The 10 Highest Mountains in the World

Every single one of the world's 10 highest mountains is in Asia, and nine of them are in the Himalayan range. The Himalayas were formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which began about 50 million years ago and is still ongoing.

The 10 Highest Peaks

1. Mount Everest — 8,849 m

Located on the border of Nepal and China (Tibet), Everest is the highest point on Earth above sea level. It was first summited by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on May 29, 1953. Its Nepali name is Sagarmatha; in Tibetan it is Chomolungma, meaning "Goddess Mother of the World."

2. K2 — 8,611 m

K2 sits on the border of Pakistan and China. It is considered far more technically difficult to climb than Everest and has a much higher fatality rate. Its name comes from the Karakoram survey notation: K for Karakoram, 2 for the second peak surveyed.

3. Kangchenjunga — 8,586 m

On the border of Nepal and India, Kangchenjunga was considered the highest mountain until the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India revised measurements in the 1850s. Local communities in Sikkim consider the summit sacred and mountaineers traditionally stop a few meters short.

4. Lhotse — 8,516 m

Lhotse is directly connected to Everest via the South Col and shares much of the same climbing route up to 8,000 meters. Its name means "South Peak" in Tibetan.

5. Makalu — 8,485 m

Located about 19 km southeast of Everest, Makalu is famous for its isolated position and its distinctive four-sided pyramid shape. It straddles the border of Nepal and China.

6. Cho Oyu — 8,188 m

Cho Oyu is considered the easiest of the 8,000-meter peaks to climb, making it a popular target for mountaineers preparing for Everest. It sits on the Nepal-China border, about 20 km west of Everest.

7. Dhaulagiri I — 8,167 m

Located entirely within Nepal, Dhaulagiri was once thought to be the world's highest mountain (from 1808 to 1838). Its name means "Dazzling White Mountain" in Sanskrit.

8. Manaslu — 8,163 m

Also in Nepal, Manaslu means "Mountain of the Spirit" in Sanskrit. It was first summited by a Japanese expedition in 1956 and has become increasingly popular as an Everest alternative.

9. Nanga Parbat — 8,126 m

The only peak in this list located in Pakistan (not on its border with China), Nanga Parbat has one of the highest fatality rates of any 8,000-meter mountain. Its Rupal Face is the highest mountain face on Earth at about 4,600 meters.

10. Annapurna I — 8,091 m

Annapurna was the first 8,000-meter peak ever climbed, summited by a French expedition in 1950. Located in Nepal, it has the highest fatality-to-summit ratio of any of the fourteen 8,000-meter peaks.

The Fourteen 8,000-Meter Peaks

Beyond this top 10, there are 14 peaks that exceed 8,000 meters above sea level. Reaching the summit of all 14 is considered one of the greatest achievements in mountaineering. As of 2024, fewer than 50 people have completed the full list.

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