Mardi Himal Trek – 7 Days

Welcome to the vibrant city of Kathmandu. Once your flight lands at the Tribhuvan International Airport, the representative of Nepal Social Treks will greet you at the arrival gate and transfer you to your hotel in Kathmandu. Upon reaching the hotel, he will assist you through the check-in procedures. You will have the rest of the day in Kathmandu for yourself. Therefore, make the most of the leisure time and get proper rest, relax, and get rid of the jet lag.

Later in the evening, you will join the rest of the group members for the briefing session. Your trekking guide will provide you with all the trek details and your flight details for the next day. After the meeting, you will have an introductory welcome dinner with the guide and the group members.

Highlights

• Arrival at Kathmandu — pick up and greet at the airport
• Airport to hotel transfer via a private transport
• Meet and greet with rest of the group
• Short briefing with your trekking guide
• Welcome dinner with the trekking guide and rest of the group members

Special Note

We request you to attend the briefing session mandatorily! During the briefing, your trekking guide will provide you with all the necessary information about the trek, including day-to-day itinerary, trek difficulty, transportation, accommodation, food, cultures, mountains, etc.

We expect this session to be as interactive as possible. So, don’t hesitate to ask your guide questions to clarify any concerns regarding the trek. Remember, this is also a meet and greet session. So, try to bond with the rest of the members of the group.

We recommend packing your bags before going to bed to avoid the rush in the morning. If there’s anything you want to leave at the hotel, keep it separate from your trekking bags.

On this day, you’ll catch an early morning plane from Kathmandu to Pokhara. The 25-minutes flight to the City of Lakes offers an aerial perspective of the city, several villages, grassy hills, and rugged mountains. Once you land at the airstrip of Pokhara, you’ll catch a private transport arranged by Nepal Social Treks and drive to Kande, the starting point of your trek. It takes about an hour to reach Kande from Pokhara.

Upon reaching Kande, you’ll start the trek with a steep climb on the stone-paved staircase. Along the way, you’ll walk past numerous small villages, terraced fields, and dense forests. You will reach the small hamlet at the Australian Camp for after almost an hour of the strenuous climb from Kande. From the top of this small hilltop, you’ll get to marvel at the stunning panorama of Annapurna Massif, Machhapuchhre, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, and Lamjung Himal.

From Australian Camp, you’ll descend through a forested trail towards the small Gurung village of Pothana. You’ll continue the walk on this route until you reach Pitam Deurali. It takes two hours to reach Pitam Deurali from the hamlet of Australian Camp.

Highlights

• Early morning flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara
• Visit Australian Camp
• Savor the breathtaking mountains, including Annapurna Massif, Machhapuchhre, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, and Lamjung Himal
• Walk past the famous Gurung village of Pothana

After breakfast, we depart from Pitam Deurali and make our way towards Low Camp. We begin the walk through the forested trail under the shades of rhododendron, birch, and oak trees. As you walk further into the forest, the trail emerges to a small teahouse settlement of Forest Camp.

Once you walk past the village, you will once again enter the densely forested path. However, the trail becomes much steeper and narrow from the Forest Camp. As you continue climbing the strenuous uphill, the surrounding biodiversity gradually transforms into a ‘cloud forest’ with tree ferns, mosses, and lichens covering the area.

You’ll occasionally get a glimpse of Machhapuchhre, Annapurna South and Hiunchuli in the distance through the thick woodland. You’ll continue the walk through the forested trail until you reach the overnight destination at Low Camp.

Highlights

• Walk under the shades of rhododendron, birch, and oak trees
• Enjoy the distant sight of Machhapuchhre, Annapurna South and Hiunchuli along the way
• Witness the change in the rich biodiversity of the Annapurna region

On this day, you begin the walk on a gradual path from Low Camp towards the Middle Camp. As you walk further from the Middle Camp, the stunning view of Machhapuchhre, Annapurna, and Hiunchuli decorate the trail. You will see the sight of Modi Khola Valley spreading across the Annapurna Sanctuary if you glance towards the left.

You’ll then reach a small settlement of Badal Danda. Travelers regard this tiny settlement amid a dense forest as the most favorable spot to witness the Northern sight of Machhapuchhre. You’ll also get to relish the close-up view of Annapurna South, Hiuchuli, and Mardi Himal from here.

You’ll continue the trek further uphill through the forested trail from Badal Danda. After an hour or so, you’ll leave the trailing behind as the forested trail opens up into a grassy ridge. You continue the walk along the narrow path of the ridge, overlooking the marvelous sight of mountains up ahead, and the valleys down below until you reach High Camp.

Located at an elevation of 3,540 meters, High Camp is the highest sleepover point of the Mardi Himal Trek. Upon reaching this teahouse settlement, you can relax at the teahouse enjoying the close-up view of the surrounding Himalayas.

Highlights

• Traverse through the dense woodland of Annapurna region
• Marvel at the Northern sight of Machhapuchhre from Badal Danda
• Witness the change in vegetation from dense forest to the wide ridgeline of Mardi Himal
• Enjoy the close-up view of Machhapuchhre, Annapurna, and Hiunchuli from High Camp

This day marks as the most significant highlight of the Mardi Himal Trek. On this day, you will be hiking to the foothills of Mardi Himal. You’ll begin the adventure early at dawn and head off towards the Mardi Himal Upper View Point. The route from High Camp to the Upper View Point is dangerous and challenging as you’ll have to climb over a steep ridge.

You’ll reach the Upper Viewpoint of Mardi Himal right on time to witness the glorious sunrise over the mighty Machhapuchhre. In addition to that, the Annapurna South and Hiunchuli appear ever so close towards the left side.

After enjoying the epic sunrise over the Himalayas, you’ll continue the hike from the Upper View Point towards the Mardi Himal Base Camp. As you head further along the ridgeline, the route becomes narrower and steeper progressively until you reach the base camp.

From Mardi Himal Base Camp, the sight of Machhapuchhre Himal becomes much more impressive and substantial. The crest of Mardi Himal will be the only thing that separates you from the Southern face of the mountain. You’ll also see the vast ice fields and glaciers gliding from the wall of Annapurna Sanctuary in the distance.

After spending an amazing time at Mardi Himal Base Camp, you’ll retrace your route to High Camp via the Upper View Point. The trail to High Camp is steep and slippery. Therefore, we advise you to stay cautious with every step while descending from the Upper View Point towards High Camp.

Highlights

• Witness the majestic sunrise over Machhapuchhre from Upper View Point
• Stand at the foothills of Mardi Himal
• Relish the close-up view of Annapurna and Hiunchuli
• Savor at the ice fields and glaciers falling down the wall of Annapurna

Special Note

Remember, you will be reaching the Upper View Point of Mardi Himal for the sunrise view. So, you’ll need to wake up at dawn and hit the trail as early as possible. Therefore, we highly recommend you to carry a torch or a headlamp to keep track of the route in the dark. Additionally, you should also consider wearing a warm jacket, gloves, and a beanie to keep yourself warm in the morning. Before you leave the teahouse, make sure to fill your water bottle as you might need it on your way to the base camp.

After the long strenuous hike to Mardi Himal Base Camp the day before, you’ll begin the day with a hearty breakfast at High Camp. After breakfast, you’ll hit the and descend towards Badal Danda. Upon reaching Badal Danda, the open sky route changes into the dense forest as you retrace the route towards Low Camp via the Middle Camp.

As you walk a little further from Low Camp, you’ll arrive at an intersection that separates the route to Forest Camp and Sidhing. You’ll take the different route and head downhill towards Sidhing. As you edge closer to the village and further away from the mountains, the trail emerges from the dense forest onto the wide valleys and terraced fields. After about six hours of gradual walk from the High Camp, you will reach the traditional Gurung village of Sidhing.

Highlights

• Enjoy the gradual walk after the strenuous hike the day before
• Trudge through the forested trails of Annapurna
• Walk past the famous teahouse settlements, including Badal Danda and Low Camp
• Overnight at the beautiful village of Sidhing.

On this day, you will conclude the trek with a three-hours walk from Sidhing to Lumre, where the road to Pokhara connects. The trail to Lumre is relatively short and comfortable. Along the way, you will walk past a few popular villages, including Kalimati and Ghale Gaun.

Once you reach Lumre, you will catch a private transport arranged by Nepal Social Treks and drive back to Pokhara. It takes about two hours from Lumre to reach Pokhara. The roads are not well-paved, making the ride jolting and bumpy at times. On the way to Pokhara, you will get to enjoy the breathtaking view of mountains, hills, valleys, traditional villages, and terraced farms.

Upon reaching the beautiful city of Pokhara, the representative of Nepal Social Treks will drop you off at the hotel. You will have the rest of the day for yourself. In Pokhara, you will have an array of fancy restaurants, souvenir shops, local shops, trekking stores, cafes, and bars to choose from. You can also take a walk around the Lakeside and relax at the shore of Phewa Lake with the distant sight of the Machhapuchhre Himal and Annapurna range.

If you want to buy some souvenirs or gifts from Nepal for family and friends back home, you can shop around in the Lakeside. Later in the evening, the representative of Nepal Social Treks will pick you up at the hotel for the farewell dinner.

Highlights

• Trek through famous villages, including Kalimati and Ghale Gaun
• Enjoy the breathtaking view of the surrounding landscapes and sceneries
• Evening walk around the Lakeside, Pokhara
• Relax at the shore of Phewa Lake
• Savor the distant view of the Machhapuchhre Himal and Annapurna range
• Enjoy the farewell dinner and celebrate the success of the trek

Special Note

Your Mardi Himal Trek package ends on this day at Pokhara. However, if you want us to arrange you a transfer back to Kathmandu,