Mardi Himal Trek

01

Welcome to Kathmandu & Transfer to the Hotel.

Flying into Kathmandu, you’ll have views over the valley, the Himalayas, and the terraced fields below. After completing customs, a representative will be waiting to greet you outside the airport and to guide you through the initial culture shock of Kathmandu’s narrow, winding streets to your hotel.

02

Fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara, Trek to Pothana (6,102 feet / 1,860 m)

Today is the first day of your trek!
After an early breakfast, you’ll be picked up from your hotel and driven to the airport to catch your flight to Pokhara. This is a city located west of Kathmandu. Your specialist can help you try to get a seat on the right-hand side of the plane for views of the Himalayas en route.

03

Trek to Forest Camp at Kokar (2,600m)- 4 hours walking.

From Pothana you walk up to a place called Pitam Deurali where you will turn off the main Annapurna Sanctuary trek and continue along a quiet trail through a dense forest of oak, maple, hemlock, and rhododendron. Tonight we stay at one of the lodges in a clearing of the forest at Forest Camp also known by the locals as Kokar. The lodges at Kokar are quite basic and there is no dining room so you will probably have meals in the kitchen with the owner, so in some ways, this is more like a homestay and is a good opportunity to get to know this friendly family from Siding village.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Forest Camp

04

Trek to Low Camp (3,150m)- 5 hours of trekking

The trail continues from Forest Camp to Low Camp through the forest however as we ascend the vegetation starts to change with more rhododendron and the trees are covered with moss, lichen, and tree ferns. At Low Camp, there are two basic lodges one with a dining room with open fire. The view from Low Camp is superb with Mount Machhapuchhre visible up the valley.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Low Camp

05

Trek to High Camp (3,700m)- 4 hours of trekking.

An hour or so above Low Camp the trail breaks out above the tree line and towards the west, there is a good view to Annapurna South and Hiunchuli. The trail continues along the Mardi Himal ridge mainly on the grass with some isolated rhododendron bushes along the way. Look out for the colorful Danphe pheasant on this section of the trail. The lodge at High Camp is larger than the lodges at Low Camp and Forest Camp, this one has eight rooms and a separate dining room with a heater. The view from the lodge is superb to Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Machhapuchhre (Fishtail).

06

Excursion to Mardi Himal Base Camp (4,500m)- 4 hours of trekking.

The plan for today is to wake early for the sunrise view of the mountains then after an early breakfast walk up the ridge towards Mardi Himal Base Camp. There is a well-established trail through the grass with a couple of steeper sections however overall not too challenging. Look out for the Dzokpo (yak/ cow crossbreds) grazing up here as well as the Danphe pheasant. In the summer the sheep and goats from lower villages are brought up to graze in this area so you will pass several herder’s huts along the way. After three hours you should reach Base Camp at an elevation of 4500m this is where one can look into the Annapurna Sanctuary and the panorama view is spectacular looking at the south face of Annapurna and all of the peaks in the Sanctuary as well as Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre (Fishtail).

07

Trek to Siding village (1,750m) -6 hours walking

On the way back we take a different route completing a circuit, from Low Camp there is a trail that goes down to Siding village rather than going back down Mardi Himal back to Kokar. Siding is a traditional Nepalese village and still very much away from the busier modern tourist treks and it is likely you will stay at a homestay in Siding owned by the person who runs one of the lodges at Low Camp. It is a wonderful cultural experience to find out more about village life and you will probably eat dhal baht in the evening with the family in their kitchen.

08

Acclimatization day in Dingboche (14,304 feet / 4,360 m)

On the way back we take a different route completing a circuit, from Low Camp there is a trail that goes down to Siding village rather than going back down Mardi Himal back to Kokar. Siding is a traditional Nepalese village and still very much away from the busier modern tourist treks and it is likely you will stay at a homestay in Siding owned by the person who runs one of the lodges at Low Camp. It is a wonderful cultural experience to find out more about village life and you will probably eat dhal baht in the evening with the family in their kitchen.

09

Trek to Lumre and drive to Pokhara- 3 hours walking and 2 hours driving.

From Siding, you walk out to the road head at Lumre, on the way from Siding you will pass the villages of Kalimati and Ghalel. Kalimati is mainly a Brahmin village with Ghalel and Siding mixed Brahmin and Gurung. From Lumre, you will be driving back to Pokhara Upon reaching Pokhara, transfer to your hotel.

10

Fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu

After breakfast, you may have time to do more sightseeing, relax, or check out one of the Pokhara’s coffee shops. About 1.5 hours before your flight, you’ll be picked up from your hotel and taken to the domestic airport to catch your flight back to Kathmandu.

11

Depart Kathmandu.

It’s time to say farewell to Nepal! Enjoy your last moments in Kathmandu with breakfast in a café, a city stroll, and/or souvenir shopping. A representative will meet you at your hotel and drive you to the airport for your return flight home.