Trekking · Packages
Mardi Himal Trek Package — 7 Days
The complete 7-day guided Mardi Himal trek package from Pokhara — the ridge itinerary day by day, with cost, inclusions and booking.
This Mardi Himal trek package is the guided, 7-day version of Nepal's trendiest short trek — a single forested spur that climbs out of the Pokhara valley and ends on an open ridge directly beneath Machhapuchhre (Fishtail). Measured door to door from Pokhara, the package wraps five walking days in transfers, permits, teahouse nights and a built-in buffer day, so the only thing you have to manage is the climb itself.
This page sets out the full Pokhara-to-Pokhara itinerary, what the package includes, a realistic cost range and the best months to go. For the route background — history, accommodation and the independent-trekker view — see our full Mardi Himal trek guide.
At a glance
| Duration | 7 days, Pokhara to Pokhara (5 days trekking) |
| Highest point | Mardi Himal Base Camp viewpoint, ~4,500 m |
| Start / end | Pokhara (short drives to Kande and from Siding) |
| Difficulty | Moderate — steady ridge climbing, no technical sections |
| Best seasons | Autumn (Oct–Nov) and spring (Mar–May) |
| Nights | ~2 in Pokhara hotels + 4 in trail teahouses |
The 7-day itinerary, day by day
| Day | Plan | Approx. altitude |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokhara — drive to Kande, trek to Australian Camp / Deurali | ~2,100 m |
| 2 | Deurali to Forest Camp through rhododendron and oak forest | 2,520 m |
| 3 | Forest Camp to Low Camp, continue to High Camp | 2,990 m / 3,580 m |
| 4 | Pre-dawn ridge walk to Mardi Himal Base Camp viewpoint, descend to Low Camp | ~4,500 m |
| 5 | Descend to Siding village, drive back to Pokhara | 820 m |
| 6 | Buffer / free day in Pokhara — lakeside, or a spare day for the ridge | 820 m |
| 7 | Departure | 820 m |
Day 4 is the one you came for: a head-torch start from High Camp, then two to three hours along an open, narrowing ridge as the sky lightens and Machhapuchhre fills the view in front of you, with Annapurna South and Hiunchuli alongside. Cloud builds by afternoon at this height, so the early start is not optional — it is how you get the view. Day 6 exists as insurance: if weather shuts the ridge down on day 4, the schedule slides a day without touching your flight. Trekkers short on time can compress this into the five-day core described in the Mardi Himal trek guide.
What's included
A standard guided package covers:
- Pokhara hotel nights on arrival and return (typically 2 nights).
- Private transfers to the Kande trailhead and back from Siding.
- A licensed English-speaking guide (required on this route), with porters optional.
- Teahouse accommodation on the trail, twin-sharing.
- Most meals on the trek (usually breakfast, lunch and dinner on trail days).
- Both trekking permits — the ACAP entry permit (around US$25) and TIMS card (around US$17–20); see trekking permits in Nepal.
Not included: flights to Nepal, your Nepal visa, travel insurance, meals in Pokhara, drinks and snacks, hot showers and charging at the high camps, personal gear, and tips for your guide and porters.
Mardi Himal trek package cost
A guided 7-day Mardi Himal package typically runs from around US$550 for a budget group departure to US$950 or more for private or premium trips. What moves the price is group size, whether you take a porter, hotel standard in Pokhara and the season — peak autumn departures at the top of the range, quieter months below it. It is one of the best value-for-altitude packages in Nepal: for well under half the cost of an Everest Base Camp trip, you sleep on a Himalayan ridge and stand at 4,500 m.
Why Mardi Himal is trending
The route only opened as an official teahouse trek in 2012, which is exactly why it feels the way it does. There is no road, no helicopter traffic and no lodge villages — just a single ridgeline with a handful of small teahouses, far fewer trekkers than Poon Hill or Annapurna Base Camp, and a finish that puts you closer to a big Himalayan wall than almost any other short trek. In an era when the classic routes get busier every season, Mardi Himal is the quiet ridge everyone is quietly recommending — the reason a 20-something route has become the fashionable short trek out of Pokhara.
Mardi Himal or Poon Hill?
Be honest with yourself about what you want. Poon Hill is the comfortable classic: bigger, warmer teahouses, gentler trails, a 3,210 m high point and a famous — busy — sunrise panorama. Mardi Himal trades that comfort for intimacy: the teahouses above Forest Camp are simple, cold at night and fewer in number (High Camp fills early in peak season), but the ridge is yours, and the mountain views are in your face rather than on the horizon. If altitude worries you or you are trekking with kids, take Poon Hill; if you want the wilder, higher, quieter trek, this is it. The full head-to-head is in our Poon Hill vs Mardi Himal comparison.
Best time to go
Autumn (October to November) brings the clearest, most stable skies — the exposed ridge rewards it — while spring (March to May) adds blooming rhododendron through the forest days lower down. Winter is possible but cold and snow-prone at High Camp; the summer monsoon buries the ridge in cloud and leeches. Whatever the season, afternoons cloud over up high, so the itinerary keeps every big view before midday.
Difficulty and fitness
This is a moderate trek — clear, well-graded trails and short stages low down, then a steady, exposed ridge climb above Low Camp and one long pre-dawn day to the Base Camp viewpoint. The ridge above High Camp is open to the wind, so bring proper layers even in autumn. At ~4,500 m mild altitude effects are possible, but sleeping no higher than 3,580 m keeps the risk manageable; read up on altitude sickness in Nepal and let your guide set the pace.
Book this trek
Ready to go, or want to tweak the dates or group size? Departures run through both trekking seasons, and the itinerary can be customised — private trips, an extra acclimatisation night at High Camp, or a combined Poon Hill–Mardi Himal loop over eight to ten days.
Enquire about this trek
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Prefer to browse first? See the rest of our Nepal trekking packages.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Mardi Himal trek package cost?+
A guided 7-day package typically runs from around US$550 for a budget group departure to US$950 or more for private or premium trips. That usually covers your guide, teahouse nights, most meals on the trail, ACAP and TIMS permits, trailhead transfers and Pokhara hotel nights. Flights to Nepal, your visa, travel insurance, drinks and tips are extra, and prices shift with group size and season.
How hard is the Mardi Himal trek?+
It is a moderate trek — well-defined trails, no technical sections, but a steady climb along an exposed ridge. The crux is the long pre-dawn day from High Camp to the Base Camp viewpoint at about 4,500 m, where the open ridge can be windy and cold. Anyone with a reasonable hiking base who paces the upper days sensibly will manage it.
How many days do you need for the Mardi Himal trek?+
Most itineraries run 5 to 7 days from Pokhara. Five days is the compressed trekking core; this 7-day package wraps those five walking days with a Pokhara buffer day and a departure day, which absorbs weather delays on the ridge and gives you a rest by the lake before you fly. Strong walkers can compress it, and slower walkers add a night at High Camp.
Should I do Mardi Himal or Poon Hill?+
Poon Hill is easier, lower (3,210 m) and has the most comfortable teahouses of any short Annapurna trek — the safer pick for families or anyone nervous about altitude. Mardi Himal climbs higher to a 4,500 m viewpoint, is noticeably quieter, and puts Machhapuchhre almost within touching distance. Choose Poon Hill for comfort and a famous sunrise panorama; choose Mardi Himal for solitude and closer, more dramatic views.
What is the highest point on the Mardi Himal trek?+
The upper Mardi Himal Base Camp viewpoint at about 4,500 m, reached on a pre-dawn push from High Camp. The highest sleeping point is High Camp at 3,580 m, which keeps altitude risk moderate — you climb high on day 4 but sleep much lower the same night.
When is the best time for the Mardi Himal trek?+
Autumn (October to November) gives the clearest, most stable views from the exposed ridge, and spring (March to May) adds blooming rhododendron in the forest below. Cloud tends to build by afternoon at the high camps in any season, which is why the itinerary front-loads the ridge walk into the early morning.
What permits do you need for Mardi Himal?+
Two documents: the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) permit, around US$25, and a TIMS card, around US$17–20 — both arranged for you as part of a guided package. A licensed guide is also required on the route, so the package format covers every formality; just carry your passport for checkpoints.
