Choose Annapurna Base Camp if
- you have time and want a longer journey
- you prefer to stay lower
Nepal treks compared
Annapurna Base Camp vs Mardi Himal
Both look at Machhapuchhre. Annapurna Base Camp walks into the Sanctuary, a ring of peaks, and takes about a week or more. Mardi Himal is shorter and follows a ridge with the mountains in front of you the whole way. With little time, Mardi; for the feeling of standing inside the mountains, the Sanctuary.
Written by Rujan Neupane, licensed trekking guide from the Kathmandu Valley
Side by side
From each trek's own page.
| Annapurna Base Camp | Mardi Himal | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | 10 | 6 |
| Highest point | 4,130 m, Annapurna Base Camp | 4,500 m, Mardi Himal Base Camp |
| Nights at 3,000 m or more | 2 | 1 |
| Grade | Moderate | Moderate |
| Best months | Oct–Nov, Mar–Apr | Oct–Nov, Mar–Apr |
| On the trail | Busy in season | Some walkers |
| Getting there | With a flight | By road |
| Permits | One permit is needed: the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP). It is issued in Kathmandu or Pokhara and checked on the trail. It is paid at the official price, and… | One permit is needed: the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP). It is issued in Kathmandu or Pokhara and checked on the trail. It is paid at the official price, and… |
| Guide fee | $250 for the walk | $210 for the walk |
The guide fee is one fee for 1 to 5 people. Permits, lodges, food and transport are paid at cost: what a trek really costs.
The difference, in short
- Annapurna Base Camp takes 10 days, 4 more than Mardi Himal.
- Mardi Himal goes higher: 4,500 m against 4,130 m, so it needs more rest days and warmer nights.
- Annapurna Base Camp starts with a mountain flight (keep a spare day); Mardi Himal starts by road.
- Mardi Himal is the quieter trail.
Which one for you?
Choose Mardi Himal if
- you have fewer days
- you want to go high and are ready for the altitude
- you would rather not depend on a small plane
Not sure which trek suits you? Tell me your dates and what you hope for, and I will say honestly.
