The Gosaikunda Trek was surprisingly more expensive (per day) than any other trek we’ve done in Nepal which is why it’s so important to see the true Gosaikunda trekking cost. The cheapest teahouse room was sometimes three times the price of other routes. We also found the food to be a little more on the expensive side, and the teahouses charged an additional amount for everything including wifi, phone charging, hot water, etc. It’s important to budget properly so that you don’t run out of money on the way. Here’s what we spent…
Gosaikunda Trekking Itinerary
Day 1 – Kathmandu – Dhunche by Jeep
Day 2 – Dhunche – Chandanbari (Sing Gompa)
Day 3 – Chandanbari (Sing Gompa) to Gosaikunda
Day 4 – Gosaikunda to Chandanbari (Sing Gompa)
Day 5 – Chandanbari (Sing Gompa) to Dhunche
Day 6 – Dhunche to Kathmandu by Jeep
Gosaikunda Trekking Cost Per Day
I like to do a daily breakdown because on my first big backpacking trip, I only had a budget of $30 a day. Breaking down the cost of everything made it easier for me to see what I could afford on my budget.
This is also a daily breakdown for those who don’t follow the same itinerary. I’ve calculated it based on the average we spent on each item. If you add or subtract a day, you can use the totals below to figure out your budget. Note, the higher the altitude, the higher the expenses. So those who spend an extra day in Gosaikunda should budget above the average I mention below.
*These amounts are per person.
Breakfast $5.40 – I like to eat a large breakfast with eggs, toast, and coffee. If I don’t eat properly, I get grumpy. I know some people who spend less on breakfast than I do, but I think it’s good to budget at least $5 USD a day.
Lunch $4.28 – We typically ordered dal bhat for lunch which ranges between 500 rupees and 800 rupees on the trekking route depending on where you are. We had a cheap lunch for less than $3 on the highway on the way there and back, so this makes the average lower.
Dinner $5.37 – We typically ordered vegetable dal bhat for dinner which ranges between 500 rupees and 800 rupees on the trekking route depending on where you are.
Snacks $1.69 – Snacks consisted mostly of tea breaks while walking. We sometimes got a small pack of biscuits with it.
Accommodations $10.15 – The teahouses on this route are the most expensive of anywhere I’ve trekked in Nepal. It’s normally $7 at most for a double room, but here it was $10 per room. If you share a room, it’s only $5 each, but if you trek solo, then it’ll be at least $10 a night.
Transportation $41.67 – The jeep ride for this trek is very expensive. If you’re on a budget, you can take the bus. However, everyone says the bus is terrifying, and I found the jeep ride enjoyable. I’ve done this trip two times and highly recommend a jeep. If you rent the whole jeep for yourself, it’ll come to over $40 a day because the total price is $250 round trip. However, you can split this with up to 6 people. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find others to share with, so we (2 people) paid $125 each which made this amount around $20 a day per person.
Permit $3.78 – The Gosaikunda trekking permit is about $26 per person. If you divide that by 6 days, then you’re spending about $4 a day.
Other $ 0 – $20 – We didn’t have any extra expenses, but I recommend having some room here for emergencies. We also eat one meal each and don’t get snacks or desserts. If you plan to have a very comfortable vacation and want to order snacks, desserts, beer, alcohol, or large thermoses of tea or hot cocoa, then add up to $20 a day for your budget.
Optional Costs
Porter $25.00 – Porters charge about 3,000 rupees per day on this route (as it’s more expensive for them to eat) and it’s customary to tip 10%. Therefore you will spend about $25.00 a day (including tips) if you’d like someone to carry your bag. If you pack light, porters can typically carry two people’s bags and you can split this cost.
Guide $35.00 – Guides charge about 4,000 rupees a day, and it’s customary to tip 10% therefore you will spend about $35.00 a day if you would like a guide. This is the price per group, so if you are a group of five people, you would split this price five ways making it around $7.00 USD per person per day.
Gosaikunda Trekking Cost Over 6 Days
*These amounts are per person.
Breakfast $26.96 – This amount does not include the morning you drive from Kathmandu to Dhunche as most hotels provide breakfast for free.
Lunch $25.68 – We usually ordered vegetable dal bhat.
Dinner $26.83 – This does not include dinner the last night as you will likely be back in Kathmandu and food costs vary greatly based on where you go and what you order..
Snacks $8.48 – This was mostly spent on tea. We also bought $5 of yak cheese in Chandanbari which we snacked on during the trip.
Accommodations $50.75 – If you share a standard room, you can pay as little as $25 USD for the entire trek. If you want a private room, it will cost closer to $50. This is the price for 5 nights and does not include the 6th night back in Kathmandu.
Transportation $250.00 – This is the price for a private jeep. While I typically take buses, I don’t recommend it on this route. Anyone I’ve met who took the bus says it was the scariest ride of their life. You can share the jeep with 6 people which would make it around $42 per person round trip.
Permit $26.00 – The permit costs around $26 USD per person.
Other $0-$120.00 – If you plan to travel without watching your budget, for instance ordering beer, snacks, dessert, etc. or if you want showers, Wifi, or need to charge your phone daily, budget for up to $120.00 USD for the week.
Optional Costs
Porter $150.00 – It will cost about $150 (including tip) to have a porter carry your bag for 7 days. If you pack light, you can usually share a porter with two people and split the cost.
Guide $200.00 – A guide will cost about $200 (including tip) for 7 days. This price can be split between the group. The more people you have, the cheaper it is per person.
Total Gosaikunda Trekking Cost
$162 for Solo Travel – It costs about $162 without transportation or luxury costs, however, I always recommend budgeting more as you may eat more than I did or want extra luxuries that I opted not to get. This is probably the least you will spend on this trek. Plus, you’ll need to add in transportation costs.
+ $20 for round trip bus fare per person
+ $250 for a jeep divided by the number of people you share with
+ $120 for luxury costs (dessert, beer, alcohol, showers, wifi, phone charging, etc.)
$315 with Porter – It costs about $315 without transportation, however, I always recommend budgeting more as you may eat more than I did or want extra luxuries that I opted not to get. If you share the porter with another person, then you can split the cost and this trip will cost closer to $240.
+ $20 for round trip bus fare per person
+ $250 for a jeep divided by the number of people you share with
+ $120 for luxury costs (dessert, beer, alcohol, showers, wifi, phone charging, etc.)
$365 with Guide – It costs about $365 without transportation, however, I always recommend budgeting more as you may eat more than I did or want extra luxuries that I opted not to get. If you share the guide with a group, then the cost of the trip would decrease accordingly.
+ $20 for round trip bus fare per person
+ $250 for a jeep divided by the number of people you share with
+ $120 for luxury costs (dessert, beer, alcohol, showers, wifi, phone charging, etc.)
$515 with Porter and Guide – It costs about $515 without transportation, however, I always recommend budgeting more as you may eat more than I did or want extra luxuries that I opted not to get. If you share the guide with a group or share the porter with another person, then the cost of the trip would decrease accordingly.
+ $20 for round trip bus fare per person
+ $250 for a jeep divided by the number of people you share with
+ $120 for luxury costs (dessert, beer, alcohol, showers, wifi, phone charging, etc.)
How much money should you carry on the Gosaikunda Trek?
I always recommend having $100 – $200 extra. It’s better to have too much money than too little. There are no ATMs or banks, so if you run out of money, you’ll have a hard time managing. I’ve had to lend money to trekkers before, and our cousin also lent money to a trekker who ran out of cash on route. Make sure to budget the total amount you may spend and be honest with your dining/traveling habits. I’ve met people who spent $50 a day on food alone because they ordered tons of snacks, desserts, beer, alcohol, etc.. They then took showers and used unlimited wifi every day. If you want comfort, budget for it.
Have any questions about these Gosaikunda trekking costs? Ask me in the comments.
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Michelle Della Giovanna
Writer at Full Time Explorer
I’m just your average New Yorker who quit her job in the fashion industry to explore the world. Come find out what it’s like to trade in five-inch heels for squat toilets.
Loved your detailed description of the trek. Thank you!
Beautiful article and photos, thanks