We often get asked how much spending money people should take when going on the Everest Base Camp trek.
It’s difficult to answer as everyone has different wants, needs and expectations. That said, here is an idea of what things cost (last updated July 2024) and hopefully that will help you work out how much money you need to take with you.
Visa – you will need a 30-Day visa which must be paid for on arrival at the airport in Kathmandu, the current cost is US$50 and must be paid for in cash at the airport.
In Kathmandu, our accommodation is B&B so you will want to budget for lunch and dinner plus any drinks you might want. A meal, lunch or dinner will cost anywhere from 300 NRP (NRP = Nepalese Rupees) and up to perhaps 1500 NRP (£2-£9) depending on how upmarket you go. A beer in Kathmandu costs between 300 and 500 NRP (£2-£3), a coke/soft drink is around 100 NRP. £1 is currently about 170 NRP so a daily budget of £25 for food and drink (unless you want 10 pints on a night!) should be more than enough whilst in Kathmandu. This doesn’t include any sightseeing you might want to do (entry fees, taxis etc) or souvenirs you might want to purchase.
On the trek, all meals are included as well as one tea/coffee/hot drink with every meal. 3lt of boiled water per day is also included. Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, bottled water or additional hot drinks are not included. Prices increase as you get further up the trail though! Some typical examples of prices:
There are plenty of shops and places to buy things on the trail – popular items sold are chocolate bars, crisps, fruit and veg as well as local souvenirs etc. and we encourage you to support the local teahouses and shops as much as you can. Buying snacks along the way will also mean less weight in your pack for you or your porter to carry.
We don’t advise drinking alcohol on the way up as it affects your ability to acclimatise so you don’t need to budget for that. On the way down however, you might like to indulge! We normally wait until returning to Namche Bazaar before having a beer…
Other things you might want to spend on:
In addition to these costs, you will want to put some cash aside for tips for the Guide and porters as well as anyone who decides they are going to carry your bag, assuming you consent, or anyone who drives you to places.
On our Everest Base Camp trek we usually have one Guide and one porter per two clients for 12-14 days depending on how the weather plays out so a budget.
Personally, when I go on one of our Everest Base Camp treks I normally take around £300-£500 which generally is more than enough – I always take it in US$ as this is easier to change to local currency out in Nepal.
I hope this helps you to work out how much spending money to take on the Everest Base Camp trek – please get in touch if you have any questions.
