Each of our trips includes meals and accommodation in the travel itinerary, which means participants travelling with us should not be required to bring large amounts of money with them. However, when travelling internationally, we always recommend that you have access to £250-£500 of accessible funds, in case of emergency. In the extremely unlikely event that you require evacuation during your trek, for instance, you would typically be required to pay the air ambulance provider directly, before seeking to claim this back from your travel insurance company.
If you are attending a UK domestic event, you will only require a small amount of money to purchase additional food and drink supplies, should you wish. Similarly, if you are participating in a EU event, you only require travel money for snacks, drinks and any additional activities you choose to do during your leisure time. You can either obtain some of the local currency from an exchange bureau prior to departure, or wait until you arrive in-country and use your credit or debit card to withdraw funds.
The amount of travel money suggested for our international trekking challenges may vary on a few different factors, such as whether you are attending the extended tour package, and whether you are planning to rent or buy trekking gear at your destination. All meals are included during your main trek, and of course accommodation is provided throughout, but you may need to purchase one or two meals either before or after the main trek. Also, if you are signed up to an extension trip, only those meals included in your Challenge Information Pack are included, so again you may need to purchase one or two additional meals here. All provisions will be clearly documented in your Final Information Pack, which you will receive approximately one month before departure.
Other potential expenses may include minor charges for hot showers and Wi-Fi. These are applicable primarily to our Everest Base Camp and Machu Picchu challenges. After completing the trek, you might decide to purchase a couple of souvenirs (clothes, bracelets, tea/coffee, etc) prior to returning to the UK. Also, pertinent to those joining a trek to Everest Base Camp, as you will be staying in guesthouses rather than campsites, you will often have the option of purchasing additional snacks and drinks at some of the settlements we pass.
One final cost is the tip! It is expected that you each offer a tip at the end of the trek to your guides, porters and support staff, who look after you during the expedition. The tip will be shared between the team. We offer a suggested amount in each of our Briefing Packs.
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Based on the above variables, as well as individual choice when it comes to how you wish to spend your time, especially on extension trips, it is not possible to offer a precise recommendation for all participants in terms of travel money. Below, we offer indicative guidance, from our own experience, based on your travel option:
Kilimanjaro (Tanzanian Shilling)
Trek Only: £150-£200
Trek + Extension: £300-£350
Everest Base Camp (Nepalese Rupee)
Trek Only: £200-£250
Trek + Extension: £250-£300
Machu Picchu (Nuevo Sol)
Trek Only: £150-£200
Trek + Extension: £200-£250
High Atlas Mountain (Moroccan Dirham)
Trek Only: £100-£150
Trek + Extension: £150-£200
Don't forget: The above figures represent the average expenditure per participant, and this could easily be more or less depending on how much you want to spend while you’re away!
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It is imperative that you always have a small amount of money on your person when travelling overseas. This can be either in the local currency or a major denomination. Some currencies are ‘open’, meaning that it should be available to purchase in your home country ahead of the trip; other currencies are ‘closed’, meaning you can not obtain it outside of that country. If you are unable to acquire the local currency ahead of your trip, but would like to bring some travel money with you, we recommend carrying US Dollars, as these are readily changeable for local currency at all of our destinations.
We hope this information is helpful. If you have any questions or concerns specific to your destination country that haven’t been answered here, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be more than happy to help.