Nepal is often listed as the world’s cheapest destination for traveling. The locals here can survive with less than $3 per day. And as a traveler, you will find everything very affordable. This is one of the major reasons why Nepal has been backpackers’ favorite. But many things affect the cost of Nepali trekking. We will try to cover that to determine your cost to visit Nepal. Read to the end.
Visa And Permits
The visa you issue during your entry to the international airport cost
15 Days – 30 USD
30 Days – 50 USD
90 Days – 125 USD
It’s free for people of SAARC Country and Indians don’t need a visa.
Next, you will need different trekking permits issued from TANN, Nepal Immigration Department, and National park depending on your destination. Mostly, you will need a National Park/ conservation entry permit that costs about USD 30 +13% vat. Next is a local area permit or TIMS Card which costs about $20. If you are trekking in the restricted region, the Nepal permit cost can be $10 to $50 per day. This information can be received from your travel agency.
Cost For Food And Accommodation
The average cost of breakfast/lunch/ dinner in the trekking region of about $5 to $7. And the room usually costs $4 to $6. So, the average is $30 each day.
Cost For Guide And Porter
The guide to Everest cost about $25 each day and porters cost $15 to $20. So, with the guide, it will cost you about $80 each day.
Transportation
The other cost such as that of transportation depends on a destination for hiking Nepal and mode of transportation. If your destination involves one (eg Everest base camp trek) or two domestic flights (for example Rara trek) it will automatically be expensive. If your trekking region is close to Kathmandu and accessed in a bus/ jeep (eg Langtang region trek), it will be cheaper.
Other Cost
On the trekking trail, you have to pay $2 to $3 dollars extra for Wi-Fi, electricity, and a hot shower. Similarly, you need extra cash for Tips and donations.
Effect of location
The price is also determined by where you want to travel. The places such as Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, Makalu, Dolpo, etc (basically a camping trek) have expensive packages. The popular tea house trekking trails like Annapurna and Everest are a bit cheaper. Restricted region treks are more expensive than the normal trek due to the higher cost of permits. For eg: the Upper Mustang treks are among the most expensive ones while the Annapurna Base Camp trek is relatively cheaper.
City V/s mountains
Foods in the city are a bit cheaper than those in the mountains. In small restaurants in Kathmandu, a meal can cost $1 to $5. However, the Nepal trekking tour trail costs $5 to $7. Rooms usually cost about $10 to $100 in cities (depending on the luxury you choose) but it’s cheaper in the villages i.e. $5 to $10.
Verdict
The cost actually depends on how you spend. If you can survive with minimum facilities, the cost of visiting Nepal is about $30/ day. However, if you have to travel comfortably and luxuriously, there’s no limit. On average, you can estimate $50/ day (excluding guide and porter) while you are in a city and $80 while you are trekking in mountains (including guide and porter). The longer you stay, the higher the price goes.
On average, a trekking package in Nepal costs $500 to $3500 depending on the location, itinerary, and facilities. There are many travel agencies like Himalayan masters that design neatly arranged packages at a reasonable price.
The cost here is exclusive of your international flight cost, insurance cost, and shopping cost. So, keep all these in consideration before you plan your tours to Nepal.
Have more queries? Then leave a comment here and we will be happy to help.
