Everest Base Camp Trek cost varies from lower to higher budget trips. It is basically determined by the type of route, and the ways you choose to travel. By traveling myself to the Everest Base Camp and querying several local trekking agencies, I am going to give you detailed information regarding the cost of the Everest Base Camp Trek. In this article, the precise cost information for the independent trek, group joining trek, and private trek is included.
How do you want to trek to Everest?
There are several ways to trek to Everest and the cost of the trek will differ for each of them. Either you can make your trip through any trekking agency, or do an independent trek. Cost management of the EBC trek can be also variable even if you book through an agency and there are several factors that will play a vital role in your Everest Base Camp Trek cost. However, it is no matter how you want to trek; the food and facilities will be almost similar on the way. In most of the stop points, every trekker stays in the same teahouses.
- If you are a novice trekker and are not confident about the trek, then it is better to go with an organized trek by an agency. It can feel more relaxed on your trip because you don’t need to take the extra burden of itinerary planning, accommodation, food, trekking permits, and many more. However, it is definitely more expensive.
- Besides organizing a full package trip, you can only hire a guide and porter. You may find it cheaper to trek Everest in this way. Finding a porter and guide is an easy way but need to be aware of choosing the right one.
- The Independent trek to Everest is also not a hard one. Either you need to take a domestic flight ticket or you can get a bus ticket or jeep any transportation if you choose Jiri to Everest Base Camp Trek. The trail is very clear as everybody follows the same path and stays in the same villages.
Everest Base Camp Trek Cost
The important thing about planning to Everest Base Camp Trek Tour is whether you want to book the trip with International Agency or a Local Agency. Or you also can book through deal sites. Most of the companies use the same guides and porters. You only need to check the good agency that pays proper wages to their guides and porters. Because you will be with a guide and porter on your tour and all your safety and enjoyment will be in their hands of them. So, you need to be careful about that in order to get the best guide and porter.
Note: There are many incidents where guides and porters have been careless about their guests and ignored them. It may ruin your time and money. So choosing the best company is most important to trek to Mountain.
Cost of Everest Base Camp Trek Tour Package with International Agency
Everest Base Camp Trek package tour with International Agency starts from $1700 USD if they include food.
Cost of Everest Base Camp Trek Tour Package with Local Agency
The average cost of the most popular itinerary of 14 days Everest Base Camp Trek starts from $1600 USD including food, accommodation domestic flight, trekking permits, etc. It depends from company to company and how they deal with the customers. Some may convince you to pay higher with their polite speech, and knowledge about the trek, and give you a better feel and service or some may fail or they even decrease the price, and later you may feel the trip badly. It depends upon their ability to deal with the customers and the services. If you use the local agency, then all the money will go to the local community which is the foremost nice thing about booking with a local agency. So, it’s good to choose a local agency. Moreover, it’s most important to find the best agency.
If you walk through Thamel, Kathmandu where you can see many of the agencies advertising the trip with good prices starting the 14-day EBC trek is just $600 USD! But if you walk in and ask to add more things, then obviously the cost will rise and will be the same as you see online.
By the way, some agencies also offer luxury tours to Everest Base Camp starting from $2000 USD and there are also many agencies offering budget trips for $1300 USD approx. With having a luxury trip, you stay in luxury accommodation or a 4-5 star hotel in Kathmandu. On the trek, you can get expensive meals and luxury accommodations in Lukla, Namche Bazaar, and Tengboche. But for the rest of the trip, you will likely have similar experiences because you will be staying in the same teahouses.
The average quotes for Everest Base Camp Trek Package Tour come per person $1600, $1500, $1400, and $1300.
Everest Base Camp Trek with hiring own guide and porter
This way looks expensive as a company charge almost double for hiring a guide and porter but it is an affordable plan. Because they include their own commission on that price.
Basically, you can hire a guide and a porter in Kathmandu for $30 – 40 USD per day and a porter for $20 – 25 USD per day respectively. However, it is not a fixed price. They can be hired either online or by your physical appearance in the local agency. But you need to be careful while hiring a guide online as you don’t want your guide’s disappearance in the meantime.
Some agencies say that you will get your guide in Lukla. It is because they can save money from domestic flight tickets of Guide as the Nepalese citizens have to pay Rs 5000 for each flight to Lukla. In this case, if you want a guide from Kathmandu, you have to pay for the guide’s flight ticket which costs nearly $100 USD for both-way tickets (Kathmandu-Lukla-Kathmandu Flight). Remember, you don’t need to pay for their food and accommodation during the whole trek. They get it at a cheap price or free in the teahouses for bringing you.
Estimated Wages Table of Guide and Porter
| S.N | Staff | Staff Hired From | Total Trek Duration (In Days) | Wages Price (Per Day in USD) | Kathmandu to Lukla (Domestic Flight) | Total Wages |
| 1 | Guide | Kathmandu | 11 Days | 30 USD | Includes (100 USD) | 11 X 30 + 100 = 430 USD |
| 2 | Guide | Lukla | 10 Days | 30 USD | N/A | 10 X 30 = 300 USD |
| 3 | Porter | Lukla | 10 Days | 20 | N/A | 10 X 20 = 200 USD |
To be out of fraud cases, you need to check the guide’s portfolio or it is better to meet them before heading to the trek.
To find a better guide, you should make sure that a guide has
- Government registered certification
- Good knowledge about the trail and the culture of the local community
Everest Base Camp Trek Food Cost
The average amount needed for each day to have food in the EBC trek is $30 USD per person. So, it basically costs $30 X 11 Days = 330 USD per person.
Generally, the food menu is similar to all of the teahouses. Indeed, every menu is more expensive on the trail since the food in the mountain area is brought by porters or packed animals (horse, donkey, and yak).
Breakfast:
Egg Omelets, Muesli Porridge, Tea / Coffee / Ginger Lemon Honey
Average cost: Rs 700 – Rs 1000
Lunch and Dinner:
Dal Bhat (Boiled rice), Fried Rice, Spaghettis, Momos, Spring Roll, Chowmin, etc
Average cost: Rs 700 – Rs 1100
Talking about Dal Bhat, The motto “Dal Bhat Power 24 Hours” is most popular among the guides and trekkers in the mountain region of Nepal. It is the most popular food in the Nepali local community. Dal Bhat includes boiled rice, lentil soup, tomato achaar, and vegetables. Basically, it is served endlessly. When your plate is empty, they keep filling it until you say “Malai Pugyo !” i.e it is enough for me 🙂
Milk Tea: Rs 150 – Rs 300 / cup
Hot Water: Rs 150 – Rs 350 / thermos
Drinking-Water:
If you want to have mineral water on the trail, then it is also another significant expense. However, if you have a purification or filter, then you can decrease the cost significantly. In Everest, one bottle of Mineral water may cost Rs 100 to Rs 400 while it can be bought for Rs 20 in Kathmandu.
Everest Base Camp Trek Accommodation Cost
The price of accommodation in the EBC trek is quite cheaper as it costs only Rs 500 for every two members. It is because you eat your meals in the same teahouses.
The estimation of accommodation cost is 500 * 11 = Rs 5500 = $50 USD (When 1USD = NRS110)
Cost of Independent Everest Base Camp Trek
Basically, the total cost of 11 days’ Independent Everest Base Camp Trek (Kathmandu to Kathmandu) is 330 (meals) + 50 (10 days accommodation in trek) + 55 (Permits) + 440 (2 X 220 flight) = $875 USD per person.
How we can break down Independent Everest Base Camp Trek Cost?
- Foods – $220 USD (10 days trek)
- Accommodation – $50 (10 days teahouse accommodation)
- Flights – $160 x 2 = $320 USD (two ways domestic flight)
- Permits – Rs 3300 (Sagarmatha National Park Permit Fee) + Rs 2000 (Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entrance Fee) = Rs 5300 = $50 USD approx.
Note: There are also many other things that you should consider on and those things also may increase the cost of trekking such as Travel Insurance for Everest Base Camp Trek, Trekking gears, and Hotel in Kathmandu etc. You need to be prepared off for all these kind of things.
FAQs
How much does it cost to trek to Everest Base Camp for Indians?
I can see many people asking about the cost to trek EBC for Indian citizens and personally many people ask me about it. But I can only say that it is nearly similar to Indians and all other foreigners. Indian citizen only gets Kathmandu to Lukla flight is slightly cheaper amount than other foreigners. But the rest of the services’ costs are the same.
If you find the need of any correction in this article, then kindly text or comment us. Enjoy your days !
