What trekking in Nepal really costs in 2026–2027: visa and permit fees, Lukla and Jomsom flights, teahouse rooms and meals, guide and porter rates, tips, insurance and sample budgets for Poon Hill, Annapurna Base Camp and Everest Base Camp.
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Trekking in Nepal costs roughly USD 50 to USD 120 per person per day on the trail once you add up a teahouse room, three meals, small extras and your share of a licensed guide and porter. On top of that come one-off costs: the visa, permits, any domestic flights, insurance, gear and tips.
So a four-day trek such as Ghorepani Poon Hill can come in at a few hundred dollars per person on the trail, a ten-day Annapurna Base Camp trek at under USD 1,000 to about USD 1,100, and a fifteen-day Everest Base Camp trek at roughly USD 1,250 to over USD 2,000, mostly because of the Lukla flights and higher prices in the Khumbu.
Below we break every cost down with 2026 figures from the Department of Immigration and current trail prices, show how prices climb with altitude, and give sample budgets by trekking style. We run treks from Pokhara every season, so these are the numbers we see on the trail.
Budget about USD 50–80 per person per day on lower trails like Annapurna and USD 80–120 high in the Khumbu, assuming two of you share a guide and porter. That covers a room, three meals, hot drinks, a few extras and your share of staff wages. It does not include permits, flights or tips.
The day-to-day spend splits roughly into three parts: food (the largest), the guide and porter, and everything else (room, water, showers, charging, wifi). Rooms are cheap because lodges make their money on meals, and many lodges expect you to eat where you sleep.
Daily cost per person | Annapurna foothills (below 3,000 m) | High trails (Annapurna Sanctuary, upper Khumbu) |
|---|---|---|
Teahouse room (twin share) | USD 4–10 | USD 10–25 |
Three meals and tea | USD 20–30 | USD 30–50 |
Water, shower, charging, wifi | USD 5–10 | USD 10–20 |
Guide (shared between two) | USD 13–18 |
These are 2026 trail prices in US dollars; you pay in Nepali rupees. In October 2026 Nepal Rastra Bank was setting the dollar at about NPR 155.
A tourist visa costs USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days and USD 125 for 90 days, per the Department of Immigration's fee table. Most trekkers need the 30-day visa. You can get it on arrival at Kathmandu airport or apply online beforehand; children under ten are free.
If your plans run long, extensions cost USD 3 a day with a 15-day minimum, and overstaying is fined. Restricted-area permits are never issued beyond your visa's expiry date, so if you are heading to Manaslu, Mustang or Dolpo, buy a visa that covers the whole trek plus a few spare days.
Most popular treks need one or two permits costing NPR 3,000 each, about USD 20 apiece. The Annapurna region needs the ACAP permit; Everest needs the Sagarmatha National Park permit and the Khumbu municipality permit; Langtang needs the national park permit and a TIMS card. Restricted areas add a Department of Immigration permit priced in dollars.
Region | Permits for foreign nationals | Fee |
|---|---|---|
Annapurna (Poon Hill, ABC, Mardi Himal, Annapurna Circuit) | Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) | NPR 3,000 |
Everest (EBC, Gokyo, Three Passes) | Sagarmatha National Park entry | NPR 3,000 |
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry | NPR 3,000 (raised from NPR 2,000 in July 2024) | |
Langtang | Langtang National Park entry plus TIMS card |
Restricted-area fees are from the Department of Immigration's permit fee table. For the full rules on who checks what and where, see our Nepal trekking permits guide.
Since a Cabinet decision in November 2025, Upper Mustang costs USD 50 per person for each day inside the restricted area, replacing the old flat USD 500 for ten days. A ten-day stay still costs USD 500, but shorter trips are now cheaper. Our Upper Mustang trek spends ten days inside the area.
Yes. In March 2026 the Department of Immigration began issuing restricted-area permits to single trekkers, ending the old two-person minimum. You still need a licensed guide and a registered agency to apply for you. For a solo trekker the main cost change is that nobody shares the guide's wages.
Not on Everest or, in practice, on Annapurna routes. The Khumbu uses its own municipality permit instead, and Annapurna checkpoints check ACAP. Langtang, and some quieter regions, still ask for a TIMS card, which costs NPR 2,000 and is issued through a registered agency.
A Kathmandu–Lukla ticket costs foreigners about USD 238 each way in 2026, and Ramechhap–Lukla about USD 188. In busy months most Lukla flights leave from Ramechhap (Manthali), a four- to five-hour drive from Kathmandu, which adds a road transfer. Pokhara–Jomsom flights cost roughly USD 120–200 each way, with USD 160 the most commonly quoted fare.
Both routes allow about 15 kg in total (10 kg checked plus 5 kg hand luggage); excess is charged per kilo and only carried if there is space. Weather delays are common, so build in a spare day at the end of an Everest trek; our Everest Base Camp itinerary includes one in Kathmandu. A helicopter seat out of Lukla during long delays is an extra cost you pay yourself, usually several hundred dollars on a shared flight.
International flights vary too much by origin to give one figure. October and early November are the most expensive weeks to fly into Kathmandu; book early if you are trekking then.
Road transport is cheap: a tourist bus between Kathmandu and Pokhara costs roughly USD 10–25, depending on how comfortable the coach is, and takes seven to eight hours. Getting from Pokhara to the Annapurna trailheads costs a few dollars by local bus, or more for a private car or jeep shared by your group. Flying Kathmandu–Pokhara costs several times the bus fare.
A basic teahouse room costs about USD 4–10 a night on lower trails and USD 15–25 at Lobuche and Gorak Shep, normally twin share with a shared bathroom higher up. Some lodges give the room cheaply or free if you eat dinner and breakfast there, so the room is rarely the big cost.
Expect about USD 20–30 a day for three meals in the Annapurna foothills and USD 30–50 a day high in the Khumbu. Dal bhat, the rice-and-lentil set meal with free refills, is the best value on any menu, usually around NPR 600–900 low down and rising sharply above 4,000 m.
Everything above the road is carried up by porters, mules or yaks, so a plate of fried rice that costs a few hundred rupees near the trailhead can cost two or three times that at Gorak Shep. In the Annapurna region, lodge committees agree menu prices for each village, so lodges in the same place charge the same.
Breakfast typically runs NPR 300–800, lunch and dinner NPR 500–1,000 each, more for pizza, pasta or anything with cheese. A cup of tea costs NPR 100–300 depending on height.
Set aside about USD 5–20 a day for extras: hot showers, battery charging, wifi and drinking water. They are small individually but add up over two weeks, especially in the Khumbu, where a hot shower or a full phone charge can each cost several dollars at the top.
Extra | Lower trails | High trails |
|---|---|---|
Hot shower | NPR 300–500 | USD 5–15 in the upper Khumbu |
Battery charging (per device) | NPR 200 or free | USD 3–10 |
Wifi | NPR 300–500, or by the hour | Wifi cards, NPR 1,200–1,500 for 24–48 hours in the Khumbu |
Boiled or filtered water (litre) | NPR 50–150 |
Save money and plastic by refilling with boiled or filtered water and carrying purification tablets or a filter. A power bank cuts charging costs.
A licensed guide costs about USD 25–35 a day and a porter about USD 20–25 a day in 2026, normally including their own food and lodging. Split between two trekkers, that is roughly USD 23–30 each per day for both. Since 1 April 2023, foreign trekkers in national parks and conservation areas must walk with a licensed guide.
A porter usually carries for two trekkers, about 20 kg in total, which is what we plan for on our treks. A porter-guide is a cheaper hybrid who carries some kit and guides on easy routes; he is not the same as a fully licensed guide. On a trek with flights, you also pay your guide's and porter's airfare, accommodation and meals on travel days. Read more in do you need a guide to trek in Nepal?
Plan on about USD 15–20 per day for a guide and USD 8–12 per day for each porter from the whole group, handed over in rupees at the end of the trek. Our guide to tipping guides and porters in Nepal explains how to work it out and hand it over. Many trekkers instead budget about 10–15% of the trip cost. Tips are a real part of staff income in Nepal and are expected, but should never be demanded.
Expect to pay roughly USD 100–250 for a month of travel insurance that covers trekking, depending on your age, home country and the altitude covered. The policy must cover helicopter evacuation to the highest point of your trek: about 3,500 m for Poon Hill, 4,500 m for Annapurna Base Camp and 6,000 m for Everest Base Camp.
Without insurance, a helicopter evacuation from the upper Khumbu can cost USD 4,000–6,000. Check that your policy covers trekking (not just "hiking") at that altitude, names helicopter rescue, and does not need a separate mountaineering add-on for the height you are going to.
Rent the expensive cold-weather items and bring your own boots. A down jacket or sleeping bag rents for about USD 1–2.50 a day in Thamel or Lakeside Pokhara; buying locally made versions costs roughly USD 50–90 each. Many trek packages, including ours, lend a down jacket and sleeping bag.
Never rent boots. Bring walked-in boots, a good daypack, base layers, a fleece, a waterproof shell, a warm hat and gloves, and a head torch. Poles, gaiters and spare fleeces are easy to find in Kathmandu and Pokhara if you forget them.
The figures below are per person, for two trekkers sharing a licensed guide and one porter, paying lodges as you go. They include permits, trail transport, rooms, meals, extras, staff and tips, but not international flights, the visa, insurance or hotel nights in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Trek | Days | Guide only | Guide and porter | Big extra costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
4, from Pokhara | USD 230–370 | USD 280–440 | Few; ACAP NPR 3,000 | |
10, from Pokhara | USD 600–970 |
The Poon Hill trek is the cheapest classic in Nepal: four days, three nights in teahouses at Ulleri (2,070 m), Ghorepani (2,874 m) and Tadapani (2,630 m), one ACAP permit and a short drive from Pokhara. Prices stay moderate because the trail never goes above 3,210 m. See Mardi Himal vs Poon Hill if you are deciding between the two.
On a ten-day Annapurna Base Camp trek, food is the biggest cost, because meals get noticeably dearer past Chhomrong (2,170 m) and up through Deurali (3,200 m) to the base camp at 4,130 m. There are no flights, so this is the best value high-mountain trek in Nepal. Our Annapurna Base Camp guide has the route in detail, and a gentler 12-day version adds hotel nights in Pokhara.
The Lukla flights and Khumbu prices make Everest Base Camp about twice the cost of ABC. Return flights alone are about USD 400–500, you pay for your guide's flight too, and the last four nights at Dingboche, Lobuche and Gorak Shep are the most expensive on any teahouse trek. Compare the two in Everest Base Camp vs Annapurna Base Camp.
Usually a package costs a little more than the bare sum of the parts, but it removes the hidden costs: staff flights, permit runs, transfers and the extra nights when flights or roads fail. With a package you know your total before you land; paying as you go means carrying more cash and handling every booking yourself.
When comparing quotes, line them up item by item. Our checklist in what is included in a Nepal trekking package shows what to look for, and how to choose a trekking company in Nepal explains the red flags in a quote that looks too cheap. For a price on any of our treks, send us your dates through Plan your trip.
Trek in a group of two or more, choose a trek without flights, and refill water rather than buying bottles. Sharing a guide and porter halves the biggest fixed daily cost, and Annapurna treks avoid the Lukla fares entirely.
Trek with a friend: the guide's and porter's wages are shared.
Pick a trek from Pokhara, such as Poon Hill, Mardi Himal or ABC, instead of a fly-in trek.
Eat dal bhat; refills are included.
Carry a filter or tablets, and a power bank.
Bring snacks from town.
Consider the shoulder months: lodges are quieter in late November, December and early spring. See the best time to trek in Nepal.
Carry enough Nepali rupees for everything not included in your trip, plus a buffer. On a package where meals are included, NPR 2,000–4,000 a day for drinks, showers, charging and snacks is usually plenty, plus your tips. Paying everything yourself, you need the full daily budget in cash.
Only in a few places. Namche Bazaar and Lukla have ATMs on the Everest trail, but they often run out of cash or reject foreign cards, and there are none on the Poon Hill or ABC trails once you leave the road. Withdraw what you need in Kathmandu or Pokhara.
Rarely. A few lodges in Namche and the bigger Annapurna villages take cards or QR payments, often with a surcharge, but most teahouses are cash only. Plan to pay in rupees.
No. A fully guided teahouse trek in Nepal costs far less per day than guided hut trekking in the Alps or a Kilimanjaro climb. The flights to Lukla and restricted-area permits are the two things that push Nepal trek costs up.
Children under ten do not pay the ACAP fee or the Khumbu municipality fee, and their tourist visa is free. They still need permits issued in their name, so bring a copy of their passport.
Travel advice
How much to tip your trekking guide and porters in Nepal in 2026, in US dollars and rupees, for group and private treks, with sample totals for Poon Hill, Annapurna Base Camp and Everest Base Camp, plus when and how to hand it over.
USD 13–18
Porter (shared between two) | USD 10–13 | USD 10–13 |
Typical total | USD 50–80 | USD 75–125 |
NPR 3,000 + NPR 2,000
Manaslu | Restricted Area Permit, plus MCAP and ACAP | Sep–Nov USD 100 first week then USD 15/day; Dec–Aug USD 75 first week then USD 10/day |
Tsum Valley | Restricted Area Permit, plus MCAP | Sep–Nov USD 40 first week; Dec–Aug USD 30; then USD 7/day |
Nar Phu | Restricted Area Permit, plus ACAP | Sep–Nov USD 100 first week; Dec–Aug USD 75; then USD 15/day |
Upper Mustang | Restricted Area Permit, plus ACAP | USD 50 per person per day |
Upper Dolpo | Restricted Area Permit, plus Shey Phoksundo NP | USD 500 for 10 days, then USD 50/day |
Lower Dolpo | Restricted Area Permit, plus Shey Phoksundo NP | USD 20 first week, then USD 5/day |
NPR 300–450
Bottled water (litre) | Around NPR 100 | USD 3–6 |
USD 720–1,150
Higher meal prices above Chhomrong |
15, from Kathmandu | USD 1,300–1,900 | USD 1,450–2,100 | Lukla flights (about USD 400–500 return), guide's flights |
A porter costs about USD 20–25 a day whether he carries for one trekker or two. Solo trekkers either pay the full day rate or share with another trekker; on our treks a porter normally carries for two people, up to about 20 kg in total.
Sometimes slightly, but you lose time in Kathmandu or Pokhara, and in October and November flights and lodges on busy routes are often full. Booking before you travel also means permits can be prepared in advance.
The return flights to Lukla, about USD 400–500 per person, plus your guide's ticket. After that, meals and extras in the upper Khumbu above Dingboche are the next largest cost.
For a twelve-day Manaslu Circuit in autumn, the Restricted Area Permit is USD 100 for the first week plus USD 15 for each extra day inside the area, and the Manaslu and Annapurna conservation permits add NPR 3,000 each. In winter and spring the restricted-area fee drops to USD 75 for the first week.