The Everest Base Camp trek cost starts at US$975 per person for our 15-day budget package, running Kathmandu to Kathmandu. That price covers the flights to and from Lukla, permits, a licensed Sherpa guide, a porter and teahouse beds, plus three nights in Kathmandu. It does not cover meals or drinking water on the trail, which add about US$15-25 per day. This guide shows the full price, the trail extras and a realistic total. If you want the package details first, open our budget Everest Base Camp trek page, then come back to see how the numbers add up.
The Short Answer: Everest Base Camp Trek Cost in 2026
For a group departure of 2-20 trekkers, the package is US$975 per person. If you prefer to walk on a private basis, the supplement is about US$175, which brings the package to about US$1,150. Food, water and small daily extras are paid on the trail, so the final figure is higher than the package price.
What you are paying for | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
Budget package, group departure, 15 days | US$975 per person |
Private basis supplement | about US$175 (about US$1,150 in total) |
Trail food | about US$15-25 per day |
Drinking water | about US$2-3 per litre |
Realistic total (estimate) | about US$1,200-1,400 before insurance, visa, tips and international flights |
A single headline number is misleading because the package and the trail are paid for in two different places. The package is fixed in advance; the rest depends on how much you eat, drink and charge along the way.
What the US$975 package includes
On this route we see first-time trekkers worry most about the big, fixed costs: getting to the mountains and getting permission to walk in them. Both are handled inside the package, so you are not queueing at an office in Kathmandu or paying a surprise fee at a checkpoint.
Permits and flights
The return flight between Kathmandu and Lukla, airport tax included, is usually the largest single cost of any trip in the Everest region. Permits are the other one. Your package covers the Sagarmatha National Park permit and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit, so both are arranged before you reach the trailhead.
Guide, porter and accommodation
You walk with a licensed, English-speaking Sherpa guide who handles pacing, route decisions and the daily rhythm of the trek. Porters are shared at one per two trekkers, which keeps your own load light. Nights on the trail are spent in simple teahouses, which are family-run lodges with basic rooms and a shared dining hall.
Kathmandu stay and transfers
You get private airport transfers, three nights in a standard Kathmandu hotel and a guided city tour. That gives you a buffer day or two to recover from your flight, sort your gear and meet your guide before the early Lukla departure.
Here is the full list of what is included:
- Private airport transfers
- 3 nights in a standard Kathmandu hotel
- Guided city tour
- Kathmandu-Lukla-Kathmandu flights, airport tax included
- Licensed English-speaking Sherpa guide
- Porter (1 per 2 trekkers)
- Teahouse accommodation on the trek
- Sagarmatha National Park permit and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit
- Down jacket and sleeping bag
- Staff wages, insurance and equipment
- Government taxes
You can follow the day-by-day route in our 15-day Everest Base Camp itinerary, including where you sleep and how the climb is paced. The trek reaches Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m, and an optional push to Kala Patthar takes you to about 5,550 m.
What you pay for on the trail
This is the part that most online price lists skip. The package gets you to the mountain and keeps you safe on it; the trail itself is a pay-as-you-go economy, and the prices climb with altitude because everything arrives on someone's back.
Food
Budget about US$15-25 per day for meals, with US$18-20 being typical. Dal bhat, the Nepali set meal of rice, lentil soup and vegetable curry, costs about US$6-9 and is the best value on any menu. It usually comes with refills, which matters when you are walking for six or seven hours at a stretch. Pizza, pasta and burgers cost more and fill you less.
The trek has roughly 11 trekking days, so food alone is where most of the extra spending happens.
Water, showers, charging and wifi
Bottled water costs about US$2-3 per litre, and that adds up quickly over 11 days. Hot showers, device charging and wifi are each about US$1-3. None of these is expensive on its own, but a trekker who buys all four daily will spend noticeably more than one who skips a few. A water filter and a power bank are the simplest ways to cut these costs.
What isn't included
Some costs sit outside both the package and the trail, and you should plan for them before you fly:
- Travel insurance. Our travel insurance guide for trekking in Nepal explains what to look for in a policy.
- Nepal visa. Paid on arrival or in advance.
- Tips. For your guide and porter at the end of the trek.
- International flights. To and from Kathmandu.
- Laundry, drinks and entrance fees. Small extras that you pay for as you go.
One line on insurance is worth repeating: high altitude sickness can turn an ordinary trek into an emergency in a day, which is why your policy should cover helicopter evacuation.
Total spend: what you'll actually pay
Adding the package and the trail costs together gives you the figures below. These are estimates, and they move up or down with your appetite and habits.
Item | Estimate (USD) |
|---|---|
Budget package, group departure | US$975 |
Trail food, about 11 days at US$15-25 | about US$165-275 |
Water, showers, charging and wifi | depends on your habits |
Estimated total | about US$1,200-1,400 |
The estimated total excludes travel insurance, your visa, tips and international flights, and it assumes the group-departure price. On a private basis, add about US$175 to the package.
A trekker who eats dal bhat and carries a water filter will land near the lower end. Someone who orders a hot shower every night, buys bottled water at every stop and adds a bakery treat each afternoon will finish near the top. If you want to check exactly see what the budget package covers, the inclusions are laid out in full on that page.
Budget vs standard: which costs more, and what you get for it
The standard package is the more expensive of the two on paper. On the standard Everest Base Camp trek page, the price depends on group size: US$1,300 per person for groups of 5-10, US$1,345 for groups of 2-4 and US$1,445 for a solo trekker. The budget package is US$975, so the headline gap is about US$325 to US$470 per person.
That gap is not all extra spending. The standard package covers breakfast, lunch and dinner on every trekking day, while the budget package leaves those meals to you. At about US$15-25 per day over roughly 11 trekking days, trail food comes to about US$165-275 (an estimate). For a group departure, that can narrow the real difference to roughly US$50-160 per person, before water, hot showers, charging and Kathmandu dinners are added to either bill.
Basis | Budget package | Standard package |
|---|---|---|
Price per person | US$975 on a group departure; about US$1,150 private | US$1,300 (groups of 5-10), US$1,345 (2-4), US$1,445 (solo) |
Group size | 2-20 trekkers | 1-10 trekkers |
Meals on the trek | Not included; about US$15-25 per day extra | Breakfast, lunch and dinner every trekking day |
Kathmandu hotel | 3 nights, standard hotel | 3 nights, 3-star hotel, twin-sharing, bed and breakfast |
Teahouse lodging | Included | Included, twin-sharing |
Guide and porters | Licensed Sherpa guide; 1 porter per 2 trekkers | Licensed Sherpa leader plus assistant guides by group size; 1 porter per 2 trekkers, with an extra porter for hot water in groups over 4 |
Permits and Lukla flights | Included | Included |
Gear and keepsakes | Down jacket and sleeping bag | Down jacket and sleeping bag, plus a T-shirt, trekking map and completion certificate |
Still paid by you | Meals, water, drinks, laundry, insurance, entrance fees, tips, visa, international flights | Drinking water, showers, charging, SIM card, laundry, drinks, Kathmandu lunch and dinner, insurance, visa, tips, international flights |
Best for | Independent trekkers who like to choose their own meals | People who want food, hotel and lodging settled in advance |
Which one should you pick?
The budget package is cheaper if you eat simply. A trekker who orders dal bhat at about US$6-9 and carries a water filter keeps the total close to the lower end of our US$1,200-1,400 estimate, which is below the standard price for most group sizes. It also suits people who want freedom: you can skip a meal, share a plate or splurge on a bakery stop without feeling you are wasting something already paid for.
The standard package costs more but removes a daily decision. You do not carry cash for meals, you do not compare menus at every stop, and the price you agree at booking is closer to the price you pay. If you are travelling solo, the US$1,445 price is the highest tier, so it is worth comparing it with a budget group departure before you decide.
On both packages the guide standard, permits and Lukla flights are the same. The difference is who manages the food and how much of the bill you pay on the trail.
Other ways to trek in the Everest region
Not every Everest region trek follows the same classic route. Depending on your time, fitness and comfort level, one of these may suit you better.
A longer, quieter approach. The Everest trek via Jiri replaces the Lukla flight with a road transfer and a longer walk through the mid-hills. It is slower and quieter, and it lets your body adapt gradually, though it does take more days.
A shorter option. If you have less time, Everest Panorama trekking is a shorter way to see the Himalayan skyline without going all the way to Base Camp. Check the trip page for the exact route and duration.
More comfort and extras. Travellers who want better lodging can look at the Everest Base Camp luxury trek. If you want to sleep at the foot of the mountain rather than only visit, there is an overnight tented camp experience at Base Camp.
No time to trek. The Everest Base Camp heli tour is a one-day option for travellers who cannot spare two weeks.
If you want to see everything side by side, browse all Everest trekking packages.
How to lower the cost of the trek without cutting corners
Saving money on this route is mostly about habits, not sacrifices. These five changes make the biggest difference:
- Eat dal bhat. It is the cheapest filling meal on the trail and it comes with refills.
- Carry a water filter. At about US$2-3 per litre, bottled water is one of the quickest ways to overspend.
- Join a group departure. The US$975 price applies to groups of 2-20, and the private supplement is about US$175.
- Pack your gear before you arrive. Our trekking equipment checklist helps you buy at home instead of paying tourist prices in Thamel.
- Never save on insurance or a licensed guide. These are the two things that protect you when something goes wrong.
For the rest of your preparation, our essential travel checklist covers the practical items people forget.
Best time to go and when to book
The two main trekking seasons are March-May and September-November. Weather is more stable in these windows, views are clearer, and the trails are at their busiest. Teahouses fill fast, so booking early gives you a better choice of dates and fewer last-minute compromises.
If you are travelling in autumn, read our notes on planning a trek around Dashain and Tihar, because the festivals affect flights and prices. For a closer look at the trail itself, our Namche Bazaar guide explains the first big acclimatisation stop.
We are a licensed Nepal trekking company with local Sherpa guides, and you can read client reviews on TripAdvisor and Google before you decide.
FAQs
1. How much does the Everest Base Camp trek cost in 2026? The budget package is US$975 per person for 15 days on a group departure, or about US$1,150 on a private basis. Once you add trail food and water, a realistic total is about US$1,200-1,400, before insurance, visa, tips and international flights.
2. What does the Everest Base Camp trek cost include? The package covers airport transfers, three Kathmandu hotel nights, the Lukla flights, permits, a guide, a porter, teahouse beds and a down jacket and sleeping bag. Meals on the trek, drinking water, insurance, visa and tips are not included. The budget package page lists everything in detail.
3. How much should I budget for food and water on the trek? Plan for about US$15-25 per day on food, with US$18-20 being typical, and about US$2-3 per litre for water. Dal bhat at about US$6-9 is the best-value meal on the menu.
4. Is the cost per person or per group? The US$975 price is per person on a group departure of 2-20 trekkers. A private trek adds about US$175 on top.
5. Is the budget trek safe? Yes. You walk with the same licensed Sherpa guide and the same permits as on any other package. What matters for safety is good insurance, steady pacing and listening to your guide about altitude.
6. Is there a longer or quieter route? Yes. Trekking from Jiri to Everest Base Camp is a longer approach through the mid-hills. It replaces the Lukla flight with a road transfer.
Ready to plan your trek?
The Everest Base Camp trek cost is easier to manage once you know the package price, the trail extras and your own habits. If you are ready, check dates and book the budget package. If you want a different route or length, you can customize your trip or contact us, or message us on WhatsApp at +977 9851126351.
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