How Much Does An Everest Base Camp Trek Cost?

Climbing to Everest Base Camp does not have to be very expensive. In order to determine how much you should expect to pay, you’ll first need to decide what type of trek you want to take, and how much time you have available. Another important factor in determining how much your trip will cost is the number of people in your group. With more people, you can share porters and a guide, cutting costs for each person.

When we did our trek in September 2011, in a group of 5, we paid $947 USD each, which got us the following:

• 1 Nepalese guide
• 3 Porters
• Return flights to Lukla from Kathmandu
• 11 nights accommodation – 3 double rooms
• 3 basic meals per day, with water or tea to drink
• 5 TIMs cards (permit to climb through national park)
• Airport connections in Kathmandu

The $947 covered all the basic necessities, but did not include tip for guide and porters, snacks, additional drinks / water bottles, etc. By the end of the trip we each ended up spending an additional $200-300 each, and that included very nice tips for the guide and porters (we really liked them), ridiculous amounts of bottled water, extra meals, appetizers, soups, soda, candy bars, battery charging, and a $20 change fee each because we changed our flight back to Kathmandu. Things get more expensive the closer you get to base camp, as supplies have to be carried by hand. We basically bought anything we wanted, so if you’re on a budget you can get by with little or no additional expenses (assuming you filter your own water).

When booking your Everest Base Camp Trek through a travel agency, there is a good chance they’ll try to bundle a Kathmandu tour in with it. If you want this fine, but you can see Kathmandu on your own for less in just a couple days.

Basically, once you get to Kathmandu, if you have all your gear, you can trek to Everest Base Camp and Kalapathar over 12 days for under $1000 with guides and porters. If you want to stay in nicer places, eat nicer food, and have porters carry everything for you, expect to pay more. If you want to arrange your own flights and show up in Lukla, you can get guides and porters for cheap outside the airport, or even do the hike without a guide and porters, and you should be able to make the Everest Trek for well under $1000. I found our tour to be a nice middle ground, I wouldn’t change it if I could.