Budgeting for Your Nepal Trek: Costs and Essential Tips

How To Budget Your Trek in Nepal Category: Trekking Tips | Travel Tips | Nepal Trekking Guide

By TripNepal.com Team
2025-02-22

Nepal is a popular destination for trekkers due to its highly developed trekking infrastructure. With clear signs along the trails and a string of tea houses, you can try these treks without undertaking a guided tour. However, keeping your expenses in control on a trek, especially if you are traveling solo, is required to make your adventure affordable and enjoyable. This is how you should plan your budget for your trekking in Nepal.

1. Planning Your Trek Most of the treks in Nepal, including popular destinations like Annapurna Base Camp, Ghorepani Poon Hill, and the Langtang Valley Trek, typically start from a local town or village. For most of these treks, you will need to first get to Kathmandu, and then drive or take a short domestic flight to the trailhead.

For instance, to travel to Pokhara for the Annapurna Base Camp trek, a tourist bus is available from Kathmandu, costing around NPR 1,000–1,500 depending on season and type for one-way fare.

Tip: It is worth planning an extra day in case of rain or roadblocks during the rainy season delaying any travel.

2. Accommodation on the Trek Trekking in Nepal usually means staying in tea houses, which are small guesthouses run by locals that provide accommodation as well as food. Tea house rooms cost around NPR 1,000–1,500 per night for a basic single room (prices increase as you go higher in altitude). Prices increase at higher altitudes or during peak trekking season.

Tip: You will usually be able to get a room reserved for you at the next tea house stop along the trail. If you are traveling in a group, share rooms and save.

3. Food and Drink Costs While Nepalese food in the trekking areas is generally simple but healthy, it can be expensive, especially at higher altitudes. A normal meal of dal bhat (rice with lentil soup) will cost NPR 500–800 per meal at lower altitudes (like Pokhara or Besisahar), and NPR 1,000–1,500 at more isolated areas.

Pokhara: NPR 600–800 per meal.
Ghorepani: NPR 800–1,000 per meal.
Annapurna Base Camp: NPR 1,200–1,500 per meal.
Tip: Eat dal bhat or plain food to keep the cost of food minimal. Snacks like energy bars, nuts, and dried fruits must also be packed to save the cost of trail snacks.

4. Drinking Water Down at lower altitudes, it is safe enough to drink stream water and tea house tap water, but beware. At higher altitudes like Annapurna Base Camp, water is unsafe or in short supply, so bottled water will have to be bought. Bottled water can cost anywhere up to NPR 200–500 per liter at high altitudes.

Tip: Pack a water purification bottle or purification tablets to save the cost of bottled water, especially at higher altitudes like ABC.

5. Wifi and Charging The majority of tea houses offer charging points for your gear (e.g., phone or camera) and WiFi, but these come at an additional cost. It varies depending on where you are and what device you’re charging.

Charging: NPR 200–500 per device.
WiFi: NPR 300–800 per hour or NPR 1,000 per day.
Tip: Use free WiFi in Kathmandu or Pokhara before starting the trek. Also, ensure your devices are fully charged before heading into the mountains to minimize charging costs.

6. Trek Permits For trekking in Nepal, you’ll need a TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System) card and the appropriate National Park Permit. The costs vary based on the region you’re trekking to:

Annapurna Base Camp:
TIMS Card: NPR 1,000
Annapurna Conservation Area Permit: NPR 3,000
Langtang Valley Trek:
TIMS Card: NPR 1,000
Langtang National Park Permit: NPR 3,000
Tip: Permits are available for purchase in Kathmandu or the entry points for the trekking area. Bring enough cash to buy these permits as most areas do not have card facilities.

7. Internet and SIM Cards You can easily buy a local Ncell SIM card for NPR 500 in Kathmandu or Pokhara, and the recharging costs are reasonable. A data package of 1GB will cost you NPR 100–200.

Tip: You will have network coverage up to approximately Chisapani (in case of Langtang trek) or Ghorepani (in case of Annapurna). After that, you may need to rely on WiFi in tea houses.

8. Guide and Porter Charges You can hire a guide and porter for your trek if you wish to. A guide costs NPR 2,000–2,500 per day, and porters cost NPR 1,500–2,000 per day.

Tip: You can do without these charges if you’re confident about trekking independently. Hiring guides/porters from the local tea houses or the trekking area directly (and not via an agency) is less expensive.
Cash and ATM Facility ATMs are available in larger towns such as Kathmandu and Pokhara, but once you are on trekking trails, you will need to carry sufficient cash. Tea houses and shops do not take cards, only cash. Visa, MasterCard, or your international debit card can be used to withdraw cash from some ATMs.

Tip: Ensure that you carry enough cash for the trek, including emergency expenses. It is advisable to carry at least NPR 30,000–40,000 for a 7-10 day trek.

Total Budget for Your Trek in Nepal For a 12-day Annapurna Base Camp Trek, a typical solo trekker would need NPR 40,000–50,000 for the trek. This covers food, lodging, permits, guide/porter (if needed), and other expenses.

Accommodation: NPR 1,000–1,500 per day
Food: NPR 500–1,500 per meal
Permits and permits: NPR 4,000–5,000
Guide/Porter: NPR 1,500–2,500 per day (optional)
Budget in advance for any unforeseen costs due to bad weather delays or emergencies.

What You Should Do Next

If you’re looking for more information about trekking routes, equipment suggestions, and what to bring, look at our Trekking in Nepal page.
If you’d rather join one of our guided treks, look at our Upcoming Treks page for more information.
If you believe this budget guide might assist another person, spread the word on your social media or with your friends!
For any questions about trekking or for personal advice, contact us at TripNepal.com!