How much does it cost to trek to Everest Base Camp?

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Take On Nepal - Take on Nepal, Trekking, Trekking in Nepal, Visitor Experiences, Women Guides

Cost to trek to Everest Base Camp

We know when you go online to research treks to Everest Base Camp you will be met with thousands of websites offering this trek at very different prices. Companies will also be offering the same trek but with different inclusions and exclusions and at vastly different prices. Here’s a guideline on what to look for, what to be mindful of, and what we believe is a fair price point to be paying for this trek.

Inclusions and exclusions:

Meals: This is where a lot of people get caught, you may find a trekking company offering treks at a cheaper rate than others but most of the time these companies are not including the cost of meals during the trek. This component makes up the highest expenditure on the trek. Meals are not cheap on the Everest trails, if meals are not included you will need to budget a minimum of $500 on top of the cost of the trek. At Take on Nepal meals are included in the cost, we find this works best as it avoids our trekkers having to carry more money on the trail and it takes away an added stress that can easily be avoidable. It’s a nice feeling to arrive at your destination, be handed a menu, choose your meal and that’s it! No comparing prices or fumbling around to find the correct money for your meal as often lodge owners don’t have change available.

Flights: Our treks always included the cost of your flight in and out of Lukla airport, it’s very important you clarify this is covered as it is also quite a high expense and we can assure you it’s not pleasant booking or changing flights in Nepal, leave this work to your trekking company!

Porters: When you trek to Everest Base Camp with our team a porter will be carrying your bag, even if you think you would prefer to carry your own bag we always discourage this, having a porter provides much needed employment for the people of Nepal and having a porter will also drastically increase your chance of  successfully reaching Everest Base Camp. Make sure the cost of your porter is included in the cost of your trek.

Pre departure and on arrival support: We always provide pre departure support and also on arrival support. You can be assured that when you book with our team we will be with you every step of the way, from the moment you first make contact to helping you prepare for the trek, to meeting you at the airport in Nepal, to ensuring your trek is the best experience of your life, to then making sure you make it back to the airport in Kathmandu for your return flight. This level of service is worth paying for!

When doing your research you will find some trekking companies offering incredibly low prices, we urge you to ask the questions below before booking a budget trek:

What is their success rate in getting trekkers safely to Everest Base Camp? Some companies rely on the commission from helicopter rescues to cover their costs. They charge you very little but may have the intention of getting you on a helicopter to make extra money.

How are they looking after their staff? We know the real cost of a trek to Everest Base Camp, it’s not cheap. When companies undercharge we worry they are underpaying staff or not providing training opportunities. At Take on Nepal, we invest so much into our team as they are our greatest asset and we care so much about their futures.

Do they have good Google reviews? Do your research, if a company offering budget treks have awesome online reviews then they may be the real deal. At Take on Nepal we only use Google reviews as we feel this is the most unbiased form of reviewing a company. Check us out!

On the flip side of the coin, there are companies who charge double the amount we do, are trekkers who pay this much getting more for their money? The simple answer to this is no! The companies charging a high cost use the same lodges we do, the same airlines to fly in and out of Lukla and their clients eat the same meals as ours do, there is absolutely no difference, paying more does not equal a better service.

In answer to the questions, the cost of AUD$2,490 with meals, accommodation, porter service, pre departure support, flights in and out of Lukla and highly trained English speaking guides is a very reasonable amount to pay for this once in a lifetime incredible experience.