As such, the Mardi Himal Trek is located east of another famous trekking destination, the Annapurna Base Camp. The marvelous trekking journey of Mardi Himal is an unforgettable adventure. It takes you crisscrossing beneath the majestic Mount Machhapuchhre! You walk through verdant jungles, cross swiftly-flowing Himalayan Rivers and make your way to ethnic Rai and Limbu villages. In the same way, the natural Himalayan essence surrounds you. Vistas of the Annapurna massif decorate your line of sight at each step. It truly is a beautiful trekking journey that takes you through some of the most wild and breath-taking Himalayan scenes. From lush terrace farms to rhododendron hillocks drained by silver rivers, the Mardi Himal Trek is a must!

The Mardi Himal Trek is one of the best trekking journeys in Nepal. It presents the best highlights of the beautiful Annapurna region. People who do not want large crowds, it is the best for you!

To boot, Nepal Hiking Team has designed Mardi Himal Trek package to give trekkers the best experience. Excellent pacing, timing and acclimatization schedules is incorporated in the journey. It also includes auspicious attributes of the Annapurna. Likewise, the journey is encompassed with the best services. Thus, Mardi Trek is a perfect blend of natural beauty, Himalayan majesties and a smooth trekking journey. You certainly do not want to miss out on this adventure!

Best Time of Year for this Hike

The Mardi Himal Trekking is a moderate trekking journey. You do not need a prior trekking experience to do this. However, preparing your body beforehand for the trekking journey certainly does help. Moreover, our highly skilled and professional team will make sure to take care of you during the journey at every step of the way. Ideally, the best time to do the Mardi Himal Trek is during the months of March to May and September to December.

Itinerary

Day 01 – Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu

You may arrive at the Tribhuvan International Airport at any time. One of Nepal Hiking Team’s airport representatives will be waiting for you at the airport. He will help you get transferred to the Hotel. There are no planned activities for this day, so you can check into the Hotel and relax. Overnight stay at the Hotel.

Day 02 – Drive to Pokhara (910m) Duration: 6 hrs

Today, your guide will pick you up at the hotel at 6:30 am. You will then go to the bus station from where you will board the tourist bus to Pokhara that leaves at around 7:30 am. The beautiful scenery along the road trip is quite dramatic. You will see rivers as the bus drives along valleys, where the vast hills are cultivated into cascading rice terrace farms. Upon arrival, you may check in at the hotel and relax. In the evening, you can also enjoy boating on the beautiful Phewa Lake, renowned for its reflection of the Machhapuchhre Mountain. Overnight at hotel, breakfast included.

Day 03 – Drive to Phedi and trek to Pothana (1,925m) Duration: 4 hrs

From Pokhara city, we will drive to Phedi and start the trek to Pothana. The beautiful natural environment really takes full swing along the way as the bustling city is left behind and the environment is replaced with thick natural groves and lush hamlets of woods. Pothana where you will stay in a tea house lodge for the first night. Overnight at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 04 – Trek to Forest Camp at Kokar (2,600m) Duration: 4 hrs

From Pothana, you walk up to a place called Pitam Deurali. From here, you will turn away from the main Annapurna Sanctuary Trek route and instead continue along a quiet trail through a dense forest of oak, maple and rhododendrons. Tonight, we will be staying at one of the lodges in a clearing of the forest at Forest Camp, also known as Kokar as the locals call it. The lodges at Kokar are quite basic and there is no dining room, so meals will be taken in the kitchen with the owner; in small ways like this, this is more like a home stay and is a good opportunity to get to know the friendly family from Siding Village. Overnight Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 05 – Trek to High Camp (3,600m) Duration: 6-7 Hrs

The trail continues from Forest Camp to High Camp through the dense forests. Ascending through the trails, we get to see rhododendrons and trees covered in moss and lichen. We’ll have lunch at Low Camp and enjoy the view of Mr. Machhapuchhre. Ascending from the Low Camp, the trail takes us west towards the amazing views of Annapurna South and Hiunchuli Himal. We’ll continue on the Mardi Himal ridge where we’ll see the beautiful rhododendron bushes. We might also see the colorful Danphe along the trail. We gradually arrive at High camp where we’ll see lodges bigger than at Low camp. The view from the lodge of Annapurna south, Hiunchuli Himal and Mt. Machhapuchhre is phenomenal.

Overnight at Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Day 06 – Day walk to Upper view point (4,200m) Duration: 4 hrs

The plan for today is to wake up early to view the sunrise amidst the mountains, then after an early breakfast, walk up the ridge towards Mardi Himal. There is a well-established trail through the grass that also occasionally contains a couple of steeper sections. However, it is not too challenging. Here, you can look for dzos (yak/ cow cross breeds) grazing in the pastures, as well as Danphe pheasant sputtering about the fields. In the summer, the sheep and goats from lower villages are brought up here to graze, so you will likely pass a number of herder’s huts along the way. After three hours, you should reach the Upper View point at 4,200 meters; this is where one can look into the Annapurna Sanctuary. The panoramic view of the mountain massif of the Annapurna is also spectacular. Overnight Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 07 – Trek to Siding village (1,750m) Duration: 6 hrs

On the return trek, we will take a different route, completing a circuit. From the Low Camp, there is a trail that goes down to Siding village, and we will walk this path instead of going back down Mardi Himal back to Kokar. Siding is a traditional Nepalese village and is situated away from the busier tourist treks. It is likely you will stay at a home in Siding owned by the person who runs one of the lodges at Low Camp. Overnight Guesthouse, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 08 – Trek to Lumre and drive to Pokhara (910m) Duration – 3 hours walking and 2 hours driving

From Siding, you will walk out to the road, heading towards Lumre. On the way from Siding, you will pass the villages of Kalimati and Ghalel. Kalimati is mainly a Brahmin village while Ghalel and Siding are both occupied by ethnic mix of Brahmin and Gurung people. At Lumre, you will meet your jeep, organized by us in advance, to drive you back to Pokhara. Overnight Guesthouse, breakfast and lunch included.

Day 09 – Pokhara to Kathmandu

Bidding farewell to the Annapurna Mountains, you will have a scenic drive back to Kathmandu by tourist bus, which takes approximately 6 hrs. Overnight at hotel, breakfast included.

Day 10 – Farewell/Departure

Approximately 3 hours before the scheduled flight, a representative from Nepal Hiking Team will take you to the airport from where you will depart.