I’ve tried to make a comprehensive budget for my Three Passes Trek Guide, but some things have changed since I did the trek in 2018. Most importantly, almost all guesthouses past Namche Bazaar will charge you 500 rupees per night. Guesthouse owners were tired of people staying for free! (Which is completely understandable).
Accommodation
500 rupees per night at high elevation
TransportationÂ
This will vary greatly depending on where you decide to start the Three Passes Trek without a guide. I recommend flying into Lukla if you’re short on time (keep in mind that its common for flights to be delayed or cancelled if there’s low visibility). This will set you back $170 x 2 = $340.Â
Trekking in from Jiri or Salleri saves on flight costs, but you’ll pay for overland transportation from Kathmandu, $15-$20, and the cost for the extra days you’re spending in the mountains, $10-$15 per day.
PermitsÂ
If you haven’t purchased any permits before leaving Kathmandu like I did, add an extra 5390 rupees ($54) to take with you to buy the permits on the trek!
FoodÂ
Above, I mentioned a budget for $10 per day for food before Namche, and $30 per day after Namche. I thought I could cut down on this cost, but when every meal at high altitude cost $7-9, cups of tea are $2-3, and bottles of water are $3-4, it adds up quickly.
Charging ElectronicsÂ
Charging electronics and free wifi are basically nonexistent on this trail unlike in the Annapurna region. Definitely invest in a portable battery pack.
It’s a good idea to have everything charged before you leave Namche. Some of the restaurants, bars, and bakeries in Namche will let you charge for free while you’re spending time at their business. As you get to higher altitude, you’ll be spending 200-300 rupees an hour to charge phones and even more for battery packs because the guesthouses are running on solar power.
WiFi (Everest Link)Â
Since I had an NCell SIM card, in Namche I had 4G and in Tengboche I had 3G service. Everywhere else, to stay connected you need to purchase the Everest Link internet cards. These are 600 rupees ($6) for 200 MB of internet usage, which is ridiculous but there’s no other option.
Make sure you turn off auto-updates, and keep in mind that each code can only be used for one device. I only bought this once during the trek, after I had been offline for a week people at home had started to worry.
Personal Hygiene
Showers at high altitude cost from 200 rupees for a cold bucket of water, to 700 rupees for a gas shower. Some go the entire trek without showering, but I did three times in 25 days just to retain some level of cleanliness.
Since I had some space in my bag, I invested in some extra toilet paper rolls to bring from Namche also. At the shops in Namche they’re 200 rupees, but in the mountains you’ll be paying 400-500 per roll. Since I was sick and blowing my nose every 10 seconds, these came in very handy!
GearÂ
Coming from hot and humid India I didn’t have any winter clothing aside from a hat, leggings, sweatpants, and a NorthFace GoreTex jacket I picked up from a hostel in Cambodia. Luckily, you can find any trekking gear you can dream of in Thamel.Â
Check out my perfect trekking in Nepal packing list!Â
I chose to buy gear instead of renting it because I trekked both the Annapurna Circuit AND the Three Passes Trek. I bought hiking boots ($40), sleeping bag ($25), trekking poles ($5), a fleece ($5), trekking poles ($5), light windbreaker ($10), and microspikes ($10) = $100.
Total Budget for the Three Passes Trek Unguided
I personally spent about $700 USD on the Three Passes Trek over the course of 25 days (excluding the cost of gear I listed above).Â
I was sick for a while and buying pots of tea ($10) and throat lozenges ($4) everywhere, and I splurged on beers ($7) and apple pies ($4) in Namche. Real budget travelers can expect to spend around $600 trekking the Three Passes Trek unguided.Â
It’s a good idea to bring this entire sum of money with you when you start the trek.
Very informative travel blog!
Wow, such a detailed post that would be so helpful to plan a great hike to Everest Base Camp. Loving the pictures so much.
This is a very complete guide for everyone who wants to trek to Everest base camp. It sounds like a tough trek but so rewarding when you get to the top.
Such an awesome post and very detail article. Wonderful tips and very good guide on how we can make thru this challenge. By doing your itinerary I may say this is very much possible to accomplish.
This is such a detailed pist. Thank you for sharing this. This will definitely help me when I go trekking. Love it.
I think it would be so neat to do a big hike like this. Maybe one day! I never knew about the insurance and permits thing either. That is good to know!
I would love to do this. I love the mountains
Its a great informative post! I was not aware of most of these things. Thanks for sharing.
It’s a great informative post. Thank you for sharing this. It sounds like a tough trek but so rewarding when you get to the top.
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A great thanks really. I was thinking of doing EBC and this post is a boon to me. Downloading it really <3
I’m glad it’s helpful 🙂 Good luck!
Such a detailed post and you have beautiful pictures. this must have been incredible. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This is such a detailed guide!! I learned so much and anyone about to attempt this trek should read this.
Excellent post! You covered everything! I want to go back to the Himalayas someday, but I’m a bit discouraged for now – I picked up Salmonella and some nasty parasites during my trip :(.
Really impressive information about Everest Base Camp trek, Yes maps. me always provide right directions.
Thank you! I was happy to have maps.me with me on the trek for sure.