Friday-night Pokhara to Sunday-afternoon Pokhara — 4 days, 4,200 m, NPR 12,400 total. The exact plan we walk twice a month with Nepali clients. Day-by-day, lodge by lodge, NPR price by NPR price.
If you're in Pokhara on a Friday night and you want to be at 4,200 metres watching the sunrise on Annapurna South by Sunday morning, Mardi Himal is the only short trek in Nepal that delivers it. Four days, Pokhara to Pokhara, jeep both ends, no acclim day needed. Here's the exact plan we walk with Nepali clients twice a month.
| Day | Route | Walk | Sleep at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokhara → Kande → Forest Camp | 7–8 h, ~1,700 m gain | Forest Camp (2,520 m) |
| 2 | Forest Camp → Low Camp → High Camp | 6–7 h, ~1,060 m gain | High Camp (3,580 m) |
| 3 | High Camp → Upper Viewpoint sunrise → Middle Camp | 7–8 h round trip | Middle Camp (3,200 m) |
| 4 | Middle Camp → Siding → Pokhara jeep | 5 h walk + 1.5 h jeep | Home |
Total altitude gain: 3,400 m. Total distance: ~45 km. Max altitude: 4,200 m at the Upper Viewpoint (full Base Camp at 4,500 m adds 90 minutes and the same view — most weekend trekkers skip it).
06:00 jeep from Baglung Bus Park or your Lakeside hotel. Kande (1,770 m) in 45 minutes. NPR 200–300 per seat shared; NPR 3,500 for a private jeep with 5 people.
The trail climbs immediately — stone steps through pine forest to Australian Camp (2,200 m, 1.5 h). Tea + breakfast on the viewing terrace. The first big Annapurna South + Machhapuchhre view from here, ridge-level, before the forest swallows them.
Continue to Pothana / Deurali (2,200 m, 30 min more). ACAP check-post here — your permit gets stamped, ~5 minutes. The official entry to the conservation area.
From Pothana the trail enters cloud forest — rhododendron, bamboo, moss-covered trunks. ~4 hours of steady up-and-down to Forest Camp (2,520 m). Forest Camp is a cluster of basic wooden lodges, shared toilets, solar lighting only. Hotel Forest Camp, Hotel Mardi, Hotel Green View — NPR 500–600 twin shared, dal bhat NPR 500, hot bucket shower NPR 150.
Arrive 16:00–17:00 if you started by 06:00. Sleep early.
06:30 breakfast. Walking by 07:00. The big day on the legs — 6–7 h walking, 1,060 m gain, four distinct climbs.
Arrive 14:00–15:00. Hot lunch at Hotel High Camp (premium room NPR 1,500 with attached) or Hotel Trekker's Paradise (NPR 1,000 attached). Afternoon rest — drink 3 L+ water, eat carbs, sleep early.
You may feel mild altitude effects at 3,580 m — light headache, breathlessness on stairs. Normal. Diamox 125 mg before bed if it's serious; for most trekkers, sleep handles it.
04:30 alarm. Headtorch on, down jacket, gloves, beanie. -5 °C outside. Tea at the lodge by 04:45, walking by 05:00.
The trail climbs steadily from High Camp — a wide ridge with cairns marking the path. Three false summits before the real Upper Viewpoint at 4,200 m. ~2.5 h up.
06:15: Sunrise on Annapurna South. The light hits Annapurna South (7,219 m) first — gold, then orange, then white. Machhapuchhre (6,993 m) to the right, Hiunchuli (6,441 m) further left, the south face of Annapurna I (8,091 m) peeking behind. The full amphitheatre.
Stay 20–30 minutes. The full Base Camp (4,500 m) is another 90 minutes of climb beyond the Viewpoint — slightly closer to Mardi Himal peak (5,587 m), same view of the Annapurnas. Most weekend trekkers skip Base Camp and turn back here. If you have the legs + the time, push on — but the photo doesn't change.
Descend back to High Camp (~1.5 h). Breakfast at the lodge by 09:30. Pack up.
~10:30: Start the descent. High Camp → Badal Danda → Low Camp → Middle Camp (3,200 m). ~4 h walking, all downhill. Trekking poles essential — your knees take a beating.
Arrive Middle Camp 14:30. Single lodge here — Twin Peak Guest House, NPR 600 twin shared. Quiet night.
07:00 start. The descent to Siding (1,700 m) winds through Gurung farming villages and rhododendron forest. ~4–5 h walking, ~1,500 m of descent.
Siding has a shared jeep stand. NPR 500 per seat, ~1.5 h to Pokhara. Last jeep typically leaves 16:00 — arrive by 15:00 to secure a seat. Lakeside lunch at 14:30.
| ACAP permit | NPR 3,000 (foreigner) / NPR 1,000 (SAARC) / NPR 100 (Nepali) |
| Pokhara → Kande jeep | NPR 300 (shared) |
| Siding → Pokhara jeep | NPR 500 (shared) |
| Lodging (3 nights at avg NPR 700) | NPR 2,100 |
| Meals (3 days at avg NPR 1,500) | NPR 4,500 |
| Snacks + drinks | NPR 1,500 |
| Optional hot showers + charging | NPR 500 |
| Total without guide | NPR 12,400 (~USD 95) foreigner / NPR 9,000 (~USD 70) Nepali |
| + optional guide (NPR 3,500/day × 4) | NPR 14,000 |
| + optional porter (NPR 2,500/day × 4) | NPR 10,000 |
Total guided + portered: ~NPR 36,000 (USD 275) for foreigners. Self-guided: USD 95. The cheapest credible 4,500 m trek in Nepal.
Mardi Himal in 4 days is the highest-altitude-to-effort ratio of any short trek in Nepal. You sleep at 3,580 m, summit at 4,200–4,500 m, and you're back at your Pokhara hotel by Sunday afternoon. The whole thing costs less than a single Lukla flight ticket.
See the Mardi Himal trek planner for the full variant comparison; the sunrise playbook for the day-3 morning detail; the lodge directory for verified phone numbers at every camp.