Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek is an engaging, challenging, and fun adventure. It is one of the most extended treks in Nepal, so if you are not careful, you might go overboard with your expenses. You must always plan for the cost of the Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek and budget your expenses accordingly. This guide will teach you some of the essential costs you will incur and how to prioritize the expenses.
Many factors affect the cost of the Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek. Some factors, like permits, accommodation, food, guide costs, etc., are critical, while others may not be as important and fall way below the pecking order. If you want to experience the adventure on a budget, you must know and prioritize these factors before going too far with your expenses.
Table of Contents
This guide will discuss the cost of the Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek and the factors that influence it. Let’s get into them.
Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek Cost Breakdown
To budget your Kanchenjunga Trek efficiently, it is essential to break down the costs. Breaking down the costs for your trek based on their importance is necessary if you don’t want to overspend. Here are some essential costs, and you have to keep them as your priority.
Permits cost
The Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek is challenging and essential in Nepal. Among other commercial trekking destinations, the Kanchenjunga Trek is very underrated and doesn’t get much coverage in the media, mainly because it falls in a restricted area of Nepal. Since it is restricted, trekkers need a special permit to visit the destination. Remember that you can’t issue a special permit for a restricted area; you must issue the restricted permit on behalf of your authorized trekking agency.
The restricted area permit costs $10 per week. To enter the region, trekkers must also pay the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Permit, which costs Rs 2,000. Furthermore, when there was no region permit, all trekkers must have been issued the TIMS or Trekkers Information Management System card, which also costs Rs 2,000.
Accommodation cost:
Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek mostly has accommodation facilities from hotels, low-budgeted hotels, and tea houses to camping tent accommodation. During your first days, you will stay at Illam and Bhadrapur, where you can stay at somewhat expensive hotels and lodges. According to your services, these lodges charge from $15 to $30 per night. When you start climbing altitude and enter remote villages, the only accommodation you will get is the standard teahouses. They usually charge from $5 to $7 per night, but if you want extra services like internet, hot showers, etc, you might have to pay extra. In some portions of the trek, you will start walking alongside passes without teahouses and have to settle in the vast meadow in your tent.
Meals cost:
Like accommodation, your meal is another essential factor you must spend money on. Meals are there to fuel your body, which you need after a continuous day of trek for several hours. The trek is usually 18 to 20 days long, with 6-7 hours per trek daily. So, if you want your trek to go smoothly without falling ill, you must eat a balanced diet and nutritious foods. In the town areas like Bhadrapur and Illam, you can eat local and plenty of Western meals in hotels and restaurants. However, as you settle in the remote areas, the services decrease, and you will only have meal choices for the local food. Dal, Bhat, and Tarkari are standard options for lunch and dinner, whereas, for breakfast, you will have bread, toast, chapati, eggs, soups, etc. Generally, the hotels and lodges cost $15 to $20 per meal, whereas in teahouses, it costs $3-$7.
Transportation cost:
Remember that transportation costs are significant when planning the Kanchenjunga base camp trek. You’ll need to book a flight to Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, and then take a bus or jeep to the trek’s starting point. The price of flights to Kathmandu can vary widely based on your departure city and the time of year. Generally, modes of transportation during your trek are flight, jeep, and bus. Flight costs are very high, whereas public buses are cheaper than other treks.
Guide and Porter cost:
A professional and authorized guide is mandatory for the Kanchenjunga base camp hike. A competent, government-certified guide will cost you between $25 and $35 daily, including meals, accommodations, and insurance. A porter will cost between USD 20 and USD 25 daily, including food, lodging, and porter insurance. Each porter will carry up to 20 kg of weight and 4-to-5-kilogram packs. Usually, one porter will carry two trekkers’ belongings. As a result, each person should keep their items 10kgs; otherwise, you will require an additional porter.
Equipment:
The price of the new trekking equipment depends on the quality you choose. The cost of renting the necessary Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek equipment is around USD 2-5 per day.
Miscellaneous Expenses
Miscellaneous expenses include additional amenities for your luxury. These include drinking water, using the internet, hot showers, and charging your electronic devices.
To take a hot bucket shower, it will cost an extra $2-4 at the teahouses and another extra $2-4 for each device charge. Mineral bottled water costs $1- 3 per liter, and local beer costs $3-5 per bottle.
Eventually, you can add some tips for the guide and porters if you are satisfied with their service. It is not compulsory but an excellent way to cheer them after the trek.
Conclusion
Hence, the cost of the Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek is based on the many factors that influence your excursion expenses—knowing which factors you must prioritize and which are not essential during your planning and budgeting. Furthermore, you can also curate your itinerary and add and remove activities that either fit or do not fit your budget.
Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek is one of Nepal’s most extended trekking experiences, which is also why it is among the most expensive trekking regions. So always plan, budget, and take the help of a trekking agency like GloriousHimalaya to enjoy your expedition in a budgeted way.
