A guided Everest Base Camp trek costs USD 1,200 to 1,900 in 2026 and a guided Annapurna Circuit costs USD 1,100 to 1,700, despite the Circuit being two to four days longer. The gap comes almost entirely from the Lukla flight, which adds USD 440 to 480 per person to the Everest trip, and from lodge and food prices in the Khumbu that run 30 to 50 percent higher than on the Annapurna side. Independent budget trekkers with a guide can bring Everest down to around USD 950 and the Circuit to around USD 700.
Key Takeaways
- Everest Base Camp: USD 1,200 to 1,900 guided, USD 950 to 1,150 at the budget floor.
- Annapurna Circuit: USD 1,100 to 1,700 guided, USD 700 to 900 at the budget floor.
- The Lukla flight is the single biggest difference, at USD 440 to 480 return.
- Everest permits total NPR 6,000; Annapurna permits total NPR 5,000.
- Food and rooms cost 30 to 50 percent more in the Khumbu than on the Circuit.
- Both need a licensed guide at USD 25 to 35 per day, compulsory since April 2023.
What is the Total Cost of Each Trek?
Side by side, for one person on a standard guided trip, the two routes land within a few hundred dollars of each other. The Circuit costs less per day but runs for more days, which narrows the gap.
| Cost item | Everest Base Camp (12 days) | Annapurna Circuit (16 days) |
| Transport to and from trailhead | USD 440 to 480 (flights) | USD 30 to 60 (bus, jeep, exit flight optional) |
| Permits | NPR 6,000 (USD 44) | NPR 5,000 (USD 37) |
| Licensed guide | USD 300 to 420 | USD 400 to 560 |
| Porter, shared between two | USD 132 to 150 | USD 176 to 200 |
| Accommodation | USD 90 to 150 | USD 80 to 140 |
| Meals | USD 250 to 320 | USD 240 to 300 |
| Tips | USD 150 to 200 | USD 180 to 240 |
| Typical guided package | USD 1,200 to 1,900 | USD 1,100 to 1,700 |
| Budget floor with a guide | USD 950 to 1,150 | USD 700 to 900 |
Neither figure includes international flights, Kathmandu hotels beyond the two nights operators usually include, travel insurance, or gear.
Why Does the Everest Trek Cost More?
Because everything in the Khumbu arrives on a porter’s back, a yak, or a plane, and there is no road anywhere in the region. That single fact drives the whole price difference.
The Everest Base Camp trek cost breaks down into three unavoidable premiums. The Lukla flight at USD 220 to 240 each way has no road alternative that saves money, since walking in from Jiri adds six to eight days at USD 30 to 40 per day. Lodge and food prices climb steeply with altitude. And the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu municipality fee adds NPR 3,000 on top of the national park permit.
| Item | Lukla | Namche | Dingboche | Gorak Shep |
| Twin room | NPR 500 to 800 | NPR 800 to 1,500 | NPR 1,200 to 2,000 | NPR 2,000 to 2,500 |
| Dal bhat | NPR 600 | NPR 750 | NPR 950 | NPR 1,100 to 1,200 |
| Boiled water, 1 L | NPR 100 | NPR 150 | NPR 300 | NPR 400 to 500 |
| Hot shower | NPR 400 | NPR 500 | NPR 800 | Bucket, NPR 1,000 |
| Charging, per hour | NPR 100 | NPR 200 | NPR 400 | NPR 500 to 600 |
| Snickers bar | NPR 250 | NPR 300 | NPR 400 | NPR 500 |
Rooms are cheap when meals are taken at the same lodge, which is how the system works: lodges make their margin on food, not beds. A trekker who eats elsewhere pays two or three times the room rate.
What Does the Annapurna Circuit Cost Day to Day?
Less, on every line, because a road reaches Manang and Muktinath and supplies come by jeep for most of the route. The classic Annapurna Circuit also has no flight at the start, so the whole trip begins with a USD 15 to 25 bus or shared jeep from Kathmandu or Pokhara.
| Item | Dharapani | Manang | Thorong Phedi | Muktinath |
| Twin room | NPR 400 to 700 | NPR 600 to 1,200 | NPR 800 to 1,500 | NPR 500 to 1,000 |
| Dal bhat | NPR 500 | NPR 650 | NPR 850 | NPR 600 |
| Boiled water, 1 L | NPR 80 | NPR 150 | NPR 250 | NPR 120 |
| Hot shower | NPR 300 | NPR 400 | NPR 500 to 600 | NPR 300 |
| Charging, per hour | NPR 100 | NPR 150 | NPR 300 | Free to NPR 100 |
| Apple pie, a Circuit tradition | NPR 300 | NPR 400 | not sold | NPR 350 |
Daily spending on extras runs NPR 1,500 to 2,500 on the Circuit against NPR 2,500 to 4,000 in the Khumbu. Over a two-week trek, that difference alone is USD 100 to 150.
Two Circuit-specific costs are worth noting. The exit flight from Jomsom to Pokhara costs USD 110 to 140 and takes 20 minutes, against a 9-hour jeep ride at NPR 2,500 to 3,500. And a horse over Thorong La, if needed, costs USD 80 to 120 from High Camp.
What Do Permits Cost on Each Route?
Permits are a small share of the budget and are arranged by the operator. Two passport photos and a passport copy are needed for each.
| Permit | Cost | Route |
| Sagarmatha National Park entry | NPR 3,000 | Everest |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu municipality fee | NPR 3,000 | Everest, paid in cash at Lukla |
| Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) | NPR 3,000 | Annapurna |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 | Annapurna |
The Everest permits are bought on the trail itself, at Lukla and Monjo, in Nepali rupees only. Annapurna permits are issued in Kathmandu or Pokhara before departure. Both routes require a licensed guide, and checkpoints enforce it.
How Much Do Guides and Porters Cost?
The daily rate is nearly identical on both routes, so the difference comes from trek length rather than region. A licensed guide costs USD 25 to 35 per day and a porter USD 22 to 25 per day, with one porter usually shared between two trekkers.
| Staff | Daily rate | 12 days (Everest) | 16 days (Annapurna) |
| Licensed guide | USD 25 to 35 | USD 300 to 420 | USD 400 to 560 |
| Porter (15 kg limit) | USD 22 to 25 | USD 264 to 300, split two ways | USD 352 to 400, split two ways |
| Porter-guide (one person, both roles) | USD 28 to 32 | USD 336 to 384 | USD 448 to 512 |
Tips are on top and are expected in practice: USD 10 to 12 per day for a guide and USD 6 to 8 for a porter, paid at the end in Kathmandu or Pokhara. On a two-week trek that is USD 150 to 240 per trekker.
A porter-guide is the cheapest legal option for a solo budget trekker on either route, combining both roles in one person who carries up to 15 kg.
Where Does Money Leak on Each Trek?
On the small daily items, and far more steeply in the Khumbu. The leaks are the same in kind on both routes but different in scale.
- Boiled water. NPR 400 to 500 per litre at Gorak Shep against NPR 250 at Thorong Phedi. A filter bottle, at NPR 3,000 to 5,000 in Kathmandu, pays for itself within four days on Everest and eight on the Circuit.
- Charging. NPR 500 to 600 per hour above Dingboche. A 20,000 mAh power bank charged at Namche removes the cost entirely.
- Wi-Fi. Everest Link cards cost NPR 2,000 to 3,000 per 10 GB in the Khumbu; the Circuit has free or cheap lodge Wi-Fi in most villages up to Manang.
- Snacks. Two kilos of nuts and chocolate bought in Kathmandu or Pokhara cost NPR 2,500 and replace NPR 8,000 of trail snacks in the Khumbu.
- Hot showers. NPR 1,000 for a bucket at Gorak Shep against NPR 300 to 600 on the Circuit.
- Beer. NPR 1,200 to 1,400 at Lobuche against NPR 600 to 800 at Manang.
Eating dal bhat is the most effective single saving on either route. It is refillable, has the highest calorie count per rupee on the menu, and is what guides and porters eat daily.
Which Trek Offers Better Value?
The Annapurna Circuit, on a per-day basis, by a clear margin. It costs less per day, runs longer, has better lodges on average, and carries no flight risk that can cost an extra USD 400 to 500 in helicopter fares or hotel nights.
Everest offers something the Circuit cannot: the view of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse from Kala Patthar, and a trail with the best lodge infrastructure and medical support in the Himalaya. For most trekkers, that is what they came to Nepal to see, and the premium is worth paying once.
| Value measure | Everest Base Camp | Annapurna Circuit |
| Cost per trekking day | USD 100 to 160 | USD 70 to 110 |
| Days of walking per dollar | Lower | Higher |
| Lodge quality for the price | Good, expensive | Good, cheaper |
| Risk of unplanned extra cost | Higher (flights) | Lower |
| Once-in-a-lifetime factor | Highest | High |
For trekkers doing only one trek in Nepal, Everest is usually the right spend. For trekkers who expect to return, doing the Circuit first and saving Everest for a second trip costs less overall and builds altitude experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can either trek be done for under USD 1,000?
The Circuit, yes, at around USD 700 to 900 with a guide, paying as you go. Everest is difficult below USD 950 because of the fixed flight cost.
Is travel insurance included in package prices?
No. A policy covering trekking to 6,000 m and helicopter evacuation costs USD 150 to 250 and is required by operators on both routes.
How much cash should be carried?
NPR 35,000 to 45,000 for Everest and NPR 25,000 to 35,000 for the Circuit. There are no ATMs past Namche or past Chame, and the Namche machines often run empty.
Do prices change by season?
Guided packages vary by USD 200 to 400 across the year, with October, November, and April the most expensive. Permits and flight fares are fixed.
Is it cheaper to book in Kathmandu on arrival?
Marginally, sometimes, and it carries risk in peak season when Lukla seats and lodge space are already sold. Booking with a registered operator in advance costs a little more and removes that gamble.
Are the Lukla flights ever cheaper?
No. Foreigner fares are fixed at USD 220 to 240 each way across all three airlines flying the route.
What does a helicopter return add?
USD 500 to 700 per seat from Gorak Shep to Lukla, or USD 1,000 to 1,200 direct to Kathmandu. It removes three walking days and the outbound flight gamble.
Does gear rental cost the same in Pokhara as Kathmandu?
Broadly, yes, at NPR 100 to 250 per day for a down jacket or sleeping bag. Kathmandu’s Thamel has more shops and slightly better stock.
