Mardi Himal is a ridge trek from Pokhara that takes 5 to 7 days and climbs to a base camp at about 4,500 m below Machhapuchhare. It needs the ACAP permit and a licensed guide. Agencies list US$300 to US$450 per person with a guide only and US$450 to US$700 with a guide and porter.
Annapurna (Kaski) · Permits: Annapurna Conservation Area entry permit (ACAP), TIMS card (Trekkers' Information Management System)
Key facts
- Days
- 5 to 7 days (northnepaltrek.com, checked 2026-10-23)
- Highest point
- Mardi Himal Base Camp, about 4,500 m (en.wikipedia.org, checked 2026-10-23)
- Highest sleeping place
- High Camp, 3,580 m (northnepaltrek.com, checked 2026-10-23)
- Difficulty
- Hard (our scale)
Permits
| Permit | Fee and conditions |
|---|---|
| Annapurna Conservation Area entry permit (ACAP) | NPR 3,000 for foreigners and NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, tax included. Single entry. Children under 10 need no permit. Double fee if bought at a check post. Online payment by card adds 2.9%. (epermit.ntnc.org.np, checked 2026-10-30) |
| TIMS card (Trekkers' Information Management System) | NPR 2,000 for foreign trekkers and NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals under the Nepal Tourism Board guidelines in force from 1 April 2023. Not needed with a restricted area permit or a mountaineering expedition permit. (kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-23) Whether TIMS is still collected on every route is unclear: the Everest region's municipality says TIMS is not needed there, and some agencies say it is no longer issued separately. Your agency arranges it if it applies. |
Guide rule
Official rule National parks and conservation areas outside the Everest region (Annapurna, Langtang, Manaslu and the other trails the rule lists)
Under Nepal Tourism Board guidelines in force since 1 April 2023, foreign trekkers may not enter national parks or conservation areas without a guide or porter for the whole trek, arranged through a registered trekking company. The guidelines list 44 trails and set a fine of NPR 12,000 for a trekker found without a guide or TIMS card. The board cited Section 7 of the Tourism Act 1996. (kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-23)(thehimalayantimes.com, checked 2026-10-23)
What it costs
Ranges published by agencies and guides, per person, in US dollars. They are not quotes. Check what each price includes.
- Budget, guide only
- US$300 to US$450 per person (northnepaltrek.com, checked 2026-10-23)
- Mid-range, guide and porter
- US$450 to US$700 per person (northnepaltrek.com, checked 2026-10-23)
- Guide for the whole trek
- US$125 to US$245 (northnepaltrek.com, checked 2026-10-23)
Mardi Himal: cost and permit calculator
Per person, from the fees and day rates on this site. Permit fees are official where the issuer publishes them; guide, porter and flight prices are what agencies publish. Change any number.
Sources: permit fees on permits and rules; day rates, flights and package prices in each trek guide's cost section.
Altitude: the real difficulty
No technical climbing is needed on this trek. What makes it hard is the thin air. Go up slowly, keep the rest days in the itinerary, drink water, and tell your guide about headaches, nausea or breathlessness at rest. If symptoms get worse, the treatment is to go down. A good agency will plan acclimatisation days and never push you higher when you are unwell.
How to book this trek safely
- Find the agency in our directory of TAAN General Members and open its TAAN profile link to confirm the name and registration number match what the agency sent you.
- Ask for the agency's Department of Tourism trekking licence number as well. TAAN membership and the government licence are two different records.
- Get the itinerary, the price and what it includes (permits, flights or transport, guide, porter, lodges, meals) in writing before paying anything.
- Buy travel insurance that covers trekking up to at least 4,500 m and helicopter rescue. Read the altitude limit and the evacuation clause yourself.
- Pay the deposit to the company's own account or by card, not to a personal account or wallet, and keep the receipt.
Travel insurance for Mardi Himal
Check three things in the policy wording before you buy:
- Trekking is covered up to at least 4,500 m, the highest point of Mardi Himal.
- Helicopter rescue or evacuation from the mountains is covered, and what you must do first (most insurers want a call to their emergency line before a helicopter is sent).
- Any conditions about using a licensed guide or staying on official trails.
We do not link to any insurer yet. When we do, we will show each policy's altitude limit and rescue terms next to the link.
Questions
- How many days is the Mardi Himal trek?
- 5 to 7 days from Pokhara.
- How high is Mardi Himal Base Camp?
- About 4,500 m. Most trekkers sleep at High Camp and walk up to the base camp viewpoint and back in one day.
- How much does it cost?
- Agencies list US$300 to US$450 per person with a guide only and US$450 to US$700 with a guide and porter in 2026.
Get quotes for Mardi Himal
Tell us your dates and group once. Only agencies we have checked against TAAN's member directory will see it, and only to send you a quote. Free, and no account.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Mardi Himal. Checked 2026-10-23.
- North Nepal Trek (agency): Mardi Himal vs Poon Hill, 2026-04-01. Checked 2026-10-23.
Permit and rule sources are listed on the permits and rules page. Spotted something out of date? Send a correction.