An Annapurna teahouse is a family-run trekking lodge that gives you a bed and your meals for roughly USD 25 to 45 a day. A basic twin room costs about NPR 500 to 1,000. Hot showers, wifi and phone charging usually cost extra, about NPR 150 to 500 each, and all of them get dearer as you climb. Annapurna Base Camp has only six lodges for about 350 people, and around 300 people arrive each day in the busy season.
How do teahouses work on Annapurna treks?
Teahouses keep room prices low because they earn their money from food. The owner expects you to eat dinner and breakfast where you sleep, and some lodges charge more for the room if you eat elsewhere. So think of the bed and the meals as one price.
Two very different routes share the name "Annapurna", and their lodges differ too. On the Annapurna Circuit trek, roads reach many villages, so supplies arrive more easily. On the Annapurna Base Camp trek, there are fewer lodges above Chhomrong, and food comes up on foot.
How much does a teahouse cost per night?
Budget USD 25 to 35 a day for a bed and three meals on the Circuit, and USD 30 to 45 on the Base Camp route. These are the planning figures from our Annapurna Circuit cost guide and Annapurna Base Camp cost guide. The table shows typical asking prices on the Base Camp route.
| Item | Lower villages | High on the trail |
|---|---|---|
| Twin room | NPR 500 to 800 | NPR 800 to 1,000 |
| Dal bhat | NPR 600 to 800 | NPR 800 to 900 |
| Hot shower | NPR 200 to 300 | NPR 400 to 500 |
| Phone charge | NPR 150 to 250 | NPR 300 to 400 |
| Wifi | NPR 200 to 300 | NPR 400 to 500 |
Treat these as a guide, because we found no current official price list. Published figures also disagree. Some travel sites list a shower at about NPR 100, and others say showers and wifi are free in some lodges. Carry enough cash for the top of the range.
Local committees have set prices on this route in the past. In 2016 The Himalayan Times reported a tourism sub-committee in Chhomrong raising meal rates to Rs 180 and Rs 200, depending on the section of trail. Those numbers are long out of date, and trekking and porter groups objected at the time that nobody had consulted them.
Season matters on the Circuit too. In October and November, rooms cost about 15 to 25 percent more than in the shoulder months, according to our cost guide. Rooms with attached bathrooms in Manang can fill days ahead.
What are the rooms like?
A standard teahouse room has two narrow beds, a thin mattress, a pillow and a blanket. Walls are often thin, and the toilet is usually shared. High on the trail, rooms are not heated, and the dining room stove is the one warm place. Bring your own sleeping bag, and see our Nepal trekking packing list for the rest.
A twin room is not guaranteed in busy weeks. A Kathmandu Post writer on the Base Camp trail in autumn 2026 got a dormitory at lower Sinuwa, a shared room with beds close together at Machhapuchhre Base Camp, and a corner of the dining hall at Deurali, which was fully booked.
Why are Base Camp lodges so short of beds?
Annapurna Base Camp has six lodges that can hold up to 350 guests, and about 300 people reach it daily, according to an October 2026 report quoting the Chhomrong Tourism Management Committee. That leaves little spare room on a busy night. Further down, the same trail has small clusters of lodges. In 2017 Nepali Times counted five at Machhapuchhre Base Camp, four at Deurali, two at Himalaya, three at Dovan and five at Bamboo. That count is old, so use it only to see the scale.
Building more is hard. Hoteliers told the Kathmandu Post that Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) rules stop them from expanding, and only a Cabinet decision can allocate government land for tourist facilities.
Are there hot showers?
Most lodges on the main Annapurna routes offer a hot shower for a fee, heated by gas or solar panels. Others give you a bucket of hot water. Solar showers may run cool late in the day or under cloud, so ask before you pay.
Above about 3,500 metres, many trekkers skip showers. The bathrooms are unheated, wet hair dries slowly, and the price is at its highest. A wash with warm water in a basin costs less.
Is there wifi and phone signal?
Many lodges sell wifi by the device or by the day, usually NPR 200 to 500. It can be slow when many guests are online, and it may stop in bad weather. Do not plan work calls around it.
Plan for no contact at all for a day or two. When the Budhi Gandaki flood hit the neighbouring Manaslu route in October 2026, a trekker stuck in Jagat told reporters there was no electricity and communications were down. Give your family your route and a date to expect your next message, so that silence does not cause panic.
How do you charge your phone?
Most lodges charge for each device, about NPR 150 to 400, and often only in the dining room. Power supply is improving. In June 2026 Khabarhub reported that the national grid had reached Upper Sinuwa through Jhinu and Chhomrong, in an area that had relied on micro-hydropower and other sources. Extension to the higher settlements was planned but on hold at that time, so expect less power above Sinuwa.
- Bring a power bank. It lets you skip the costliest charging on the last two nights up high.
- Keep batteries warm. Cold drains them, so sleep with your phone and power bank inside your sleeping bag.
- Bring an adapter. Nepal uses round-pin sockets, types C, D and M.
Do you need to book teahouses in advance?
In October and on the upper Base Camp trail, yes, if you can. The Kathmandu Post writer could not book the upper ridge, and guides said trailheads had more trekkers than guesthouses could hold. ACAP blamed that crush on the Annapurna Circuit closure after the September floods, and said the load eased when the Circuit reopened. The Circuit then filled quickly, with a record 552 foreign trekkers checking in at Dharapani on 13 October.
Outside the peak weeks, you can usually find a bed on the day. Some lodges close or run short of supplies in winter and the monsoon, so ask ahead on those dates too. Our Annapurna Base Camp itinerary guide shows where each night falls.
If you trek with us, rooms and meals are part of the package price. Showers, wifi, charging and snacks are your own cost. To check conditions for your dates, send us your trek plan.
Frequently asked questions
How much cash should I carry for teahouse extras?
Our cost guide suggests USD 100 to 150 for showers, wifi, snacks and souvenirs on a 14-day Circuit trek if your meals and rooms are already paid. If you pay for your own rooms and food, add USD 25 to 45 a day. Withdraw rupees before you leave Pokhara or Kathmandu.
Do teahouses have private bathrooms?
Some do, mostly in larger villages such as Manang on the Circuit. They cost more and fill first. Expect a shared toilet on the upper Base Camp trail.
Can I stay in a teahouse in winter?
Yes, on many lower routes, but some high lodges close and others run with less food and fuel. Snow can also close trails. Read our guide to winter treks in Nepal before you choose a date.
Can I lock my room?
Most rooms lock, but the lock may be simple. Many trekkers carry a small padlock and keep passports and money with them in the dining room.
Founder & Lead Guide, Annapurna Trekking
AJ founded Annapurna Trekking in 2016 and has personally guided treks across Nepal ever since. More about our team →
