Group trekking tours in Nepal might seem like a bargain—until you actually join one
Everyone loves a good deal, but as we all know, cheaper options often come with hidden costs. Trekking in Nepal is no exception. The internet is full of booking agents and trekking companies offering group treks at seemingly great prices. I get emails from people asking about them all the time. After the latest inquiry, I set up an auto-reply because the answer is almost always disappointing.
It’s never easy to tell someone that what they’re excited about is likely to be a bad idea, but that’s often the case with online group treks in Nepal. It usually starts with a too-good-to-be-true ad or search result that leads you to a website asking for all your details. As you fill out the form, the price might change or remain suspiciously low, even after adding extras like porters. If that doesn’t raise a red flag, what will?
Some sites will ask for your credit card details upfront to secure a deposit. You frantically review the itinerary, comparing it to other companies offering similar tours with confusingly different prices. It’s all designed to trap you in a web of uncertainty. And once you’ve entered your details, expect a sales rep to contact you soon. Welcome to the rabbit hole of online group trekking in Nepal. The worst part? The real problems often start when you actually arrive in Nepal.
What are group trekking booking websites?
Most of these sites are run by online tour companies based outside of Nepal. They take a commission and pass your booking on to a random trekking agency in Nepal—the one that offered the lowest price or the highest commission. That’s it. The booking website takes your money, and you’re left dealing with an anonymous trekking company and whatever terms and conditions you unknowingly agreed to. If something goes wrong, you have little recourse.
Yes, in some case the website will make out like you will know the name of the trekking company. But as you can read here, the reality is these “trekking companies” are the very ones that mix and match clients on cheap tours to make up larger numbers which equals better money for them. Read on to get a better understanding on how this works.
How does booking a group trek like this affect you so badly?
Both the low price the Nepali trekking company offers, and or the high commision offered to the booking company, mean that a solo person or double trekking couples money is not enjoy to turn a profit for the trekking company alone. So why are they offering it? Because, if they get 10 or 20 people going in the same group then they can start making some money.
You’ll see this on some group trek booking websites. You are asked how many of you are going. The more going, the cheaper the price per person. Sounds good. Only it’s not when you consider the size of the group, the financial shortcuts taken to make a profit. For example if you are one of these trekking companies advertising on a booking tour website and you only get four bookings you know that’s you’ll still be making a loss based on your cheap price. But you take them anyway. What happens next is that this trekking company actually adds you to another companies group tour who adds that group to another group and so on until they have enough to turn a profit or raise suspicions.
Many a time the solo or couple who booked to join a group trek have no idea and only discover this when they arrive in Nepal. If the trekking groups are good, they’ll keep people in the dark until the first day of the trek. You’ll think everything is great after the long bus or jeep ride with your guide. Only to hop off the bus and be standing there will a group of 20 others all looking at each other. That’s when five of you (if you are lucky) get your own personal guide. Only they are not a guide and are indeed a porter with little to no English. Get it? Yes, a porter is cheaper to hire than a guide. The guide will of course be going, but they’ll be assigned to the people who paid more or are likely to tip more while you get stuck with the ever smiling porter who can just nod in agreement with everything you say.
How do these group treks actually work when trekking?
Let’s say you are lumped in a group of twenty tourists. There will be 3 or 4 porters as the trekking companies don’t want to run foul of National Parks, TAAN or NTB who all state that there’s a 5:1 ratio of trekkers to a fully qualified guide. So at checkpoints the lead guide deals with all the paperwork for all twenty trekkers as the porters sit around eating with you at lunch time. If bribes needed to be paid to checkpoints, they are. It’s not much and is less hassle than paperwork.
So yes, you clicked it. Your porter is disguised as your guide. You’ll probably also notice in the sign-up webpage they offered free porters too …. hmmm. So, things are really sinking in now as you trek on. When it comes to accommodation the lead guide will have a set of instructions. The trekkers who paid more, get the better accommodation. They don’t like to tell the other trekkers that. The cheapest usually get shared accommodation or dorms in lodge that has a deal with them. Don’t worry, you’ll all be getting the cheap dinner later so don’t feel too bad.
Meal times on these cheap treks are special. The lodge owner will have have a seperate menu for you compared to independent trekkers (they might be scarce in your accommodation as they tend to avoid big groups). Usually the group treks are given a fixed meal. In some they’ll go to the effort of adding some variety of noodle meals, dal bhat or some form of pasta. The more of you that order the same, the better and cheaper for the kitchen and trekking company. Tea or coffee, extra. Hot shower, extra. Battery charging, extra. You get the point as you lay your head down on the razor thin pillow listing to the bellowing snores of the porters room next to you.
“I have not been screwed over” … is the real mantra in group trekkers heads during a trek
Nobody wants to believe they’ve been scammed, especially after flying halfway around the world and spending a significant amount of money. Group trekkers often convince themselves that “this is just how Nepal is.” But when you see other trekkers being treated like royalty or getting better accommodations, it’s hard not to feel a pang of regret.
When the two couples with the lead guide are treated like royalty as you arrive into another village and they get attached bathrooms you kick and blame yourself for missing that option on the website form (it was never there in the first place, remember they group you altogether from different companies with different prices). When the lead guide spares you two minutes of his time you feel so happy that he was able to offer you an “upgrade” to your room for only $20.
That poor couple who got sick last night and had to be helicopter evacuated? Let’s not even go there. But at least they guide will make a nice $500 out of each person’s travel insurance policy. It also means that your trekking group can finally trek a bit fast now the numbers have been reduced …
Even the good group treks have serious problems most people choose to ignore until it’s too late
Okay, let’s say you got lucky and in the first two days a few people were carted away in rescue helicopters or the trekking companies involved in this group trek couldn’t get a big number and you are only a group of 10 plus the guide, and one porter who’d still being deemed a guide to everyone. Sounds reasonable right? Well, if you were all from the same family it would be alright. But you are not. You’ll all be different people, of different ages, abilities, cultures, nationalities and speak different languages. Herein lies the next problem with cheap online group treks to Nepal.
Let’s look at the best case scenario. You are five couples. You all start off the trek together, getting by on limited English (the common language) aside from the older chain smoking Chinese couple who refuse to speak to anyone. The tall middle aged Dutch couple have taken the lead and are out of visual range within the first 30 minutes of trekking. The young American backpackers are so far behind looking at hidden trails and where to buy cheap noodles you rarely get to see them for the day. That’s not true for the French couple who insist on hogging the lead guide all throughout the day and get him to repeat everything as they can’t understand his accent. That just leaves you and the overweight couple from Spain who are having difficult breathing and you fear they might not make it until dinner.
That’s not bad. Not bad until you are ready to go trekking at the agreed time of 7.30am the next morning after breakfast. The French are ready too, thumbs up! But the backpackers are not even out of bed yet. The Chinese couple begin their morning ritual of hacking up half a lung and then lighting up some chemically infused cigarettes.. The Spanish couple are trying to call home to see if they brought the right medicine with them, and the American couple are ordering a second breakfast out of their own pocket because the cheap assed tour company didn’t feed them enough. You all finally leave at 9.30am. It’s only an hour to Nepali lunch time anyway where the whole process starts again. But now you are behind in time and you won’t make it to the village on the itinerary on time for dinner and miss the much anticipated mountain sunset.
Yes, you’ve all this to look forward to, everyday, for the entire trek. At least you get some respite on day 4 when you meet a nice Bosnian couple trekking with their own guide who tell you all about how to avoid this type of scam in Nepal.
Booking your own private guide is the way to get the best out of your once-in-a-lifetime trek.
Hiring your own private guide is by far the best way to get the most out of your trek in Nepal. You’ll have a dedicated guide to yourself. You can stop and start anywhere along the trail. Take side treks. Choose your own accommodation and meals.
This type of private guide trek also gives you one of the unspoken benefits of trekking in Nepal, making a local friend. Yes, you are paying them to learn about trekking, mountains and Nepal. But you are also talking to them about day to day things in life. And this is where the magic happens. You learn about the country from a genuine local person. About their family, school, work, life in Nepal and how they view the rest of the world. It’s a rare thing to discover today. For me, it’s one of the top highlights of trekking in Nepal.
It’s also not that expensive when you add up the costs. A trekking guide costs around USD $30-40 per day. Less if you go with some of the tips I give you here on how to find a trekking guide in Nepal. For accommodation, transport, and meals take a look at how much does it cost to trek in Nepal. Don’t forget to do the math and ROI (Return On Investment). If a meal of Dal Bhat costs USD $8 on average in the mountains, then work out the average meal cost per day. Add in accommodation. Now add up the guides rate. Compare that to the super cheap group trek … Where are they cutting corners to offer such cheap prices? It’s the first thing that a savvy trekker would be asking.
Independent Information: The Key to Avoiding Underpriced or Overpriced Treks
When planning a trek in Nepal, relying on independent information is crucial for avoiding both underpriced and overpriced treks. Underpriced treks often come with hidden costs, poor service, and compromised safety, as trekking companies cut corners to make a profit. Conversely, overpriced treks rarely provide any additional value, despite the higher price tag. Independent sources—such as unbiased travel blogs, forums, and firsthand reviews from experienced trekkers—offer invaluable insights into fair pricing, reputable companies, and what to expect on your trek. By conducting thorough research, you can make informed decisions that balance cost, quality, and safety, ensuring a rewarding and stress-free trekking experience.
However, it’s important to be cautious. Avoid “influencers” or blogs, websites, and YouTubers that only recommend one company or engage in sponsored posts. These creators often receive free or discounted treks in exchange for writing favorable reviews, leading to biased reports. The saying “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” applies here. While it may take time to sift through such content, identifying impartial views is essential for finding reliable information. Practicing due diligence pays off, as it helps you secure a better trekking experience.
I’ve been writing independent guides for nearly two decades without accepting free treks, hotel stays, meals, or tours, despite being offered attractive incentives. For me, it’s about ethics. I have no issue saying if something isn’t worth it, especially when it comes to Nepal, so that travelers can get the most out of their trip. In today’s world, it’s rare to find 100{a5878b9613abe08196cd6b7eb6afbb4f94b4f41665dc083d6550b4f44dc7c91b} honest and independent service information—from plumbers and roofers to treks and accommodations. That’s why I write independent guidebooks and offer a service to help people find a trustworthy trekking guide. When you come across genuinely independent advice, you’ll realize the true value it brings to your journey.