What licenses do you need and how much does it cost to go to the Everest summit?
Scaling the world’s highest peak involves obtaining several permits, each with its own purpose and cost.
Conquering Mount Everest is a dream for many adventurers, but before embarking on this challenging journey there is a mountain of permits and licenses that must be scaled, and that’s before the cost of everything else is determined.
Firstly a tourist visa for Nepal is needed, which costs $125 for a 90-day visit. To go up Everest climbers must have climbed at least one other mountain in Nepal over 6,500m.
The primary permit required to climb Everest is the Everest Climbing Permit, issued by the Nepalese government, and costs $11,000. Payment must be made to a Nepalese company to sort the visa which is around $2,500 per group. Kandoo Adventures estimates that costs before reaching the mountain are around $20,000.
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Climbers often opt to join guided expeditions and solo trips can only be attempted with a guide or sherpa. These can cost up to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on experience and level of comfort - a funny thing to write when discussing mountain climbing!
The services noted are just to begin the climb. Cost of transport, equipment, provisions, and accomodation will all vary. In short, climbing Everest is certainly not cheap and expect it to cost upwards of $100,000.