Mardi Himal Trek: A Complete Guide to Nepal’s Most Rewarding Short Trek

If someone had told me before our Poon Hill trek that I’d be standing at a viewpoint in the Annapurna region in the early hours of the morning, looking at the clearest mountain views of my life, I wouldn’t have believed them. Poon Hill was four days of heavy rain and fog; Mardi Himal was something else entirely.

I’m writing this after just returning from the Mardi Himal trek (in April 2026), and I can say with complete confidence that it’s one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever done. This guide covers everything you need to plan your own trek, including the route, itinerary, costs, permits, packing and… well, honestly, everything else I could think of to mention!

Also, if you’re short on time in Nepal and are deciding between the Mardi Himal trek and Poon Hill: do Mardi Himal.

What Is the Mardi Himal Trek?

Mardi Himal is a relatively short trekking route in the Annapurna region of Nepal, starting just outside Pokhara. From there, it follows a ridge that forms the southwest buttress of Machhapuchhre, the sacred Fishtail peak, and climbs through rhododendron forests, alpine meadows and open ridgelines to a viewpoint at around 4,200 metres (with the option to continue to base camp at 4,500 metres).

It’s typically completed in 5-7 days, though, as you’ll see from our experience, more experienced hikers can do it in 4 (I’ve even seen people do it in 3!). It’s considered moderate in difficulty, accessible to beginners with a reasonable base fitness level, and compared to the big names of the Annapurna region, notably Annapurna Base Camp and the Annapurna Circuit, it remains quieter on the trail. Not empty by a long stretch, but still peaceful.

The highest point most people aim for is the upper viewpoint at 4,200 metres, and some continue to Mardi Himal Base Camp at 4,500 metres for a closer, more intimate view of the peaks.

Best Time to Do the Mardi Himal Trek

Spring (mid-February to May) and Autumn (September to mid-December) are the two prime trekking seasons in Nepal, and Mardi Himal follows that trend.

We went in April, and the rhododendrons were still flowering higher up the trail. The temperatures at altitude were extremely cold, particularly overnight at High Camp, but the spring sky delivered some phenomenal, clear mornings. Just be aware that spring weather can be super unpredictable, we got lucky with this one, but our Poon Hill experience was a completely different story.

Autumn is widely considered the most reliable season for visibility across Nepal, but of course, that comes with more crowds too.

Winter (December to February) is possible, and the trail is much quieter, but snow above 3,000 metres is likely, and temperatures at High Camp can be brutal. The summer and monsoon season (June to August) brings wet trails, leeches, and frequent cloud cover, so I definitely wouldn’t recommend it.

How to Get to the Trek Starting Point

The Mardi Himal trek typically begins at Kande, a small village around an hour’s drive from Pokhara.

We were staying long-term in Pokhara and our trekking company picked us up from the apartment at around 8am for the drive to Kande.

Should You Use a Trekking Agency?

We used Great Adventure Treks for this one, as we’d already trekked with them a couple of weeks earlier on Poon Hill (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!). Our guide, Ram, and our porter, Ramesh, were super friendly and knowledgeable. Ramesh was actually our porter the first time, too! It’s safe to say, we’re big Ramesh fans.

Technically, since a rule change in 2023, foreign trekkers in Nepal’s designated trekking areas are required to trek with a licensed guide. The Mardi Himal trail falls within this regulation. Now, I will say that as of April 2026, enforcement is patchy, and we passed quite a few independent foreign trekkers on the trail without guides. But the regulation exists, and beyond compliance, I would say having a guide and porter is well worth it – you support locals who know the trails like the back of their hands, keep a sensible pace for acclimatisation, help with any gear and are excellent people to spend a few days with in the mountains.

Mardi Himal Trek Cost

Our trek with Great Adventure Treks came in at just under £300 per person, that fee covered:

• Return transfer between Pokhara and the trailhead/Sidhing
• All meals on the trek (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• Water (purification tablets)
• Accommodation in teahouses throughout
• A licensed guide and a porter
• All permits
• Gear rental: a duffel bag for the porter, hiking poles, shoe spikes for the descent from the viewpoint, and a down jacket, can also get sleeping bags etc if you need them.

The only additional costs were things like boiled water at the teahouses (around 300 NPR per litre, and you will get through a lot of it), the occasional extra dish at dinner if we wanted more than the included meal, and tips for our guide and porter. Budget around 2,000 NPR per person per day extra for these incidentals on the trail, plus a separate tip budget of around 2,000 NPR per day of trekking, split between your guide and porter.

One thing worth knowing: prices at teahouses increase with altitude. Everything above Low Camp has been carried up by a person or a donkey, and the menus reflect that. We found a teahouse in Badal Danda that had an actual barista coffee machine, with cappuccinos for 500 NPR. More than the standard 200 to 300 NPR for a coffee at lower elevations, but absolutely, unquestionably worth it after a long morning of walking.

The Mardi Himal Trek Itinerary

The standard itinerary for the trek runs over five to seven days and honestly this depends a lot on how fast you go and how you naturally adjust to altitude. We completed it in four days of trekking so day 5 was just getting up to get our jeep back to Pokhara. Here’s how it looked for us:

Day 1: Kande to Pitam Deurali (1,925m)

The first day is the softest introduction to trekking you could ask for. From Kande (1,770m) the trail climbs steadily through terraced farmland and into the first stretches of forest. It’s beautiful, manageable and relatively short. We reached Pitam Deurali in around three hours and had a hotel with the most magnificent views (although we didn’t see those until the morning!).

Standard trekkers also often stop here on day 1, so no changes there. It’s a lovely spot with good views beginning to open up, and a gentle first day sets you up well for what comes next.

Day 2: Pitam Deurali to Low Camp (2,985m)

There’s a few itinerary options here, we went directly up to Low Camp, but you can also stop for a night in Forest Camp (around 2,600m). Because we were moving well and felt good, we pushed to Low Camp, which added a couple of hours but meant day three would be shorter.

The trail through this section passes through some of the most beautiful forests on the route. Dense rhododendron (if you’re there in Spring, you may even catch them in bloom!) and oak give way gradually to more open terrain as you climb, with views beginning to appear through the trees. We found the full day to Low Camp took around six hours and wasn’t too difficult despite the altitude gain as it’s a very gentle constant.

Day 3: Low Camp to High Camp (3,550m)

This was our shortest day, with only around two and a half hours from Low Camp to High Camp, though our guide told us this can take up to four hours depending on how people find the altitude – you start to feel it on the breathing here! The trail climbs out of the treeline, and suddenly, there’s sky in every direction. It’s pretty magical if you get the right conditions.

We arrived at High Camp at 11:30am, which honestly was ridiculously early, and spent the afternoon doing absolutely nothing. The temperature at High Camp in April was brutal, dropping to around minus five overnight, with thick cloud rolling in by mid-afternoon.

Fireplaces are banned at all teahouses on this section of the trek due to deforestation concerns. Mostly, you’ll find a ton of spare blankets in the common area for you to get cosy under, which is exactly what we did, alongside drinking a load of honey lemon ginger tea and boiled water, and playing chess until it was time to sleep at 8pm, ready for our early start.

I’ll be honest, looking out at the thick grey cloud that evening, I had a sinking feeling. It looked horribly similar to the night before our Poon Hill sunrise hike. In case you missed it from my few earlier mentions, we’d trekked that entire four-day route through fog and heavy rain, soooo the thought of repeating that experience on this one was a little daunting, to say the least!

Day 4: High Camp to Upper Viewpoint and Down to Sidhing

The alarm went off at 4am and we were basically already dressed (the night was chilly!), met with our guide, opened the teahouse door and were met with a sky absolutely packed with stars.

The walk from High Camp to the upper viewpoint at 4,200m takes around two hours or so at a steady pace in the dark. As we made our way foreward the need for our torches got less and less (honestly, phone torch is totally ok) until we could make do without it. At the same time, the views of the mountains got brighter and brighter until we could see we were surrounded by 360 panoramic views of some of the most beautiful mountains in the world. This was just the push I needed to make it up those last 200m or so where the breathing really started to become a challenge as you make your way up the final stairs.

At the viewpoint, the sun was just beginning to come up over the range. There were a handful of small shacks selling hot tea, a crowd of trekkers all buzzing with a beautiful atmosphere, and somehow an adorable puppy. Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Machhapuchhre rising almost directly in front of us and we stayed for over an hour.

A note on the choice between viewpoint and base camp: the upper viewpoint at 4,200m gives you panoramic views across the whole range. Base camp at 4,500m gives you a closer, more intimate view of Mardi Himal and Machhapuchhre specifically. Neither is wrong, it depends entirely on what kind of views you want. We chose the viewpoint and had no regrets on our decision.

The snow coverage on the upper trail was unusual for April, according to the owner of our High Camp teahouse (a brilliantly entertaining man who spent years living in the UK). But I’m so happy it was there as it made the whole landscape look extraordinary, all white and sharp against the soft morning sky.

After returning from the viewpoint, having our breakfast back at the teahouse and packing up, day four becomes a very long descent. From High Camp all the way down to Sidhing village, via Badal Danda, the trail drops steeply and relentlessly. This took us around eight hours in total. By the end of it your knees know about it and hiking poles are not optional on this day.

We stayed overnight in Sidhing, a quiet and lovely traditional village, and took the jeep back to Pokhara early the following morning. The drive is around 1.5 to 2 hours, with the first section on rough mountain tracks and the rest on normal roads into the city.

Altitude and Acclimatisation

Mardi Himal tops out at 4,500m at the base camp and 4,200m at the viewpoint. For most healthy adults with a sensible itinerary this is manageable, but altitude should always be taken seriously.

The most important thing you can do to avoid acute mountain sickness is to stay properly hydrated. At altitude, you should be drinking three to four litres of water per day, more if you are exerting yourself heavily.

Another tip is to eat carbohydrate-rich meals, as your body uses less oxygen to digest carbs than it does protein or fat. Manu loved a Dal Bhat for dinner and I usually went for Tibetan Thukpa, a noodle soup served at most teahouses which is perfect for high-altitude evenings and it’s both warming and hydrating.

Avoid alcohol, heavy meals and excessive exertion the day you arrive at High Camp. Having a short day three will also help give your body some extra time to adjust before the big push on day four.

What to Pack for the Mardi Himal Trek

I try to be as minimal as possible with packing and don’t think you need a new outfit for every day, or any kind of technical gear, as the terrain on this one is easy. Your porter will carry the big bag, and you can carry, well, whatever you like for the day, honestly. Here’s what I packed:

Clothing

• 2 to 3 t-shirts (2 short-sleeve, one long-sleeve)
• 1 pair of hiking trousers
• 1 pair of leggings (for layering and sleeping in)
• Thermal base layer top and bottoms for the evenings and final ascent
• Fleece
• Rain jacket
• Warm hat
• Baseball cap (for sun on the trail)
• Gloves

Footwear and poles

• Your favourite hiking shoes, I personally wear trail runners
• Some kind of sandal/slides for around the teahouses
• Hiking poles
• Shoe spikes for the viewpoint if you are going in a season with snow or ice

Essentials

• Two water bottles, one ideally a thermos
• Some kind of torch (phone is totally doable)
• Sunscreen and lip balm
• Small microfibre towel
• Toilet roll or wet wipes (never provided at teahouses)
• Power bank
• Any personal medication plus basics like ibuprofen and plasters

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