The Helambu trek cost more than most treks in Nepal, so it’s important to budget properly. Leading up to Gosaikunda, the teahouses are more expensive and very basic. Once you enter the Helambu region the teahouses are more like small hotels with nice beds, attached baths, and thick cement walls to keep you warm. These upgrades also come with a price increase making the Helambu trekking route a little expensive compared to others.
Helambu 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 Ghopte
Day 5 – Ghopte to Melamchi Ghyang
Day 6 – Melamchi Ghyang to Tarkeghyang
Day 7 – Tarkeghyang to Sermathang
Day 8 – Sermathang to Kathmandu
Helambu Trekking Cost Per Day
*These amounts are per person with a shared double occupancy room.
When I first started traveling, I was on a $30 USD a day budget. Doing multiple day treks was hard to figure out when I planned my trips, so I always break down the costs with a daily average so people can get a sense of what things cost. Here’s what you might spend. Note: I travel pretty modestly and don’t order drinks (just free water), don’t get wifi, snacks, etc. so my budget is on the lower end of what you might spend.
Breakfast $5.14 – I like a big breakfast. With hours of walking ahead, this is important for energy. A good breakfast and coffee will cost around $5 USD per person. This doesn’t include the first day as most hotels in Kathmandu will give you breakfast for free as part of the room charge.
Lunch $4.19 – I typically order dal bhat for lunch. I don’t order any drinks as I’m usually trying to hydrate with water which is free. Dal bhat has free refills and is perfect for trekking.
Dinner $4.46 – Again, I tend to order dal bhat as it’s filling and healthy. I don’t order any drinks with dinner. If you want non-alcoholic drinks, add $2 USD to your budget each night. Alcoholic drinks cost closer to $7 USD.
Snacks $1.02 – Snacks are typically tea stops on the trekking route. We pack a few snacks like granola in our bags, so we usually just have tea. If you want cookies or a cooked snack budget $1-$5 more a day.
Accommodations $6.37 – This is for a shared room. A single occupancy costs $12.74 per person. The teahouses on this route are more expensive than other areas in Nepal. We usually pay $7 per room (for double occupancy), but here it was between $8 and $15 a night for a double occupancy room.
Transportation $3-$30 – Transportation depends entirely on the option you choose and how many people you go with. A bus ticket will be under $15, but we usually take a private jeep for safety and comfort. The last time we went to Langtang National Park, we shared the jeep with six people and split the cost, but this time it was just two of us. A jeep costs about $125 each way, so that broke down to about $15 each a day.
Permit $2.88 – The permit is about $25 per person depending on the exchange rate. That breaks down to $2.88 a day.
Other $2 – We bought some yak cheese, wifi one day, and a bottle of whiskey the last night. If you want comfort, I’d calculate another $10-$25 a day in the other category.
Optional Costs
Porter $22.00 – Porters charge about 2,500 rupees per day and it’s customary to tip 10%, therefore, you will spend about $22.00 a day (including tip) 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 $39.00 – Guides charge about 4,000 rupees a day, and it’s customary to tip 10% therefore you will spend about $39.00 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 $8.00 per person per day.
Helambu Trekking Cost Over 7 Days
*These amounts are per person.
Breakfast $36.03 – This does not include breakfast for the first day as many hotels in Kathmandu provide breakfast for free.
Lunch $33.53
Dinner $35.69
Snacks $8.23
Accommodations $44.61 – If you share a standard room, you can pay as little as $45 USD for the entire trek. If you want a private room, it will cost closer to $90. This is the price for seven nights and does not include the eighth night back in Kathmandu.
Transportation $20-$250 – Transportation costs depend entirely on how comfortable you want to be. A bus will cost about $20 but a private vehicle round trip will be $250. To give a little insight, a couple who took a jeep to Melamchi Ghyang was considering hiring a $1600 helicopter simply to avoid having to drive on that road again. While $250 might sound like a lot, it was worth it in my opinion. We split this cost two ways so it was $125 each round trip.
Permit $23
Other $15.00 – If you want showers, Wifi, or need to charge your phone daily, budget for up to $120.00 USD extra.
Optional Costs
Porter $170 – It will cost about $170 USD to have a porter carry your bag for 8 days. If you pack light, you can usually share a porter with two people and split the cost.
Guide $270 – A guide will cost about $270 for 8 days. This price can be split between the group. The more people you have, the cheaper it is per person.
Total Helambu Trekking Cost
$196 for Solo Travel – It costs about $196 per person with a double occupancy room and 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.)
$366 with Porter – It costs about $366 with a double occupancy room and 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 $281.
+ $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.)
$466 with Guide – It costs about $466 with a double occupancy room and 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 you can split the cost and this trip will be cheaper.
+ $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.)
$636 with Porter and Guide – It costs about $636 with a double occupancy room and 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 and share the guide with a group, then you can split the cost and this trip will be cheaper.
+ $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 Helambu 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 the Helambu Trekking cost? 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.
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