Annapurna Base Camp Trek Cost (2026): A Full Breakdown

Updated on: 20 Jul, 2026

Reading time: 9 min

Quick answer: A guided Annapurna Base Camp trek costs roughly US$900 to $1,300 per person for international trekkers in 2026, covering the guide, permits, lodges, and meals. Independent trekkers can spend as little as US$400 to $700. Nepali and SAARC trekkers pay far less, mostly because the conservation permit drops from NPR 3,000 to NPR 100, and there is no international airfare.

Cost is the question I answer most about this trek, so let me lay it out plainly, no vague ranges hiding the real numbers. In truth, the Annapurna Base Camp trek is one of Nepal’s best value big treks, and part of that is the honest math. There is no expensive Lukla flight like Everest. You start from Pokhara, the permits are cheap, and the teahouses are affordable. So here is exactly where the money goes. For the whole trek, see our Annapurna Base Camp trek guide, and the day-by-day itinerary for the route.

Key Takeaways

• A guided package runs about US$900 to $1,300 per person, all-in on the trail.
• Independent trekkers can do it for US$400 to $700, plus their own logistics.
• The ACAP permit is NPR 3,000 (about US$23) for foreigners, far less for locals.
• Nepali trekkers pay a fraction, thanks to the NPR 100 permit and no airfare.
• No Lukla flight means ABC is cheaper to reach than Everest Base Camp.

What does the Annapurna Base Camp trek cost in 2026?

For a guided trek, budget around US$900 to $1,300 per person, depending on group size and comfort. In practice, that is the all-in trail price with a reputable operator: your licensed guide, the permits, teahouse lodging, meals on the trail, and the transport between Pokhara and the trailhead.

Our own Annapurna Base Camp Trek is priced from about US$930 to $1,190 per person. And the number drops as your group grows, because the guide and vehicle costs split further with each trekker. So a couple pays more per head than a group of six.

Now, going fully independent is cheaper on paper. A careful budget trekker can complete the trek for roughly US$400 to $700. That means arranging your own permits, watching every teahouse bill, and keeping it simple. But since 2023 a licensed guide is required in the conservation area, so a realistic independent budget now includes that guide. The gap between independent and packaged is smaller than it used to be.

How much are the ABC permits?

Just one main permit, and it is cheap: the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit. Here, the Annapurna region sits inside a protected conservation area, so every trekker buys the ACAP card. Here is what it costs, per the Nepal Tourism Board.

That single permit is the bulk of your official cost. There is no separate national park fee for ABC. And the TIMS card is no longer enforced in the Annapurna region in practice. For the full permit picture across every region, see our Nepal trekking permits guide.

How much does the ABC trek cost for Nepali and SAARC trekkers?

Much less than for foreigners, and this is the part most guides never spell out. If you are Nepali or from a SAARC country, the same trek costs a fraction of the international price, for three clear reasons.

First comes the permit. A Nepali pays NPR 100 for the ACAP card instead of NPR 3,000, and a SAARC trekker pays NPR 1,000. Second, no international airfare, which is often the single biggest line in a foreigner’s budget. Third, local guide, porter, and teahouse rates, arranged directly, without the international package markup.

So a Nepali trekker doing ABC independently can complete it for well under half a foreign package price, on a modest daily budget for food and lodging. The teahouse costs, meals and beds, are the same for everyone. But the permit and the flights are where locals save big. We are always happy to quote a domestic or SAARC rate, so just ask.

How much does transport cost?

Cheap, because you drive rather than fly to the mountains. The trek runs from Pokhara, so your transport cost is mostly getting to and from Pokhara, plus the short drive to the trailhead at Nayapul.

• Kathmandu to Pokhara: a tourist bus is about US$10 to $25 each way, and takes around seven hours. A flight is about US$100 to $120 each way and takes 25 minutes.
• Pokhara to the trailhead: a short drive to Nayapul or Siwai, usually included in a package or a few dollars in a shared jeep.

So this is the quiet reason ABC is cheaper than Everest Base Camp. There is no US$180-plus Lukla flight in the budget, just a bus or a cheap domestic hop.

What are the daily costs on the trail?

Plan on roughly US$25 to $40 a day for food and lodging, rising as you climb. Teahouses charge a small amount for the room and more for the meals. And prices climb with altitude, because everything is carried uphill by porter or mule.

• A teahouse room: often just a few dollars, sometimes free if you eat your meals there.
• Meals: dal bhat, noodles, soups, and momos, with a full day of eating running about US$20 to $30 higher up.
• Extras: a hot shower runs about US$3 to $5, Wi-Fi about US$2 to $6, and charging your phone US$2 to $4. All climb with the altitude, and a bottle of water gets pricey high up, so a filter pays for itself.

Trekking independently? Then add roughly US$25 to $35 a day for a guide and US$20 to $25 for a porter. Their meals and lodging come on top, though teahouses often house staff free.

One more line to budget: tips. It is customary to tip the crew at the end, roughly US$10 to $15 a day for a guide and US$7 to $10 for a porter, or about 10% of the trip cost shared among them.

What is included in a Spade Himalaya ABC package?

Everything on the trail, so the price you see is close to the price you pay. Our Annapurna Base Camp Trek package includes:

• Your licensed, insured guide and the porters.
• The ACAP permit and all trekking paperwork.
• Teahouse lodging along the route.
• All meals on the trek, three a day.
• Transport between Kathmandu and Pokhara, and to the trailhead.

What sits outside the package is a short list. Think international flights, travel insurance, tips for the crew, and personal extras like drinks, hot showers, and Wi-Fi. So budget a little on top for those, and you have the full picture.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek 9-Days

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How do you save money on the ABC trek?

Trek in a group, travel in the shoulder months, and skip the small daily luxuries. None of it changes the mountains, and all of it trims the bill.

• Fill the group. Package prices drop sharply per person as the group grows, so trekking with friends is the biggest single saving.
• Take the bus between Kathmandu and Pokhara instead of flying, and put the difference toward a rest day.
• Go in the shoulder weeks, like early December or late February, when some costs ease and the trails are quiet.
• Carry a water filter and refill rather than buying bottled water, which saves money and plastic both.

Accuracy note: ACAP permit fees (NPR 3,000 foreign, NPR 1,000 SAARC, NPR 100 Nepali) verified against the Nepal Tourism Board and our permits guide; package pricing (about US$930 to $1,190 per person by group size) and inclusions reflect Spade Himalaya’s own Annapurna Base Camp Trek (retrieved 2026-07-14); daily trail costs and transport figures are 2026 market ranges from our operating experience and update annually; reviewed by Yubaraj Katel, government-licensed trekking guide (Licence No. 19827) with 10 years of experience across Nepal’s regions.

Author

Pawan Bhattarai

Pawan Bhattarai is a co-founder of Spade Himalaya, a Nepal-based trekking and tour company he started to help share Nepal's mountains with the world. A keen traveller with a background in technology and content, he writes carefully researched guides to help people plan their trip. On the ground, Spade's treks are led by licensed local guides.