The Mardi Himal trek, within walking distance of the town of Pokhara and the great Annapurna, at the foot of the sacred mountain of Macchrapucchare (6997 m), the “Matterhorn” of the Himalayas.

A region with stupendous mountain pastures and breathtaking views, dotted with small, remote villages, this is an excellent opportunity for those seeking a trek less “crowded” but not too far from “civilization” either.

Route designed to encourage acclimatization and to enjoy the places and trails at the right pace, with an ideal itinerary for those who want a trek that is not too challenging, but would like to experience the grandeur of Himalayan landscapes.

The Mardi Himal is an alternative trek that has nothing to envy in terms of scenery and environment to the other nearby more famous routes, leading very close to Macchrapucchare, where the grandeur of these mountains impresses even those accustomed to the Alps.

Itinerary of the trek

Day : 1. Pick up from Airport and transfer at hotel 

Day : 2. drive to Pokhara 

Day: 3. drive to Kade 40 minutes and trek to Deurali via Australian Camp 5/6 hours (after breakfast we set off for the drive to the trailhead, the route from Kande is a good one as fewer trekkers choose to start the trek from here. The trail is good, first slowly up, then a bit steeper to Australian Camp (2060m) – we take an early lunch before trekking gently downhill to Pothana (1950m) where we arrive at the ACAP / TIMS checkpoint, After completing the formalities we continue up again to Deurali (2100 m), 4-5 hours walking in all today.)

Day : 4. Trek to forest camp 2530 m about 6 hours (Day 5 : Forest Camp (2600 m). Up early to catch sunrise, the birds are always busy here early morning. After breakfast we continue our journey through the dense damp forest. As we ascend the vegetation starts to change with more rhododendron trees covered with moss, lichen and tree ferns. Our trail is very quiet until we reach the clearing of the forest camp where we will overnight. Plenty of time to explore around.

Day : 5 . Trek to High Camp 3580 m about 6 to 7 hours (After an hours walk today we get above tree line, towards the west there is a good view of Annapurna South and Hiunchuli. We continue to walk along the Mardi Himal ridge mainly on grass with some isolated rhododendron bushes along the way. We may encounter the colourful Danphe pheasant on this section of the trail. The view from the lodge is superb towards Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre /Fishtail)

Day : 6. Climbing view point and Trek back to sedding 7-8 hours 1954 m (up early for sunrise over the mountains, after an early breakfast we finally head towards our major destination. It takes around 5 hours to reach the Mardi Base Camp along the ridge. We are likely to encounter dzokpo (yak/ cow crossbreds) grazing up here as well as Danphe pheasant. From Base Camp there is a spectacular close view of the Annapurna Sanctuary, south face of Annapurna, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre (Fishtail). After taking it all in we descend to the village of Sidhing our overnight stay. The trail demands around 4 hours of a fairly steep descent to finally reach this beautiful traditional village. We overnight either at a Trekkers Lodge or we can home stay at Sidhing for a true Neapli cultural experience.

Day : 7 . Drive back to Pokhara 2 hours.

Day : 8. Drive back to Kathmandu via tourist bus 

Day : 9. Departure