Annapurna Base Camp sits at 4,130 metres inside a glacial amphitheatre ringed by thirteen peaks over 6,000 metres, and reaching it costs USD 790 to 1,290 per person on a guided package or USD 450 to 700 if you trek independently with a hired guide over 7 to 11 days. Permits add NPR 5,000 (about USD 38) whichever route you choose. The rest of the gap comes down to group size, tea-house comfort level, and how many extras like hot showers and wifi you pay for along the way.
The Annapurna Base Camp cost breaks into five parts: permits, guide and porter wages, tea-house food and lodging, transport between Pokhara and the trailhead, and tips. Nepal has required a licensed guide for foreign trekkers in the Annapurna Conservation Area since April 2023, so "solo budget trekking" in the old sense no longer exists here. What changes the total now is how you buy that guide time, alone or split across a group, and how much comfort you want at 3,700 metres.
What does a guide cost, and how does group size change the number?
A single guide wage splits across however many people are walking together, which is why per-person package prices fall sharply as group size rises. Annapurna Trekking's all-inclusive ABC packages run USD 1,290 for a solo private trekker, USD 990 in a group of two to three, USD 890 in a group of four to seven, and USD 790 in a group of eight to twelve. Every tier includes the guide, porter, permits, tea-house accommodation, daily meals, and Pokhara-to-trailhead transfers.
| Group size | Package price (per person) |
|---|---|
| Solo, private guide | USD 1,290 |
| 2 to 3 people | USD 990 |
| 4 to 7 people | USD 890 |
| 8 to 12 people | USD 790 |
Independent trekkers pay the guide directly, and a licensed guide charges USD 25 to 35 a day. A porter to carry the main pack costs a similar rate, though many trekkers on the moderate ABC trail hire a combined guide-porter instead of two separate people. Over a 7-day itinerary, that puts guide wages alone at USD 175 to 245, before food, lodging, or a single tea-house bed.
Permit costs for 2026
Two permits are mandatory for every foreign trekker entering the Annapurna Conservation Area: the ACAP entry permit and the TIMS card. The Annapurna Conservation Area Project charges NPR 3,000 (about USD 23) for the ACAP permit, a fee that has held steady through 2026 according to the Nepal Tourism Board's published rates. One detail catches independent trekkers out: buying ACAP at a trail checkpoint rather than in Kathmandu or Pokhara triggers a 100 percent late-issue surcharge, doubling the fee to NPR 6,000. Arrange it before you leave the city.
TIMS pricing depends on how you book. A trekker going through a registered agency, which is now effectively everyone since guides are mandatory, pays NPR 1,000 (about USD 8) for the agency-rate Blue TIMS card. A trekker applying independently at the Nepal Tourism Board office pays the higher NPR 2,000 (about USD 15) Green TIMS rate. In practice almost every ABC trekker now qualifies for the lower agency rate, since booking through a licensed operator or independent guide counts as agency-arranged. Total permit cost lands around USD 31 to 38 depending on which TIMS tier applies. Full application detail, required documents, and checkpoint locations are in our ACAP and TIMS permit guide.
Daily spending on the trail
Independent daily spending on the ABC route runs USD 30 to 45 per person for a tea-house bed and three meals, and the number climbs the higher you climb. A basic twin room costs NPR 500 to 800 in the lower villages like Ghandruk and Chhomrong, rising to NPR 800 to 1,000 inside the Sanctuary at Deurali and Machhapuchhre Base Camp, where everything on the menu has been carried up on someone's back.
| Item | Lower valley (Ghandruk-Chhomrong) | Inside the Sanctuary |
|---|---|---|
| Tea-house bed | NPR 500-800 | NPR 800-1,000 |
| Dal bhat | NPR 600-800 | NPR 800-900 |
| Hot shower | NPR 200-300 | NPR 400-500 |
| Phone charging | NPR 150-250 | NPR 300-400 |
| Wifi | NPR 200-300 | NPR 400-500 |
Dal bhat remains the best value on the menu because tea houses refill the rice, lentils, and vegetables at no extra charge, which matters after six hours of climbing. Hot showers, charging, and wifi are billed per use and rise fastest with altitude, so a trekker who skips them on the final two nights can trim a real USD 8 to 12 off the trip total. A refillable bottle with purification tablets or a Steripen saves more than that alone, since bottled water above Chhomrong can run NPR 200 to 400 a litre.
Tipping: the cost that catches first-timers off guard
Tipping is expected on every guided Nepal trek and sits outside the package price. The customary range is USD 8 to 12 per day for a guide and USD 6 to 9 per day for a porter, usually pooled by the group and handed over on the final evening in Pokhara. On a 7-day ABC trek that adds USD 56 to 84 for the guide and a further USD 42 to 63 if you hired a separate porter, so budget USD 100 to 150 in tips on top of whatever else you've planned.
Nepal visa and other costs outside the trek itself
Most nationalities buy a visa on arrival at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport: USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days, or USD 125 for 90 days with multiple entries. The 30-day visa covers a standard ABC itinerary with Kathmandu and Pokhara days included. Add USD 50 to 120 for travel insurance that explicitly covers trekking to 4,500 metres and helicopter evacuation, since standard travel policies routinely exclude high-altitude trekking, and one or two Pokhara hotel nights at USD 15 to 50 each before and after the trail.
Sample 7-day independent budget
A worked example makes the numbers concrete for someone walking the 7-day ABC route independently with a hired agency guide. The figures assume mid-range spending, a shared jeep at each end, and the agency-rate TIMS card, and they exclude international flights and insurance.
| Item | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| ACAP permit | NPR 3,000 (~USD 23) |
| TIMS card (agency rate) | NPR 1,000 (~USD 8) |
| Guide, 7 days | USD 175-245 |
| Food and lodging, 7 days | USD 210-315 |
| Jeep transfers, Pokhara-Nayapul return | USD 30-60 |
| Guide tip | USD 56-84 |
| Total | USD 500 to 735 |
That independent total sits close enough to the USD 790 group package rate that the gap mostly buys convenience: fixed pricing agreed before you land, a vetted guide assigned in advance, and a company that can arrange a helicopter without you making the call yourself at 4,000 metres. For a solo trekker the comparison tilts further toward the package, since the USD 1,290 private rate already has the guide wage baked in rather than carried alone.
How to bring the total down
- Walk the shorter route. A 7-day itinerary cuts guide and lodging nights by roughly a third compared with a relaxed 11-day plan. Details of both options are in our Annapurna Base Camp itinerary guide.
- Trek with others. Splitting a guide wage across four people rather than going solo is the single biggest lever on an independent budget.
- Buy permits in the city. Arranging ACAP and TIMS in Kathmandu or Pokhara avoids the NPR 3,000 checkpoint surcharge outright.
- Refill instead of buying bottled water. Saves NPR 200-400 a litre by the time you reach Deurali.
- Travel shoulder season. Late March or early December sees softer tea-house pricing than peak October, a pattern covered in our seasonal guide, which applies to the Sanctuary route too.
Currency and payment on the trail
Tea houses above Chhomrong deal almost entirely in cash and rarely accept cards, so draw enough Nepali rupees in Pokhara before you start. Budget an extra USD 50 to 100 in rupees beyond your planned total for the small surprises every trek produces, since the nearest ATM once you're past Chhomrong is a long walk back down the valley.
Book with confidence
Annapurna Trekking's all-inclusive Annapurna Base Camp trek starts from USD 790 per person in a group of eight and removes the permit queues, daily cash payments, and guesswork from your budget. We are registered members of TAAN, NMA, and NTB, and package pricing carries no hidden surcharges. For a quote against your exact dates and group size, message our team on WhatsApp at +977 984 159 5962 or use our contact page.
