Mardi Himal trek brings you to the foot of the most spectacular mountain in the Annapurna region – Machhapuchhare (6,993m) also known as Fishtail. As the trek requires only 5 days to complete, it’s a great option for those who want to experience the splendor of high mountains but do not have time for the most popular classic routes. Both Annapurna Circuit and Everest Base Camp treks require more than 10 days. Mardi Himal trek itinerary can also be easily combined with the Annapurna Base Camp or Poon Hill trek.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: On 9 March 2023, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) announced that foreigners, whether solo or in a group, will no longer be allowed to trek in Nepal without a guide. From April 1, all hikers must be accompanied by a licensed guide. Read about the new rule here: BAN ON TREKKING IN NEPAL WITHOUT THE GUIDE – HAS THE RULE COME INTO FORCE? – UPDATE FROM THE TRAILS
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MARDI HIMAL TREK: PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Starting Point: Pokhara Lakeside or Phedi/Kande/Naudanda/Ghandruk
Ending Point: Pokhara Lakeside
Trekking permits: Two permits are required: Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) and Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS). Both can be obtained in Kathmandu or Pokhara in the Tourist Information Center.
Minimal number of days required for Mardi Himal trek itinerary: 5
- Pokhara – Phedi – Australian Camp,
- Australian Camp – Forest Camp,
- Forest Camp – High Camp,
- High Camp – Base Camp – Low Camp,
- Low Camp – Sidhing – Pokhara.
Trekking budget: It is similar to Annapurna Circuit expenses:
- Required permits: ACAP and TIMS card – 5000 NPR (~ 42 USD);
- Daily accommodation and meals: 2000 NPR (~17 USD).
The time to trek: Like in the entire Annapurna region, late March to early May, October-November are the best months due to more stable weather conditions.
The time of my trek: I did Mardi Himal trek in October 2020 when I was stuck in Nepal for 8 months due to a pandemic and was unable to return home. My trekking experience was probably slightly different from trekking without the pandemic, but I think the essence remained the same. Both the beauty of the Himalayas and the friendliness of the local people have not been affected by the coronavirus taking over the world. It was a special trek for me as I was not hiking solo as usual. I was joined by two friends, Mallo and Andi, whom I met in Pokhara.
Day 1 Pokhara Lakeside (800m) > Sarangkot (1,600m) 3h/9km
The best thing about Mardi Himal trek is that you can easily set off from Pokhara. Hence, you don’t need to take any bus or jeep. You just need to put on your boots and backpack and start walking from your guesthouse. How cool is that? Like in the old times when there were no roads and no vehicles and if you wanted to get somewhere you needed to go on foot. Of course if you don’t have enough time you can jump on the bus (1 hour) or take a taxi (30 min) to Phedi, Kande or Naudanda. This will shorten your trek by 1 – 1,5 day. However, I had plenty of time, actually that’s all I had in the pandemic, that’s why I just walked from Pokhara.
The route to Sarangkot is by far the most interesting short trek in Pokhara. You can find its detailed description in my blog post “What to do in Pokhara? Top 8 attractions” [coming soon!].
Where to stay for a night in Sarangkot?
There are really plenty of lodges to choose from. I’ve stayed overnight at Sarangkot 3 times and always tried a new place. The Hill Top Restaurant & Guesthouse is probably my favourite one. Regardless where you stay, the famous Sarangkot viewpoint will never be too far away. Sarangkot is tiny.
Day 2 Sarangkot (1,600m) > Australian Camp (2,100m) 7h/16,5km
It was a long day. From Sarangkot to Naudanda you need to walk on the road, fortunately not a busy one. The views over Pokhara Valley are terrific and it’s a great occasion to observe the slow pace of Nepali village life, so overall it’s a pleasant walk. We took a path down from Naudanda (marked on Maps.Me application as “way to Dhada”). First, we walked over the suspension bridge and admired the surrounding rice terraces. The hawks were flying over our heads. It felt so good to be back in the mountains after half a year of lockdown in Pokhara. Steep trail was made of stones. Then, we passed Dhampus, where we could have stayed overnight, but decided to go further to Australian Camp as the views from there were supposed to be more impressive.
The first part of the day was pleasant but then it changed to a nightmare.
Although it takes only 45 minutes from Dhampus to Australian Camp, it was a very traumatic. It started to rain, which normally wouldn’t have been an issue as I always have my raincoat and gaiters, but the rain at the end of the monsoon season in this part of the trek means something terrible – the attack of leeches. I’ve seen many leeches climbing over my boots but every time I stopped to take them off with the help of my walking sticks, more leeches would immediately climb over from the wet ground. It was a battle I couldn’t win. The best solution was to walk to get to the guesthouse as fast as possible, take off the boots and heal the bloody wounds.
How to survive a leech attack?
Although it wasn’t a pleasant part of the journey, it was definitely a new learning experience. At least now I know what to do, if the leeches want to eat me alive. Jokes apart, both high trekking boots and gaiters help a lot. Spraying your shoes with mosquito spray is a good idea as well.
Where to stay in Australian Camp?
There are plenty of accommodation options at Australian Camp. They all are situated on the top of the hill the views of the Annapurna range are breathtaking. Angel’s Guesthouse consists of simple and deluxe cottages as well as a restaurant with a large and comfortable dining space. I really liked it
Day 3 Australian Camp (2,100m) > Forest Camp (2,465m) 6h/14,5km
Australian Camp is a popular place to spend a night on Mardi Himal trek but it can also be a destination in itself for a short 2-3 day trek from Pokhara. The panoramic view at sunrise over the Annapurna range and Machhapuchhare is just stunning!
The sunrise view: Sarangkot vs. Australian Camp
Because you are closer to the snowy Himalayan peaks, the sunrise view from Australian Camp is definitely more spectacular than from Sarangkot. I was lucky enough to witness the amazing sunrise spectacle, which did not last long. The sky got cloudy at 9am I couldn’t see anything anymore. Walking through Australian Camp isn’t the quickest way to reach Mardi Himal Base Camp but it’s totally worth it. From here, the path takes you down to the quaint village of Pothana (1,890m) where, if it is not cloudy, you can see the majestic Machhapuchhare peak. Then you slowly climb to Pitam Deurali (2,142m) where we stopped for masala tea and to enjoy the Annapurna South view.
Hot masala tea tasted better than usual as I was so grateful that the locals were happy and not scared to see the tourists. It’s been such a relief as I really didn’t know what to expect. My last memories of Annapurna Circuit trekking during the pandemic at the beginning of the lockdown in Nepal were not good mostly because of the hostility of the local people. Apparently the fear was not so strong anymore 6 months down the road. After our short break the path continued through the dense forest. Panoramic views were over but the forest itself was very beautiful.
Where to Spend a night in Forest Camp?
Rhythm Hotel. The friendliness of the owner was amazing. I really felt at home, very well taken care of. The views from Forest Camp are not the greatest as… It’s a camp situated in the forest.
Day 4 Forest Camp (2,465m) > High Camp (3,550m) 7h/11km
The path continued through the dense forest most of the day. I could see that Mardi Himal is a relatively new trek as many guesthouses on the way were still under construction. The trek was officially open in 2012. Before it was only popular among the camping lovers.
Although today’s 1100m elevation gain is quite significant, majority of people still feel good at this altitude though. In most of the cases, first altitude sickness symptoms, if any, occur above 3500m. However, if you do not feel well or feel uncomfortable with such an elevation gain, split the day in two and stay overnight at Low Camp, located at 3050m.
High Camp: a great place for a night
I can highly recommend the Fishtail Guesthouse. Friendly owners, clean rooms, a warm and spacious dining room as well as delicious food. What else do you need from life at this altitude? Hot shower? Here it comes – in the clouds.
Day 5 High Camp (3,550m) > Mardi Himal Base Camp (~4,300m) > back to High Camp 7h/15km
Some people decide to set off very early to watch the sunrise from one of the viewpoints on the way. But I really don’t enjoy trekking at night so we started around 7am. The weather was amazing and the sky was clear. Initial part of the trek is very steep, but later it gets much easier. To get to the first viewpoint at 3,960m (Lower Viewpoint) it took us around 1,5-2h. The views over Machhapuchhare (6,997m), Annapurna South (7,219m) and Patal Hiunchuli (6,441m) were fantastic. We had a beautiful breakfast – chapati with omelet and fried potatoes we brought from the guesthouse – and enjoyed the sun. Such moments are what makes me truly happy.
To tell the truth, if for some reason you are not able to go further, this viewpoint is a good enough reason to climb all the way up. At the same time you should know that the trail to the next viewpoint at 4,155m (Upper Viewpoint) is much easier as it’s not so steep anymore. The views are incredible on the way to the base camp. Macchapucchre, standing always in front of you, gets closer and closer with every step. On your left you can enjoy the unobstructed views of South Annapurna while on your right the Pokhara Valley under the clouds. Just stunning!
Two Mardi Himal Base camps and a bit of confusion
Most online sources claim that you’ll reach the altitude of 4,500m on Mardi Himal trek, which is not entirely true, as such altitude refers to the Upper Mardi Himal Base Camp, which is not the ultimate destination, which was explained to me by a local Nepali guide. According to him the official end of the trekking route is the Lower Base Camp at 4,250m, situated quite near the Upper Viewpoint. The guide I spoke to runs the guesthouse in High Camp, where he lives all year round, which makes me think he knows what he is saying. Well, there is a good reason he said so, which we learnt the hard way. We spoke to him only after we tried to climb to the Upper Base Camp…
At first, the path was easy to follow but at some point, it just disappeared. Although we tried to follow Maps.Me directions, we found ourselves on a very steep slope, more suited to yaks than people. In the meantime dangerous looking clouds, that should never be neglected in the mountains, started gathering above our heads. As it suddenly became very foggy, it was time to turn back. It’s unbelievable how the weather can change dramatically in the mountains. On the way back we couldn’t see anything due to the thick fog. Therefore, I was glad we decided to turn back at the right moment.
So, which base camp is the ultimate goal of the Mardi Himal trek?
Back in Pokhara I’ve done a little research on the Internet and saw some trekking reports about climbing to the Upper Mardi Himal Base Camp at 4,500m. So please don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely doable. Maybe we just didn’t take the right route. On the other hand, I could always trust Maps.Me, so I’m not sure why the app would let me down this time. The conversation with the guesthouse owner added to my confusion as well. Well, I have no other choice but to return to Mardi Himal and check out the route again. Every excuse to go back to the mountains is good, isn’t it? 🙂
High Camp:
a place to stay for a night
Second night at the Fishtail Guesthouse.
Day 6 High Camp (3,550m) or Low Camp (3,050m) > Sidhing (1,885m) > back to Pokhara
If you don’t attempt to reach Upper Mardi Himal Base Camp at 4,500m, which I don’t advise, you can easily reach Low Camp for the night on Day 5. Then, on Day 6 you can walk through the villages and rice terraces down to Sidhing (1,885m) and even take the jeep to Pokhara on the same day. This would allow you to accomplish Mardi Himal trek itinerary in 6 days. Moreover, if you go to Phedi on Day 1 directly instead of hiking up to Sarangkot, the number of days required will be cut down to only 5. But hey, the mountains are the last place on Earth to be in rush. Please remember about that when planning your trek.
PARAGLIDING FROM THE MARDI HIMAL TREK
Sometimes you just need to be in the right place, in the right time and with the right person and then, the magic happens. There are opportunities in life that you take or you don’t. If you have the guts to say yes, you will likely experience something amazing.. And if you don’t, you will never know what you’ve missed. Either way, life goes on. For me, the end of the Mardi Himal trek ended was that kind of moment life is worth living for. Because at the end of the day, we only remember the moments. Let me tell you more about it.
Just before I left my guesthouse in Lakeside to start the trek, a friend of mine and a paragliding pilot – Peter, asked me if one of these days I would like to try paragliding from Sarangkot. His Nepali friends, who are commercial pilots, were offering low prices as there was no business due to the pandemic.
– I’m heading to Mardi Himal – I replied. I will be back in a week. Let’s talk about it later.
He went back to his room just to come back in 10 minutes with a mysterious smirk on his face and asked –
How about flying from Mardi Himal instead?
That was a totally different question. That’s an opportunity you can’t say no, especially if you’ve just tattooed on your wrist “ Live life”.
During a 3-hour hike to Sarangkot, I was imagining myself paragliding from above 4,000m. I was so excited! But should I really say yes? I don’t know the pilot. Is it going to be safe? Is Peter able to organize it all? My head was spinning.
Despite all these thoughts in my mind, I knew I would say yes. I just hoped Peter would be able to arrange it in time and my trekking buddies would also say yes. Thankfully, neither him nor my companions let me down. The initial plan was to fly back to Pokhara on Day 6. However, the idea of waking up at 4 am after a challenging hiking day the day before was not appealing at all. We decided to rest one day, chill and enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery as we wanted to be excited rather than exhausted before the big day of the flight.
Paragliding from Mardi Himal at 4000m
On Day 7 we set off early with the moonlight. To make a safe flight from 4,000 m you need to take off as early as 7 am as later in the day the wind gets too strong. Hence, we got to the take off site around 6 am and were ready to fly an hour later.
Because it was my first paragliding, I was afraid that once it comes to taking off I would be scared to death, as I was when I did bungee jumping many years ago. But the experience was very different and I was not anxious at all. I trusted my pilot entirely, the take off was smooth and the flight itself very comfortable. It felt so good to sit and admire the Himalayan landscape that I only wished to have a cold beer in my hand. It took us about one hour to get to Dhampus. We couldn’t reach Lakeside in Pokhara as the weather conditions were not good enough to cross the last mountain range. But it was so still very beautiful. Thinking about it now, it seems like a dream.
In conclusion, Mardi Himal trek is a remarkable experience. With little time you can get into the heart of the big snowy mountains. The scenery is breathtaking and varies from the pristine villages, rice terraces, dense forests and panoramic views of the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. 5-day Mardi Himal trek itinerary is perfect for people having limited time in Nepal.
Wow, that sounds like an incredible journey, awesome that you got the opportunity! Thanks for sharing. I am looking to travel a bit next year and do some backpacking outside the U.S., I may have to look into this!
Hi Jared! Oh yes, Mardi Himal trek was one of those moments worth living for. Thank you for your comment and yes, please look into treks in Nepal when planning your backpacking trip. It’s simply stunning. No words can describe it <3 Happy & safe travels!
Thank you. I am planning a trip in Sept and this helped a lot.
Hi Shabnam! Feedback like yours always helps me to think hours of writing were not wasted 🙂 Thank you so much! I wish you a wonderful adventure. Say hello to Fishtail from me 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to write this blog. Very informative. I like what you said about Australia Camp. Sadly, when we passed by several years ago it was covered in fog. Hopefully, when we do MH early next year the weather will be clear and we can stay the night.
Hi Philip, thank you for your nice comment! I wish you beautiful weather for your trek as Australian Camp is so amazing!
Amazing blog, I fine this blog is very useful,informative and helpful for the tourist Visit Nepalt . Thank you very much for sharing your travel experience. Even i had been multiples times in Visit Nepalt , i enjoyed to read the blog. Love the blog.
Thank you so much!
Hi ur blog was very informative.
I m planning to go on 29th june .is this the right time to go
Hi Shadra and thank you!
June is the monsoon season in Nepal, so the path is going to be wet and slippery. Landslides are a big risk as well + there will probably be plenty of leeches on the trail. Said that, it’s doable. You just need to be extra careful and extra prepared.
Really your blog is so informative for the trekkers who want to do the Mardi Himal trek in Nepal. Hope to see many such amazing and informative articles in the future too.