Nepal is home to thrill-seekers and adventurers. It is one of the mystical vacation destinations if you wish to spend your days in the lap of the Himalayas. Nepal is known as home to the eight highest peaks in the world.
Hence, trekking in Nepal is a world-famous spot with hundreds of trekking routes available. From novice travelers to experienced ones, there are adventures awaiting everyone. This wide variety of options for travelers makes Nepal one of the favorable choices to spend a vacation.
Additionally, Nepal is one of the most affordable countries in the world; hence, you can also travel here on a budget and yet have the best moments of your life. All the untouched beauty, remote trails, rich cultural values, and friendly locals make the trip worthwhile.
Top Five Budget-Friendly Treks To Try In Nepal
The mentioned treks below are primarily for short periods and at low altitudes. Often the trekking cost surges when you elevate higher and spend more days on the track.
Mardi Himal Trek
- Starting And Ending Point: Kande
- Trekking Region: Annapurna
- Trekking Duration: 7 Days
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
- Maximum Altitude: 4500 meters at Mardi Himal Base Camp
- Best Seasons: Autumn (September, October, and November)
Mardi Himal Trek is a challenging and breathtaking trek in the Annapurna region, one of the lesser-known routes among travelers. During winter, this trail is heavenly, with great views of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhare, and Manaslu.
During this journey, you will pass through forests full of oaks and rhododendrons, suspension bridges, and traditional ethnic villages.
Highlights Of The Trek
- Stunning view of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchre, and Manaslu ranges.
- Heavenly pictures from Australian Camp, Pothana, Deurali, Badal Danda, View Point, and Mardi Himal Base Camp.
- Witness picturesque villages, lush green hills, beautiful forests of oak and rhododendron, lovely lakes, cascading waterfalls, and fine valleys.
- Experience a rich tradition & culture.
Khopra Ridge Trek
- Starting And Ending Point: Pokhara
- Trekking Region: Annapurna
- Trekking Duration: 6 Days
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
- Maximum Altitude: 3660 meters at Khopra Danda
- Best Seasons: Autumn (September, October, November, and December) and Spring (March, April, and May)
It is one of the underrated trekking trails and is perfect during winter weather. With this trail, you will experience traditional villages, terraced farms, and notable mountain peaks.
Likewise, you will also walk through the Rhododendron forest with Himalayan wildlife like pheasants and yaks. During the journey, you will also pass through Poon Hill (3,210 meters / 10,531 feet), which offers you mesmerizing sunset and sunrise views.
Highlights Of The Trek
- Witness the fantastic views of Mt. Dhaulagiri, Annapurna (I, II, III, and south), Hiunchuli, Machhapuchhre, Lamjung Himal, and Nilgiri.
- Visit the holy Khayar Lake.
- Stay a night at Ghandruk.
- Visit the cheese factory at Swanta village.
- Get sunrise and sunset views from Poon Hill.
Langtang Valley Trek
- Starting And Ending Point: Syabrubesi
- Trekking Region: Langtang
- Trekking Duration: 8 Days
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
- Maximum Altitude: 4800 meters / 15655 feet (Kyanjing Ri)
- Best Seasons: Autumn (September, October, November, and December) and Spring (March, April, and May)
It is one of the closest trails to the Kathmandu valley. Langtang Valley offers over 70 glaciers and reaches a maximum altitude of 4,773m at Kyangjin Ri. This high altitude provides a panoramic view of the Langtang range that looks stunning with winter snow cover.
Here, the trails are rough but give you a warm experience. Likewise, it is also an opportunity to get a closer look at the ethnic culture of Tamang and Sherpa. While here, you can also visit Langtang National Park and observe wildlife like Himalayan monal, Himalayan tahrs, wild dogs, and snow leopards.
Highlights Of The Trek
- Visit the local Cheese Factory in Kyanjing Gompa.
- Walk through stunning Rhododendron forests, high alpine meadows, and yak pastures.
- Get panoramic views of the Langtang Ri, Langtang, Langsisa, and Ganjala Peaks.
- Experience Tibetan Buddhist culture and life firsthand.
- Climb Tserko Ri for its stunning scenic views.
Jomsom Muktinath Trek
- Starting And Ending Point: Kathmandu
- Trekking Region: Annapurna
- Trekking Duration: 7 Days
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Maximum Altitude: 3,855 meters at Muktinath
- Best Seasons: March, April, October, November, and December
One of the religious treks, Jomsom Muktinath, also provides gorgeous sites in the area of Annapurna. This trek will take you through the diverse geographical structure, culture, religion, ethnic groups, and remote villages.
Similarly, you will also get to explore the Kagbeni, Poon Hill, Kali Gandaki Gorge, Muktinath, and Jomsom. During winter, these dry valleys will be covered in snow. Here, the highest altitude is at an elevation of 3,800 meters at Muktinath.
Highlights Of The Trek
- Get close-up views of Annapurna I (8,091 meters) to the east and Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters).
- Explore the settlement of the Tibetan tribe people and Buddhist religious practice.
- Walk along the world’s deepest gorge Kali Gandaki formed by the Kaligandaki River.
- Take a bath in a natural hot spring.
- Explore the lake city of Pokhara.
Annapurna Base Camp Trek
- Starting And Ending Point: Pokhara
- Trekking Duration: 11 Days
- Trekking Region: Annapurna
- Maximum Altitude: 4,130 meters at Annapurna Base Camp
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
- Best Seasons: February, March, April, May, June, September, October, November, and December
It is one of the most beautiful trekking tracks that take you to the base of the world’s tenth-highest mountain, Annapurna (8,091 meters). This journey gives you fantastic scenery of culturally enriched villages and diverse landscapes.
It is also incorporated with the famous Poon Hill trail, which is the viewpoint for sunrise and sunset. You will also enjoy the natural hot water pool at Jhinu Danda. As this trek takes you through the Annapurna Conservation Area, it is also known as Annapurna Sanctuary Trek.
Highlights Of The Trek
- Amazing views of Hiunchuli, Annapurna South Annapurna I, Khangsar, Gangapurna, Annapurna III and Machhapuchhare
- Explore the villages and farmland at Ghandrunk
- Sunrise views of Annapurna ranges, Dhaulagiri I (8,167 meters / 26,795 feet), Annapurna I (8,091 meters / 26,545 feet), and Nilgiri (7,061 meters / 23,166 feet) from the Poon Hill viewpoint
- Take a bath at a natural hot spring in Jhinu Danda (1,780 meters / 6,393 feet)
Know About Your Cost Expenses While Trekking In Nepal
While trekking in Nepal, multiple factors take into account. From transportation, food, drinks, accommodation, and many more, it is best to understand all the aspects of your cost expenses.
Transportation Costs
Transporting in Nepal offers you various mediums such as local buses, flights, tourist buses, or private vehicles. If you are trekking in the Annapurna region, you will have the options for both airways and roadways; however, if you go toward the Everest region, you will only have the opportunity of airways.
Often the Annapurna trek routes start from Pokhara, and to reach there, you will have four options; flight, local bus, tourist bus, or even private car. Here, flights cost you around USD 120, while local buses will take in around USD 3.5-5. You can also choose tourist buses which cost USD 8-30 depending on the bus Company and the time you travel.
The last option is the private bus that costs you USD 40-60. The Everest treks start from Lukla, for which you must take a flight. A typical flight to Lukla from Kathmandu will cost around USD 160 to 190 per person one way.
Moving on, if you are looking forward to your Langtang region trekking, you will have three options local bus, tourist bus, or jeep. The ride in a local bus will cost 3.5-6 USD per person, and the tourist bus will cost 10-15 USD per person, while the jeep ride will be 8-10 USD per person.
Furthermore, the Manaslu region trekking often starts from Soti Khola, and you can reach there via local bus and jeep. The local bus ride will cost around USD 10 per person, and the jeep ride will be USD 150-200.
Trekking Permit Costs
Wherever you trek in Nepal, you will have to pay for the permit fees as during the trek; you will walk through multiple conservation areas. One of the most common permits is the TIMS card, which is required for every region except the Everest region.
Apart from this, several other unique permit cards for certain conservation areas you cross. Below are such permits with their costs.
- TIMS (Trekkers Information Management System): USD 20 per person
- SNP (Sagarmatha National Park Permit): USD 35 per person
- ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit): USD 20 per person
- MCAP (Manaslu Conservation Area Permit): USD 20 per person
- TUSM (Tsum Valley Conservation Area Permit): USD 35 per person
Guides And Porters Cost
Unless you travel independently, you will have a guide and a porter by your side. Many areas do not require the assistance of guides. However, some areas are restricted to travel alone.
So, usually, a guide will charge you between 20 to 25 USD daily, while some even charge a bit more. Likewise, a porter will charge you around 15 to 18 USD per day.
Accommodation, Food, And Drink
During the trek, you will typically stay in a tea House. A typical tea House will cost you USD 3-5, but it varies as per the region you are traveling to. Apart from tea houses, there are even luxury lodges you can choose to stay on, costing around 100-300 USD per night.
Below is the average price range of accommodation in certain regions.
- Annapurna region: 5-25 USD per night
- Everest region: 10-35 USD per night
- Manaslu circuit: 6-15 USD per night
- Langtang valley: 12-15 USD per night
During the trek, the food is usually the staple, Daal, Bhaat, and ra Tarkari (Rice, Pulses, and Curry). The higher your altitude, the more expensive it gets with the food menus and drinks. In the drinks section, you will often get tea, coffee, beer, or water options.
A full-course breakfast, lunch, and dinner will cost you around 15-30 USD during the higher altitude will sectionize the drinks section as follows.
- Tea: 1.5 to 4 USD per cup
- Coffee: 2 to 4 USD per cup
- Beer: 5 to 10 USD per bottle
- Water: 0.5 to 5 USD per bottle
Miscellaneous Costs
Well, yes, many factors apart from the above will cost you some extra charges. If you wish to charge your phone, it will also cost you. Tea houses typically charge you 2-5 USD per hour for each device you trust.
Not to mention, you will also have to pay for the hot showers as well. Each hot shower in the region will cost you around 3-5 dollars. And yes, you will have to pay for the Wifi as well.
You will have two options for wifi usage. One will cost you around 3-5 USD. The other is a prepaid wifi card which will cost you around 3 USD for 100 MB.
Frequently Asked Questions
Trekking is an outdoor activity of walking for more than a day. Exploring and enjoying the scenery is the purpose of this form of walking. Trekking could be a motive; It could be a commitment, an aim, an objective, a mission, a Party, or a social gathering.
One of the significant benefits of trekking is that it improves your physical health immensely. Spending multiple hours on the trail, climbing around boulders, rock hopping, and ascending hills gives your whole body a workout, improving your strength, agility, and cardio fitness.