Last updated 10 October 2026. New Zealand dollar figures use the European Central Bank reference rate of 9 October 2026, US$1 = NZD 1.781, and move daily. The flight fares are from the Auckland search I ran on 7 October 2026 for a late-October trip.
Trekking in Nepal from New Zealand: the short answer
Each trekker in a party of one to four pays USD 1,399, USD 2,499 or USD 4,999 for the 12-day Everest Base Camp trek, depending on tier, so about NZD 2,490, NZD 4,450 or NZD 8,900. 2027 prices are unchanged. New Zealand passport holders buy the visa on arrival. The flight is a long haul with a change on both legs: Auckland returns in my search ran from NZD 3,575 to NZD 4,983. If you want a number for your dates, message +977 9810351300 on WhatsApp.
Do Kiwi mountains prepare you?
Aoraki Mount Cook is 3,724 metres and Mount Ruapehu 2,797, so New Zealand's highest ground sits below Namche Bazaar (3,440) and well below Gorak Shep (5,164), the highest night on the Everest route. A Tongariro Crossing day is a fair baseline for the walking, which is five to seven hours a day with two acclimatisation days among the 12. A loaded pack on steep tracks several days in a row is the best training, and the altitude profile shows where people struggle.
Treks for New Zealand travellers, with live prices
Per person. You pay in US dollars or euros; the New Zealand dollar figures are a guide.
| Trek | Budget | Standard | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everest Base Camp, 12 days | USD 1,399 about NZD 2,490 | USD 2,499 about NZD 4,450 | USD 4,999 about NZD 8,900 |
| Annapurna Base Camp, 9 days | USD 499 about NZD 890 | USD 799 about NZD 1,420 | USD 1,400 about NZD 2,490 |
| Manaslu Circuit, 12 days | USD 799 about NZD 1,420 | USD 1,599 about NZD 2,850 | USD 2,099 about NZD 3,740 |
| Langtang Valley, 8 days | USD 365 about NZD 650 | USD 650 about NZD 1,160 | USD 1,000 about NZD 1,780 |
| Ghorepani Poon Hill, 6 days | USD 499 about NZD 890 | USD 749 about NZD 1,330 | USD 1,235 about NZD 2,200 |
| Mardi Himal, 7 days | USD 454 about NZD 810 | USD 849 about NZD 1,510 | USD 1,111 about NZD 1,980 |
About these figures: Langtang (8 days) is quoted for a single trekker; groups of two to four pay USD 320, 570 and 800; a lone trekker on Poon Hill pays USD 960 on Standard and USD 1,930 on Luxury, while the table covers parties of two to four.
With a flight this long, I would not travel for fewer than a week on the ground. Everest Base Camp fills 12 days and is the one most Kiwis write about. Annapurna Base Camp reaches 4,130 metres without a mountain flight. Manaslu is a restricted-area circuit with a pass at 5,160 metres, so a licensed guide and an agency permit are compulsory. Poon Hill, Langtang and Mardi Himal are gentler.
What changes between tiers is mainly who carries your bag and what you eat. Budget: you carry it and you buy the food, in shared rooms. Standard: meals are included, rooms are private and a porter is shared by two. Luxury: one porter per trekker, a deluxe private room, and on Everest the helicopter to Lukla and back. For a solo trekker on Standard the guide carries up to 10 kg, since no porter is shared. Kathmandu hotels are extra in every tier (USD 15 per person per night at our homestay). Jacket, sleeping bag and duffel: lent, free.
Flights from Auckland
For Auckland I searched one adult in economy with a hold bag, leaving on Sunday 25 October 2026 and returning on Wednesday 11 November, on one ticket with no more than one change each leg. There were 15 itineraries from NZD 3,575 to NZD 4,983, and no outbound was quicker than 20 hours. The cheapest, NZD 3,575, was Cathay Pacific out (with a wait of about 21 hours in Hong Kong, landing in Kathmandu at 21:30 on 26 October) and China Southern home through Guangzhou. The fastest way out was China Southern through Guangzhou, about 20 hours 20 minutes, at NZD 4,703 to NZD 4,983. Singapore Airlines home through Changi was NZD 3,855. A trip in spring 2027 will cost something different, so search again with your own dates. The sums are in the Everest Base Camp cost guide for New Zealand.
Visa for a New Zealand passport
New Zealand is not one of the twelve countries that must apply beforehand, so you buy the visa on arrival. Expect to pay USD 50, about NZD 90, for the usual 30-day visa; 15 days is USD 30 and 90 days USD 125. All three are multiple entry. Carry a photo and a passport valid for six months; the online form can be done before you leave. See the visa on arrival guide.
Leave, daylight saving and dates for 2027
New Zealand's daylight time began on 27 September 2026, so until the clocks go back on 4 April 2027 Nepal is 7 hours 15 minutes behind Auckland. From 4 April 2027 the gap is 6 hours 15 minutes. The Holidays Act 2003 gives four weeks of annual leave, which covers a 12-day trek and the long flights. For spring 2027, Good Friday is 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March; Anzac Day falls on a Sunday, so the holiday moves to Monday 26 April. In the autumn of 2027 the festivals arrive early, with Dashain expected around 6 to 10 October and Tihar around 29 to 31 October. These are expected dates, and permits need 48 hours of government working days. See the festival calendar.
Insurance
Buy a travel policy in New Zealand before you leave. The policy must say 6,000 metres, because Kala Patthar is 5,545. It should pay for a helicopter rescue (USD 3,000 to USD 5,000, or about NZD 5,340 to NZD 8,910, if you are uninsured) and for illness, not only injury. Send me the wording and I will read it. See helicopter cover to 6,000 metres.
What SafeTravel says, and who to call
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's SafeTravel page for Nepal, updated on 28 September 2026, gives the advice level as exercise increased caution, with higher levels in some areas. It mentions flash flooding in the Rasuwa district and near the China border on 26 August 2026, landslides in heavy rain, protests and general strikes, and altitude sickness, and it recommends insurance that includes helicopter rescue. SafeTravel lists an honorary New Zealand Consulate in Kathmandu (+977 1 472 0580, by appointment) and the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi (+91 11 4688 3170). The 24-hour emergency numbers are 0800 30 10 30 within New Zealand and +64 99 20 20 20. Check the page again close to departure and register your trip.
Language, food and the guide
Treks run in English. Dal bhat is the staple, vegetarian is easy, and any allergy should be sent to me in writing before you fly. We send a licensed guide on every trek, since most routes in Nepal need one.
Paying us from New Zealand
A deposit of 10 per cent reserves your place; the balance is due when you land in Kathmandu. We accept US dollars and euros. Cash is free, cards carry 3.5 per cent, and New Zealand dollars or Nepali rupees are not accepted. Move your trip and there is no charge, to any date within a year, provided you give 72 hours' notice (seven days for restricted areas). Cancel instead and the deposit is forfeited with no refund. A trek we cancel is refunded in full except for taxes, bank and card charges and amounts already spent on permits or flights.
Check us before you pay
Please check before you pay. The things to look up are the company registrar, TAAN (our number is 1586), the tourism licence and the forex certificate. They are necessary but not sufficient, as licensed operators have been part of scams, so I suggest a video call. Over 300 travellers have left reviews on TripAdvisor, Google and Trustpilot. Each booking helps fund the Nagarjun Learning Center.
Frequently asked questions
Do New Zealanders need a visa for Nepal?
Yes, on arrival. USD 50 for 30 days is what most trekkers pay, and you can do the form online first.
How much does Everest Base Camp cost from New Zealand?
The trek is USD 1,399, 2,499 or 4,999 per person by tier, about NZD 2,490, NZD 4,450 and NZD 8,900. In my October 2026 search an Auckland return was NZD 3,575 to NZD 4,983, and insurance, tips and Kathmandu hotels come on top.
How long is the flight from Auckland to Kathmandu?
No outbound in my search was quicker than 20 hours, and every itinerary had a change of plane each way, through Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
What is the time difference?
Until 4 April 2027 Nepal is 7 hours 15 minutes behind Auckland, and from then until the clocks change again it is 6 hours 15 minutes behind.
When is the best time to go from New Zealand?
Spring (March to May) and October to November. In 2027 Dashain is expected around 6 to 10 October and Tihar around 29 to 31 October.
Is Mount Cook or the Tongariro Crossing good training?
They are a fair baseline for the walking. The Everest trek is 12 days of steady, slow days at height, so back-to-back long days with a loaded pack are better preparation.
Can I pay in New Zealand dollars?
Our payments are in US dollars or euros, and New Zealand dollars cannot be used. Cash in Kathmandu is free of charge; a card costs 3.5 per cent more.
What insurance do I need?
Insurance with trekking cover above Kala Patthar, so 6,000 metres, plus helicopter evacuation for sickness.
Is there a New Zealand embassy in Kathmandu?
SafeTravel lists an honorary New Zealand Consulate in Kathmandu, by appointment, and the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi.
Can I trek alone?
Absolutely. Solo trekkers get a licensed guide, and there is no single supplement.
Read next
- Everest Base Camp trek cost from New Zealand
- A solo Everest trek, priced
- Base Camp weather calendar
- Poon Hill trek prices
- The three Everest permits
Your next step
To plan this properly, write to me on +977 9810351300 (WhatsApp) or [email protected]. Say which trek and what dates you have in mind, and I will check availability and quote your group size. Tell me how long you can be away and I will suggest a trek.
From Shreejan Simkhada at The Everest Holiday (TAAN 1586). Registered 2016. Three generations of the family have guided in the Himalayas.
Chat with Shreejan