Calculating the cost of this trip was not easy. I had never been on a trekking holiday, never even been out hiking before I booked this trip so it was all completely new to me. Not only was there the cost I paid for the trip but there were costs associated with flights to and from London, overnight hotel in London, clothing and equipment, spending money, vaccinations, etc. Very often we forget to look at the secondary costs of such trips so before you book your trek in Nepal (or any regions for that matter) try to work out the total expected cost, and be realistic.
When all the costs have been added up I spend nearly €4,500 on total on this trip since the 9th June 2009 when I first booked it. For that cost however I have gained some irreplaceable memories, a hobby I absolutely love and I have met some amazing people, money well spent? absolutely yes.
Lets assume you are booking this trek like I did, no past experience of trekking and therefore no gear or equipment to speak of.
Trip cost €1,719.62 - incl all credit card surcharges, carbon offset donations etc.
Travel insurance €48.57 (available with the booking company but I got mine separately with a different company, just to save some money)
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My equipment for the trek (See Blog entry on Gear and Equipment for more details) cost me €1,350.00 approximately, considering I had no gear whatsoever I think I did quite well. If I was to book another trek in the future I would have most of this stuff to use for that.
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Spending money for this trip came to about €850.00 without buying anything to bring home. The spending money did admittedly include visa into Nepal, tipping of porters, guides, an unexpected helicopter trip as well as living costs for the duration of the trek, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks etc. Flights to and from London only cost me €65.00 and hotel in London for one night was €55.00. Lastly the medical vaccinations were €190.00.
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I hope this information will leave you with a better understanding of the costs involved with such a trip, always make sure you understand there will be extras before committing yourself to something like this but by all means do not let it be a stumbling block either. This has and will be one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
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