Trekking in Nepal is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. It was absolutely amazing to see and super de-stressing. There are no cell phones, no laptops, and very little internet. Being unplugged from work, internet, and fast food is just as amazing as the scenery around you. It’s like going back in time to a place where the food is grown and cooked over a fire stove
Many people dream of taking the trek but few think they can afford it. When I first looked into doing the trek I looked around online and was shocked by the prices I saw. These sites were full service and cost thousands of dollars without flights! I was sticker shocked to say the least. If this trek was thousands of dollars at least it was not something I could do.
Thankfully I met a ton of other backpackers in Kathmandu and in India that shared stories with me and that really helped put me at ease. So hopefully I can do the same for you if you are a budget traveler.
1) Your most expensive thing will be the flight to Kathmandu. Gotta start somewhere and the first thing is to get from your home to Kathmandu. I can’t really help you much here but try for off-season flights.
2) Kathmandu is a camper/hiker paradise. The Thamel area of town where the trekkers stay has TONS of shops selling cheap trekking gear. When I got there all I had were shoes and some light winter clothing from my travels. I was able to buy everything I needed and more for next to nothing in town. A backpack, sleeping bag, waterproof outerwear, thermals, water bottle and a bunch of other needed things. Sleeping bag was like $30, Jacket was $20, and backpack was $35. I was able to get fully equipped with shiny new trekking gear for about $200. So if you need anything do not buy it at home! You do not need a $150 fancy North Face Jacket or sleeping bag. The stuff in town is plenty capable to you though your trek.
3) The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla was $230 round trip when I went in May of 2013 from what I have heard this flight now costs $320 USD. It cost this much no matter whom you talk to or where you get your tickets. Shopping around in town will do you no good. It will just waste a lot of your time and really only save you maybe $10. Your hotel will help you with the flight.
4) TIMS card, and other required paperwork can be done in town at the Tourist Office. The expensive companies do this work for you but to save money you can just do it yourself. I walked to the office from Thamel but you can take a cab for just a few bucks. You are required to have these items! You will need your passport, a few passport photos, and a pen. The permit to Sagarmatha where Everest is cost $30 and the TIMS is $10, this can change so bring extra money with you. The office is open from 7am to 7pm. Bring cash they do not take credit cards.
I tell you this because tons of places in Thamel say they will get you your TIMS card and permits. I was warned by my hostel and other trekkers that many of them give you FAKE permits and just take your money. Its is super easy to get to the official tourist office, any cab driver anywhere in Thamel knows where it is, they will even wait and bring you back.
5) The trek has no ATMs along the way. So you need to bring a giant stack of cash with you before you get to Lukla. I would bring more than you think you need, there is shopping and various levels of food you can buy. So how much do you need?
The teahouses where you will stay are crazy cheap, like $1 to $5 a night. But to make up the cost they require you to eat all of your meals with them. The average meal will be around $5. The most expensive meal I saw was around $10. So it comes down to what you want to eat. Personally I had no problem with planning $5 per meal. I budgeted $20 a day and $40 extra for luxuries and shopping. When I got back to town I still had a ton of cash. You could probably make it on $10-$15 a day, but why chance it?
6) If all goes perfect the trek will take you about 14 days. But let me warn you it hardly ever goes well! I highly recommend you plan 3 extra days for emergences. Altitude sickness is serious business and it strikes everyone the same no matter how great you think you are. I was lucky and I made it in the 14 days but I had an open return ticket and plenty of time just incase. I know you are limited on time due to work or some international flight home you already booked. But you will need these extra days.
Ill tell you a little story here. On my way up I met a group of 13 Australians that were hiking with their paid tour together. They had porters, guides, and even pre-trek medical exams. I met them on the 3rd day of the Trek and all 13 were together. I ran into them again on the 5th day and they were down to 8 people. I met them again on the trail at Everest Base camp and only 3 had made it. Along the way they got sick and had to drop off from the group. But they all had set schedule and flights booked, so since they did not make it to base-camp within that limit they never got a chance to do it. They paid probably $4000+ USD per person and because they got sick they never made it.
If you get sick you just need to go back down to the last town you were at and spend a day there. It’s all about acclimatizing to the altitude to avoid altitude sickness. If you get sick you just need to have a little more time to acclimatize. Make sure you plan days for this or else you may miss your chance with your set time schedule. Never push yourself to make up time! The helicopters overhead that you hear all day is often trekkers on the way to the hospital.
So here is a final break down of what I would budget if I did the trek again, you will probably have money left over even at this. You will need a few days in Kathmandu to shop for items and explore before your trek 2-3 days would be good. My hostel AloBar1000 was $4 a night so this can be crazy cheap.
- $230 Lukla Flight May 2013 – $320 After September 2013.
- $50 TIMS Card, Permits, Taxi
- $250 All Needed Trekking Gear and Supplies
- $320 Lodging, Food, Small Luxuries
- $125 5 Days Kathmandu, Food, and Hostel
Total cost for me was around $975 USD for me to do the hike solo and with no trekking gear before I got there. The new cost will be about $1,065 USD taking into account the Lukla flight costs more now and assuming you also have no gear at all.
Personally if I was to do it again tomorrow I would make it $1,165 USD in total so I have an extra $100 just incase I needed it.
Want to see some awesome photos from my Trek? Check out my Gallery post about Everest Basecamp .
