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Search Everest Base Camp cost and most results give you a single dollar figure copied from one outdated source. That number is usually wrong for Indian trekkers, because it ignores the SAARC discount — a real, legal saving that most operators never bother mentioning.

This guide breaks down exactly what permits you need for the EBC trek specifically, what they cost in rupees, where you get them, and the one mistake that costs trekkers an unnecessary day in Kathmandu every single season.

The Two Permits You Actually Need for EBC

Unlike treks in restricted areas of Nepal, the EBC route only requires two permits — not the five or six some blogs list by bundling in permits for entirely different regions. For Everest Base Camp specifically, here's what you need:

That's it. If an operator's cost sheet lists a TIMS card as a separate line item for EBC, ask why — it was formally replaced by the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu permit back in October 2018, and re-confirmed as not required for this specific region in subsequent updates.

Sagarmatha National Park Permit — What Indians Pay

This is the permit where the SAARC discount actually applies, and it's the single biggest saving most Indian trekkers don't know about.

Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Municipality Permit

No SAARC discount on this one. Everyone pays NPR 2,000 — it's a flat-rate local permit that funds municipal development in the Khumbu region: trail maintenance, waste management, local infrastructure.

Total EBC Permit Cost — The Honest Number

What you actually save as an Indian trekker:
Non-SAARC trekkers pay NPR 5,000 total for the same two permits.
You pay NPR 3,500 — a saving of NPR 1,500 (~₹940) per person.
On a group of 4 Indian trekkers, that's roughly ₹3,750 saved across the group.

Where and How to Get These Permits

Both permits can technically be arranged in two places — but one location is clearly the better choice for most trekkers.

Option 1: Kathmandu, Before You Fly to Lukla (Recommended)

Getting both permits sorted in Kathmandu means you walk straight off the Lukla flight and start trekking, instead of queuing at a checkpoint with a full pack on. During October and April-May peak season, this saves real time — checkpoint queues at Monjo can run long when multiple flights land the same morning.

1.     Sagarmatha National Park permit — available at the Nepal Tourism Board office in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, or arranged directly through your trekking operator.

2.     Khumbu Pasang Lhamu permit — typically arranged by your operator in advance, or available at their Kathmandu office if booked through a local Khumbu-based agency.

Option 2: At the Checkpoints En Route

If permits aren't arranged in advance, the Sagarmatha National Park entry is checked near Jorsalle, and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu permit is collected at Monjo. This works fine outside peak season, but during the busiest trekking weeks — particularly around Diwali in October, when a large number of Indian trekkers are on the trail simultaneously — checkpoint queues can add 30-45 minutes to an already long trekking day.

What You Need to Carry

•        Original passport — photocopies are not accepted at checkpoints.

•        Two passport-sized photographs — required for the Sagarmatha National Park permit application.

•        Cash in Nepali Rupees — neither permit office accepts cards, and ATMs become unreliable past Namche Bazaar.

•        Your trekking itinerary or booking confirmation — some checkpoints ask for this alongside the permit.

A Mistake That Costs Trekkers a Full Day

Every season, a handful of trekkers arrive in Kathmandu assuming permits can be sorted same-day before an early Lukla flight. The Nepal Tourism Board office keeps standard government hours — weekdays, 10 AM to 5 PM — and Lukla flights typically depart at dawn. If you land in Kathmandu the evening before a morning flight with no permit arranged, you may not get one in time.

It's an easy mistake to avoid. If you're booking independently rather than through an operator who handles this for you, sort your permits the moment you land in Kathmandu — not the morning of your flight.

Peak Season Queues — What October and April Actually Look Like

Permit fees stay the same year-round, but the experience of getting them does not. October (post-monsoon, pre-winter) and April-May (pre-monsoon) are when the EBC trail sees its highest trekker volume — and for Indian trekkers specifically, the Diwali window in October regularly overlaps with peak Nepali festival season, meaning Lukla flights are fuller and checkpoint lines are longer than any other time of year.

If your trekking dates fall in October or April-May — which they likely will if you're working around Indian holidays — pre-arranging both permits in Kathmandu isn't just a convenience. On a day when you're already managing jet lag from an early Lukla flight and the first real altitude gain of the trek, skipping a 40-minute checkpoint queue is worth the small extra effort of sorting paperwork a day earlier.

How EBC Permit Fees Compare to Other Nepal Treks

Researching other Nepal treks? You'll run into entirely different permit names — ACAP for Annapurna, MCAP plus a Restricted Area Permit for Manaslu, TIMS still required in some regions. None of that applies here.

•        EBC region — Sagarmatha National Park permit + Khumbu Pasang Lhamu permit only. No TIMS, no restricted area permit.

•        Annapurna region — ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit) + TIMS card, different fee structure entirely.

•        Manaslu region — MCAP + Restricted Area Permit, both significantly more expensive than EBC's two permits.

If you're trekking only the EBC route, you can ignore guides written for Annapurna or Manaslu — their fee structures don't apply to you, and following their permit checklist will have you arranging documents you don't actually need.

Conclusion

The EBC permit process is simpler than most blogs make it sound — two permits, a clear SAARC discount on one of them, and a total cost of roughly ₹2,190 per person if you're an Indian trekker. The only real risk is timing: sort both permits in Kathmandu before you fly to Lukla, especially if you're trekking during October or April-May, and you skip the checkpoint queue entirely.

If you're trekking somewhere in Nepal beyond EBC, the permit rules change by region — our complete Nepal trekking permit guide covers what applies elsewhere. And if you're working out the rest of your EBC budget beyond just permits, the [full cost breakdown] has everything else covered. If Island Peak is on your radar after EBC, [our Island Peak expedition guide] is the natural next step.