Quick answer
Ghorepani Poon Hill is the cheapest trek in Nepal. Over its usual 4 days it costs about Rs 19,000 for a Nepali, Rs 32,000 for an Indian and Rs 35,000 for a foreigner with the guide the rules require. Gosaikunda and North Annapurna Base Camp come next. Upper Mustang and Manaslu cost foreigners most: their permits are charged in dollars.
Every price list for a "budget trek" online is an agency package in dollars. Here is what the same ten treks cost if you organise them yourself, for a Nepali, an Indian and a foreigner, from the fees each authority sets and the prices trekkers paid in 2025 and 2026.
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Every trek, cheapest first
| Trek | Days | Nepali | Indian and SAARC | Foreigner | A day, for a Nepali |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghorepani Poon Hill | 4 | Rs 19,000 | Rs 32,000 | Rs 35,000 | Rs 4,900 |
| Gosaikunda | 5 | Rs 23,000 | Rs 39,000 | Rs 41,000 | Rs 4,600 |
| North Annapurna Base Camp | 4 | Rs 25,000 | Rs 37,000 | Rs 39,000 | Rs 6,200 |
| Mardi Himal | 5 | Rs 25,000 | Rs 40,000 | Rs 43,000 | Rs 5,000 |
| Annapurna Base Camp | 7 | Rs 31,000 | Rs 51,000 | Rs 54,000 | Rs 4,400 |
| Langtang Valley | 7 | Rs 31,000 | Rs 52,000 | Rs 55,000 | Rs 4,500 |
| Upper Mustang | 12 | Rs 65,000 | Rs 1,74,000 | Rs 1,77,000 | Rs 5,500 |
| Manaslu Circuit | 14 | Rs 79,000 | Rs 1,41,000 | Rs 1,45,000 | Rs 5,700 |
| Annapurna Circuit | 14 | Rs 82,000 | Rs 1,20,000 | Rs 1,23,000 | Rs 5,800 |
| Everest Base Camp | 12 | Rs 84,000 | Rs 1,17,000 | Rs 1,39,000 | Rs 7,000 |
Where the money goes on the three cheapest
For a Nepali trekker, with no guide:
| Ghorepani Poon Hill | Gosaikunda | North ABC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permits | Rs 100 | Rs 100 | Rs 100 |
| Getting there and back | Rs 2,500 | Rs 2,200 | Rs 6,100 |
| Rooms and food | Rs 11,500 | Rs 14,300 | Rs 13,400 |
| Kit rental and extras | Rs 5,400 | Rs 6,600 | Rs 5,400 |
Why a foreigner pays more for the same trek
- Permits. A conservation area costs a Nepali Rs 100, an Indian Rs 1,000 and a foreigner Rs 3,000; a national park Rs 100, Rs 1,500 and Rs 3,000. The TIMS card is Rs 1,000 for SAARC nationals and Rs 2,000 for others; Nepalis need none.
- A guide. Outside the Everest region a foreigner, Indians included, must trek with a licensed guide: about Rs 12,000–25,000 each for two on Annapurna Base Camp.
- Flights. Kathmandu to Lukla is about Rs 7,000 one way for a Nepali and USD 179–255 for a foreigner.
- Restricted areas. Upper Mustang's permit is USD 50 a day and Manaslu's USD 100 for the first week in autumn, with no SAARC rate.
The cheapest trek for Indians
Ghorepani Poon Hill again: about Rs 32,000, or ₹19,900 at NRB's rate of 30 October 2026, for 4 days with the guide the rules require. Indians pay the SAARC rate for national parks, conservation areas and TIMS, need no Nepal visa, and fly or bus in with a passport or voter ID card. The calculator starts from Indian border towns such as Sunauli and Raxaul as well as Kathmandu.
How to spend less on any trek
- Go in a group of four. One guide leads up to seven, so the guide's wage is shared; a porter usually carries for two.
- Take the bus. The local bus to Nayapul is Rs 300 against USD 8–10 for a seat in a shared jeep.
- Eat dal bhat. Refills are usually free, and western food costs about 1.6 times as much.
- Bring your own kit if you have it. Renting a sleeping bag, down jacket and poles is Rs 550 a day, Rs 4,400 for Annapurna Base Camp.
- Buy permits before you go. A conservation-area permit bought at a check-post costs double.
- Go the week after a holiday. Jeep prices to Hum Khola doubled in the October 2026 rush.
Common questions
Which is the cheapest trek in Nepal?
Ghorepani Poon Hill: about Rs 19,000 per person for a Nepali over 4 days, and Rs 35,000 for a foreigner with a guide.
What is the cheapest trek from Kathmandu?
Of the ten, Gosaikunda: about Rs 23,000 for a Nepali for 5 days, starting from Dhunche, a day's bus from Kathmandu. Langtang Valley is about Rs 31,000 for 7 days.
What is the cheapest trek from Pokhara?
Poon Hill, about Rs 19,000 for a Nepali for 4 days, then North ABC (Rs 25,000) and Mardi Himal (Rs 25,000).
How much does Everest Base Camp cost for a Nepali?
About Rs 84,000 per person for 12 days, flying to Lukla: about Rs 39,000 of it rooms and food, and Rs 27,000 the flights there and back. A Nepali needs only the Rs 100 park permit; the Khumbu municipality's fee is for foreigners.
How much does a trek in Nepal cost for an Indian?
From about Rs 32,000 for Ghorepani Poon Hill to Rs 1,17,000 for Everest Base Camp, at the SAARC rate for permits and with the licensed guide most treks require.
In this topic
Trekking in Nepal
Ten treks priced for Nepali, Indian and foreign trekkers, the permits each needs, and what to know before you go.
Trek cost calculator: permits, transport, rooms, food and guide — the whole subject in one place
Before you go
- Trekking without a guide: the rule by trek
- Best time to trek, month by month
- Easy treks for beginners
- Cheapest treks in Nepal
- Guide and porter cost
- Packing list and Thamel rental prices
- Altitude sickness: signs, rule and medicine
- Kathmandu to Lukla flight: price and dates
Short trips
The treks
- Everest Base Camp trek cost
- Annapurna Base Camp trek cost
- North ABC trek cost
- Annapurna Circuit trek cost
- Ghorepani Poon Hill trek cost
- Mardi Himal trek cost
- Langtang Valley trek cost
- Gosaikunda trek cost
- Manaslu Circuit trek cost
- Upper Mustang trek cost
Permits
