The Mardi Himal Trek is probably the best short trek in Nepal. And the country itself is already well-known worldwide for its very attractive hiking trails. Most hikers choose to go for the Mount Everest, the Annapurna Base Camp Trek, or to complete the Annapurna Circuit. But not everybody has unlimited free time to cover these 2-3 weeks long treks or simply do not feel fit enough. The Mardi Himal Trek is a great alternative to take a still undiscovered path. It is far away from the touristic crowds, but really close to the Himalayas. Find all the information about the Mardi Himal Trek below based on the instructions of an experienced Nepalese mountain guide.
Read more about the best short and long treks in Nepal
Why is the Mardi Himal Trek the best short trek in Nepal?
- This short trail provides the nearest and best view of the Himalayas range
- You pass incredibly close by the iconic Fishtail mountain
- It is still less popular so you can avoid the tourist crowd
- In April and May, you can witness the colorful rhododendron flowers in their full beauty. (The Annapurna Conservation area is home to the world’s largest rhododendron forest.)
- it is a relatively light trip that is suitable for children and elderly people too
- You can get close to the Gurung people and enjoy homestays
- The Trek also offers an amazing wildlife experience. Once reached over 3000 meters above the forest line, you can spot deers, blue sheep (bharal), and the most resistant animal of the high altitude, the yak. Locals eat yak meat and they make yogurt and butter out of its milk.
About the Mardi Himal Trek
During this Trek, you will pass through small villages inhabited by Gurung people while having a view of the most famous peaks: the Annapurna, the Him Chuli peak, and the Dhaulagiri Himalaya range. The highlight of the trip is the Machapuchare or „Fishtail mountain”. The Mardi Himal Trek has existed only for 7-8 years and as few as a hundred tourists complete it every year. It is one of the less touristic trails in the Himalayas in Nepal.
How to get to the starting point of the trail from Kathmandu
It takes several days by bus, plane and jeep to get on the trail in case of some trips. But the Mardi Himal Trek starts in the vicinity of the second largest city of Nepal, Pokhara. It takes 5-6 hours by car to reach Pokhara from the capital, Kathmandu. Or you can opt for a small jet flight (Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines) with a capacity of 20 people that covers the distance within less than half an hour. But Nepali airlines are not the most reliable in the world.
Pokhara’s new international airport is currently under construction. It is anticipated to open next year, which would facilitate access to the Annapurna region and tourists will be able to fly directly to Pokhara.
Accommodation
Being still relatively untouched and unspoiled, there are fewer and simpler accommodations as compared to more popular treks.
There are clean rooms with twin beds and shared showers, which are more like homestays and teahouses. Please note that they are not especially open during the off-season. Normally you pay extra for Wi-Fi, hot shower and electricity. At a higher altitude, you don’t even have these facilities. There is Nepali, Chinese, Indian, and Western food available, and the number of amenities is developing year by year.
With fewer people on the trail and relatively few options to stay for the night, you will probably meet the same people repeatedly, having a perfect opportunity to make a friendship. But apart from Lwang and Ghale Gaun, there are only a few villages along this trail, so you have less interactions with local people. Although sometimes you only find a bunch of teahouses, food and accommodation can be much cheaper than on the touristic trails, where they usually charge twice the price of Pokhara.
What can you eat during the trek?
A typical breakfast can be porridge, chapati, local bread, muesli, or boiled eggs. As for lunch or dinner, one of the most popular meals is “Dal Bhat” – rice, dal (lentil), and vegetable curry. If you want a heavier meal, you can choose to eat spicy buffalo meat. As all ingredients are fully organic and grown in the garden, you get a tasty and healthy dish. Locals use buffalo, cow, and sheep waste as fertilizer.
Cost of the Mardi Himal Trek
A tour package from trekking agencies costs 450 USD for a 5 days itinerary, and includes the following:
- Local transport with a car from Pokhara to the starting point of the Trail,
- 2 nights in Pokhara in a 3-star-hotel,
- National park permit for the Annapurna Conservation area (40 USD).
- Hiking permit (20 USD)
- 3 warm meals per day with hot drinks and fresh fruits
It does not include personal insurance and tips for the local staff (50-60 USD for guides and 30-40 USD for porters are the correct amounts).
What is the best season to complete the Mardi Himal Trek?
You can complete the Mardi Himal Trek almost any time of the year till the “Base Camp” (4500 m). The highest sleeping point of the Trek is 4000 m.
Like most of the trekking trails in Nepal, only 7 months: September, October, November, December, March, April and May are the best periods to undertake the 5-8 days Mardi Himal Trek.
More specifically, April and the first week of May are the obivous choices if you want to trek along vast blossoming rhododendron fields.
During the monsoon time in June and July, the visibility is less clear, and there are plenty of leeches. If this is your only available period, you can still complete the Mardi Himal Trek. But during this low season teahouses may not be open.
If you want to stay dry and still do trekking in June and July, you can choose to take either the Dolpo or the Mustang Treks. Thanks to their special location, these two places in Nepal enjoy a dry climate.
In how many days can you complete the trek?
Depending on your fitness and plans, you can cover the Mardi Himal trail in 5 to 8 days.
How difficult is the trail?
It is a relatively light trip that is suitable for children and the elderly too. It would get a 6 out of 10 on the scale of difficulty.
Gurung ethnic group
Gurung is one of the 59 indigenous nationalities in Nepal residing on the foothills of Annapurna. They most probably arrived from Tibet and follow different religions: animism, Bon-religion that preceded Buddhism, Hinduism, or Buddhism. Half a million Gurung people live in Nepal, who speak their own language, have their own calendar, and own rituals for birth, marriage and death. They celebrate several seasonal festivals throughout the year where you can hear their traditional songs and observe their unique dance and drama.
Gurungs usually appoint their head of the village. He solves the minor problems in the community in place of the court or the police. They make their living either from agriculture or from raising animals. Most young Gurung men strive to pass the extremely rigid selection procedure to join the Gurkha regiments in the British Army. They can also be found in the Singapore Police, the Indian Army, the Nepal Army, and the Police force. Gurkhas have loyally fought for the British for 200 years, including the two world wars, and were repeatedly acknowledged for their incredible bravery. The Gurung families live mainly from the salary and pension of Gurkha soldiers. The women make sheep wool items (coats, blankets, carpets, shawls) besides farming. Gurung people are not only extremely hard working but are known to be extremely friendly and welcoming.
The holy Machapuchare “Fishtail” mountain
Unlike other famous summits of the Himalaya, the almost 7000-meter high holy Machapuchare stands alone, and nobody has ever climbed it. Its Nepali name literally means „Fishtail” alluding to its special form. It is said to be one of the homes of the Hindu God, Shiva. So the Nepalese government banned the people from climbing the sacred mountain. But there is always someone to break the rules. Rumor has it that the New Zealander Bill Denz has made an illegal ascent of Machapuchare in the early 1980s. Soon after he died in an avalanche elsewhere in the Himalayas, so we’ll never know the truth….. Locals say that those who tried to climb it never survived.
Do you need a mountain guide for this Trek?
It is not compulsory to hire a mountain guide for this Trek. But you are advised to do so if you are not an experienced trekker and if you want to have a more relaxed tour, where everything is perfectly organized for you. Better not forget that regardless of the trek difficulty, unexpected weather conditions, health issues, or wild animal attacks (bears, leopards) can put even the strongest in danger. Approximately 25-30 people get lost every year in the Himalayas in Nepal. You will see that most people do hire a guide.
Poon Hill vs. Mardi Himal Trek
When it comes to choosing the best short trek in Nepal, Poon Hill Trek is the people’s first choice. As a result, during the peak season, the trail is quite overcrowded. The serenity of the highest mountain range of the world gets lost. But mountain guides say that the less popular Mardi Himal Trek easily beats its popular competitor.
Why to choose the Mardi Himal trekking trail:
- it is not overcrowded;
- passes much closer to the Himalaya range;
- amazing view of the iconic Fishtail mountain;
- more chance to spot wild animals;
- is cheaper, because the accommodations are simpler;
- Experience homestays with local families at the end of the trip at Lwang and Ghale Gaun villages.
Why to choose the Poon Hill trekking trail:
- Comfortable lodges and teahouses (although more expensive) with a big choice of Western Chinese and local meal;
- Somewhat easier (5/10) than the Mardi Himal trekking (6/10);
- If you are short of time, Poon Hill can be completed in 3-6 days (for Mardi Himal you need 5-8 days);
- View of 15 mountains from the Poon Hill Trek viewpoint and only 6 from Mardi Himal Trek;
- The more expanse fields of rhododendron make this Trek more attractive during April and May.
The 6-8 days Mardi Himal Trek itinerary
1st day: Pokhara- Kande (1750m) – Deurali (2100m)
3 hours, 6 km, ↑600m ↓150m
Kande, an hour bus ride from Pokhara main bus station (Baglang bus park), at 1500meters, is where you start your trekking. The first part of the hiking trail leads through bamboo and other types of forests, and if you are lucky, you can see a red panda or a barking deer. In 1 1/2 hour, you can get to the Australia Camp from where you already get a distant view of the famous summits. After 3-4 hours, you pass through the local village, Pothana. At the end of the day, we reach Deurali, a tiny place with a group of lodges and teahouses.
2nd day: Deurali – Forest Camp (2550m)
4 hours, 8 km, ↑700m ↓200m
On this day, you will lose sight of the mountains temporarily, and you will pass through bamboo or rhododendron forest areas. Black bears are also residents of this region and can pose a danger to tourists here. But no worries, they stay away if you walk in groups. The Forest Camp is not an actual village. It is basically a couple of guest houses built for tourists. Local people are not living here permanently.
3rd day: Forest Camp (2550m) –High Camp (3600m)
3-4 hours, 4 km, ↑600m
Today is a real climbing day. In the first half of the day, still in the forest, you can see “juniper shrubs”. You pass through the Low Camp (2985m) and Middle Camp (3250m), where you can always make a stop if you are tired. If you start to feel altitude sickness, you can stay at any of these camps for the night and continue the day after. The tree line ends after the Middle Camp. Here you will have a clearer view of the several peaks: the Machapuchare, Annapurna South, and Mardi Himal.
4th day: High Camp (3600m) – Base Camp (4500m) – High Camp (3600m)
Get to the Upper View Point within an hour early morning to enjoy the clearest view of the Machapuchare at sunrise. Other viewpoints follow along the trail. You should bring your packed lunch and hot tea with you, as there are no teahouses around. You come back down to the High Camp whenever you want.
It is up to you if you want to continue until the Mardi Himal Base Camp (4500m). If you go for the peak, this is the summit’s base camp. Most of the time the climb to the Camp is snow-free.
In this region, it can get very foggy suddenly, and in this case, you better turn back as people sometimes get missing.
5th day: High Camp to Siding
The Siding village inhabited by Gurung people is the place from where you can decide to take a 1 1/2 hour’s jeep ride back to Pokhara. The jeeps don’t have a fixed departure, they leave when they get filled with 5-6 people 3 times a day approximately. It costs 1000 Rupees per person in a shared taxi.
6th-7th days: Lwang and Ghale Gaun Gurung villages
After Siding is highly recommended to extend your trek to 8 days and enjoy a homestay in the Gurung villages, Lwang or Ghale Guan. They are a great place to experience the culture and tradition while staying in a typical small stone roof house with the locals. Lwang is famous for organic Himalayan Tea Farming and lies in the picturesque view of the Machhapuchhre Himalayas.
Read about the homestays in Ghale Gaun: https://www.wondersofnepal.com/ghalegaun/
If you are heading east from Siding, you can link up to the Annapurna Base Camp tour, probably one of the best treks in the world.
Are you inspired to try the Mardi Himal Trek? Please leave a comment if you have more questions.
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by Bharat KC
A mountain guide in Nepal who grew up in a small village in the Himalayas. He started to earn his living as a porter at a young age. Then he decided to study and became a mountain guide who founded with his friends his own company: The Nature Explore Trek. In 2019 they crossed Nepal in its full within 126 days covering 1850 km, the fastest time ever!
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