KATHMANDU: Nepal has announced a significant increase in the permit fees for climbing Mount Everest, raising the cost for mountaineers for the first time in nearly a decade.
The new fees, effective from September 2025, will see the price for a permit to climb Sagarmatha (Everest) rise from USD 11,000 to USD 15,000, marking a 36% hike.
The fee for Nepali climbers has also gone up from Rs 75,000 to Rs 150,000.
Madhav Adhikari, an official at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, explained that the royalty fees had not been revised for a long time and that the increase was necessary. The new rates will apply to the popular April-May climbing season along the standard South East Ridge, also known as the South Col route, first pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
Climbing permits for the less busy September-November season and the rarely climbed December-February season will also see a 36% increase, bringing the costs to US$7,500 and US$3,750, respectively.
Each year, about 300 permits are issued for Everest climbs, and the mountaineering industry is a key source of revenue for Nepal, which boasts eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains.
However, the country has faced criticism for allowing too many climbers on Everest, often without adequate safety or environmental measures.
Comment