19th Jul, 2022
A popular bustling village in the Khumbu region of the Solukhumbu District in Nepal, which is located at an altitude of 2,360 meters above sea level, is known for having the world's most dangerous airport (also known as "The Tenzing Hillary Airport"), where more than 300 people lost their lives before even attempting to reach the summit of the world's highest peak, "The Mt. Everest" is the getaway to every hiking/ trekking destination in the Everest Region.
Hiring a guide is the most practical way to ensure that you get to your destination safely and securely in the Khumbu region due to its challenging and remote trekking pathways, such as the Everest Base Camp Trek, the Khumbu Three Passes Trek, the Gokyo Ri Trek, Ama Dablam, Kalapathar, etc. It is possible to hire a trekking guide or porter guide in Lukla at any time of the year, which will make planning your trip simpler, safer, more affordable, and more flexible. The guides' duties also include educating you about the location, the locals, the local cuisine, and other amenities like lodging, attractions, and amenities, as well as your preferences in the journey. As the majority of the locals, particularly men from nearly every household, are employed in this activity, hiring a guide or porter in Lukla is also a way of helping the community and the education of their children.
Trekking Guide: the trekking guides are the educated, trained, and certified personalities holding an official trekking guide license by attending a 5weeks long theoretical and practical training classes organized by the Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM) - the first ever institute of Nepal to provide Tourism and Hotel Management training and education, or the Nepal Mountain Academy (NMA) with the minimum criteria of having 10+2 Academic level or equivalent and 2 years of working experience in a registered trekking agency, or S.E.E. academic level or equivalent and a 3years of working experience in a registered trekking agency of Nepal.
As a result, you can hire a variety of professional guides depending on your travel objectives, which may include cultural exploration, study into local flora or wildlife, bird watching, mountaineering, sampling local cuisine, etc.
Therefore, the cost of hiring the guide from lukla depends upon the type of facility you’ll acquire including the expertise, language skills and their experience.
The Guide cum Porter or Porter cum Guide are the persons who will not only show you the routes and assist you in the neighborhood, but they also help you carry your bag or loads up to 10kg as you make your way to the mountains. The Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM) or the Nepal Mountain Academy (NMA) both offer 15-day training programs for porter guides who meet the minimum requirements of having a S.E.E. academic level or equivalent, two years of working experience as a porter in the trekking industry, and basic communication skills in at least one foreign language. Although the porter guides are the trail experts and are knowledgeable with every part of the areas, sadly, they haven't been able to finish any of these official training programs or obtain certificates since they lack the necessary academic credentials.
As they are the ones that carry 100kg loads up hills to supply the local tea houses with food and lodging to accommodate tourists, porters are thus the core of the trekking sector. Lukla also offers porter services if you require someone to carry a bag weighing more than 10 kilograms. You can't expect the region's touring services with a porter who can carry up to 25kg of baggage. They prefer to move at their own pace and avoid making eye contact with other walkers or trekkers while they carry the hefty weight.
As Lukla is a unique and secluded location, it is crucial to walk with a guide rather than on your own because you may not be familiar with the routes you're taking, the people you'll be encountering, or how to diagnose and treat altitude sickness. Marching for the top of the world and the region of the world's highest mountain is not easy as it might seem and the main reason why you should hire a trekking or porter guide from Lukla is that they are holding decades of experience and the trained personalities on how to walk in those landscapes and how to handle the uncertain circumstances like climate changes and altitude. Last but not least, if you need to engage porter guides or trekking guides, you must hire them through agencies rather than dealing directly with locals because some porters may lack insurance, which could pose a concern in the future.
Guides = USD 30 per Day
Guides Cum Porter = USD 25 per Day
Porter = USD 22 per Day