3rd of November 2018 – The day I ticked off Everest Base Camp on my never ending and constantly growing bucketlist. I would remember this day in the years to come. Or… at least until the next BIG adventure fills my ever wandering mind. The trip summed up to a total of 17 days and I wasn’t entirely out of connectivity. Thank god for N Cell and Everest Link, both proven to be crucial during emergencies and giving my loved ones a peace of mind.

“When you go to the mountains, you see them and you admire them. In a sense, they give you a challenge, and you try to express that challenge by climbing them.” – Sir Edmund Hillary, First Man to summit Mount Everest.

The expedition was overall very successful and it certainly exceeded my personal expectations. Now, everyone’s burning question was “How much did you spend for the entire 17 days expedition?” ! This was of course, after the initial ‘How was your trip?’, ‘How do you feel?’ etc.. Let me break it down for you! If you ever consider hiking Everest Base camp, at least you know how to plan your finances and how much you need to save and set aside.

Everest Base Camp Cost

Below is a guide on how much I’ve spend for this expedition. The financial breakdown includes international flight, visas for tourists, insurance, tour operator, food, accommodation, gears and equipment, gratitude/tips and other miscellaneous costs.

Note:

*Group of 10 pax. Subject to changes based on specific requirements, terms and conditions.

**Depending on individual and may vary from one person to another.

Flight Tickets

Step 1: Book your flights to Kathmandu, Nepal. I always have this mentality that once you make it a point to purchase your flight tickets, the rest will somehow fall into place. I booked my flights with Malindo Air as the timings were great and it had more or less similar arrival timings with my friends, who were travelling in from Singapore. I departed from Penang at 625am, transited in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and landed about 2pm at Kathmandu, Nepal. The following day, we took a flight from Kathmandu to Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla to start our journey towards Everest Base Camp. The domestic flights were included in the expedition package.

Visa for Tourist

Upon arrival at Kathmandu airport, you will notice the Visa application kiosk machines on the left. Once you’ve input all your details into the kiosk machine, it will generate a piece of paper. I took this paper and made payment at the ‘Visa On Arrival’ counters. I had to pay USD $40 for a single-entry visa which was valid for 30 days, given that the total days of my trip added up to 17 days. A single-entry visa for 15 days and 90 days would cost you USD $25 and USD $100 respectively. Payment can be made via major currencies, but I would recommend to carry USD $ with you.

Insurance

One of the essentials and a MUST-have for an expedition, such as Everest Base Camp. You never know if Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) would hit you and that you may require an emergency evacuation or medical attention. Since I was departing from Malaysia, I bought my insurance with Tokio Marine. Several clauses one should take note: the maximum altitude that the insurance plan will cover, what are the procedures during an emergency evacuation, how much will they cover (partial/full reimbursement), emergency service hotline etc.

Tour Operator

From Lukla to Everest Base Camp, you would require two permits: the Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS card) Rs$2000 (USD$18) and the Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit Rs$3000 (USD$27). Since we went along with a tour operator, both permits were obtained for us and included in the package cost. This time, we decided to sign up with Manuslu Trekking Nepal. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Cheban, the Managing Director and Ram, our trekking guide. Their hospitality and service were exceptional and beyond outstanding. Most of the tour operators run an all inclusive trekking package that includes accommodation before and after trekking, all lodging and food during the EBC trek, permits and logistics. Do your research before you go. I would strongly recommend a good tour operator to ensure a pleasant and most importantly, a safe hike.

Trekking Gears & Equipment

Depending on individuals, the expenditures for trekking gears and equipment would vary from one person to another. The last trekking adventure for me was Mount Kinabalu back then in 2013 and I was totally unequipped. I did not have a down jacket and I had to rent not one, but two jackets at the very last minute. My toes were hitting the front of my hiking boots while I was making my way down the final 2 km. I ended up taking it off and concluded the remaining hike down with just my trusty flip flops.

This time, it was Everest Base Camp and I couldn’t afford to take any chances of being unequipped like before. It is true that you learnt from experience. Hence…. I REVAMPED my entire wardrobe with regards to the trekking gears compartment. Probably need a new wardrobe for that! You could almost say that I started from scratch. Most importantly, make sure your hiking boots are worn-in because you really don’t want to have blisters right at the beginning of the expedition. Here’s a breakdown of what I have purchased prior to the trip. Oh, the damage!

Gratitude / Tips

This would be entirely up your generosity and if your personal expectations have been met throughout the expedition. I truly appreciate the efforts of our lead guide, his assistant and the group porters. They certainly put on their best and made sure we were well taken care of the entire time. These guides and porters rely much on tips as they don’t earn much from their hard work. We were fortunate and had the opportunity to buy them a nice dinner and drinks on our last night. It was so much fun and we partied the night away, in conjunction with Diwali celebration on Nepal. A little kindness goes a long way!

Other Miscellaneous Cost

What’s a visit without some sourvenirs to bring back home! Nepal is famous for its Masala tea, pashmina, cashmere, and all things made of Yak wool. For the entire trip, I spent USD$12 for a N-cell sim card and USD $20 for an Everest Link WiFi card to stay connected. N-cell works from Kathmandu up to Tengboche (3,860 m) and Everest Link WiFi card works all the way up to Everest Base Camp (5,830 m). Worked perfectly for all that Instagram stories uploads.

That’s all folks! If you’re coming from Asia, be prepare to fork out within the range of USD $ 2,000-2,500 to trek Everest Base Camp. These costs are excluding trekking gears and equipment. It is worth every penny to invest in good, reliable gears for a successful hike. Trekking Everest Base Camp is one heck of an experience and you get a great deal of satisfaction from conquering the challenges these mountains had to offer.