The Panchase Trekking route is a three day two night trek around Phewa Lake in Pokhara, Nepal. This short trek is located near civilization, but far enough away that you feel like you’re in the mountains. It’s a low altitude trek with views of the Himalaya in the distance. The Panchase Trekking cost depends on your spending habits and the level of comfort you prefer. I’ll try to include a basic budget here along with the costs of extras so you can plan carefully before you head out.
Panchase Trekking Itinerary
Day 1 – Pokhara to Bhadaure by taxi and Bhadaure to Panchase Bhangyang by foot
Day 2 – Panchase Bhangyang to Pumdi Bhumdi by foot
Day 3 – Pumdi Bhumdi to Pokhara by foot and boat
Panchase 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 each day. Note: I travel modestly and don’t get wifi, snacks, alcoholic beverages, etc. so my budget is on the lower end of what you might spend.
Breakfast $5.00 – I prefer a large breakfast and coffee in the morning. On this route, there’s nowhere to stop for lunch or tea some days, so it’s important to eat a good meal before leaving in the morning.
Lunch $4.50 – I normally get dal baht for lunch. Western options might cost more. The second day we carried lunch with us which was chapati, boiled eggs, and roasted potatoes.
Dinner $4.50 – I usually get dal baht for dinner. You get free refills and a mix of different curries and vegetables along with rice. It’s filling, and usually, it’s the best thing on the menu since Nepalese cook this multiple times a day.
Snacks $1.50 – There aren’t many places to stop on the trail, so we ordered some food before leaving and took it with us to snack on.
Accommodations $2.50 – If you share a room, it’s only $2.50 a night. If you want your own room, it’ll be $5.00 a night. Please note, there are some fancy hotels near Pumdi Bhumdi where you can stay for $35-$50 a night. This is not included in this budget. Plan to spend extra if you want a comfort hotel.
Transportation $5.50 – We hired a taxi to take us to the starting point for 3,500 NRS and a boat to get us back to Pokhara for 650 NRS. We split it between two people, so it ended up being a little over $15 each. That means about $5.50 a day.
Permit $0.00 – No permit is required for this trek.
Other $1.50 – We shared a couple of beers during the trip.
Optional Costs
Porter $21.00 – Porters charge about 2,500 rupees per day and it’s customary to tip 10%, therefore, you will spend about $21.00 USD 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 $33.00 – Guides charge about 4,000 rupees a day, and it’s customary to tip 10% therefore you will spend about $33.00 USD 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.
Panchase Trekking Cost Over 3 Days
*These amounts are per person.
Breakfast $15.00
Lunch $13.50
Dinner $13.50
Snacks $4.50
Accommodations $9.00 – This is for a double occupancy room in a basic lodge/teahouse. This only includes the price of the two nights on the trek. The third night you will spend in Pokhara where you can stay in a room between $5 and $250 a night. Please note, there are some fancy hotels near Pumdi Bhumdi where you can stay for $35-$50 a night. This is not included in this budget. Plan to spend extra if you want a comfort hotel.
Transportation $31.00 – This is the price for a taxi and boat ride. If you share it with more than one person, you can split this cost.
Permit $0.00
Other $3.00 – This was for a celebratory beer the last night.
Optional Costs
Porter $57.00 – It will cost about $57 USD to have a porter carry your bag for 3 days. If you pack light, you can usually share a porter with two people and split the cost.
Guide $90.00 – A guide will cost about $90 for 3 days. This price can be split between the group. The more people you have, the cheaper it is per person.
Total Panchase Trekking Cost
$60 for Solo Travel – It costs about $60 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.
+ $31 for a taxi to the start and a boat to the finish (can be split by up to 4 people)
+ $100 for luxury costs (dessert, beer, alcohol, showers, wifi, phone charging, luxury hotels, etc.)
$120 with Porter – It costs about $120 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 $89.
+ $31 for a taxi to the start and a boat to the finish (can be split by up to 4 people)
+ $100 for luxury costs (dessert, beer, alcohol, showers, wifi, phone charging, luxury hotels, etc.)
$150 with Guide – It costs about $150 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.
+ $31 for a taxi to the start and a boat to the finish (can be split by up to 4 people)
+ $100 for luxury costs (dessert, beer, alcohol, showers, wifi, phone charging, luxury hotels, etc.)
$210 with Porter and Guide – It costs about $210 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.
+ $31 for a taxi to the start and a boat to the finish (can be split by up to 4 people)
+ $100 for luxury costs (dessert, beer, alcohol, showers, wifi, phone charging, luxury hotels, etc.)
How much money should you carry on the Panchase 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 Panchase Trekking cost? Ask 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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