How Much Does a Trip to Nepal Cost? Real Budgets From a Kathmandu Operator
A Nepal holiday of about two weeks usually costs about USD 1,700 to 2,250 per person with a guide, before international flights and travel insurance.
A tour of Kathmandu, Chitwan, Lumbini and Pokhara costs about USD 1,750. Adding a short Poon Hill trek costs about the same. Everest Base Camp costs about USD 2,200. These figures assume two people booking together.
- 2-week budget: about USD 1,700 to 2,250 per person, plus flights and insurance
- Visa: USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days, USD 125 for 90 days
- Guided treks: from USD 440 for Poon Hill to USD 1,160 for Everest Base Camp, depending on group size
- Chitwan safari: USD 310 to 480 per person for 3 days, all meals included, depending on group size
- City meals: about USD 15 to 30 a day
- Trail meals: about USD 25 to 40 a day, paid as you go
- Prices checked: October 2026
Most Nepal cost guides only cover the trek, or give daily averages that don’t add up. We’re a trekking and tour company based in Kathmandu. The package prices here are what we charge. The extra costs are our estimates, based on local prices and what a typical trip needs.
Below are three sample budgets for a trip of about two weeks, followed by the cost of each part of the trip. Unless we say otherwise, the prices in this guide are per person for 2 to 3 people travelling together.
- Three Sample Nepal Holiday Budgets
- What a Package Covers, and What You Pay on Top
- Solo, Pair or Group: How Price Changes
- Nepal Visa
- Hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara
- Food and Drink
- The Trek
- Kathmandu Sightseeing
- Chitwan National Park
- Adding Lumbini and Pokhara
- Getting Around
- Other Costs to Plan For
- How to Save Money
- FAQs
Three Sample Nepal Holiday Budgets
These are per person, for two people booking together and sharing rooms, at our current prices. International flights and travel insurance are not included. Prices change with group size, dates and room choice, so ask us for a quote for your own trip.
1. Culture and Wildlife, No Trek (14 days)
Kathmandu, Chitwan, Lumbini, Tansen and Pokhara on our Nepal Highlights Tour.
| Item | USD |
|---|---|
| 30-day visa | 50 |
| Nepal Highlights Tour, 14 days | 1,345 |
| Lunches and dinners not included, about 11 days | 220 |
| Tips for guide and driver | 100 |
| SIM card and small extras | 20 |
| Total | about 1,735 |
2. Culture, Wildlife and a Short Trek (13 days)
Kathmandu, Chitwan, Lumbini, Pokhara and a 4-day trek to Poon Hill on our Nepal Heritage and Poon Hill Trek.
| Item | USD |
|---|---|
| 30-day visa | 50 |
| Nepal Heritage and Poon Hill Trek, 13 days | 1,250 |
| Trail meals, 4 days | 120 |
| City lunches and dinners not included, about 8 days | 160 |
| Trail extras (showers, charging, WiFi) | 30 |
| Tips for guide, porter, driver and naturalist | 120 |
| Total | about 1,730 |
The down jacket and sleeping bag are included, so there’s no gear rental to pay.
3. Everest Base Camp (15 days)
Our 14-day Everest Base Camp Trek, plus one buffer day for Lukla flight delays, used for sightseeing if flights run on time.
| Item | USD |
|---|---|
| 30-day visa | 50 |
| Everest Base Camp Trek, 14 days | 1,160 |
| Trail meals, about 11 days | 420 |
| Trail extras (showers, charging, WiFi) | 150 |
| Tips for guide and porter | 150 |
| Kathmandu sightseeing day | 85 |
| 1 extra night in Kathmandu | 50 |
| City meals | 80 |
| Gear rental and SIM card | 70 |
| Total | about 2,215 |
What a Package Covers, and What You Pay on Top
A trek price is not the same as the total holiday cost. Before comparing quotes, check what each company includes. Here’s how ours work.
| Item | Our trek packages | Our tours |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed guide | Included | Included |
| Porter (one per two trekkers) | Included | Not needed |
| Permits and entry fees | Included | Included |
| Hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara, with breakfast | Included | Included |
| Teahouse rooms on the trail | Included | Not needed |
| Transport and airport transfers | Included | Included |
| Trail meals | Not included, about $25 to $40 a day | Not needed |
| City lunches and dinners | Not included | Not included, except Chitwan and the farewell dinner |
| Showers, charging and WiFi on the trail | Not included | Not needed |
| Tips | Not included | Not included |
| Visa, insurance and international flights | Not included | Not included |
We leave trail meals out on purpose. Appetites differ a lot, and paying as you go means you only pay for what you eat.
Solo, Pair or Group: How Price Changes
Our prices are per person and drop as your group gets bigger.
| Trip | Solo | 2 to 3 people | 4 to 9 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, 9 days | 870 | 550 | 440 |
| Kathmandu Cultural Tour, 6 days | 710 | 450 | 390 |
| Chitwan Safari, 3 days | 480 | 350 | 310 |
| Nepal Cultural Safari Tour, 8 days | 1,290 | 820 | 560 |
| Nepal Heritage and Poon Hill Trek, 13 days | 1,780 | 1,250 | 920 |
| Nepal Highlights Tour, 14 days | 1,720 | 1,345 | 1,150 |
If you’re travelling alone, joining one of our fixed departures usually gets you the 2 to 3 person rate.
Nepal Visa
Most visitors get a tourist visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport or apply online beforehand. Fees are set by Nepal’s Department of Immigration.
| Visa length | Fee |
|---|---|
| 15 days | USD 30 |
| 30 days | USD 50 |
| 90 days | USD 125 |
For a 2-week trip, the 30-day visa is safer, in case a flight delay pushes you past 15 days. See our Nepal visa guide.
Hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara
Hotels are included on all our trips. If you add nights of your own, rough prices per room are:
- Budget guesthouse: about USD 15 to 30
- Mid-range hotel: about USD 50 to 100
- Upscale hotel: USD 150 and up
Thamel in Kathmandu and Lakeside in Pokhara have the most choice.
Food and Drink
- Local food like dal bhat or momos: a few dollars a meal
- Tourist restaurants in Thamel or Lakeside: about USD 8 to 15 a meal
- A day of eating in the city: about USD 15 to 30
- On the trek: about USD 25 to 40 a day, more the higher you go
See our Nepal trekking cost guide for trail food prices on each trek.
The Trek
The trek is the biggest part of most Nepal budgets. Our prices below are per person for 2 to 3 people.
| Trek | Days from Kathmandu | From |
|---|---|---|
| Ghorepani Poon Hill | 9 | USD 550 |
| Annapurna Base Camp Express | 10 | USD 568 |
| Annapurna Base Camp | 14 | USD 820 |
| Everest View Trek | 9 | USD 1,020 |
| Everest Base Camp | 14 | USD 1,160 |
Add trail meals, small extras and tips on top. For every trek we run, see our Nepal trekking cost guide.
Kathmandu Sightseeing
Kathmandu Valley has seven UNESCO-listed monument zones. Entry fees for foreigners at the main ones are roughly:
| Site | Entry fee |
|---|---|
| Kathmandu Durbar Square | NPR 1,000 |
| Patan Durbar Square | NPR 1,000 |
| Bhaktapur Durbar Square | NPR 1,800 |
| Pashupatinath | NPR 1,000 |
| Boudhanath | NPR 400 |
| Swayambhunath | NPR 200 |
Visiting these six costs about USD 40 in total. A guided sightseeing day with a vehicle can be added to any of our treks for USD 85. For a slower look, our 6-day Kathmandu Cultural Tour covers all seven monument zones from USD 450.
Chitwan National Park
Chitwan is Nepal’s best-known wildlife park, about 5 hours’ drive from Kathmandu or Pokhara. Rhinos, deer, crocodiles and hundreds of bird species live here, and you may see a tiger if you’re lucky.
Our 3-day Chitwan National Park Safari costs from USD 350 per person. It includes private transport, a jungle lodge, all meals, park fees, a jeep safari, a canoe ride, a guided jungle walk and a Tharu cultural show. The park entry fee alone is NPR 2,000 per day, as listed by the Nepal Tourism Board.
Adding Lumbini and Pokhara
Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, is about 4 to 5 hours from Chitwan. It’s an easy add-on if you’re already in the south.
We have three trips that combine them:
- Nepal Cultural Safari Tour: Pokhara, Lumbini and Chitwan in 8 days, from USD 820
- Nepal Heritage and Poon Hill Trek: the same places plus a 4-day trek to Poon Hill, 13 days, from USD 1,250
- Nepal Highlights Tour: adds Tansen, Nagarkot and more of Kathmandu Valley, with no trekking, 14 days, from USD 1,345
Getting Around
- Kathmandu to Pokhara: a tourist bus costs roughly NPR 1,500 to 2,000. A flight costs about USD 100 to 150. Our trips include the bus. See our Kathmandu to Pokhara guide.
- Taxis in Kathmandu: short rides usually cost a few dollars. Agree the fare before you get in.
- Airport transfers: included on all our trips.
Other Costs to Plan For
- Travel insurance: must cover trekking to your trek’s highest point and helicopter evacuation. See our travel insurance guide.
- Tips: for your guide, porter and driver at the end of the trip. See our tipping guide.
- Gear rental: a down jacket and sleeping bag rented in Kathmandu cost about USD 50 to 80 for a trek. Some packages already include them, like our Nepal Heritage and Poon Hill Trek, so check before you rent. See our gear rental guide.
- SIM card: a local SIM with data costs a few dollars. See NTC vs Ncell.
- Cash: most trekking routes have no ATMs, so carry Nepali rupees. See our money guide.
How to Save Money
- Travel as a group. Our prices drop for 4 or more people.
- Take the bus to Pokhara instead of flying.
- Eat dal bhat on the trail. It’s filling and usually comes with refills.
- Rent gear in Kathmandu instead of buying it at home, if your package doesn’t include it.
- Travel in spring instead of October and November, when flights and hotels cost more.
Treks in this guide
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a 2-week trip to Nepal cost?
About USD 1,700 to 2,250 per person with a guide, for two people booking together. International flights and travel insurance are extra.
Is Nepal expensive to visit?
Not compared with most countries. Hotels, food and transport are cheap. The biggest costs are flights, the trek and insurance.
How much is the Nepal visa?
USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days and USD 125 for 90 days.
Are meals included in a trek package?
On our treks, hotel breakfasts in the cities are included, but trail meals are paid as you go, about USD 25 to 40 a day. Other companies vary, so check before comparing prices.
How much does a Chitwan safari cost?
Our 3-day Chitwan safari costs USD 310 to 480 per person depending on group size, including transport, lodge, all meals, park fees and activities.
Can I visit Nepal without trekking?
Yes. Our Nepal Highlights Tour covers Kathmandu, Chitwan, Lumbini and Pokhara in 14 days with no trekking, from USD 1,345. If you’d like a taste of the mountains, the Nepal Heritage and Poon Hill Trek adds an easy 4-day trek for about the same total cost.
How much cash should I bring?
Enough rupees for trail meals, extras and tips on your trek, since ATMs are rare on the trails. See our money guide.
