How Much Does Everest Base Camp Trek Cost?

Since the 1960s, the Everest Base Camp trek, a walk to the foothills of the world’s tallest mountain, has become a premier journey. It’s a dream destination for hikers and adventure freaks. Indeed, this one-in-a-lifetime journey offers the most magnificent views of the Himalayan Range. All the Himalayan land’s natural and cultural wonders can be explored in a very affordable range.

With Himalayan Masters, the Everest base camp trek would only cost US$1500 per person, including permit expenses, food, flight tickets, a guide, and a porter. Since Nepal is a paradise for backpackers, all these Everest base camp treks are affordable.

This article includes details on the cost of the Everest base camp trek so you can comfortably plan your trip.

Everest Base Camp Trek Permit Cost

Along with Nepal’s Visa, you will need two other permits for Everest base camp trek.

• $30 – 15-day multiple-entry visas
• $50 – 30-day multiple entry visa
• $125 – 90-day multiple entry visa

A one-month visa is enough for Everest base camp trekkers if they aren’t planning a longer stay. Next, you will need a Sagarmatha National Park entry permit that can be issued either in Kathmandu or Lukla.

A Sagarmatha National Park entry permit costs Rs.3,000 for foreigners. The cost for a citizen of a SAARC country is Rs 1,500.

The other permit is the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entrance Permit, which costs NPR 2000 ($20).

Cost of Guide and Porter For Everest Base Camp

This is the most significant portion of the Everest base camp trek cost.

Tips For Saving Cost In A Guide

• Getting a guide and porter from Lukla will save the cost for one day.
• Hiring an English-speaking porter who can also help you as a guide is cheaper, but there are only a few such porters, and it’s almost impossible to contact them as new trekkers.
• Travelling in a group helps you save a lot for a guide and porter. An experienced person can effectively guide a group of 6 to 8 people, and a porter can carry a load of two people. Hiring a guide and a porter as a solo traveller is expensive.
• Himalayan Masters have licensed guides and porters accompanying the Everest base camp trek package. We also provide a guide and porter for Independent travellers.

Cost For Accommodations in EBC Trek

The accommodation cost is just part of the Everest base camp trek cost. The tea house makes most of its income from food on Everest and thus keeps the price of a hotel on Everest very low. However, Everest’s accommodation cost also depends on how much luxury you want to experience.

In Kathmandu:

The hotels range from dormitory rooms with $5/bed to five-star hotels that cost above $500/night. In Thamel, the average 3-star hotel room with basic amenities and a private bath costs between $10 and $30.

Up to Namche:

The hotels up to Namche are pretty versatile. You can stay in luxurious hotels with a private bath and hot shower that might cost up to $20. However, basic tea houses cost $4 to $5 on average. In this section, the hotel’s Everest base camp trek cost depends upon your choice, and you can also use some bargaining skills.

Above Namche:

Beyond Namche, teahouses have little choice; almost all accommodations are similar. There are only four to five hotels for each stop in Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, and Gorakshep.

Also, the prices of food and rooms in these hotels are the same (set by the local trekking committee). The rooms in this region only have two beds, a mattress, and a blanket. Don’t expect a private bath and other luxuries. In this section, a hotel on Everest costs $6 to $8.

Cost of Food For Everest Base Camp Trek

You will get healthy and delicious food during the Everest Base Camp Trek. We have differentiated the cost of food by place.

Cost of Food In Kathmandu:

Kathmandu has quite an affordable range of restaurants. The cost of food in Kathmandu is very low, and you might be shocked that you can get good quality food for less than one dollar. You can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner for $2 to $4 in average restaurants. You can also get authentic international cuisine in the big, expensive restaurants. It’s your choice.

Cost of Food Up to Namche:

Food costs are high in the Everest region. Food covers the most significant portion of the Everest base camp trek. A porter carries almost every meal on a flight to Lukla.

• Breakfast average cost: $5 to $7
• Lunch and dinner Average cost: $6 to $8
• Tea: $1 to $2 / cup
• Hot water: $1 to $2 / bottle

Cost of Food Above Namche: 

The higher you move, the higher the cost. Once you reach Lobuche, the price increases by a few dollars, increasing the cost of your Everest base camp trip.

• Breakfast average cost: $7 to $9
• Lunch and dinner Average cost: $8 to $10
• Tea: $2 to $3 / cup
• Hot water: $1 to $3 / bottle

Some Tips For Saving On Food And Accommodation

• Try bargaining for room prices and eat only at the tea houses or hotels you stay at. If you eat your dinner outside the tea house you stay in, they will add $10 to $15 to your room cost.
• You can have Dal Bhat, which is served as a buffet. So, if you are a foodie, this carb-rich food helps you save many dollars in food.
• Try avoiding more than one food and order fulfilling dishes such as fried rice, Indian food, and Nepali food. Also, go for the vegetarian option, which is cheaper and fresher.
• Try carrying sterilizing tablets and water bottles to avoid buying mineral water. Sterilizing drinking water instead of buying bottled water can save you $50.
• The per-day cost of food varies from $20 to $35, depending on your choice. The cost of food for the Everest base camp trip is the same for Nepalese and Indians.

Cost of Insurance For Everest Base Camp Trek

The altitude of Everest base camp, 5364 meters, poses a high risk of altitude sickness. Trekking in an unknown, remote land for almost two weeks isn’t challenging, and things might go seriously wrong. Although trekkers travelling with Himalayan Masters haven’t experienced altitude sickness yet, we cannot ignore the chances.

That’s why getting high-altitude travel insurance before your trip is compulsory. It also helps you save on Everest base camp trek costs in an emergency. In an emergency, the team arranges an instant evacuation by helicopter tour, which can cost more than $3,000.

Due to unstable weather, other illnesses, theft, robbery, and cancellation might occur. Himalayan Masters recommends getting travel insurance from your home country, which can cost between $50 and $200.

Cost of Travelling

From the hotel to the airport:

Depending on your location, a taxi or cab costs $5 to $15. Depending on your negotiation skills, a taxi from Thamel costs about $6 to $9. The public bus takes only 20 to 30 NRP, but it might not be easy to get this public bus in Nepal.

Kathmandu to Lukla flight cost:

The Kathmandu to Lukla flight costs $210 to $380 per person. A flight ticket costs almost one-fifth of your Everest base camp trek.

• Regular Airlines Fare: US$ 210 per person
• Cost for Indians NPR 14700 Per Person, which might fluctuate
• Cost for Guide: NPR 6500.00 Per Person
• Cost for Nepali: NPR 10,500 per person or maybe fluctuate

More than two dozen flights are available from Nepali domestic airlines, such as Tara Airlines, Sita Airlines, and Summit Airlines.

Tips To Save Money For The Flight To Lukla

Book your flight as early as possible to save a few dollars on climbing to Everest base camp. Flights are expensive in peak season: October/ November and April/March. Booking costs are lower in the winter and summer seasons.

Go to Lukla overland: 

If you want to skip the flight to Lukla, you can also take a road trip. However, this will add 3 to 5 days to your trip, so the cost of climbing to Everest base camp will be the same.

The public bus from Salleri to Kathmandu takes about $10 to $11 per person. You can also take a Jeep, which is more comfortable than a public bus and costs $17. Although public buses are pretty cheap, the seats are small and dirty, there’s no place for a bag, and there needs to be more leg space. If you are a group of large people, you can hire a jeep on your own and travel more comfortably.

Flight by Helicopter:

You can fly from Kathmandu to Lukla or directly from Kathmandu to Everest base camp. Chartering a helicopter to Lukla costs about $2500, and the Everest base camp helicopter tour costs about $4000. Since you can share it with a group of 5 people, the cost of a helicopter to the Everest base camp is quite affordable. It might be cheaper than a luxury Everest base camp trek cost.

Cost of Everest Trekking Equipment

This is the preparatory cost of the Everest base camp trek Packing list. Before you start your Everest trek, you will need basic Everest trekking equipment. The essential gear includes:

• Sleeping bag
• Trekking boots
• Trekking pants
• Trekking poles
• Trek bag and a small handbag
• Windproof down jacket
• Some foods like chocolate/ energy drinks
• Comfortable t-shirts

It comes out to be expensive if you have to buy all these items right before the trek. Depending upon the country and brand, the cost of purchasing trekking gear can vary from $500 to $2000. A more affordable way to get these trekking gear is to rent them from Kathmandu.

In Thamel, you can rent sleeping bags, trekking boots, Poles, bags, and jackets for $2 to $3 per day per item. Your guide by Himalayan Masters will help you rent or even buy these trekking gear at a lower price.

Other Additional Costs

Wi-Fi Cost:

You start paying for Wi-Fi right from Lukla. Although the Wi-Fi speed is slow, it’s costly. Above Namche, the internet in the Everest base camp trek can cost up to $5; beyond that, it can cost even more.

You can also buy a card called Everest Link, which lets you use data cheaply. For the 3G network, you can use NTC or NCELL data.

Cost of a Hot Shower:

You need to pay separately for the hot show in the upper region; then, they might give you a bucket of the warm region. A hot shower in Everest costs about $5. Since the heating system in Everest is rare, the cost is high.

Cost for Phone/ Battery Charging:

These small costs add a lot to your Everest base camp trek. Above Namche, you must pay a few dollars to charge your phone/ battery. The rate can vary between $4o to $4 per hour.

Factors That Affect The Price Of Everest Base Camp Trek

Price According To Season

Peak month:

September/ October and November in Autumn and March/ April/ May in Spring

The room, food, and flight costs to Everest are high during the peak season. The price is the same as on the menu, and no discount is offered, making your Everest base camp trek the most expensive.

Off-season:

January/ December in winter and June/ July/ August in Monsoon

In the off-season, the tea house owner discounts room and food costs. You can also get a discount on the flight, and the Everest base camp trek package is much less expensive.

You can get a 15 to 20% discount in the off-season, but the off-season trek has many challenges, and you can decide if it’s worth it.

Price According To Itinerary

The actual cost of the Everest base camp trek depends on your route and itinerary. Here are different Everest base camp trek costs based on itinerary.

• Classic Everest base camp trek (including flight to Lukla) is about 12 days long and costs about $1500.
• There’s a short Everest base camp trek of about 9 days for experienced trekkers/ climbers, which costs about $1200.
• If you want to observe Everest from a close distance and don’t have time for the base camp trek, you can take a 5- —to 7-day Everest View trek for less than $1000.
• The Gokyo Valley trek is an extended and adventurous version of the Everest trek. It takes 4 to 5 days and costs about $2000.
• An even more challenging Everest Three Pass trek, which takes you over Renjo La Pass, Chola Pass, and Kongma La Pass, takes about three weeks and costs about $2500.
• The camping trek to Everest is the most expensive among the ones listed here. You can send us an Inquiry mail to Himalayan Masters to get a customized rate for the Everest camping trek.
• In short, each day added to your itinerary will increase your Everest cost from $80 to $100 (including porter, guide, food, and accommodation costs). That’s how you can plan your route as per your budget.

Your Group Size

The highest Everest base camp trek cost is applied when travelling solo. That’s primarily due to the higher cost of the guide and porter. Travelling in a group of two or more is cheaper. Even the travel packages from Himalayan Masters are more affordable when you book in groups.

Cost of Everest Base Camp Trek

Cost of an Everest Trek Package with an International Agency

Many tourists book their Everest trip from their home country with an international agency. Most of these international agencies are offering very appealing rates. And since they have good customer reviews and ratings, trekkers to Everest trust them unquestioningly. The services of the International agency are safe and reliable.

However, they charge a lot for the extravagant package, increasing the cost of the Everest base camp trek. The international luxury operators can charge USD 2500 to $5000 per person. Sadly, many of these operators have never been to Everest and don’t know its condition.

There must be proof that this price provides better service. They must also address the minor problems you face once the trek commences. Therefore, we suggest you go to the local trek agency in Nepal for the most reasonable Everest base camp cost.

Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek

The Everest base camp has become a luxurious trekking route in recent decades. In addition to the basic tea house accommodation costs $4 per night, other kinds of luxury accommodation cost up to $100 per night. These accommodations include rooms with private bathrooms, free Wi-Fi, charging plugs, single accommodations, and more.

Similarly, the Everest base camp luxury trek package also has no restrictions on food and other amenities. You will end up paying a lot of cash for other luxuries not included in the classic package. Thus, we recommend that our trekkers opt for the Himalayan Masters Luxury Everest base camp package. Although the luxury Everest base camp trek cost is relatively high, it’s worth the price.

Booking with Third-Party: US$1300 to US$ 1900/per person

There are better choices than this. Some international budget tour operators claim to offer you a reasonable price deal. However, they are just third-party websites with ties to the Nepalese agency. So, they end up handing you to the destination management company (DMC) and get a profit margin of 10 to 30%.

Although their package is appealing, they use the cheapest resources and offer limited services. Hidden Everest base camp costs, such as transportation, drinks, permits, etc., add to your expenses.

Local Everest Base Camp trek agency: $1500 to $2000/ person

Local travel agencies in Nepal deliver excellent services at a very affordable price. They have a good connection with Everest’s airlines and hotel lines, thus enabling them to provide good service at a very affordable price. The tour packages the local travel agency offers start from Kathmandu and end in Kathmandu.

There are more than a thousand local tour operators in Nepal. The confusion of which one to pick is a big issue. Make sure you choose a registered travel agency and read their reviews and ratings before looking for Everest base camp costs.

Cheap Everest Base Camp Package: $700 to $1200

Don’t be surprised if you find a local travel agency offering a hike to Everest base camp for less than $700. Yes, that sounds appealing, but let’s use some logic here. The two-way flight ticket to Lukla costs $360, which is the fee set by Nepal’s domestic airlines.

Now, there’s the cost of food, hotels, a guide, and a porter for 12 days. The guide and porter are also fixed, costing $25 and $15/day, respectively. So, you won’t even get a guide, a porter, or proper accommodation.

Anyone claiming to offer the entire Everest base camp trek package for less than $1500 will require you to pay any additional expenses once the trek begins. Later, you will pay over $2000 and still get the worst accommodation.

Breakdown Cost of the Independent Everest Base Camp Trek Cost

We have broken down all the essential costs for the Everest Base Camp Trek. These can fluctuate depending on the season and the services you want.

• Foods: $25*12= $300
• Accommodation: $6*12= $72
• Flights: $180 x 2 = USD 360 (two ways domestic flight)
• Permits: Visa+ National Park+ Local area permit= $90 USD
• The cost of hiring a guide and a porter is $25+$20 = $45*12 = $540.
• Wi-Fi/ Shower/ Water= $10*12= $120
• Tips, donations, and miscellaneous = $100

As you can see, even independent trekkers spend over $1500 while travelling solo (with a guide and porter). That’s why we are claiming that the Himalayan Masters Everest base camp trek package is very affordable.

FAQs Related to Everest Base Camp Trek Cost

What Is the cost before the trek?

Before heading for Lukla, trekkers often stay in Kathmandu for a few days. Depending on the travel package, the cost of the stay might or might not be covered. A basic, comfortable room and food in Kathmandu cost $20 to $40 daily. A luxury hike to Everest base camp can cost more than $100 daily.

What is the cost of Everest link Wi-Fi cards?

The cost of Wi-Fi is not included in the Everest trek package. You must pay $5 to $8 daily to access the internet. A better option is to get an Everest Link Wi-Fi card, which costs NPR 600 (600 MB) or NPR 2000 (10 GB). Getting an NTc or NCELL SIM card for $1 and using mobile data is also a good option.

However, we suggest you focus less on the internet and charging during EBC. This will keep you closer to nature and lower the cost of going to Everest base camp.

What Is the Everest Base Camp Trek Cost for Nepalese?

The cost of an Everest base camp trek for Nepalese is about NRP 40,000 to NRP 50,000, including the flight to Lukla. The food is discounted, and the rooms are impressive. The cost is relatively low since Nepalese often travel with a guide and porter.

What should a good travel package include?

Before you book your trek package, look for at least the following things:

• Flight cost
• Food during the trek (all 3 meals)
• Accommodation in Kathmandu and Everest
• Guide/ porter cost and their cost
• Permit cost

What additional expenses can I expect not to be covered in the trek package?

The cost that is usually not included in the package is

• Cost of water: $50 or more if you didn’t carry your sterilizing table
• Tips: About $100 or more for a guide, porter, and restaurants
• Donation: In temple and Gompa as per your wish
• Wi-Fi/ Hot-water/ Charging: About $15 per day
• Nepal Visa cost
• Excess package charge at the airport
• Flight delay cost
• Emergency treatment and evacuation
• Personal expenses include shopping, snacks, hot (Tea/ Coffee), cold drinks, etc.

All these can cost from $500 to $1500, depending on your needs.

We hope we have covered everything you need about Everest base camp costs. Let us know how we can help you plan this trip. You can mail us for general inquiries or book our Everest base camp trek package.