Annapurna Circuit Trek is an enticing choice for all adventure seekers around the world. It is an unparalleled beauty of the towering peaks, stunning vistas, deep gorges, lush valleys, and rich tapestry of culture of indigenous communities such as Gurung and Thakalis, showcasing the Tibetan influence, which makes hundreds of people put this breathtaking trek into their bucket list.
As India and Nepal share similar geographical regions, and religious and cultural values, many of the people from India come to Nepal for various reasons, and this iconic route has been drawing many Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers for years. Suppose you are considering the Annapurna Circuit Trek as an Indian. In that case, you need to have a cost analysis because every Indian has varying budgets, for which several aspects need to be analyzed and understood. However, it is quite cheaper for Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers in comparison with other foreign nationalities. So, we will provide you with a thorough cost analysis for Annapurna Circuit Trek, including Annapurna Circuit Indian flights, to Annapurna Circuit accommodation, to help you make informed decisions for Annapurna Circuit Trek cost.
Annapurna Circuit Trek is one of the globally renowned trekking routes, which covers around 160 to 230 kilometres in length. The landscapes traverse from the subtropical climates to tropical and to Alpine climates, taking you to Thorong La Pass (5,416 m/ 17,769 ft). It has not only the stunning vistas, towering peaks of Mt. Annapurna and Mt. Dhaulagiri ranges, but also a rich cultural and religious heritage, including the famous Muktinath pilgrimage site (3,760 m/ 12,623 ft. This will require you to obtain Annapurna Circuit trekking permits such as ACAP and TIM card, which come under the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians.
Annapurna Circuit Trek is a perfect combination of scenic beauty, picturesque villages, and culture, providing the Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers, the thrill and excitement, making a memorable experience for life.
Annapurna Circuit Indian flights will be added to the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians. If you, as an Annapurna Circuit Indian trekker, fly from the major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, or Bangalore, you will have to spend INR 7,000 to INR 15,000 to reach Kathmandu for a round trip.
For budget airlines, you can consider Air India, Air Indigo, and Nepal Airlines as they offer flight services in large numbers. If you want to get cheaper flights, you can book the tickets 2 to 3 months in advance, with the booking on mid-week days, and you can also compare the prices of the tickets on different websites by enabling price alerts. These things will reduce the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians.
No Nepal Visa requirement for Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers. There is no requirement for getting a Nepal Visa for Indian citizens. However, you need to show your proof of identity through your Indian Passport or voter id card.
Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians includes essential permit fees. To do the Annapurna Circuit Trek, you as an Annapurna Circuit Indian trekker will need to obtain two Annapurna Circuit trekking permits.
Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP): You are required to get this permit when you enter the Annapurna Conservation Area. You can get this permit in Kathmandu and Pokhara from the Nepal Tourism Board Office. The cost is fixed for every trekker, which costs approximately INR 626 (NPR 1,000). This is for the protection of the ecology in the Annapurna region.
TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System) Card: This card is for your safety because it helps to keep track of rescue operations. You can get this in blue colour if you are trekking independently, which is expensive or get this in green colour, which is cheaper if you are with a trekking agency.
You will need your Passport and some passport-sized photos to issue this card from the Nepal Tourism Board Office in Kathmandu or Pokhara. This will cost you INR 188 (NPR. 300) if you get this from a trekking agency and INR 376 (NRS 600) if you are an independent trekker.
To reduce the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians, you have 3 options to choose from for domestic travel in Nepal.
By air: You can choose air transport while travelling in Nepal. You will need to pay INR 8,000 to 12,000 for a one-way flight ticket, which is from Kathmandu to Pokhara. This flight will be for around 25 to 30 minutes.
Public transport: You can travel by a tourist bus, which will cost INR 1,000 to 2,500. This transport is budget-friendly, and it usually takes 6 to 8 hours to reach Besisahar.
Private transport: You can hire a private jeep or a car to reach Besisahar, which will cost INR 8,000 to 12,000. You can save a little money if you are in a group.
The cost of the hotels you will stay in before embarking on the official journey of Annapurna Circuit Trek after embarking will be included in the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians.
Hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara
Budget hotels: You will need to pay INR 800-2,000 per night for the basic hotels offering you clean rooms and basic amenities.
Mid-range hotels: You will need to pay INR 2,000-5,000 per night, offering you Wi-fi, hot showers or some even offer breakfast.
Luxury hotels: You will need to pay INR 5,000-15,000 per night, offering you excellent service with luxurious amenities.
Tea houses at Annapurna Circuit: Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers will pay INR 150-800 per night for Annapurna Circuit accommodation
tea house, depending on the altitude and remoteness of the location, and as you go higher, the price increases. You will get shared bathrooms with basic rooms, but attached bathrooms are available at some tea houses for a high price.
Food and drinks come under the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians.
Food in Kathmandu and Pokhara: You will pay INR 200–500 per meal in budget hotels and INR 500–1,000 per meal at mid-range hotels.
Food in Tea houses: Basic meals include Dal Bhat (rice, curry, and lentils), momo, and noodles with soup. At lower regions, Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers will pay around INR 400–800 per meal and up to INR 700–1,000 per meal at higher regions. Check out the detailed blog on local food on the Annapurna Circut Trek.
Drinking water: You can buy bottled water for INR 40–160 per liter, depending on the altitude.
You cannot skip guides and porters in the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians. Guides are mandatory, and they have local knowledge and skill in navigating the trails even in unforeseen circumstances, providing you with safety throughout the trek. You will need to pay INR 1,500 to 2,000 per day for hiring a guide. On the other hand, porters carry your gear and supplies, providing you so much comfort and lightening your load of the things that you need throughout your journey. You will have to pay INR 1,200 to 1,400 per day. They can carry 15 to 20 kg of your load.
If you are just a one-time Annapurna Circuit Indian trekker or are considering lowering your financial burden, then you can rent your essential equipment and gear in Kathmandu and Pokhara, where you can find a wide variety of things available for rent. You can take essentials such as down jackets, sleeping bags, and trekking poles from those rental shops. You will need to pay INR 80 to 240 per item per day, which can be cost-effective for you.
But if you are a frequent trekker, then you can invest money in buying high quality equipment and gear that will come in use for a long time. So, make a wise choice through this guide of Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians.
You are required to get travel insurance that covers you high altitude trekking, medical facilities, emergency evacuation, and cancellation policy. You will need to pay INR 3,000 to 10,000 for getting this insurance. With this, you can trek without consistently worrying about the financial burden of unforeseen circumstances. This is crucial for any trek that gets added to the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians.
Your miscellaneous expenses can add to the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians, such as a charging fee (INR 120), Wi-fi service (INR 125), and hot showers (INR 130). You may also need to pay for laundry service at tea houses, or sometimes, additional gear purchases can add to your cost.
Also, personal expenses such as snacks and souvenirs can make you spend around INR 2,000 to 3,500. You can buy snacks in Kathmandu that offer a variety of snacks. For souvenirs, you can buy traditional crafts, clothes, and jewellery from the local markets along the trails.
Tipping is customary while trekking in the Annapurna Circuit. It definitely depends on the wishes of Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers. Usually, 10% of your total trek cost is given to the guide and porter as a tip, but you can increase the tipping according to your wish and budget, considering the quality of their service as well.
For porters, you can give INR 400 to 800, and you can give INR 1,100 to 1,600 to the guide, which are considered the appropriate tipping amounts. Additionally, you can give small amounts to the tea house services, too. When you tip, the real workers or the service providers themselves are getting the money.
Offering such gratuities adds to the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians. However, this also shows Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers’ gratitude and gives motivation and encouragement to those workers to offer even more standard services, also contributing to their local economy. Also, Annapurna Circuit is very Rich in its culture and tradition.
There are different financial implications while choosing guided and independent trekking, considering the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians. If you as an Indian are thinking of choosing a guided trekking, you will bear a bit higher cost as the package includes all the necessary expenses including the guide, Annapurna Circuit accommodation, Annapurna Circuit trekking permits, hotels at Kathmandu and mainly include the cost of the services that you choose and the whole cost will range from 45,000 INR to 65,000 INR depending on the duration of your trek. But you can get various advantages of guided trekking, such as you will get proper logistical support and your trekking sexperience will be safer and more insightful because of the guide’s local knowledge. Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers may benefit even with the unforeseen expenses that may appear during navigation and unfortunate emergencies.
In contrast, independent trekking may appear to be cheaper for you because you will have more control over the trek without a guide. You can choose the budget-friendly accommodation, which costs you typically 500 INR to 1500 INR per night. But if you are not good at understanding the terrain, then you may incur additional expenses because of poor navigation, such as transport and emergency lodging expenses. Additionally, you need to secure your Annapurna Circuit trekking permits by yourself, which may add additional expenses in comparison to securing them through the guided package.
Therefore, we recommend that you choose guided trekking if you want a safe, convenient, and locally insightful trekking experience, unlike the independent trekking, which may save your money in the short term but has more implications if you fail, mainly in the navigation part.
You, as an Annapurna Circuit Indian trekker, should manage your money for the Annapurna Circuit Trek because there is a difference in the Indian currency and Nepal currency, along with the banking facilities. Although the rate of currency fluctuates, according to the latest update, 1 INR is 1.6 NPR.
ATMs: You can find many ATMs in Kathmandu and Pokhara. As you trek along the trails of the Annapurna Circuit, the ATM services are limited. You can find ATM services in Besisahar, which is at a lower elevation. Apart from this, you can find limited ATM services in Manang, Jomsom, and Muktinath. These are the remote locations, so even the connectivity issues appear for foreign nationals, and the ATMs are also not reliable because of the maintenance issues. So, we advise you to carry enough NPR in cash to stay covered during your stay in the higher elevations, as there are limited foreign currency exchange services.
UPI: As for UPI (Unified Payments Interface), this has gained a lot of attention from the Indian travellers but this does not work in Annapurna Circuit, so you need the local currency to do purchases and payments.
Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers will get to immerse themselves in the rich culture and traditions of the diverse ethnic groups, such as Gurungs, Thakalis, and Magars. Their unique local customs and rituals will awestruck you and keep your journey exciting as you get to participate in their ceremonies, taste their local cuisine, and learn their daily lifestyle. However, you need to follow the ethical trekking practices to keep the sustainability of the environmen,t besides considering the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians.
You need to be respectful of the environment and not litter around the area, but manage your waste. Additionally, you should fairly pay the guide and porter, encouraging their service to get more comfort and safety. While choosing accommodation, you can choose the ones that are run by working families and not the international hotel chains to contribute to the local economy. Moreover, dressing modestly comes as a part of your ethical trekking, and you can also engage yourself as volunteers in the teaching communities.
Annapurna Circuit Trek and Everest Base Camp Trek (EBC) are both iconic and popular trekking routes of Nepal, but there are differences considering different factors, which make the Annapurna Circuit Trek cheaper than EBC.
On average, you can do the Annapurna Circuit Trek for around INR 80,000, and EBC will cost you around INR 99,000, excluding international fare. You can take flights to Lukla if you choose EBC.
Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers can do a gradual ascent during Annapurna, which takes you to the highest point, Thorong La Pass (5,416 m/ 17,769 ft), whereas EBC will showcase the stunning highest peak of the world, Mt. Everest, and the trails are more challenging and steeper than the Annapurna Circuit. However, Annapurna is richer in cultural and natural heritage with diverse flora and fauna, unlike EBC, which is more dominant in the Sherpa culture and mountaineering interest. So, you can consider these things before embarking on the journey, depending on your choice of interest, passion, fitness, and budget.
You need to have a proper pre-trek preparation along with the consideration of the Annapurna Circuit Trek Cost for Indians. Many of the Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers are not familiar with the high altitudes, so you need to have proper preparation for planning with a fitness regimen. Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers need to get a proper fitness routine 4 to 6 weeks before they embark on the journey. You should be doing all these exercises every single day for at least 30 minutes, and gradually increase the hours of your fitness routine.
Cardiovascular training: You should include cardiovascular training such as running, cycling, and swimming, focusing on building your stamina and endurance, needed for the long walking hours.
Leg, core, and muscle strength training: You should do leg, core and muscle strength training, such as squats, lunges, planks, and go for short hikes carrying a backpack to be familiar with the steep ascents and descents.
Flexibility: For flexibility, you can include yoga sessions and stretching exercises.
Short hikes: You can plan your short hikes to the Western Ghats or Himachal Pradesh in India to be familiar with the route and assess your body’s responses to altitudes. This can make your Annapurna Circuit Trek quite smooth. Check out our blog on safety tips for the Annapurna Circuit trek.
Annapurna Circuit Trek is an iconic journey taking you to the stunning landscapes and towering peaks but also the unique and rich cultural immersion leaves you awestruck, offering a lively journey. Therefore, a well-structured guide including the logistics, budgeting, and cultural nuances will help in crafting a remarkable experience for Annapurna Circuit Indian trekkers like you. By outlining the proper cost from the transport to the gear, you can do conscious spending and enjoy the trek. Ultimately, with our provided ethical trekking practices, you can do a memorable exploration and learn the local lifestyle through this unforgettable experience of the Annapurna Circuit Trek.
Please feel free to contact us at [email protected]
or WhatsApp us at +9779801127073.
annapurna-circuit-trek-14-days-himalayan-hero-adventure/
.
