Do I need a licensed guide?

Yes on the major Nepal trails. We walk with a licensed local guide; the booking is with a government-registered Pokhara agency.

Can beginners do Mardi Himal?

Fit first-timers manage this with honest pacing. Altitude is the limiter, not technical climbing. We build rest into the itinerary instead of racing the viewpoint.

When is the best time?

March–May & October–November. We will not pretend monsoon weeks are clear weeks. Write your dates; a manager in Pokhara will say if the trail matches the weather.

Does this start from Pokhara?

Briefing, permits and kit-check are in Lakeside. Annapurna trails leave from the lake. Everest and Langtang connect through Kathmandu or overland — we still own the plan.

Mardi Himal | 5 Days from Pokhara | Upper Path Treks And Tours

Who this is for

A quieter ridge toward Machhapuchhre. High camp above the cloud. Typically four to five days.

Mardi is the close, quieter alternative to Base Camp — a ridge walk with Machhapuchhre filling the sky. You sleep at High Camp and walk toward 4,500 m in the morning, then come down the same day. Typical length is four to six days; we hold five with honest pacing, not a race to the viewpoint.

Included

— Licensed guide
— ACAP & TIMS permits
— Tea-house lodging
— Breakfast, lunch, dinner on trek
— Pokhara airport or hotel pickup

Not included

— International flights
— Nepal visa
— Travel insurance
— Personal snacks & drinks
— Tips

Itinerary

Pokhara to Forest / Low Camp

Drive toward Kande or Forest Camp, then the first climb into trees.

To Low Camp or Middle

Ridge walking as the trees thin and Machhapuchhre grows.

High Camp

Short, high day. Sleep above the cloud if weather holds.

Viewpoint and descend

Pre-dawn walk toward 4,500 m, then a long descent.

Out to Pokhara

Final forest and a jeep to the lake.

Difficulty and altitude

Mardi Himal is a Moderate walk of 5 days, with a high point around 4500 m. We pace for acclimatisation, not a brochure summit morning.

Best time to go

Typical season: March–May & October–November. October–November and March–April are the classic Himalayan windows. We close or reroute when cloud and rain make the view a fiction.

Permits and what is included

Annapurna routes include ACAP and usually TIMS, processed in Pokhara. Restricted valleys (Mustang, Manaslu, Tsum, Nar Phu) add a RAP filed through immigration. The quote lists permit days; there is no surprise at the checkpoint.

Permit notes from Lakeside · Best treks in Nepal

How the trip starts from Pokhara

You sleep in Pokhara the night before a jeep or tourist bus. We confirm the trailhead, tea-house nights, and who meets you. No guest account — a manager replies on WhatsApp, WeChat, Viber or email.

Altitude

The path

Questions before you book

Yes on the major Nepal trails. We walk with a licensed local guide; the booking is with a government-registered Pokhara agency.

Mardi Himal