I get asked this question almost every day. Someone fills out our enquiry form, and within the first two messages it comes: how much does Annapurna Base Camp actually cost?
The honest answer is that it depends on how you trek. A budget trekker spending carefully will spend a completely different amount from someone who wants private rooms and a porter carrying everything. Both are valid. Both get you to the same 4,130-metre amphitheatre surrounded by some of the tallest mountains on earth.
What I can do is break down every cost you will face, from the permit office to the last cup of tea at Jhinu Danda hot springs, so you know exactly what to budget before you book anything.
May 2026 price note: Nepal’s fuel costs have risen sharply due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which pushed global oil prices to record highs. Nepal Oil Corporation hiked diesel by over 50% and aviation fuel by nearly 98% in a single month. Transport and teahouse food prices have increased as a result. Every number here reflects current 2026 pricing.
How Much Does the ABC Trek Cost in 2026?
If you want a number before reading three thousand words, here it is. A nine-day Annapurna Base Camp trek with a Nepali trekking company costs between 425 and 1,200 US dollars depending on your tier, plus around 1,000 to 1,800 dollars for flights, visa, insurance, and personal spending. Total trip cost from your front door and back: roughly 1,500 to 3,200 US dollars.
If that range is too wide for comfort, keep reading. I will narrow it down to what you specifically will pay.
Package Price: What a Nepali Trekking Company Charges
Most Nepali companies offer the ABC trek in tiered packages. Ours look like this, and they are fairly representative of what a licenced, reputable company charges:
Budget: 425 US dollars
This gets you a government-licenced English-speaking guide, all permits (ACAP and TIMS), ground transport between Kathmandu, Pokhara, and the trailhead at Nayapul, one night in Pokhara with breakfast, a SIM card, first aid kit with pulse oximeter, and a company t-shirt. You pay for your own meals on the trail and there is no porter — you carry your own bag.
Standard: 750 US dollars
Everything in Budget plus all three meals daily with tea, fruit, and two litres of water. Private twin rooms with attached bathroom where available. One porter per two trekkers carrying ten kilograms each. Private vehicle transport instead of tourist bus. SIM card with limited data. All taxes included.
Luxury: 1,200 US dollars
Everything in Standard plus premium private vehicle, all drinks except alcohol, private deluxe rooms with bed heater, one porter per trekker so you carry nothing, one guide per two trekkers, unlimited data SIM, and duffel bags provided.
Group rates bring the Standard tier down further: 696 dollars per person for two to four people, 675 for five to eight, 650 for nine to twelve, and 625 for groups of thirteen to twenty.
You can see the full breakdown and book on our Annapurna Base Camp trek page.
What Is Not Included in Any Package
Every company excludes certain costs. Here is what you need to budget separately:
- International flights to and from Kathmandu
- Nepal visa (30 to 125 US dollars depending on duration)
- Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover (90 to 250 dollars)
- Accommodation in Kathmandu before and after the trek
- Meals in Kathmandu and Pokhara outside of the trek
- Alcohol and personal snacks on the trail
- Tips for guide and porter
- Personal trekking gear
How Much Do ABC Trek Permits Cost?
The Annapurna Base Camp trek requires two permits. Both are included in our packages, but if you are comparing prices or trekking independently, here is what they cost:
ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit): 3,000 Nepali rupees for foreigners (about 20 US dollars at the current rate of 151 rupees per dollar). SAARC nationals pay 1,000 rupees.
TIMS (Trekkers Information Management System): 1,000 rupees for agency trekkers, 2,000 for independent trekkers. Some checkpoints no longer enforce this, but it is still technically required.
Total permit cost: roughly 26 to 33 US dollars. Your company handles the paperwork — you do not need to visit any government offices. For more detail, read our complete permits guide.
How Much Does Transport to the ABC Trek Cost?
The ABC trek starts from Nayapul, which is about an hour’s drive from Pokhara. First you need to get from Kathmandu to Pokhara, and then from Pokhara to the trailhead.
Kathmandu to Pokhara
Following the 2026 fuel price increases, transport prices have risen across Nepal:
- Tourist bus: 12 to 22 dollars one way (six to seven hours)
- Deluxe micro bus: 28 to 50 dollars (same journey, better seats)
- Domestic flight: 120 to 180 dollars one way (twenty-five minutes)
- Private vehicle: 140 to 210 dollars one way
Most trekking packages include private vehicle transport, which is what I would recommend. Read our full Kathmandu to Pokhara transport guide for details on each option.
Pokhara to Nayapul: About 1,200 to 1,500 rupees (8 to 10 dollars) by local bus, or included in your package if you booked private transport.
How Much Does Food Cost on the Trail?
If you are on a Standard or Luxury package, all your meals are included. If you booked Budget, or if you want extras beyond what is provided, here is what teahouse food costs on the ABC trail in 2026:
- Dal bhat (the staple meal, unlimited refills): 500 to 900 rupees (3.50 to 6 dollars)
- Pasta, fried rice, noodle soup: 450 to 800 rupees (3 to 5.50 dollars)
- Momos (dumplings): 400 to 700 rupees
- Tea or coffee: 100 to 250 rupees
- Bottled water (1 litre): 150 to 400 rupees (increases with altitude)
- Beer: 500 to 900 rupees
- Chocolate bar or snack: 200 to 400 rupees
A Budget trekker eating three dal bhat meals a day, plus tea and the occasional snack, will spend 25 to 35 dollars per day on food. Over nine days, that is 225 to 315 dollars.
Standard and Luxury trekkers: your meals are covered, but budget 5 to 15 dollars per day for extras like beer, chocolate, and bottled drinks.
What Is the Accommodation Like on the Trail?
The ABC trail has teahouses at every stop. Room prices depend on the season and whether you eat at the teahouse (most offer free or cheap rooms if you order meals there).
- Basic shared room: 200 to 500 rupees per night (1.50 to 3.50 dollars)
- Private room with attached bathroom: 500 to 1,500 rupees (3.50 to 10 dollars)
- Hot shower: 200 to 500 rupees per use
- Device charging: 100 to 300 rupees
- WiFi: 200 to 500 rupees per day
Accommodation is included in all our packages, so this is mainly relevant for independent trekkers.
Flights to Nepal
This is usually the biggest single cost. Return flights to Kathmandu vary enormously by origin:
- From the UK: 450 to 800 pounds return (600 to 1,050 dollars)
- From the US: 800 to 1,400 dollars return
- From Australia: 700 to 1,200 Australian dollars (500 to 850 US dollars)
- From India: 8,000 to 20,000 Indian rupees return (95 to 240 US dollars)
Book three to four months ahead for the best prices. October and November are peak season, so spring (March to May) flights tend to be cheaper.
Nepal Visa
Every foreign national except Indians needs a visa. You get it on arrival at Kathmandu airport:
- 15 days: 30 US dollars
- 30 days: 50 US dollars
- 90 days: 125 US dollars
You need a passport-sized photo and a completed arrival form. The queue takes twenty to forty minutes. For the full process, see our visa on arrival guide.
Travel Insurance
This is mandatory and non-negotiable. The ABC trek reaches 4,130 metres, which means you need a policy that covers:
- Emergency helicopter evacuation up to 5,000 metres minimum
- Medical treatment abroad (at least 100,000 US dollars)
- Trip cancellation
A two-week policy with altitude cover costs 90 to 180 dollars for most nationalities. Read our trekking insurance guide for recommended providers.
What Tips Should You Know?
Tipping is customary in Nepal and deeply appreciated. The standard is:
- Guide: 10 to 15 US dollars per day
- Porter: 8 to 10 US dollars per day
For a nine-day trek, budget 90 to 135 dollars for your guide and 72 to 90 dollars for your porter. These go directly to the people who made your trek possible. More on this in our tipping guide.
Personal Spending and Extras
Beyond food and accommodation, budget for:
- Kathmandu hotel: 15 to 60 dollars per night depending on standard
- Meals in Kathmandu: 5 to 15 dollars per meal
- Jhinu Danda hot springs: 100 rupees entry (less than a dollar — worth every rupee after seven days of walking)
- Souvenirs and shopping: whatever you fancy
- Kathmandu sightseeing: temple entry fees, taxis
Most trekkers spend 10 to 25 dollars per day on personal extras during the trek, and 30 to 60 dollars per day in Kathmandu.
Gear: Buy or Rent?
You do not need to buy everything new. Kathmandu’s Thamel district is full of shops selling and renting trekking gear. A sleeping bag rents for 1 to 2 dollars per day. A down jacket is similar. Trekking poles, 50 cents to 1 dollar per day.
If you already own hiking boots, a rain jacket, and thermal layers, you can get away with spending very little on gear. Read our Thamel gear shopping guide for details on what to rent versus buy.
What Is the Total Cost for Three Budget Levels?
Here is what the total trip actually costs for three different types of trekker, flying from the UK:
Budget Trekker (carrying own bag, paying own meals)
| Return flights UK to Kathmandu | 650 dollars |
| Nepal visa (30 days) | 50 dollars |
| Travel insurance (2 weeks, altitude cover) | 120 dollars |
| Budget trek package | 425 dollars |
| Food on trail (9 days at 30 dollars) | 270 dollars |
| Kathmandu accommodation (3 nights at 20 dollars) | 60 dollars |
| Kathmandu meals and transport | 80 dollars |
| Tips (guide only, no porter) | 115 dollars |
| Gear rental and extras | 50 dollars |
| Total | 1,820 dollars |
Standard Trekker (all meals included, porter, private transport)
| Return flights UK to Kathmandu | 700 dollars |
| Nepal visa (30 days) | 50 dollars |
| Travel insurance | 140 dollars |
| Standard trek package | 750 dollars |
| Trail extras (beer, snacks, WiFi — 9 days) | 90 dollars |
| Kathmandu accommodation (3 nights at 35 dollars) | 105 dollars |
| Kathmandu meals and transport | 100 dollars |
| Tips (guide + porter) | 200 dollars |
| Gear and extras | 60 dollars |
| Total | 2,195 dollars |
Luxury Trekker (private guide, porter, best rooms, all drinks)
| Return flights UK to Kathmandu | 800 dollars |
| Nepal visa (30 days) | 50 dollars |
| Travel insurance (premium) | 180 dollars |
| Luxury trek package | 1,200 dollars |
| Trail extras (9 days) | 60 dollars |
| Kathmandu accommodation (3 nights at 60 dollars) | 180 dollars |
| Kathmandu meals and transport | 150 dollars |
| Tips (guide + porter) | 250 dollars |
| Gear and extras | 80 dollars |
| Total | 2,950 dollars |
ABC vs EBC: Which Is Cheaper?
Annapurna Base Camp is significantly cheaper than Everest Base Camp for one main reason: no Lukla flight. The EBC trek requires a return flight from Kathmandu to Lukla costing 500 to 580 dollars at current fuel-adjusted prices, or an additional three days by road. The ABC trek starts from Pokhara, which is reachable by a seven-hour bus ride for 12 to 22 dollars.
Our Standard EBC package starts at 1,072 dollars compared to 750 for ABC Standard. Add the Lukla flights and the total gap is even wider. If budget is a factor, ABC gives you a world-class Himalayan experience for roughly 30 to 40 percent less than EBC.
Can You Do It Cheaper?
Yes, but with trade-offs. Some trekkers go fully independent with no guide and no porter, eating the cheapest dal bhat at every stop. Since Nepal’s 2023 mandatory guide rule, you legally need a guide, but enforcement varies on popular trails like ABC.
I would not recommend going without a guide. Not because I run a trekking company, but because the Annapurna region gets sudden weather changes, the trail above Deurali is steep and exposed, and if something goes wrong above 3,000 metres you want someone who knows the evacuation routes and speaks the language. The guide fee is a small fraction of your total trip cost. It is not the place to save money.
Where you can save: book flights early, stay in shared rooms, eat dal bhat (unlimited refills at every teahouse), fill water bottles at purification stations instead of buying bottled water, and trek in shoulder season when everything is slightly cheaper. Read our budget trekking guide for more honest tips.
How Do You Book an ABC Trek Without Overpaying?
Book directly with a Nepal-based company rather than through an international agent. The international operator adds their margin on top of ours, sometimes doubling the price for the exact same trek with the exact same guide. Our book direct guide explains why this matters.
We ask for a 10 percent deposit to secure your booking, paid through Himalayan Bank Limited’s secure payment gateway. The balance is due before departure. If your plans change, our cancellation policy gives you flexibility up to sixty days out.
If you have specific questions about costs, just message us. I answer most enquiries within a few hours, and I will give you an honest number — not a sales pitch.
View our Annapurna Base Camp trek packages and secure your spot
The Annapurna Base Camp trek is the best value trek in Nepal. Nine days, two base camps, views of eight-thousanders from your teahouse window, and a cost that is genuinely affordable. If you are doing your first Himalayan trek and you have ten days, this is the one I recommend. Not Everest, not the circuit. This.
Check our Annapurna Base Camp Trek (9 days) for the full itinerary and what is included.
WhatsApp:+977 9810351300
Email:[email protected]
Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday and third-generation Himalayan guide. TAAN Member #1586.
