Is it cheaper to book a trek locally?

Usually, yes, by a wide margin, and the guide is often the same person. Book with a registered agency, check that guides are licensed and insured, and pay a deposit rather than everything up front.

In hotels, better restaurants and shops in Kathmandu and Pokhara, yes, often with a 3–4 percent surcharge. On treks and in small towns, cash only.

Trip cost

How Much Does a Trip to Nepal Cost?

Realistic daily budgets for backpackers, mid-range travellers and comfort trips, plus what treks, flights, guides and permits actually cost.

By Recent Visits Editorial

A small roadside shop selling local produce in Bhaktapur, Nepal. — Photo: Roman Saienko · Pexels(opens in a new tab)

This guide was last checked on 1 Jun 2026 against Recent Visits editorial . Rules can change; confirm before you travel.

In this guide4 sections

Nepal is one of the cheapest countries in Asia to travel in once you arrive, and one of the easiest to overspend in if you book everything through a foreign operator. The ranges below are indicative for 2026, in US dollars, excluding international flights. Prices in Kathmandu and Pokhara are quoted in Nepali rupees; the rate has hovered around NPR 130–140 to the dollar.

Daily budgets outside the mountains

Backpacker: USD 25–40 a day. Guesthouse rooms from USD 8–15, dal bhat for USD 2–4, local buses.
Mid-range: USD 60–120 a day. Boutique hotels for USD 40–80, restaurant meals, tourist buses and the odd taxi or guide.
Comfort: USD 150 and up. Heritage hotels, private cars with drivers, domestic flights instead of buses.

Trekking costs

Licensed guide: USD 25–35 a day; porter: USD 20–25 a day. Both include their food and lodging. Tip around 10–15 percent of the fee at the end.
Lodges: a twin room costs USD 3–10 on most routes if you eat where you sleep; some Everest-region lodges charge USD 30–60 for en-suite rooms.
Food and drink: USD 20–35 a day on the trail. Prices roughly double between the roadhead and 4,000 m because everything is carried up.
Permits: see the trekking permits guide. Budget USD 40–60 for a standard Annapurna or Langtang trek and USD 45–70 for Everest; restricted areas such as Manaslu and Upper Mustang cost far more.
Packaged treks: USD 900–1,600 for a 12–14 day Everest Base Camp trek with a local agency including flights, guide, porter, permits and lodging; a similar Annapurna Circuit is USD 800–1,300. Foreign operators often charge two to three times this for the same local services.

Transport

Kathmandu–Pokhara: tourist bus USD 8–25, domestic flight USD 100–130 (foreign nationals pay a higher fare than residents).
Kathmandu–Lukla flights: around USD 200 each way. In the autumn and spring peaks the flights leave from Ramechhap (Manthali), 4–5 hours by road from Kathmandu.
Taxis in Kathmandu: USD 3–8 for most trips; agree the fare first or ask the hotel to call a metered ride-hailing car.
Chitwan: tourist bus from Kathmandu or Pokhara USD 10–20; two-night lodge packages from USD 120 to several hundred.

What people forget to budget

Visa on arrival (USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30, USD 125 for 90).
Travel insurance with high-altitude and helicopter cover, typically USD 60–150 for a three-week trip.
Heritage-site entry tickets in the Kathmandu Valley, USD 7–15 each.
A buffer for weather: a cancelled Lukla flight can mean a USD 500+ helicopter seat or two extra hotel nights.