How Much Do Treks Cost?
Here we’re going to explain all the ins and outs of how much do treks cost. Long Himalayan treks are not cheap, and you should understand where your hard-earned money is going… plus the travel industry isn’t very transparent, so this will help you understand what’s going on behind the scenes during your dream holiday!
We don’t have the space to go into every detail for each trek in Nepal, India and Bhutan – so we’re going to explain costs for trekking the GHT Nepal High Route which will also cover all you need to know in India and Bhutan.We’re only going to consider in-country costs here, see Travelling Around for tips about flights and Insurance and Rescue for essential insurance information.
It’s worth noting that domestic airfares in the Himalaya are expensive when compared to international prices. In fact, Nepal is one of the most expensive places for domestic flights in the world. There is ‘talk’ of making locals and foreigners pay the same price for a ticket, but that might take years to happen – at the moment foreigners pay about double the local price.
The money you spend while trekking can have an amazing positive impact for locals. But there are other impacts too, to understand them, see The Impact of Your Trek.
To calculate How Much do Treks Costs, we use the following structure:
- Permits and Entry Fees
- Guides and Porters
- Food and Fuel
- Transportation
- Administration & Contingencies
- Putting it all together.
1. Permits and Entry Fees
These include all your ‘trekking permits’, which in Nepal, are Protected Area Entry Fees (National Parks, etc), Restricted Area Permits (special areas) and Municipality Fees.
- Protected Area Entry Fees – National Parks, Conservation Areas, Hunting Reserves, etc; and,
- Restricted Area Permits – areas determined to be ‘sensitive’, normally close to areas not covered by protected area status, but both is possible!
- Municipality Fees are imposed by regions or places, for example the Everest Region.
In Nepal’s Restricted Areas, you must have a registered guide and issue 2 foreigner permits. If you want to trek on your own, this means paying for 2 permits (one for an imaginary friend). In Bhutan, all your permits and fees are
included in the US$250 daily rate (see more below).
Whereas, in India they vary depending on the location and getting accurate current information is impossible. Ask trekking agencies about prices but they could still be different on the day. However, costs normally work out to be similar or a bit less compared to similar distances in Nepal (see more below).
The information for the following costs is from the Government of Nepal, Department of Immigration and Nepal Tourism Board. For more info see Visas and Permits.
Popular GHT Nepal treks and what permit(s) you need:
- Kanchenjunga Base Camp – Restricted Area Permit and KCA Entry Fee.
- Makalu Base Camp – MNP Entry Fee and possibly Sankhuwasabha Permit.
- Solu-Khumbu (Everest Base Camp) – SNP Entry Fee.
- Rolwaling & Tashi Labsta – GCA Entry Fee and possibly Dolakha Permit.
- Langtang Valley – LNP Entry Fee and possibly Rasuwa Restricted Area Permit.
- Ruby valley – none.
- Manaslu Circuit – Restricted Area Permit and MCA Entry Fee and possibly Tsum Permit.
- Annapurna, Naar and Phu – ACA Entry Fee and possibly Naar-Phu Restricted Area Permit.
- Upper Mustang – Restricted Area Permit and ACA Entry Fee.
- Lower Dolpo – Restricted Area Permit.
- Upper Dolpo – Restricted Area Permit and SPNP Entry Fee.
- Far West Nepal – Mugu, Humla, Bajhang and Darchula Restricted Area Permits, and RNP Entry Fee.
Areas of Nepal Where you can Trek Solo without a Guide:
| Region / Route | Permits and Entry Fees | Guide Required? | Unguided Trekking Possible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanchenjunga Base Camp |
Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Entry Taplejung Restricted Area Permit |
Yes | No |
| Makalu Base Camp |
Makalu-Barun National Park Fee Sankhuwasabha Restricted Area Permit |
No | Yes |
| Solu-Khumbu (Everest Base Camp) |
Everest / Sagarmatha National Park Entry. Everest / Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Municipality Fee. |
No | Yes |
| The Rolwaling |
Gaurishankar Conservation Area Entry Dolakha Restricted Area Permit |
Yes | No |
| Langtang and Helambu |
Langtang TIMS Langtang National Park Entry Possibly Rasuwa Restricted Area Permit |
No | Yes |
| Ganesh Himal | Possibly Rasuwa Restricted Area Permit. | No | Yes |
| Manaslu Circuit |
Manaslu Conservation Area Entry Gorkha Manaslu Restricted Area Permit Possibly Tsum Valley Restricted Area Permit |
Yes | No |
| Annapurna Region |
Annapurna TIMS Annapurna Conservation Area Entry Possibly Naar Phu (Manang) Restricted Area Permit |
No | Yes |
| Dhorpatan | Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve Entry | No | Yes |
| Upper Mustang |
Annapurna Conservation Area Entry Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit |
Yes | No |
| Lower Dolpo |
Lower Dolpo Restricted Area Permit. Shey-Phuksundo National Park Entry. |
Yes | No |
| Upper Dolpo |
Upper Dolpo Restricted Area Permit. Shey-Phuksundo National Park Entry. |
Yes | No |
| All Far West Districts |
Mugu, Humla, Bajhang, Darchula Restricted Areas Permits Rara National Park, Khaptad National Park, Api-Nampa Conservation Area Entry Humla Rural Municipality Permit |
Yes | No |
Your Trekking Style will Dictate How Much Your Trek Costs
OK, so you’ve booked your international flight to Kathmandu and bought travel insurance and calculated your permits and fees for your chosen route.
We strongly recommend purchasing domestic flights through a local travel or trekking agent for the following reasons:
- timings often change and passenger communication is at best basic.
- If you need to cancel your flight it is a bureaucratic process and expect at least a 10% fee.
You should also include an amount for taxis, accommodation and meals in Kathmandu and/ or Pokhara. These costs are entirely up to you and we’re not going to include it here – check out sustainable hotel ideas on www.bookdifferent.com.
Paying for Day to Day Needs
Now you have a serious and very important question to answer – how will you arrange and pay for goods and services along the trail? –this is the most important part of calculating how much do treks cost. Over the years we’ve found that folks fall into three generalised trekking styles:
- Teahouse trekking on popular trails, probably with a guide, where you stay in lodges with a fixed menu of easy to make dishes, including the local favourite Dhal Bhat. The majority of popular trails have many teahouses along the entire route.
- Camping treks on trails with a crew who carry tents and equipment (when you really need it, otherwise stay in teahouses), and make meals for you from produce either carried in (pasta and imported foods) or purchased locally (mostly ‘the basics’ and ingredients for staff Dhal Bhat).
- Solo Trekking / Fast packing / Running on a mix of trails with resupply points, where you rely on teahouses for meals and self-carried energy bars (bought from home), which you restock in pre-arranged stashes as you go.
For more information see Which Style of Trek is right for you?
Mix Styles to Suit Your GHT
To make things a bit more complicated, it is possible to take different approaches in different regions – for example, trekking in Kanchenjunga trek with a guide who then leaves you after the Olangchungola checkpost and then returns with re-supplies in Makalu Base Camp. After the high passes, your guide again leaves you from Dingboche, to bring resupplies to you in the Manaslu region… get the idea?
This approach means that you have to be very good at mountain navigation and speak some Nepali, but it reduces costs and solves re-supply issues.
Important questions to answer when deciding which style suits you and when:
- Are you prepared / have the time to do the running around and negotiating yourself?
- Or do you prefer to use local trekking company and deal with potential communication issues?
- Or do you want the easiest and most convenient option and book through a company in your country?
Answers to these questions involve clear advantages and disadvantages. The more you do yourself and the more local you go, the greater the authenticity and cheaper the cost… but, the less guarantees you have in quality, safety, security and convenience.
If you are confused or want to discuss options in different regions then please Get in Touch… we’re happy to help!
Major Costs to Consider on the GHT
Guides and Porters
Most GHTers only want to have a guide when it’s obligatory. However, some folks want to have a support team with them for the whole trail, which we call a Fully Supported Trek. There is a big cost difference between having a guide with you sometimes and a crew of 5 or 6 with you all the time. However, a Fully Supported Trek has a few major benefits:
- You don’t have to carry much weight,
- You don’t have to worry about navigation, campsites, cooking, etc; and
- The extra money you spend is in remote villages and local wages, which has very positive social impacts – see The Impact
of Your Trek for more info.
Typical daily costs (including food and accommodation) for staff in
Nepal are:
- Trekking guide in Nepal – US$55
- Technical climbing guide – US$75
- Remote area cook – US$35
- Remote area porters – US$25
Remember to make sure that either you or your trekking operator have emergency insurance for your guide and porters!
For more information about your obligations when employing guides and porters see the International Porter Protection Group (IPPG) website
Food and Fuel
You and any crew that are with you have to eat and sometimes buy fuel when in remote areas.Food and fuel costs vary enormously along the GHT, where a cup of tea can cost between 50cents and US$6!
So, we recommend budgeting an average daily cost of US$35 per trekker across the whole duration of your GHT – but this is if you only eat the local food (dhal bhat and packet noodles are the most common) and do not eat western dishes, which are much more expensive.
On the major trekking trails, like Everest Base Camp, you should be budgeting about US$75 per trekker per day for food and drinks. Eating local meals is a really good idea as you will be served much more food (dhal bhat is normally refillable at no extra cost), and it’s super fresh and healthy. And let’s face it, why would you come trekking to eat pasta anyway?
Typical daily costs (including food and accommodation) for staff in Nepal are:
- Trekking guide in Nepal – US$55
- Technical climbing guide – US$75
- Remote area cook – US$35
- Remote area porters – US$25
Remember to make sure that either you or your trekking operator have emergency insurance for your guide and porters!
Dhal Bhat is Nepal’s national dish: rice (bhat), lentils (dhal), veggies and/or meat curry, pickles and sometimes a little salad and curd.
Transportation
Transport costs can be exaggerated for foreigners. There are two types of transport costs, those to get you to and from the trail and those for your support team to get to and from the trail. In Nepal, foreigners pay approximately double the local price for transport, except for local buses that charge the same for all passengers. Domestic flights in Nepal are expensive and can be unreliable.
Example transport costs:
- Foreigner flight to Lukla (one way) – US$165
- Foreigner flight Kathmandu – Nepalgunj – Simikot (one way) – US$340
- Local bus ticket from Bhadrapur to Taplejung – US$25
- Private 4WD jeep – US$250-350/day
Jeeps vary in quality and maintenance. Local jeeps will squeeze-in 9 passengers. Whereas, private jeeps allow rest stops at your convenience.
Administration & Contingencies
Be prepared for the unexpected. Most GHT treks include resupply points as you need to receive permits while in the field as they are date specific, so why not also send some other stuff along with the paperwork?
Leave well organised small packages of snacks, clean clothes, spare money, etc with your Local Operator in Kathmandu and you can always add or remove items before the resupply point. These costs also include an administration payment to the trekking company, which includes their profit and staff insurance.
- Companies will typically charge US$500 to US$1000 per resupply depending on the location and ease of access
Flexibility, Changes, Tips and Surprises
Build a contingency into your budget as things will almost certainly change. About 10% extra should cover most eventualities.
An important note about refunds.
Once you are in the field it is highly unlikely that you will receive a refund from an operator should you pull out of the trek. Of course, there are good reasons to expect some refund payment, especially for un-issued permits and unused transport. But any payments for staff will have already been paid and it is unlikely you will see the money
Approximate Trek Cost Comparison Examples
| Trek Name | Days | Permits & Fees | Guide/ Porter | Food/ Accom' | Transport | Total | Cost per Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GHT Nepal High Route(1) | 100 | $2155 | $6000 | $3500 | $2200 | $13,855 | $138.55 |
| GHT Central Nepal(2) | 37 | $385 | $2350 | $1665 | $650 | $5,050 | $136.49 |
| Everest Base Camp(3) | 14 | $45 | $0 | $1050 | $600 | $1,695 | $121.10 |
| Langtang Valley(3) | 9 | $25 | $0 | $405 | $50 | $480 | $53.33 |
Notes:
- Crossing Sherpani Col, West Col, Amphu Labsta and Tashi Labsta with limited support from guides and porters.
- Crossing Tilman Pass with limited support from guides and porters.
- Self-guided with no support
It should come as no surprise that:
- Longer treks cost more due to longer duration.
- More support costs more money, but makes hard sections possible.
- Self-guided is the cheapest option but comes with high risks.
Here’s some considerations to help make your decision about how best to organise your GHT:
- Your desire for booking security (in case of cancellations and natural disasters), and/ or
- If you want to spend time with people you have yet to meet, and/or
- How much you want to get your valuable hard-earned money in to the pockets of people who really need it – the remote communities in the mountains!
How Much Do Treks Cost in India and Bhutan?
The major components of a trek are transport, wages, food, fuel and in-field charges. These amounts are much the same across the Himalaya and the only major difference is permits and fees, and the profit made by the company. Let’s clarify the comparison for you:
- Treks in Nepal costs from about US$100 to US$250+ per day per person.
- Trekking in India costs from about US$80 to US$180+ per day per person – slightly less then Nepal as permits are a bit cheaper in most areas.
- Bhutan treks cost US$350+ per person per day, plus supplements for small groups. This is more than Nepal because the government also charges a US$100/day sustainable tourism tax.
To be honest, it would be wonderful if Nepal and India also charged a sustainable tourism tax and used it to clear up rubbish along the trails and in villages!!
Congratulations for getting through How Much Do Treks Cost!
Now it’s time to have a think about what sort of impact you are likely to have on your trek. It’s not just about money, you can help create positive impacts, or make things worse for the locals… time for The Impact of Your Trek
