Tibet Everest Base Camp Trek Cost

As the world summit, Mount Everest is a dream to hundreds and thousands of adventure-minded people from all countries. It is known that to conquer the highest mountain in the world proves to be quite hard and dangerous. The difficulty to climb the mountain has deterred most tourists. But in order to catch a glimpse of Mt. Everest, many hikers will choose to trek to Everest Base Camp.

How much does it cost to trek Everest Base Camp? If you decide to start a north face base camp trek, you are on the right page. This article covers a break down of the Tibet Everest Base Camp trek cost, including seven parts - vehicle, guide, hotel, travel permits, entrance fee, meals, porters or animals. Keep reading to the details.

Part 1. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Vehicle
Part 2. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Guide
Part 3. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Accommodation
Part 4. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Travel Permits
Part 5. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Entrance Fee
Part 6. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Meals
Part 7. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Animals & Porters

Part 1. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Vehicle 

Everest Base Camp trek cost - Vehicle

There are about a total of 1500 kilometers driving distance (round-trip) from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp. International tourists who travel in Tibet must be organized by qualified travel agencies that usually will hire vehicles for your Tibet tour. Obviously, for such a long journey, the vehicle cost will take up the biggest part of an Everest Base Camp trek cost.

The costs vary based on types of vehicle, and usually you have three choices - 4WDs, mini vans and tourist bus. And the vehicle fees also change in different seasons, ranging from 3.5-10 CNY per kilometer. So the total vehicle fees range from 5000-15000 CNY. And this does not include the cost for the days in Lhasa or during your trekking, of which your driver has to also serve you.

Part 2. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Tour Guide 

Everest Base Camp trek cost - Tour Guide

Tour guide in Tibet is paid by the day. Most of guides cost about 400-500 CNY per day depends on their experience and reputation. Take the 12 days Everest Base Camp trek as an example, the cost on a guide will be about 5000 CNY. If you choose a 8-day Everest Base Camp tour that consists of much fewer trekking distance, the cost on a guide will be about 3200 CNY. And this does not include the tip to the guide at the end of the trip.

Part 3. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Accommodation

Everest Base Camp Trekking Tent

The accommodation conditions from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp vary.

• Lhasa offers travelers a wide range of hotel options. The prices on Lhasa hotels range from 150-3000 CNY per night. In peak seasons (July to October), the prices might be higher and sometimes it’s even difficult to find a room, so you are highly suggested to book your Tibet tour in advance.
• Shigatse hotels mostly are 4 and 3 star, and the prices range from 60-600 CNY.
• Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse besides the Everest Base Camp costs about 100-150 CNY per person per night.
• Everest Base Camp Tent Guesthouses that are only available from April to November cost about 100 CNY per person per night.
• During the trekking, your tour operator has to also rent necessary tents and mattress for you. For a common tent and mattress for 2 people, in Lhasa, it costs around RMB 150-200 per day on rental fee. You need also bring your own sleeping bag.

Part 4. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Travel Permits

Everest Base Camp trek cost - Tibet Entry Permit

In addition to the Chinese visa you need to apply for at the Chinese embassy in your home country, there are three other permits required for your Everest Base Camp trek journey - Tibet Entry Permit, Alien’s Travel Permit and Tibet Border Pass. It takes 50 CNY to apply for the Alien’s Travel Permit. The other two permits are free officially. Though the goverment does not charge any fee for the mentioned permits above, yet, your travel agency has to make continuous efforts to go to different governmental bodies to apply throughout two to three weeks. The travel agencies will charge service fee upon their own marketing strategy.  

Part 5. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Entrance Fee

Before the start of your Everest Base Camp trek, there are many famous Tibet attractions that cannot afford to miss. Here comes information of the entrance fee.

• Potala Palace is a holy place of Tibetan Buddhism and a valuable world cultural heritage. The entrance fee costs 200 CNY.
• Johkang Temple is endowed with supreme status in Tibet Buddhism. It costs 85 CNY to visit.
• Drepung Monastery is the biggest Tibetan Buddhism College with the biggest number of monks in Tibet. The entrance fee is 50 CNY.
• At Sera Monastery, you can witness the famous sutra debating among monks. The entrance fee costs 50 CNY.
• Yamdrok Lake is one of the holy lakes in Tibet. The entrance fee costs 60 CNY.
• Pelchor Monastery is a precious monastery of Sakya, Gagyu and Gelug Sect in Tibetan Buddhism. It costs 60 CNY to visit.
• Tashilunpo Monastery is the largest monastery of Gelugpa Sect in Tibet. It costs 100 CNY to visit.
• Rongbuk Monatery is the highest monastery in the world, perfect for photographers to shoot Mount Everest. The entrance fee is 35 CNY.
• Everest Base Camp provides tourists with basic accommodation. It costs 180 CNY per night.
• Green bus for the Everest Base Camp costs 120 CNY per person.

Part 6. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Meals 

Everest Base Camp trek cost - Meals

The simple fried rice/noodle with vegetable and meat costs about 35 CNY. A cup of sweet tea is the perfect match. So generally, you need to prepare about 50 CNY for each meal. That is to say, the average simple food costs in Tibet is about 100 CNY each day. Besides, for your trekking journey, it is better to prepare some high calorie and high protein snacks, such as chocolates, biscuits, dried fruits, nuts and dried meat strips. During the trekking, the food cost might be higher depends on different demand. Normally, it costs 150 CNY per person per day if the group need cooking during the trekking. At the circumstance, the guide will play the role of cook, and all group members can help your guide to cook food.

Part 7. Everest Base Camp trek cost - Animals & Porters

While the 4 days trekking, if you want to relieve the burden on your shoulder, you can hire a yak, horse or porter. Below come the prices for the yak & yak man, horse & horseman as well as porter.

Everest Base Camp trek cost - Yak Porters

• A porter costs 210 CNY for a day, so the 4 days Everest Base Camp trek cost is about 210*4 = 840 CNY.
• A yak costs 240 CNY for a day and a yak man costs 260 CNY. Generally, a yak man leads three yaks. Therefore, a 4-day Everest Base Camp trek cost on yak is about 240*3*4 + 260*4 = 4160 CNY. For those who cannot walk too much, horses are helpful.
• A horse costs 310 CNY for a day and a horseman costs 260 CNY. One horseman leads only a horse, so your 4-day Everest Base Camp trek cost on horse is about 310*4+260*4 = 2280 CNY.