Annapurna Base Camp sits at 4,130 metres in a glacier bowl walled in by Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Gangapurna and the fishtail summit of Machhapuchhre. A guided package costs USD 890 to 1,290 per person. Arranging it yourself with a hired guide over 7 to 11 days comes to roughly USD 500 to 750. Permits are NPR 5,000 (about USD 38) either way, and group size, comfort and how many hot showers you buy make up the rest of the difference.
Five things add up to the total. Permits, guide and porter wages, teahouse food and beds, transport between Pokhara and the trailhead, and tips. Foreign trekkers in the Annapurna Conservation Area have needed a licensed guide since April 2023, so the old shoestring solo trip is gone. The total now depends on how you pay for that guide, alone or shared across a group, and how comfortable you want to be at 3,700 metres.
What does a guide cost, and how does group size change the number?
One guide's wage gets split across everyone walking together, so the per-person price falls quickly as the group grows. Our all-inclusive ABC package costs USD 1,290 for one person on a private trip, USD 990 each for two or three, USD 920 for four to seven and USD 890 for eight to twelve. Each tier covers the guide, a porter, permits, teahouse rooms, three meals a day and the transfers between Pokhara and the trail.
| Group size | Package price (per person) |
|---|---|
| Solo, private guide | USD 1,290 |
| 2 to 3 people | USD 990 |
| 4 to 7 people | USD 920 |
| 8 to 12 people | USD 890 |
If you hire a guide directly, a licensed one charges USD 25 to 35 a day. A porter costs a little less, and on a moderate trail like this plenty of people hire a single porter-guide who does both jobs. Seven days of guiding alone comes to USD 175 to 245. That's before you've bought a meal.
Permit costs for 2026
Every foreign trekker needs two permits here. The ACAP permit costs NPR 3,000, about USD 23, and the fee hasn't moved in 2026. One trap. Buy ACAP at a trail checkpoint instead of in Kathmandu or Pokhara and you pay double, NPR 6,000, so sort it before leaving the city. The TIMS card costs NPR 2,000, about USD 15, and because a guide is now compulsory it's issued through the agency or guide you trek with. That puts the total at about USD 38. Documents, offices and checkpoint locations are in our ACAP and TIMS permit guide.
Daily spending on the trail
Budget USD 30 to 45 a day for a bed and three meals. It rises as you climb. A plain twin room costs NPR 500 to 800 in lower villages like Ghandruk and Chhomrong. Inside the Sanctuary, at Deurali and Machhapuchhre Base Camp, it's NPR 800 to 1,000, because every sack of rice above Chhomrong arrives on a porter'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 is the best deal on any menu. Rice, lentils and vegetables come with free refills, which counts for a lot after six hours of stairs. Showers, charging and wifi are another story. Pay-per-use, and pricier with every hundred metres. Skip them on the last two nights up high and you save USD 8 to 12. A refillable bottle and purification tablets or a SteriPEN save more, since bottled water above Chhomrong costs NPR 200 to 400 a litre and the ACAP area discourages plastic anyway.
Tipping: the cost that catches first-timers off guard
Tips sit outside the package price on every guided trek in Nepal. The usual rate works out at USD 15 to 20 a day for the guide and USD 8 to 12 a day for each porter, shared by the whole group and handed over on the last evening in Pokhara. For one or two trekkers on an ABC trek, that's USD 100 to 150 each. Our tipping guide has the full breakdown by role.
Nepal visa and other costs outside the trek itself
Visas first. Most nationalities buy one on arrival at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan airport, at USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days or USD 125 for 90 days. A standard ABC trip with time in Kathmandu and Pokhara fits inside 30 days. Insurance that covers trekking to 4,500 metres and helicopter evacuation costs about USD 50 to 120 for a trip this length. Read the small print, because plenty of ordinary travel policies exclude it. Add a night or two in Pokhara either side at USD 15 to 50.
Sample 7-day independent budget
Here's the 7-day route walked with a hired guide, at mid-range spending with a shared jeep each way. International flights and insurance are left out.
| Item | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| ACAP permit | NPR 3,000 (~USD 23) |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 (~USD 15) |
| 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 70-100 |
| Total | USD 525 to 760 |
That's not far below our USD 890 group price, and the package runs 11 days with the Poon Hill sunrise included. Mostly the difference buys convenience. The price is fixed before you land, the guide is vetted in advance, and if someone needs a helicopter at 4,000 metres, a company makes that call for you. Solo trekkers gain the most from a package, because the USD 1,290 private rate already absorbs the guide's wage.
How to bring the total down
Walk the shorter route. Seven days instead of a relaxed 11 cuts guide and lodge nights by about a third, and our Annapurna Base Camp itinerary guide sets out both versions. Split the guide with friends, which is the biggest single saving on an independent budget. Buy your permits in Kathmandu or Pokhara and avoid the NPR 3,000 checkpoint surcharge. Refill and purify water. And think about late March or early December, when teahouse prices are softer than in peak October, a pattern our seasonal guide explains for the Circuit and which holds in the Sanctuary too.
Currency and payment on the trail
Above Chhomrong, it's cash only. Teahouses there almost never take cards, so draw rupees in Pokhara before you start, and carry USD 50 to 100 more than you plan to spend. The nearest ATM after Chhomrong is days back down the valley.
Book with confidence
Our all-inclusive Annapurna Base Camp trek starts at USD 890 per person in a group of eight and takes the permit queues, daily cash payments and guesswork off your hands. We're registered with TAAN, NMA and NTB, and the package price has no hidden surcharges. For a quote on your dates and group size, message us on WhatsApp at +977 984 159 5962 or use the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Annapurna Base Camp trek cost?
Our guided ABC trek costs from USD 890 per person in a group of eight to USD 1,290 for a solo private trip. That includes permits, a guide, a porter, teahouse rooms and three meals a day.
What permits do you need for Annapurna Base Camp?
Two. The ACAP permit costs NPR 3,000 (about USD 23) and the TIMS card NPR 2,000 (about USD 15). Get both in Kathmandu or Pokhara, because ACAP bought at a checkpoint costs double.
Can you do Annapurna Base Camp independently?
Only with a licensed guide, under the rule in force since 1 April 2023. Independent now means arranging the pieces yourself. Expect USD 30 to 45 a day for food and lodging on top of the guide's wage.
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Founder & Lead Guide, Annapurna Trekking
AJ founded Annapurna Trekking in 2016 and has personally guided treks across Nepal ever since. More about our team →
