Everest Gokyo Ri trek is a mystical journey to the heart of Everest region. You will be spellbound by the spectacular glacial lakes, pristine mountains, and awe-striking views.
It is always important to figure out the budget and cost before taking any trek. Besides the physical fitness and mental preparation, you need a good budget to take any trek.
And like any other trek, the Everest Gokyo Ri trek cost depends on various factors.
In case you book your travel through an agency, your travel package will cover all your travel expenses. However, this will not include your daily personal expenses.
The package generally covers the accommodation, meal, transportation as well as hiring guide cost. What the package will not include are the cost of your visa, international transportation, and travel insurance cost.
Also, you have to pay extra for some expense such as internet usage, hot water bucket, a flask of hot drinking water etc.
Unlike other countries, trekking in Nepal is quite affordable. Gathering budget to trek to Nepal isn’t difficult as the daily expenses aren’t as high.
Now let us do a breakdown of the Everest Gokyo Ri trek cost so that you can have an idea of how much budget to consider.
Table of Contents
Transportation Cost
Transportation costs eat up one of the largest portions of your budget. Choosing a package will cover the national transports. But if you are traveling without one, here is an idea of how much Everest Gokyo Ri transportation will cost.
There are two ways to take the Everest Gokyo Ri trek. One is the flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, while the other is travel by road in local transport.
Flight:
Taking a flight is a good option. This gives you an opportunity to get the aerial view of the majestic mountain. Moreover taking a flight also saves a lot of time without being hectic. This 30-minute flight will cost around USD 150 (one way).
Another alternative i.e the road is a treat too, esp if you are traveling with a big group and good company. This allows you to interact and connect more with the people around.
By Road:
You can travel by road either by hiring a jeep for a group for USD 150-300.
Or you can also take the local bus for USD 10 to 12 for one way. The travel hours from Kathmandu to Lukla will take about 6-9 hours.
One more option is the helicopter ride which is on the expensive side.
We can help you with the alternative that best suits your need.
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Accommodation Cost
Traveling with a package will cover all the accommodation cost. In Kathmandu or Pokhara you will stay in a five-star hotel if you choose a luxury package. We have Everest Panorama luxury trek.
But if you choose the normal package you will still stay in the best three-star hotels.
While you are on the trek you will be staying at a plenty of tea houses as the Everest Gokyo Ri trek follows remote trails. The cost for one night stay in most tea houses will cost around USD 3 to 5 which is very affordable.
The tea houses are all decent and offer basic facilities like two single bed with pillow and warm blankets and a bedside table.
Though blankets are available, carrying a sleeping bag will come in handy for the cold nights and mornings. The toilets are usually outside and on sharing basis. These toilets are all squat toilets. Do not forget to carry your own toilet paper.
Meal Cost
As you climb to higher elevations the cost of the various facility will get more expensive. And the cost of food is no exception.
Due to poor transportation facility, the goods and supplies in the higher elevation are all carried by human labor and mules.
Hence one cannot expect the cost to be similar to that of city area where everything is more convenient and accessible.
The staple food that you will find throughout the Everest Gokyo Ri trekking trail is Dal Bhat. In addition to the staple food, you can also order continental food such as pizza, spaghetti, fries etc.
You can also find some bakeries at Namche Bazaar where they have pastries and cakes. So coming to the cost the food at higher elevation will cost you around USD 5 to 6.
And on average, the food per day will cost you around USD 15 to 20.
Permit Cost
To take the Everest Gokyo Ri trek, you will require travel permits issued by the government. The permits allow the government to improve the places you visit and develop them. This is also to control the number of trekkers and to protect the region.
The two permits that you will need to take the Everest Gokyo Ri trek are,
- Local Area Permit, USD 20 per person
- Sagarmatha National Park entry permit, USD 30 including VAT
You can get the local area permit at the entry point of Sagarmatha National Park, Monjo. While you can get the Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit either at Monjo or at Tourism Board Office, Kathmandu.
Cost of Guide or Porter
Hiring a guide or porter is necessary while taking the Everest Gokyo Ri trek. Having a guide will help you with the navigation. Plus they are important for the safety reasons as the trail in the Everest Gokyo Ri trek is exhausting and demanding.
While having a porter will help you make the most of your Everest Gokyo Ri trek. With a porter, you can trek freely without the burden of baggage.
The cost of a guide is around USD 20 to 30. While hiring a porter will cost you slightly lesser and that is around USD 15 to 20 per day. And both of this is excluding tips.
At the end of the trip, your guide and porter will expect some kind of tip. This is up to you to give according to their service and how much they satisfy you.
Travel Insurance Cost
Your travel package in Nepal will not include your travel insurance. And having a travel insurance is a must while trekking into the mountains. Because trekking at higher elevations always comes with various risk.
Hence it is best to travel with a reliable travel insurance. And this is best when you get it in your own home country.
Make sure that your travel insurance covers up to an elevation of 6000 m. Along with medical emergency and evacuation. Further, you can also cover for baggage loss or trip cancellation to remain on the safer side.
And the cost of travel insurance cost you around USD 120 per person. But the cost varies depending on the policy you choose and on the duration of the policy.
Equipment Cost
Though the Everest Gokyo Ri trek does not require any technical climbing. But you will need proper equipment to complete the trek.
Hence you might want to keep a separate budget for the equipment because the equipment does add up a large amount of your expense.
You can take certain things like clothing and trekking boot from your home country. But you also need many other things for trekking.
There are things that you will need for the trekking which you might not use in future. So, in that case, it is best to rent those types of equipment.
There are many good rental shops in Nepal that offer good quality trekking gear. Trekking poles, crampons, waterproof jacket, tents, backpacks, and sleeping bags are some of the few things that you can rent.
The price ranges from USD 1 to 10 per day. This varies on the equipment and the quality of the product you choose.
Miscellaneous Expenses
It is certain that there will be some extra expenses in your trek. All these should be a part of your daily EBC Trek budget.
Down below are few miscellaneous costs that you will have to bear during the trek.
Tipping
Nepal doesn’t have a tradition of tipping. And it is not mandatory in hotel and restaurants. However, if you like the service you can always tip a small amount.
While it is not completely necessary to tip in hotel and restaurants, it is customary to tip your guide and porters. As this is the source of extra income for people in the remote region.
Hence by tipping, you can help them a little.
The amount of tip is up to you but the suitable amount would be USD 15 for guides and USD 10 for porters per day.
Wifi and Sim-Card
The price for wifi is about USD 2 on average per hour.
You can also use the internet with your sim card if you have one. You can get a various package for MB. The cost varies with the MB you take.
It is wise to get a local sim card that will allow you to keep in touch with your traveling group. The local sim card costs USD 1 to 2 and to fill the internet package it will cost you a couple of dollars more.
Water
If you want a small flask of boiled water you have to pay around USD 1 to 3. A bottle of mineral water will cost you USD1 in lower regions and will increase up to USD 2 to 3 as you ascend.
It is quite logical to carry a reusable water bottle and ask for a refill which is also environment-friendly.
To take a hot water shower you have to pay another USD 2 to 3.
Charging Ports
Now while you are on trek you may carry some gadgets with you. Hence you have to pay around USD 2 to 5 per hour to charge your camera, phones or other gadgets. This is when you are in the remote areas.
But do not worry. This won’t be the case in the lower regions and will be free of cost. And lastly, upon your return, you will want to buy some souvenirs for your near and dear ones.
You will also be eating after the trek. Hence, you need to keep a part of your budget for these too.
Total Cost
Now to give you an estimation, your Everest Gokyo Ri trek costs around USD 2000 to 2500 per person.
But the cost is worth every penny that you pay because the Everest Gokyo Ri trek is definitely once in a lifetime experience.
Conclusion
Having a good budget for your trek is the biggest relief. This way you can enjoy fully and make the most out of the journey.
While you work so hard it is equally important to invest your time in something you like to do. And traveling and exploring new places is nothing less.
The Everest Gokyo Ri trek is an affordable trek. It gives you an opportunity to immerse yourself into the beauty and adventure of the mountains.
This trek takes you through highest passes in the world including the Cho La Pass and Gokyo Ri. Moreover, the beauty of cobalt blue lakes will leave you spellbound.
So, what are you waiting for?
For further question and queries to Gokyo or Everest Base Camp Trek Cost, please feel free to contact us. It is our pleasure to guide and assist you with the best of our knowledge.
Want more information? Send us your query, and our experts will get back to you within 24 hrs.
Madhav started working as a porter in 2001 and then moved on to work as a trekking guide. After working in the trekking and tourism industry for eight years, he co-founded Mosaic Adventure in 2009.
Madhav has trekked to most of the trekking destinations in Nepal, including Everest Base Camp Trek, Annapurna Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit Trek, Poon Hill Trek, Jomsom Muktinath Trek, Indigenous Peoples Trek, Langtang Valley Trek, Mardi Himal Trek, and all of the day hikes around Kathmandu.
He has also extensively traveled to other countries such as Australia, the USA, the UK, France, Hong Kong, Japan, China, the Philippines, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Thailand, Turkey, and India. Madhav is the one who answers most of your questions about trekking and tours and helps to plan your trip by giving a personal touch.
