Northeast ridge. The exact coordinates are 28°41’48″N latitude and 83°29’42″E longitude. On May 13, 1960, an Austrian, Swiss, and Nepali team made the first ascent of Dhaulagiri.

They stand out for their remarkable dark granite rock formations that ascend amazingly steeply to sharp ice and snow streaks at the pinnacle of their crested peaks. The greatest place to view this unusual profile is from the Kangra Valley, where they appear to practically shoot up vertically. The Dhauladhar range ranges in elevation from 3,500 m to around 6,000 m. The range arcs toward the town of Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, India, from the Beas riverbanks in Kullu. It then travels through Bara Bhangal, joins the Pir Panjal range, and enters Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, going north.

8. Mt. Manaslu (26,781.50 ft/8,163 m), Nepal

In terms of height, Mount Manaslu ranks ninth in the world. It is in the Mansiri Himal, which is in Nepal’s west-central region. The Sanskrit word “Manasa,” which means “intellect” or “soul,” is where the phrase “Mountain of the Spirit” comes from. Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu, two Japanese expedition members, made the first ascent of Manaslu on May 9, 1956. Adventure climbers who want to ascend an 8000-meter peak typically make it their first choice. Latitude 28°33’01″N and Longitude 84°33’42″E are the precise coordinates.

The length of the caravan route through Dhadingbesi and Gorkha combined is 120.1 km and 120.6 km, respectively. 12.2 km from Base Camp is the length of the entire ascending route. Samagaun lies 1.9 kilometers away from the peak and has the closest police station. The closest military and APF installations are in Dhadingbesi (120.1 km) and Gorkha (120.6 km) from the top.

9. Nanga Parbat (26,660 ft/8,126 m), Pakistan

Nanga Parbat, the ninth-highest peak in the world, is located in Pakistan. Until the early half of the 20th century, Nanga Parbat, which rises to a height of 26,660 feet (8,126 metres), was referred to as “Killer Mountain.” Now, climbing is less hazardous, but it’s still incredibly challenging. In Pakistan, this mountain is a huge peak that towers above the surrounding countryside. It can be found in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan on the southern bank of the Indus River. The first person to climb Nanga Parbat was an Australian named Hermann Bahl in 1953.

The first ascent of the mountain, which was covered in snow and glaciers, was led by British alpinist Albert F. Mummery, who perished in the endeavor. Before the Austrian climber Hermann Buhl reached the summit in 1953, at least 30 other climbers died. They were mostly under German leadershipand died due to the treacherous weather and frequent avalanches. Sanskrit “nagna parvata,” which translates to “naked mountain,” is whence the Kashmiri term “Nanga Parbat” originates. The locals also call this mountain “Diamir,” which means “lord of the mountains.”

10. Annapurna I (26,545.27 ft/8,091 m), Nepal

Mt. Annapurna is the world’s tenth-highest mountain. Annapurna is a group of peaks, the tallest of which is Annapurna I, which is 26,545 feet (8,091 meters). Annapurna peaks are some of the most treacherous to climb in the world. In reality, their fatality rate is over 40%. The peak’s precise location coordinates are 28° 35′ 45″ N, 83° 49′ 20″ E.

The Annapurna massif consists of six major peaks, including Annapurna I (8091 m/26,545 ft), Annapurna II (7937 m/26,040 ft), and Annapurna III (7937 m/26,040 ft). Annapurna III (7555 m/24,786 ft), Annapurna IV (7525 m/24,688 ft), Annapurna South (7219 m/23,684 ft), and Gangapurna (7455 m/24,457 ft). On June 3, 1950, Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal climbed Annapurna I for the first time.