Mardi Himal Base Camp viewpoint below Machhapuchhre in Nepal.
Guided trek in Nepal

Mardi Himal Trek

Five or six days from Pokhara up a quiet forest ridge to Mardi Himal Base Camp at 4,500 m, beneath Machhapuchhre. Short, honest, paced for the altitude.

Duration5-6 days
Max Altitude4,500m
DifficultyModerate
Distance49 km
Group SizeMax 8
Best SeasonSpring & Autumn
1 / 5
01 / Route overview

A short walk to a very big view, paced so we arrive well

Mardi Himal is often sold as an easy short trek. It is short, but we climb to 4,500 m, and the summit morning asks a lot. We tell you exactly what that day feels like, so you walk into it ready rather than surprised.

Updated 17 September 2026Route reviewed with Ram Saran Simkhada, Love Himalaya Journey guide.
Max altitude4500 m at Base Camp
AcclimatisationExtra High Camp night on The Journey
Best seasonsSpring and autumn

Trip highlights

  • Stand at Mardi Himal Base Camp, 4,500 m, beneath the south face of Machhapuchhre
  • Walk a quiet ridge of rhododendron and oak that opens into alpine meadow
  • Watch Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre fill the skyline
  • Reach real altitude on a short trek that starts and ends in Pokhara
  • Quieter trails than the main Annapurna Base Camp route
  • A second night at High Camp on The Journey, so we meet the summit morning rested
  • The same safety plan on every tier, whatever the price
What to know before you book
01
The morning that asks the most

The summit morning. We leave High Camp in the dark, climb a narrow open ridge to 4,500 m as the light reaches Machhapuchhre, then walk all the way down to Low Camp the same day. Around eight hours. It is the hardest day of the trek, and the one everything before it builds towards.

02
Altitude, honestly

This route gains height quickly for a short trek. Altitude sickness has no reliable link to age or fitness, so we plan for everyone the same way: a steady pace and oxygen checks above 3,500 m. On The Journey we add a second night at High Camp, so our bodies have time to catch up before the push.

03
Easy is the wrong word

The trail is well made and there is no technical ground, which is why people call it easy. The altitude and the length of the summit day make it moderate. We would rather you hear that from us now than discover it on the ridge.

04
Comfort, honestly

Above Forest Camp the teahouses are basic for everyone: plywood rooms, shared toilets and limited hot water. No operator can upgrade them, and we will not pretend to. Up there, comfort means good pacing, hot meals and a guide paying attention.

05
Who it suits

Walkers happy to spend a few days in a row on their feet, with one long, high morning. If you have never been above 4,000 m, this is a good first taste of real altitude, as long as we give it the time it deserves.

02 / Day by day

Your journey

Follow the trail from start to finish. Every day reveals a new part of the route.

Both tiers walk the same ridge with the same guide standard, oxygen checks above 3,500 m and descent rule. The Journey adds a second night at High Camp with an acclimatisation walk, and full board. The Trail reaches Base Camp a day sooner, with breakfast and dinner. Teahouses above Forest Camp are basic on both.

Day 01
Forest trail above Kande on the first day of the Mardi Himal trek.
Kande to Forest Camp via ridge forest
moderateStandard teahouseBreakfastLunchDinner

Pokhara to Kande, then walk to Forest Camp

Distance
13 km
Walking
6 hrs
Sleep
2,550 m
High
2,600 m

The short drive from Pokhara to the Kande trailhead

We drive about an hour from Pokhara to the trailhead at Kande, at 1,770 m. The walking starts straight away, up a well-made trail through rhododendron and oak, past Australian Camp and Pothana and onto the forested ridge. It is a steady first day that gains real height. The lower forest is mossy and quiet, and the climb eases our legs into the days ahead. Tonight we sleep at Forest Camp, also called Kokar, tucked into the trees at around 2,550 m.

RouteMossy rhododendron and oak forest along the ridge
RouteA quiet first night in the trees at Forest Camp
Day 02
Alpine ridge near High Camp on the Mardi Himal trek in Nepal.
Forest Camp, Low Camp, High Camp ridge
challengingStandard teahouseBreakfastLunchDinner

Forest Camp to Low Camp to High Camp

Distance
9 km
Walking
6 hrs
Sleep
3,580 m

Stepping out of the treeline onto the open ridge

Today is the biggest climb of the trek. We leave the forest for the open ridge, where the trees thin to shrub and then alpine grass, and the views start to arrive: Machhapuchhre ahead, the Annapurna wall to one side. We pass Low Camp, then climb steadily to High Camp at 3,580 m. That is a lot of height for one day, so we keep the pace deliberately slow and check in with everyone as the air thins. By evening we are in open alpine country with a wide horizon all around us.

SafetyAbove 3,500 m: follow the altitude protocol.
ContextFirst wide views of Machhapuchhre and Annapurna South
RouteThe steady climb to High Camp at 3,580 m
Day 03
Not included on The Trail; summit push follows High CampBadal Danda ridge and mountain views during Mardi Himal acclimatisation.
High Camp acclimatisation, Badal Danda ridge
easyStandard teahouseBreakfastLunchDinner

Acclimatisation day at High Camp

Distance
4 km
Walking
3 hrs
Sleep
3,580 m
High
3,700 m

A short climb-high, sleep-low walk toward Badal Danda

Today we stay put, and that is the point. Instead of pushing to 4,500 m the morning after a big climb, we give our bodies a day to adjust. After breakfast we take a short, unhurried walk up toward Badal Danda, gain a little height, then come back down to sleep. The afternoon is for rest, water and an oxygen check with your guide. It is a quiet day by design, and the extra night near 3,580 m is the single most useful thing we can do to give tomorrow's summit morning more margin.

AltitudeA slow day so our bodies adjust before 4,500 m
SafetyAn oxygen check and time to rest
Day 04
Mardi Himal Base Camp viewpoint below Machhapuchhre in Nepal.
Mardi Himal Base Camp and Upper Viewpoint
challengingStandard teahouseBreakfastLunchDinner

High Camp to Mardi Himal Base Camp, then descend to Low Camp

Distance
15 km
Walking
8 hrs
Sleep
2,970 m
High
4,500 m

Mardi Himal Base Camp at 4,500 m, beneath Machhapuchhre's south face

We start in the dark. The summit morning is the hardest day of the trek: a steady climb up the open upper ridge toward Mardi Himal Base Camp at 4,500 m, with the south face of Machhapuchhre rising straight ahead and Annapurna South and Hiunchuli filling the view as the light comes up. If snow or weather has closed the final ridge, we turn at the Upper Viewpoint, around 4,200 m, which still gives the full panorama. The mountain decides, not the schedule. After our time at the top we retrace the ridge to High Camp and keep going down to Low Camp at 2,970 m. It is a full day on our feet, and it is the day the whole trek builds towards.

ContextAnnapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre at first light
AltitudeThe Upper Viewpoint at 4,200 m if weather closes the ridge
SafetyA long descent back to the forest at Low Camp
Day 05
Terraced hillside near Siding on the descent from Mardi Himal.
Low Camp to Siding village and Pokhara
moderateKathmandu hotelBreakfastLunchDinner

Low Camp to Siding, then drive to Pokhara

Distance
12 km
Walking
6 hrs
Sleep
820 m
High
2,970 m

The long forest-and-farmland descent to Siding

Today we walk off the ridge. The trail drops through forest and out onto terraced farmland toward Siding, steeper in places than the way up felt, so it is a day for patient knees and trekking poles. As we lose height the landscape softens back into green fields and village life. From the road head at Siding we drive back to Pokhara, where the lake and a proper bed are waiting.

CultureFrom alpine ridge back to village terraces
RoadThe drive back to Pokhara and a proper bed
Day 06
Phewa Lake in Pokhara after the Mardi Himal trek.
Pokhara buffer day, Phewa Lake
easyKathmandu hotelBreakfast

Pokhara, buffer and departure

Sleep
820 m

A weather buffer that protects the summit window

A day in hand in Pokhara. On a short trek with one summit window, this buffer matters: if weather pushed the summit morning back, today absorbs it, and if everything went to plan it becomes a real rest day by the lake. Nothing is scheduled. Pokhara is an easy place to do very little, with the lake, the cafes, and the mountains we just walked beneath sitting on the skyline.

RouteRest by the lake after the ridge
ContextAn unscheduled day before you travel on
03 / Trip essentials

What's included and excluded

Know exactly what your trek price covers before you commit.

Price Includes

  • Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)
  • Licensed trekking guide
  • Teahouse accommodation
  • Meals on the trek
  • Ground transport per itinerary
  • Included porter
  • Fair porter and guide treatment

Price Excludes

  • Travel to and from Pokhara
  • International flights
  • Nepal entry visa
  • Travel insurance with high-altitude evacuation cover
  • Lunch on The Trail
  • Helicopter return to Pokhara
  • Tips for guide and porter
  • Drinks, hot showers, charging and wifi at altitude
04 / Price & discounts
Live Pricing

Build your trek

Pick a tier, set your group size, and choose a preferred departure. The number you see here is the number we receive.

Two tiers. No inflated third option. The Trail and The Journey cover the honest choices here. The Transformation is not a worthwhile product on this route; helicopter return stays a quoted add-on.
Not sold hereNo Transformation tierAvailable add-onFor this route, a Transformation package would be theatre, not value. Above the lower trail, lodges are basic for everyone, so there is no meaningful luxury upgrade to sell.Helicopter return can still be quoted at booking for either tier.
Group rates

The more who trek, the less each person pays

Choose a group band to update your live quote below.

Swipe to compare group rates

Per-person prices for The Trail
Group sizePrice per personYou save per personSelect group size
$725Standard rate
$575$150 (21% off)
$510$215 (30% off)
$465$260 (36% off)

Prices are in USD, per person. Your total updates automatically for 2 trekkers.

What's in The Trail

3 included · 2 not included

  • Breakfast and dinner includedTwo meals a day on the trek; lunch on your own for flexibility on walking days
  • Included porterOne porter shared between trekkers, fairly paid, insured, with a load cap
  • Same safety as every tierLicensed guide, oxygen-saturation monitoring above 3500 m, and a clear descend-on-symptoms rule
  • Second acclimatisation night at High CampAvailable on The Journey, the safest way to approach 4500 m
  • Lunch on the trekAvailable on The Journey, where full board is included
05 / Before you go

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a moderate trek, not an easy one, even though it is short and has no technical climbing. What makes it moderate is the altitude and the summit morning. We reach 4,500 m at Base Camp, and the day from High Camp to the top means a pre-dawn start, a steady climb on an open ridge and a long descent, around eight hours in all. The rest of the walking is straightforward. If you are comfortable walking five to seven hours on consecutive days and you respect the acclimatisation, it is well within reach for a fit first-time high-altitude trekker, especially on The Journey with its extra night at High Camp.

It gets called easy because it is short and the trail is well made, but that leaves out the altitude. 4,500 m is a serious height, and the summit morning is a real mountain morning. We call it moderate on purpose. Most reasonably fit people can do it. Going in expecting a stroll is how people get caught out on the ridge, so we would rather you arrive prepared, and we will help you get there.

Altitude is the main risk on this trek, and we treat it that way. For a short trek we gain height quickly, and Base Camp at 4,500 m is high enough for altitude sickness to be a real possibility. It has no reliable link to age or fitness, so the same protections apply to all of us: a steady pace, oxygen checks above 3,500 m, and a clear rule that if symptoms get worse, we go down. The biggest single safeguard is time, which is why The Journey adds a second night at High Camp before the push. Your guide is trained to spot the early signs, and the most useful thing you can do is tell us honestly how you feel.

With us it is five days on The Trail and six on The Journey, both from Pokhara and back. The walking is the same: up the ridge to High Camp, the summit morning to Base Camp at 4,500 m, and the long descent to Siding. The Journey adds a second night at High Camp to acclimatise before the push. You will see this trek sold as anything from three to ten days. The short versions usually skip the acclimatisation, and the long ones often pad the count with Kathmandu transfer days.

Yes. Since 2023, foreign trekkers in Nepal's main trekking regions, including the Annapurna Conservation Area where Mardi Himal sits, must trek with a licensed guide or registered agency. We see the guide as part of the safety plan, not just the rule, especially on a route that reaches 4,500 m, and one is included on both tiers.

You need the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP). It costs 3,000 Nepalese rupees for foreign trekkers, roughly 22 to 30 US dollars depending on the exchange rate, and we arrange it for you on both tiers. The TIMS card is arranged where applicable; in practice it is not currently checked on the Annapurna trails. Nepal's permit rules have changed before, so we confirm the current position at the start of each season.

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) give the clearest views and the most settled weather. In spring the rhododendron forest on the lower ridge comes into bloom; autumn usually brings the crispest air after the monsoon. Winter is possible and very quiet, but cold, and snow high on the ridge can close the final approach to Base Camp. The monsoon, June to August, brings cloud, rain and leeches in the forest, and the views are unreliable, so we do not recommend it.

The trek starts and ends in Pokhara, and getting there from Kathmandu is yours to book, so you are not paying us a margin on a ticket you can buy directly. The road takes around eight to nine hours by tourist bus or private vehicle, longer than it used to because of ongoing construction, and it is the cheaper option. The flight takes about twenty-five minutes and usually costs around 130 US dollars one way, saving most of a day. Once you are in Pokhara, the transfer to the Kande trailhead is included and we start walking the same morning. We are happy to help with bookings.

The difference is time. The safety is identical. The Trail walks the standard line and reaches Base Camp on the third morning, with breakfast, dinner and a shared porter. The Journey adds a second night at High Camp with a short acclimatisation walk, so your body can adjust before the push to 4,500 m, and includes full board. On both tiers you have the same licensed guide standard, oxygen checks above 3,500 m and descent rule, and the teahouses above Forest Camp are basic whichever you choose. We recommend The Journey. The Trail is the same trek done correctly on a tighter schedule.

Quote$1,1502 trekkers