Mardi Himal Trek
Also known as Mardi Himal Base Camp Trek.
Mardi Himal Trek is a moderate 4-6-day teahouse trek in the Annapurna region of Nepal, reaching 4,500 m. It starts at Kande and ends at Siding (Sidhing).
Key facts
- Region
- Annapurna (Kaski)
- Duration
- 4-6 days, 4-7 hours walking per day
- Distance
- 40 km
- Maximum altitude
- 4,500 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate — Short trek close to Pokhara with good teahouses, but it climbs quickly to 4,500 m at the Base Camp viewpoint, giving a real (if brief) altitude exposure. The ridge above High Camp is steep, narrow and exposed in places, and the summit day is long (7-8 h).
- Trek type
- Teahouse, point-to-point route
- Best season
- Autumn (Oct-Nov) and Spring (Mar-Apr)
- Guide
- Not mandatory
- Restricted area
- No
- Budget cost
- NPR 25,000–35,000
- Comfortable cost
- NPR 38,000–55,000
- Guided cost
- NPR 48,000–62,000
- Getting there
- Kathmandu → Pokhara (tourist bus, 6-8 h, 204 km) → Kande (local bus 1 h / taxi 45 min, 27 km) → trail; exit Siding → Pokhara (shared jeep, 2-3 h)
- Altitude sickness
- Moderate: the route gains from ~1,700 m to 4,500 m in only 3-4 days, and mild AMS at High Camp (3,550 m) is common; the saving grace is that you sleep no higher than High Camp and the 4,500 m viewpoint is a same-day up-and-down.
Weather
Spring brings rhododendron bloom below Low Camp; autumn gives the most stable views of Machhapuchhre, Mardi Himal and Annapurna South. Monsoon trail is leech-infested and cloudy. In winter the section above High Camp can hold snow and ice; microspikes advisable Dec-Feb.
Permits
- Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) — NPR 3,000 for foreigners. Where to get it: Nepal Tourism Board offices Kathmandu (Bhrikutimandap) or Pokhara (Damside), or online; checked at Annapurna checkpoints
- TIMS Card — NPR 2,000 for foreigners. Where to get it: Through a registered trekking agency (since April 2023) or NTB offices
Itinerary
- Day 1: Pokhara to Pitam Deurali, 4 h, 2,100 m — Australian Camp (2,060 m) panorama of Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre; rhododendron forest
- Day 2: Pitam Deurali to Low Camp, 5-6 h, 2,985 m — Dense mossy rhododendron/oak forest via Forest Camp (2,600 m)
- Day 3: Low Camp to High Camp, 3-4 h, 3,550 m — Treeline breaks at Badal Danda (3,210 m); ridge-top sunset over Machhapuchhre
- Day 4: High Camp to Low Camp (via Mardi Base Camp viewpoint), 7-8 h, 2,985 m — Pre-dawn climb to Upper Viewpoint (~4,200 m) and Mardi Himal Base Camp viewpoint (4,500 m); close-up of Mardi Himal and Machhapuchhre west face
- Day 5: Low Camp to Pokhara, 3 h, 820 m — Descent through forest to Gurung village of Siding (1,700 m)
More Annapurna treks
- Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
- Australian Camp - Dhampus Trek
- Ghandruk Loop Trek
- Royal Trek
- Khopra Danda Trek
- Mohare Danda Trek
- Panchase Trek
- Sikles Trek
- Jomsom - Muktinath Trek
- Annapurna Base Camp Trek
- Annapurna Circuit Trek
- Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake
- Nar Phu Valley Trek
- Upper Mustang Trek
- Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek
- Ghale Gaun - Lamjung Community Trek
- Sirubari Village Trek
- Kori Danda (Kapuche Lake - Kori) Trek
- Annapurna North Base Camp Trek