The route, in one paragraph
Mardi Himal is the trek I send people on when they have one week, no acclimatisation history, and want to come home changed. The route climbs through cloud forest onto a high ridge that opens — without warning — onto Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna south wall. It is short enough that we walk slowly, take long tea breaks, and notice things.
What you'll remember
The days that stay with you.
- 01
Sunrise on Machhapuchhre from the Upper Viewpoint
- 02
Walking the cloud-forest ridge with no other trekkers in sight
- 03
A long quiet tea-stop at Forest Camp
Day by day
The 7-day itinerary.
- 01 DAY
Pokhara → Kande → Australian Camp
Gentle start. Get the legs moving.
- End alt.
- 2,050 m
- Distance
- 4 km
- Walking
- 2 h
- 02 DAY
Australian Camp → Forest Camp
Into the rhododendron forest.
- End alt.
- 2,520 m
- Distance
- 10 km
- Walking
- 5 h
- 03 DAY
Forest Camp → Low Camp
- End alt.
- 2,970 m
- Distance
- 7 km
- Walking
- 4 h
- 04 DAY
Low Camp → High Camp
Slow day to acclimatise.
- End alt.
- 3,580 m
- Distance
- 6 km
- Walking
- 4 h
- 05 DAY
High Camp → Upper Viewpoint → Sidhing
Pre-dawn start. The day everyone remembers.
- End alt.
- 4,500 m
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 8 h
- 06 DAY
Sidhing → Lumre → Pokhara
- End alt.
- 800 m
- Distance
- 8 km
- Walking
- 3 h
- 07 DAY
Pokhara — rest, debrief, fly home
- End alt.
- 800 m
- Walking
- 0 h
The fine print
Everything that's in the price.
No surprise add-ons. No "premium upgrades." This is the trek.
Included
- All TIMS and ACAP permits
- Teahouse lodging (twin share, private room where possible)
- Three meals daily from the teahouse menu
- Mukunda as your guide for the full route
- Local porter (one per two trekkers, 12 kg limit)
- Airport pickup in Pokhara · transfer to trailhead
- Pre-trek briefing the evening before we set out
- First-aid kit, oximeter, satellite messenger
Not included
- International flights
- Travel and rescue insurance (mandatory — proof checked at briefing)
- Visa on arrival in Kathmandu (~$50 USD)
- Personal trekking gear (rental list provided)
- Tips for guide and porter
- Drinks beyond water and tea
What to expect
- 4 to 6 hours of walking per day, with afternoons in teahouses
- Beds in simple lodges — clean sheets, shared bathroom most nights
- Daal bhat, soup, eggs, fried rice — predictable food in generous portions
- One genuinely cold night near the top, with the best stars of your life
Fitness honestly
You should be comfortable walking for six hours on a hilly day at home. No technical climbing. No fixed ropes. The altitude is real but the gain is gradual.
Permits
TIMS card + ACAP entry — arranged by Mukunda from his Pokhara office.
From past clients on this trek
“I booked Mardi Himal as my first ever Himalayan trek with one week of holiday. I have since done two more with Mukunda. He is patient with people who are new at this, and honest with the rest.”
Alex Manchester · 2025
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