How Much Does It Cost to Climb Everest?

Nepal Royalty and Deposits

Nepal charges a royalty per foreign climber, and it changed on 1 September. The spring fee on the Southeast Ridge normal route went from $11,000 to $15,000, a 36% increase per Advnture. Autumn rose from $5,500 to $7,500 and winter and summer monsoon from $2,750 to $3,750, as reported by the Kathmandu Post and Alan Arnette. Other Everest routes cost less: $10,000 spring, $5,000 autumn and $2,500 winter and summer per the same royalty table. On top of the royalty come an agency fee of $3,500 per team, a liaison officer at $5,000 per team and a trash deposit of $4,000 per permit, described by Alan Arnette as refundable but not always refunded.

Nepali climbers pay far less: NPR 150,000 in spring, NPR 75,000 in autumn and NPR 37,500 in winter and summer on the normal route, per Nepal Hiking's fee table. The royalty table for other routes gives the figures below.

What Changed and the Bill Still in Parliament

Three changes now shape the price of an Everest expedition. The royalty rose across every season. The permit validity was cut from 75 days to 55 days, per Yatri Trekking and the Kathmandu Post. And Nepal requires one guide for every two climbers on peaks above 8,000 m, which raises staffing costs. Alan Arnette estimates the permit change alone adds $5,000 to $7,000 per person to an expedition.

More changes are proposed but not yet law. Nepal's Integrated Tourism Bill was registered on April 18, 2025. The upper house passed it, after which officials estimated at least three months before it could become law, per the Kathmandu Post. ETV Bharat later described it as still a bill, in final discussion in a House of Representatives committee with nearly 260 amendments proposed. The bill would require Everest applicants to have climbed a mountain over 7,000 m in Nepal, would require a health certificate issued within the previous month for every team member, and would turn the $4,000 refundable waste deposit into a non-refundable fee paid into a welfare fund. Explorersweb reported the 7,000 m rule would not take effect in the 2026 season and that a peak climbed outside Nepal would not count. Treat all of this as pending, not current law.

Line Items Beyond the Permit

Alan Arnette says you need almost $25,000 for permits and fees before hiring guides, yaks, food or gear. Oxygen is a major variable. His 2015 guide lists $550 per bottle with a minimum of 5 bottles, plus $450 for a mask and $450 for a regulator, while Global Summit Guide cites a 2026 benchmark of about $650 per bottle. Packages differ hugely: Wild Yak Expeditions includes 7 bottles of 4 L plus 3 reserves, Furtenbach's Classic includes 8 bottles and its Flash includes unlimited oxygen.

Sherpa pay and bonuses matter too. Marketplace reported in 2014 that Sherpas earn at least $2,000 per season, with elite Sherpas making $4,000 to $5,000 in about two months, and Wikipedia says up to $5,000 for a summit-guiding season. Hiring a personal Sherpa adds $5,000 to $10,000 plus 5% to 20% in tips and bonuses, per Alan Arnette. One company asks $1,500 when the Sherpa reaches the South Col and $500 on return from the summit. Tips and bonuses for Sherpas, cooks and others run $600 to $4,500+ per individual, and 10% is often the minimum with some operators suggesting 15% to 20%.

Gear and insurance are yours to fund. Himalayan Partner's author spent close to $8,000 to $10,000 on gear even after renting some items, and puts insurance at $500 to $2,500. Himalayan Hero recommends a minimum $100,000 evacuation limit, ideally $200,000 to $500,000 for high-altitude expeditions, since helicopter evacuation runs about $6,000 to $10,000+ above 5,000 m and $10,000 to $15,000+ from trekking peaks above 6,000 m.

Medians by Operator Type and Side

Alan Arnette's figures show a wide spread. On the Nepal side, the 2026 median is $45,250 for a Nepalese guide service, $54,000 for an international operator using a Sherpa guide and $76,000 for an international operator with an international guide. On the Tibet side the medians are $47,000 for Nepalese guide services and $90,800 for international operators with an international guide, up 22%. Over ten years, Nepalese guide medians went from $32,000 to $45,250 and international operators in Nepal from $59,000 to $76,000.

Other framings agree. Alan Arnette says most people pay $40,000 to $80,000 with some up to $300,000, Sherpa-supported non-guided climbs run $30,000 to $55,000 and fully guided climbs from $65,000 to over $125,000, with speed climbs at $100,000 or more. A solo climber from Nepal needs at least $41,000 and about $49,000 with Sherpa support, he writes. Global Summit Guide groups operators into tiers of $30K-$45K+, $45K-$65K+, $65K-$100K+ and $100K-$300K+, and cites a 2026 Nepal south side median published price of $54,995 with an average of $61,267. Himalayan Partner puts budget packages at $30,000 to $45,000 and premium trips above $100,000. Tibet Travel's FAQ says a climb costs around $40,000 or more. Advnture puts total prices at about $33,000 to $200,000.

What does more money buy? Higher-priced western operators typically offer international guides, a low client-to-guide ratio and more oxygen. Adventure Consultants, for example, advertises a 1:4 international guide ratio, 1:1 Sherpa on summit day and high flow oxygen from Camp 2, at US$83,000 ex Kathmandu over 52 days. Alpine Ascents lists its South Col expedition at $80,000 per person on a 5-climber team, with the permit and administration fees included but international airfare and a $1,500 Sherpa summit bonus not.

• Nepal side medians 2026: $45,250 Nepalese guide, $54,000 international with Sherpa guide, $76,000 international with international guide (Alan Arnette)
• Tibet side medians 2026: $47,000 Nepalese guide, $90,800 international with international guide (Alan Arnette)
• Sherpa-supported non-guided: $30,000 to $55,000 (Alan Arnette)
• Fully guided: $65,000 to over $125,000, speed climbs $100,000 or more (Alan Arnette)

The Full Expedition at Its Card Price

The Everest Expedition Nepal costs $42,000 per person and runs 60 days from Kathmandu, operated by Monterosa Treks and Expedition, with up to 15 per booking and an age band of 18 to 75. It targets the summit at 8,848 m from the south side with a climbing Sherpa for every climber. The listing includes the Kathmandu to Lukla flights and back with 50 kg of cargo per climber, the climbing permit for Everest plus the icefall charge, fixed rope and main rope, oxygen and base camp tents. Be clear about what it leaves out: a USD 1,800 guide summit bonus and USD 200 per climber in base camp staff tips are excluded, so budget for both. International flights to Nepal, personal gear and insurance are also yours to arrange. Against the published medians above, $42,000 sits below the $45,250 Nepalese guide median on the Nepal side. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start.

No summit is guaranteed at any price. Altitude, weather and Lukla flight delays all decide outcomes. For what the route actually involves, see the guide to climbing Mount Everest.

Trekking Peaks as the Low-Cost Entry

Trekking peaks give high-altitude climbing for a fraction of the price, though all of them sit below 7,000 m, so none would meet the proposed 7,000 m rule. The Island Peak and EBC Climb costs $2,899 per person over 20 days, treks to Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m (17,598 ft) first, then climbs Island Peak, listed at 6,189 m (20,305 ft) while Wikipedia gives 6,165 m, with permits, lodges and a climbing Sherpa included and Lukla flights both ways. A shorter option is Island Peak Climbing at $1,250 per person over 14 days, though its listing puts the Island Peak permit, the Lukla flights at USD 500 per person and climbing guide insurance outside the price, so confirm with the operator before booking. For a higher summit, Mera Peak Climbing costs $3,000 per person over about 18 days with climbing permits, gear and 4 nights in Kathmandu included, and its listing does not state the summit height. The Three Peaks listing gives Mera as 6,476 m. The Three Peaks Climbing Trip links Mera at 6,476 m, Island Peak at 6,189 m and Lobuche Peak at 6,119 m over 30 days for $7,773 with permits, meals and internal flights included.

If even that is too much, the Everest Base Camp trek reaches base camp from $955 per person over 12 days. Costs for that trip are covered on its own page.