Everest Base Camp Trek. This is the fabled trek, the sort of dream vacation one does only once, which has some fretting over ticket price. Yes, a fully supported luxury trek can be expensive — but then I discovered there were oodles of smart and surprising ways to save yourself a small fortune (and you’ll still get all those really important things like safety or the kind of quality experience you deserve). The true secret of a budget EBC trek is to be smart and more than ready to live rough, but knowing what you are willing to fork over for. This comprehensive guide is going to highlight all the tips you need to know for saving a small fortune (plus, time, nd stress) on an Everest Base Camp Tour and turn your dream of trekking through Nepal from a pipe-dream into a very affordable reality!
The Hex Bars for Saving: Choose Your Trekking Style
You are the one whose Everest Base Camp Trek cost affects the most! There are three main choices: a guided hike, a solo trek, and a private trek with a local guide. A trip with an international company will cost upwards of thousands, but a well-planned independent trip costs only a fraction of that. The cheapest way to save money is when you independently trek, carry your own gear, and choose teahouses as you go. But it is definitely for accomplished trekkers and those comfortable with their own company. There’s a middle ground – hire a local Nepalese guide and porters as necessary, still far from being as incredibly cheap as going solo, but much less than having to book the whole deal through some foreign agency. They handle the logistics and teahouse-locating for where you’ll sleep and guide you through things like the lightning elements, but you cover your own daily expenditure. It’s one way you can legitimately save yourself a boatload of cash in your whole life to climb Everest Base Camp and put it directly back into the local economy.
Transportation: The Lukla Flight Alternative
One of the most, if not the most expensive parts of an EBC Trek is the flight to and from Kathmandu to Lukla. Those flights, meanwhile, are not only costly but frequently delayed or canceled due to weather. One unintended cost-saving tip, however, is an interesting way to stash a few more super-epic adventure experiences in your journey. There is the option of busing or jeep-ing down from Kathmandu to Salleri or Jiri and trekking in from there. This could be another couple of days added on to your Everest Base Camp Schedule, but it’s likely to save you hundreds of dollars. It additionally affords more time to acclimatise, as you spend a touch longer hiking up earlier than reaching the altitude of Lukla. When you have lots of time and you’re searching for an adventure, traveling overland is another fantastic way to save money, in addition to seeing more of Nepal.
Food and Drink: The Power of the Dal Bhat, a Water Purifier
Food and drink prices rise as you gain elevation on the Everest Base Camp Trek, because everything has to be carried up by porters or yaks. Cook minimally. It’s also the most frugal thing to do: Sitting down to eat? Stick to the locals’ staple “Dal Bhat” – an extremely delicious and fulfilling meal of rice, lentils, and vegetables. And it’s the cheapest thing on any teahouse menu, and quite often will come with free refills to boot, which is equal to the most bang for your buck. Another simple hack: Take water purification tablets or a portable filter. Bottled water gets absurdly expensive at higher elevations -in some cases up to a few dollars a liter. Enough said, no need to pay 100-300 Nepalese rupees a liter (1 dollar = about 110 Nepalese rupees) of naturally sourced water there. In fact, you could save yourself quite some money by purifying normal tap water in the teahouses as well, but also help you be more environmentally friendly by using way fewer plastic bottles.
The Anti-Trek: Saving on Gear and Services
You don’t need to break the bank on a new set of gear to do the Everest Base Camp Hike. Professional white water rafting expeditionist and overall Trekking guru from NearGale Storm bought me along on my first trek…along with the loan of the majority of my crucial gear (down jacket, -10°C rated sleeping bag, etc). You will also save the cost of buying new equipment and eliminate any stress related to flying with oversized luggage. You may even be able to save on routine trail services, which have a way of being crazy expensive. Assuming you bring along a high-capacity power bank and solar charger, you won’t have to shell out for the high-priced (and frequently less than reliable) teahouse charging stations. Pack a stash of your own high-energy snacks from Kathmandu — anything from chocolate bars to nuts can cost three to four times as much in the mountains. By being on your own in these little ways, you can avoid all sorts of hidden fees.
The Power of the Off-Season
The best time to hike to the Everest Base Camp is in spring and autumn, but during high seasons, prices are higher than for one night’s stay and food. A sneaky way to pocket a notably larger sum than you expect is by hiking in what are known as the shoulder seasons. Late fall (November through early December) or late winter (February to early March), you get clear skies and views, plus lower prices and fewer people. Except for the reduced temperatures — for which a warm sleeping bag and down jacket should suffice — you’re sure to save in nearly every other part of your adventure. Everest Base Camp trek cost can vary greatly if you don’t mind a little bit of cold!
Final thoughts – what is a Budget Trek really costing us?
Budget can not be less safe and fun on the Everest BIKE Hike! It’s where we are being called to get real, and make refined decisions, decide what matters from a new perspective (goodbye confrontation), and specialize in being more intentional. For poor man travel tips on the trek of a lifetime, take overland transportation, use your intelligence in buying food and water, take in your own supplies, and you will be surprised at what you can save. This is cash for you to extend your trip longer, see more of Nepal, or even just reward yourself. The “price” of cruising, the EBC trek, or any other expedition is a percentage of a bigger, more physical expenditure. The reward for it all, the time and the money, the end isn’t financial; after paying out a few grand, you get nothing back except knowing that you’ve achieved something truly remarkable by standing on the foot of Mount Everest – and that is priceless.
