Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost: Full Budget Breakdown

What the Circuit Costs in One Glance

The Annapurna Circuit is one of the better-value long treks in Nepal: it runs on a well-developed teahouse network and needs no expensive expedition logistics. Because it is a 12–16 day loop with road access at both ends, the biggest variables are how many days you walk and how much transport (jeeps and the Jomsom flight) you use. Most trekkers spend between USD 800 and USD 1,600 per person on a guided trip.

The figures above are the on-the-ground trek cost. They exclude your international flights to Kathmandu, your Nepal visa, and travel insurance, budget those separately (see below).

Line-by-Line Cost Breakdown

Here is where every rupee goes on a standard guided Circuit, using 2026 estimates. Trek prices in Nepal are usually quoted in US dollars but paid in a mix of dollars and Nepali rupees (NPR).

Permits: about NPR 5,000 (~USD 38)

• ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit): ~NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals.
• TIMS card: ~NPR 2,000 for foreign nationals.

SAARC nationals (including Indians) pay substantially less. See our Circuit permits guide for the full detail.

Guide and porter: USD 25–35 per day

Since 2023 a licensed guide is effectively required in the Annapurna region. Expect USD 25–30/day for a guide and USD 18–25/day for a porter (who carries up to ~20–25 kg, often shared between two trekkers). Over a 12–16 day Circuit the guide is the single largest line item. Rates usually include the guide's own food, lodging and insurance, but tips are extra.

Teahouse rooms: NPR 500–1,500 per night

A twin room is cheap, often NPR 500–800 (USD 4–6) low down on the Marsyangdi, rising toward NPR 1,000–1,500 at high villages like Yak Kharka and Thorong Phedi, where everything is portered or mule-hauled in. Many lodges keep rooms cheap on the understanding that you eat dinner and breakfast there.

Food and drink: USD 20–35 per day

This is the part most people underestimate, because prices climb steeply with altitude. A plate of dal bhat costs ~NPR 400 low down but ~NPR 800–1,000 at Thorong Phedi. Budget USD 20–25/day on the lower valley and USD 25–35/day high up. Hot drinks, bottled or boiled water, charging, Wi-Fi and hot showers are all paid extras that add up over two weeks.

Transport: USD 60–250

The Kathmandu–Besisahar drive, the jeeps up the Marsyangdi to Chame or Dharapani, and the exit from the Kali Gandaki are the main transport costs and vary a lot with how far you drive versus walk. A shared jeep up the Marsyangdi runs NPR 1,500–3,000; a private jeep is far more. The short Jomsom–Pokhara flight is roughly USD 100–125 and is the comfortable way out of the valley.

A Real Sample Budget (14-Day Trek)

Here is a realistic itemised budget for one person on a 14-day guided Annapurna Circuit, mid-range style, two trekkers sharing a porter, finishing with the Jomsom flight:

Booking the same trip as an all-inclusive package through an agency usually lands at USD 1,000–1,600, the premium buys you fixed logistics, airport and trailhead transfers, a pre-trek briefing and a single point of accountability if a jeep, flight or the pass goes wrong.

Hidden Costs People Forget

• Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover, non-negotiable on a trek that crosses 5,416 m; USD 80–200 for the trip. Confirm it covers trekking to at least 5,500 m.
• Tips. Customary and genuinely expected: roughly USD 8–12/day total for a guide and USD 6–9/day for a porter, pooled and given at the end. Over two weeks this adds up.
• Contingency days. Budget for an extra acclimatisation night before the pass, or a weather-delayed Jomsom flight, food and lodging do not stop while you wait.
• Gear you don't own. Renting a down jacket and a warm sleeping bag in Pokhara is ~NPR 100–200/day each, see the packing list.
• Bottled vs treated water. Bottled water climbs to NPR 100–300 a litre high up. A USD 20 filter or purification tablets pays for itself and cuts plastic.
• Charging and Wi-Fi. NPR 100–300 per device or session above Manang. A power bank saves a surprising amount.
• Nepal visa, USD 30 (15 days) / USD 50 (30 days) on arrival, separate from the trek.

How to Trek the Circuit for Less

• Eat dal bhat. It is the best value on any menu, a huge, refillable plate of rice, lentils, vegetables and pickle that fuels a long day for one fixed price.
• Share a porter and guide. Splitting between two or three trekkers roughly halves the biggest line items over a long trek.
• Walk out instead of flying. Continuing down the Kali Gandaki to Tatopani and Poon Hill avoids the Jomsom flight, though it adds days.
• Take shared jeeps, not private ones, on the Marsyangdi and out of Mustang.
• Trek in the shoulder window. Late November or early March still deliver fine weather and an open pass with fewer crowds and softer lodge prices, see best time to trek the Circuit.
• Book in Pokhara or Kathmandu, not abroad. Local agencies are markedly cheaper than international operators selling the identical trek.

Don't economise on a licensed guide, insurance, or acclimatisation. On a trek that crosses the Thorong La, cutting those to save a few dollars is where cheap trips become expensive ones.