Many trekkers get scared after hearing about Everest Base Camp Trek Costs. But they must realize that benefiting from the modern amenities at the most remote place on earth is expensive. Also, trekking for 12 days of standard itinerary, three meals a day, extra accommodation services, the trek guides, trek porters, transportation, permit cost and more. Added all these at once, the price of over USD 1500 is minimal, given the quality of service and lifelong adventure you'll enjoy.Everest Base Camp Trek Cost- Complete Expense Breakdown
Everest Base Camp Trek Overview
Before we get into Everest Base Camp Trek costs, let’s first talk about what the Everest Base Camp (Everest BaseCamp) trek is all about.For most people, the trek is an 11 day hiking journey through the beautiful landscape of Sagarmatha National Park in the Himalayas of Nepal. The trek Commences in Lukla and heads up to Everest Base Camp over the course of 8 days. It then takes 3 days to retrace your steps back from base camp and to Lukla. On day 12, you fly back out of Lukla to end your time on the trail.
The average cost of an Everest Base Camp Trek is USD 1500. This price is for the standard EBC Trek Itinerary. However, added services like helicopter return or first hike, take a helicopter, and return ads up the cost.
Breakdown of Everest Base Camp Trek Options
As mentioned there will be several different ways to go about a hike to Everest Base Camp. Choosing which option will depend on various factors, with costs being one of the main ones to consider. Below are most of the main Everest Base Camp trek options to choose from.
Fully Organized Trek
The most expensive option out there will be a fully organized trek. These types of treks will take care of everything for you from the moment you land.You can expect this to be an all-inclusive type of option, so there is very little that you will need to worry about along the way. Such treks would include things like:
Transportation to and from Kathmandu airport
Accommodation & Food in Kathmandu before and after the trek
Day tour in Kathmandu before or after the trek
Flights to/from Lukla
Trekking permits
English speaking guides
Porters to carry your bags
Teahouse accommodation
Teahouse food
With that said though, there are really two main ways to go about a full organized trek. You can either sign up with a foreign company or a Local Kathmandu based Trekking Company.
Let's break down how much it costs to trek Everest Base Camp in 2023.
Currently, Everest region trekkers take flights from Ramechhpa to Lukla instead of Kathmandu. Hence, you need to take a drive to Ramechhap airport. The cost of Kathmandu to Ramechhap on a tourist bus is USD 30; both ways, it costs you USD 60.
The Ramechhap to Lukla flight is USD 160 one ways. And if you wish to take a helicopter from Kathmandu to Lukla, it costs you USD 500.
Three decent meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in the Everest region cost USD 30 for an individual each day. While trekking for 12 days, you may spend around USD 360 on meals. Plus, this expense increases if you stop at Namche or Dingboche for multiple days for acclimatization.
As you hike closer to Everest Base Camp, the cost of meals also increases. As everything here is transported by carrying, it's expensive. However, you'll still get plenty of meal options, even at Gorak Shep and Lobuche.
If there's one thing cheaper about tea houses in the Everest region, it's undoubtedly the accommodation cost. While trekking here for 12 days, you'll pay somewhere between $80 to $100 for accommodation.
Only a few tea houses offer free overnight accommodation if you eat breakfast and dinner at the same tea house.
Most of the tea houses offer twin-sharing rooms. But, for the individual trekker, they also provide private rooms, which will be expensive. Many standard tea houses starting from Lukla to Dingboche, offer attached bathrooms. However, you will only get heated rooms anywhere except a few luxurious tea houses in Lukla and Namche Bazaar.
The cost of a hot water shower varies at different places while trekking to Everest Base Camp. However, on average, the hot water shower costs USD 5-7 or NPR 500-700.
Charging your mobile devices and power banks costs you USD 5-10. If you're charging your phone and camera batteries, it'll cost you NPR 500. However, a power bank to 100% recharge costs you USD 100. It's better to carry a powerful power bank and recharge it once instead of charging it daily.
Everest Link WiFi cards only offer internet access past Namche Bazaar. Until Namche, you'll benefit from using WiFi at a significantly low cost, around NPR 200. But, from Tengboche to Gorakshep, Everest Link is the only option for the internet, and it is expensive.
The 600 MB Everest link WiFi data costs NPR 500, whereas 1 GB data card costs you NPR 2000. We recommend you purchase the 600 MB data card because the internet doesn't work perfectly at high altitudes. Plus, the weather conditions dramatically impact the internet speed and performance.
The Three essential Everest Base Camp Trek Permits cost foreign nationals USD 70 or NPR 7000. For Indian Nationals, the two EBC Trek Permits can cost around NR 3000-4000. And for Nepali, only the Sagarmatha Conservation Area Permit is required, and expenses are NPR 100.
To avoid flights to Lukla and trek via Jiri/Salleri, you must access the Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project Permit. It costs USD 30 or NPR 3000.
You can get the Sagarmatha Conservation Area Project to permit at Monjo or Nepal Tourism Board. However, the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit is only available at Lukla.
As there's no hard and fast rule for Nepali trekkers to hire a trekking guide, still, while trekking to Everest Base Camp, please hike with a trekking guide. And for foreigners, the Nepal government has mandated the compulsion of trekking guides for any trekking in Nepal.
On Everest Base Camp Hike, a trekking guide charges USD 30 or NPR 3500 daily. With hiring a guide, you don't have to compensate for the accommodation and meals of the guide. The insurance of a trekking guide is also a must if you want to hire one. Hence, the insurance costs USD 30 or NPR 3500. And at the end of the trek, you must tip the trek guide at least 10% of the total expense.
Similarly, if you want to hire a trekking porter to carry your backpacks, you must pay USD 24 or NPR 2800 daily. It doesn't include the accommodation and meals of the porter. Porter manages his housing and dinners for the trek. It would help if you insured your trek porter also.
It's always best to plan your Everest Base Camp Hike in 2023 with a local travel agency in Nepal. An agency like Adventure Nepal Eco Treks has over a decade of experience guiding trekkers in the Everest region.
With our highly experienced trek guides, you'll have a wonderful Everest experience. Our trek guide will take good care of you throughout the trek.
What's the benefit, then? Well, a local agency plans the trek for you. The agency and trek guide makes the best itinerary, manages trek permits, gives you a trekking guide and porter for free, takes you to the best available tea house, feeds you healthy meals, and more. Also, you'll get helicopters and rescue on time if you're on EBC Trek with an agency like us.
Furthermore, the money you pay for the agency covers your transportation, flight tickets, airport pickup/drop services, includes a day of sightseeing tour in Kathmandu, and more.
In order to enter Nepal, you must pay for a visa on arrival (at least for a US citizen). There are a few different options to choose from including a 15 day ($30), 30 day ($50), and 90 day ($125).
If you are taking part of the Everest Base Camp trek, you are mostly likely going to go for the 15 or 30 day. On the other hand, if you are looking to stay longer in Nepal, you may need to purchase a longer visa on arrival.
There will be 4 taxis costs to consider when arriving and departing from Kathmandu. This is because you will be heading from/to the airport at the beginning/end of your trip, in addition to the flights to/from Lukla.
These one way taxis should be around $10 to/from the Kathmandu Airport.
It is a pretty standard choice to stay in Kathmandu for a day or two before and after your trek. This is mostly for you to just make any last minute preparations, get over jet lag, and leave some days in case the flight to/from Lukla gets delayed. On average though, let’s say you stay 3 nights altogether in Kathmandu at the beginning and end of your trip.
During these three nights/days you will need to pay for your accommodation and food. These costs can vary widely depending on what type of hotel and food options you end up choosing.A pretty standard room though should cost around $25 per night with each meal costing around $10 So, let’s say with 3 nights and 6 meals, your total comes to $135 USD.
Lukla is the starting village of the Everest Base Camp trek and where the closest airport is to EBC. Although flying is the most popular of options here, there are some additional ways to get yourself to Lukla.
The round trip airfare from Kathmandu to Lukla will cost $360. This is by far the most expensive individual purchase of your journey in Nepal. There are a few airlines that make this route including Summit Airlines Sita Airlines and Tara Airlines.
Note that flights /from Lukla can get cancelled due to poor weather. There is not much leeway when it comes to the Lukla airport so conditions must be ideal for the planes to land and take off.
If you are looking for a more stress free way of getting to Lukla, you can opt for a helicopter ride. Helicopters have a bit more wiggle room when it comes to weather and are more guaranteed to take off.With a helicopter though, expect to pay nearly triple the cost with a round trip flight costing $1,000 ($500 each way).
Everest Base Camp Trek Outline itinerary
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu and transfer to the hotel
Day 02: Fly from Kathmandu/Ramechhap to Lukla (40/20 minutes/ 2,860 meters) and trek to Phakding (4 hours/2,650 meters)
Day 03: Trek from Phakding (2,650 meters) to Namche Bazaar (3,440 meters) 5-6 hours
Day 04: Acclimatization stop at Namche Bazaar. Hike to Hotel Everest View (3,880 meters)
Day 05: Trek from Namche Bazaar (3,440 meters) to Tengboche (3,855 meters), 5 hours
Day 06: Trek from Tengboche (3,855 meters) to Tengboche (4,360 meters), 5-6 hours
Day 07: Acclimatization stops at Dingboche. Hike to Nangkartshang Viewpoint (4,800 meters), 3 hours
Day 08: Trek from Dingboche (4,360 meters) to Louche (4,930 meters), 5 hours
Day 09: Trek from Louche to Gorak Shep (5,185 meters) to Everest Base Camp (5,365 meters) and return to Gorak Shep, 8 hours
Day 10: Trek from Gorak Shep to Kala Patthar. Return to Gorak Shep and trek to Pheriche
Day 11: Trek from Pheriche to Namche Bazaar
Day 12: Trek from Namche Bazaar to Lukla
Day 13: Flight from Lukla to Ramechhap/Kathmandu airport. Transfer to Hotel.
Wow! What a expensive and difference between Domestic airplane Kathmandu-Lukla-Kathmandu and Everest base camp trek food. From July 17-2023 round trip airplane cost per person 432USD and 13 days EBC trek food cost per person 390$ beside that Everest base camp trek permit cost per person 70$.Everest base camp trek flight is much more costly then EBC-13-days food cost.
How to trek to Everest Base Camp?
Trekking to Everest Base Camp (EBC) is an exhilarating adventure, but it requires thorough preparation and knowledge of the route. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Start training months before your trek. Focus on cardiovascular exercises, endurance training, and leg strength.
Consult with a physician to ensure you're fit for high-altitude trekking.
Acclimatization is crucial to avoid altitude sickness. Plan your itinerary with enough rest days to adjust to the altitude.
Ascend gradually to higher altitudes to allow your body to adapt.
The most popular route to Everest Base Camp starts from Lukla. You can fly to Lukla from Kathmandu.
Other routes are available, like Jiri to Everest Base Camp, which is a longer but less frequented option.
Get the necessary permits for your trek, including the Sagarmatha National Park entry permit and TIMS (Trekkers' Information Management System) card.
Invest in quality trekking gear, including trekking boots, warm clothing, a good sleeping bag, trekking poles, and a backpack.
Carry essentials like water purification tablets, sunscreen, lip balm, and first aid kit.
Tea houses along the trail provide accommodation and meals. Rooms can get booked during peak trekking seasons, so it's wise to book in advance.Dal bhat (rice with lentil soup) is a staple food, providing energy for the trek.
A typical itinerary takes around 12-14 days from Lukla to Everest Base Camp and back. It allows for acclimatization and exploration.
Popular stops include Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, and Gorak Shep.
Learn about altitude sickness symptoms and prevention methods. Stay hydrated, avoid alcohol, and ascend gradually.
Respect local customs and traditions. Learn a few basic Nepali phrases. Dispose of waste responsibly and leave no trace.
Hire an experienced guide and/or porter if you're not confident trekking independently. Stay updated with weather forecasts and trail conditions.Carry a map, compass, or GPS device.
Once at Everest Base Camp, enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding Himalayan peaks. Respect the climbers and the environment. Base Camp serves as a staging point for those attempting to summit Mount Everest.
Descend carefully, as going down can be hard on your knees. Take your time and enjoy the scenery on your way back.
Congratulate yourself on completing an incredible adventure! Remember, trekking to Everest Base Camp is challenging and requires mental and physical strength. Be prepared for changing weather conditions and altitude challenges, but also embrace the stunning landscapes and rich culture of the Himalayas.