Trekking in Nepal Cost

Trekking in Nepal is one of the most popular activity you can do in Nepal. It offers you a ton of choices that can suit your trek cost.

In comparison to other places in the world, trekking in Nepal cost is quite reasonable and budget-friendly. It fits all type of trekkers who want to do luxury trekking or budget-travel.

Moreover, you can decide on the duration of the trek to make trekking in Nepal a lot more budget-friendlier.

Trekking in Nepal is possible all year round. Every season has its own perks, unique experience and feature to offer. And depending on what you plan to do, where you want to trek, when you plan to trek your cost of trekking varies.

Transportation Cost

The cost of transportation affects your budget while trekking in Nepal. There are many options available such as local buses, tourist buses, private jeeps, and daily flights.

If you want to cut down some expenses, you can take public transportation. Doing so is an adventure in itself and a different experience altogether.

Buses in Nepal are cheap. The most remote and rural area are now becoming accessible to it. But for better comfort, there are also cars and jeeps available.

Now every trek will have a different trailhead, the official start of the trek on foot. And to get to the trailhead, which is all out of town, taking motorized transportation makes sense. As for the cost, it completely depends on which trek you are heading.

The cost of the tourist bus is around USD 8 to 30 one way per person. The range is due to the extra services that may vary. You also can take Kathmandu to Pokhara flight which costs

$120 one way per person.

For treks like Everest Base Camp, it costs about USD 195 to 210 for a flight to Lukla on each way. You can save this cost by taking a bus to Jiri or Shivalaya and start your trek from there.

The jeep will charge about USD 40 to 50 while the bus will cost around USD 25 to 30. This will, however, add several days and cost to your trek.

For Annapurna Circuit trek, the cost of a flight is about USD 240 to 250 per direction. Whereas you can pay USD 60 to 70 from Kathmandu including an expensive transport leg from Muktinath to Pokhara.

Manaslu Circuit trek begins from Arughat or Soti Khola. From Kathmandu, the local bus costs USD 10 per person and USD 150 to 200 each way by jeep. The same is for the return of the trek from Besisahar to Kathmandu.

Trekking Permit Cost

The government of Nepal issues various permits for foreigners who are trekking in the controlled areas of Nepal. And as you will be trekking in different regions and conservation area, you need to pay a certain amount to enter these areas.

Hence, before going for any trek, it is important that you know every type of permit you need to have. Generally, there are two or three permits.

Trekking to Annapurna, Langtang and Khumbu region requires national park entry tickets which will cost USD 20 to 40 for a single entry. And you will also need a TIMS card.

There are two types of TIMS card. The green which is for independent trekkers cost USD 20. And the blue for trekkers who are part of a group with a guide cost USD 10.

Trekkers should legally acquire TIMS cards before they enter any trekking route. They are available both in Kathmandu or Pokhara. And for applying, you need to bring the travel insurance documentation and passport-sized photographs.

Dolpo, Upper Mustang, Manaslu, Manaslu Tsum valley Trek, Nar-Phu, and Kanchenjunga, you will require special trekking permits. These are restricted areas by the government. You can obtain the restricted area permits only through local trekking agencies. Also, the charge depends on the duration of the trek in the region and the trekking season.

For Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpo, you need to pay USD 500 per person for the first ten days. After that, you need to pay USD 50 per day per person. Here you will not require a TIMS card. Also, in such a region, you cannot travel alone. And you should have at least one guide or porter.

Trekking peaks of altitude ranging from 5650m to 6500m, you will need climbing permits. This costs USD 350 for 1 to 4 members with an additional USD 40 each for the next 4 members. And USD 25 each for the final four members.

Here are some popular trekking routes in Nepal and their trekking permit charge are as follows:

• Annapurna Base Camp: USD 20 for Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, and USD 10 to 20 for a TIMS card
• Everest Base Camp: USD 28 for Sagarmatha National Park Permit, USD 10 to 20 for Local Area Permit
• Manaslu Circuit trek: USD 50 to 70 per week for Manaslu Restricted Permit, and USD 20 for Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP) and (ACAP).

Cost of Guide and Porter

While trekking into the mountains, it is very important to have a guide and a porter for your safety and convenience. However, it also depends on the difficulty of a trek and your budget, whether or not you want to have a guide and a porter or not.

On a high altitude trek, it is the best decision to have them. A guide helps in navigating and knows what to do in case of any unplanned situation. He knows of the possible threats along the way and will take you through the safe route.

They also share their knowledge about the various places you walk through which will enrich your experience. For the service, their standard rate is around USD 20 to 25 per day.

As for the porter, they will help you with your load so that you can walk comfortably. Being able to walk freely without a heavy load will make your trekking experience a lot smoother.

Porters charge you around USD 15 to 18 per day. These porters will carry about 20 kgs of the load.

Cost of Accommodation

The accommodation cost along the trek varies a lot. The cost increases along with the trail.

The prices of the rooms also change between off-season and peak season. And finally, the cost is different with high end and medium budget guest houses of the same area.

Most of the tea houses cost around USD 3 to 5 per night. The lodging prices in the Annapurna region are affordable compared to Everest Base Camp.

During the off- season the price for the same room can be as little as USD 1 to 2 per night. And during peak season the prices are often set high and it is very hard to negotiate.

Some popular treks like Annapurna Base Camp and Everest Base Camp also have luxury lodges. This can cost between USD 100 to 300 per night.

However, in Nepal, you can customize the trek with your desire for accommodation. The types of accommodation in Nepal are,

• Tea houses- ( you will find them at various point on the trek).
• Camping- ( you can conduct it almost anywhere in Nepal with a team of guides, cooks, and porters to accompany you)
• Homestays- ( this is possible in some local villages)

Overall the rough estimation of some popular treks are

• ABC: USD 5 to 10 per night
• EBC: USD 10 to 20 per night
• Manaslu: USD 6 to 10 per night

Food and Drink Cost

While trekking, you will have your breakfast and dinner at the tea houses that you will stay. As for lunch, you will eat at the tea house that comes along the route.

Most of the tea houses offer nice traditional local meals. The most staple one of which is Dal Bhat. Not to worry, you will also get continental dishes like noodles, spaghetti, pizza in some places.

And as most of these trekking trails of Nepal lie in the remote area, the cost of the food is generally more expensive compared to Kathmandu.

Also, with the increase in altitude, the cost of food and drinks increases. As you reach higher, you will have to pay more. The reason behind the increase in the price is due to proper transportation facilities.

However, with USD 15 to 20, you can assure yourself of 3 hot meals. Moreover, the cost also depends on your appetite and the number of beverages you take.

The cost of the drinks are as follows:

• A cup of tea: USD 1.5 to 4
• A cup of coffee: USD 2 to 4
• A bottle of beer: USD 5 to 10
• A bottle of water: USD 0.5 to 5

While trekking, it is very important to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. So make sure your water intake is sufficient.

Miscellaneous Cost

Following are the extra cost you will have to consider while trekking to any region,

• Charging electronics such as Camera, Phone, Back-up chargers, etc will cost you around USD 2 to 5 at a time. Sometimes if there is less crowd at tea houses, they will let you charge your gadgets for free. Yet in the peak season, they will charge around USD 3 to 5 per hour for each device.
• Bucket shower: Heated by ga, it might cost you around 3 to 5 dollars. While trekking, it is impractical to shower daily. Hence, you can have the option to pack some wipes or a small towel to freshen up yourself in the mornings and nights.
• WIFI: Along the trails, some tea houses sell WIFI. In the Everest region, you will get prepaid wifi cards at around USD 3 for 100 MB. And on the Annapurna Circuit, you may get a one-time fee of USD 3 to 5 for wifi access.
• If you are happy with the services provided by your guide or porter, you can express your gratitude with a little tip.
• While visiting some monasteries, Gombas or stupa, you will often find donation boxes. Here you can donate a small amount. However, this is totally up to your choice.

Tips to Reduce the Trek Cost in Nepal

• Trek with friends: With more people, the price is often cheaper. For eg, if six people are trekking, all can share the cost of the guide or transport. It’s therefore significantly cheaper than trekking with just two people.
• Take a bus instead of a flight: To trek to the Everest region, you must fly in and out of Lukla. Plus you need to pay to enter the national park which will add extra days depending on where you start. So treks in Everest is more expensive than those in the Annapurna region. And if you are trekking in the Annapurna or another region, taking a bus will add time to your itinerary but will cost you less.
• Inform us that you are a budget traveler so that we can keep costs as low as possible.

Conclusion

Trekking in Nepal Cost hugely varies with the trek choice, duration, and the type of trek you want to do. It depends on the mode of transportation you choose, the hotels you stay, the services you use, etc.

All the factors above matter while you are planning a budget to travel to Nepal.

For further question or queries, please feel free to contact us. It is our pleasure to guide and assist you with the best of our knowledge.

Madhav Prasad

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.