Mardi Himal Trek with Annapurna Base Camp Trek and Khopra Danda and Khayar Lake Trek- 24 Days

On your arrival, our representative from Adventure Treks Nepal will be at the gate of Tribhuvan International Airport to welcome you with a delightful face and a garland or bouquet. Afterward, you will be transferred to the hotel in Thamel, often called a tourist hub in the capital city. In the evening, stroll around the streets of the bustling markets before attending orientation sessions organized by us.

On this, explore the Kathmandu Valley, rich in nature and culture, which showcases a perfect combination of ancient history and the development of modern technologies. While exploring World Heritage sites such as Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Pashupatinath temple, and Boudhanath, you will learn cultural, religious, and historical facts through the late kings’ palaces, crafts, architecture, customs, households, scripts, and jewelry. Before getting back to the hotel, buy any equipment for the trek. If you have missed something in the packing lists. 

With the excitement of spending more days in the pristine landmarks of the Annapurna region, head to Pokhara by a private jeep or an AC-deluxe tourist bus of your choice for a more comfortable journey. Following the Trishuli River, you finally reach the city of lakes, Pokhara, which is very popular for its tourist areas and natural charm. Take a rest for a while after checking into the hotel, and explore different spots near Phewa Lake. Peaceful environment and breathtaking scenery, along with the shadow of Mt. Machhapuchhre in a crystal-clear lake, make your day.

Wake up early in the morning with the sunrise, and head to Phedi by driving on the Pokhara-Baglung Highway. After driving for 30 to 45 minutes from the initial point of the trekking, Phedi serves as a popular trailhead for trekkers to the trekking destination Dhampus. From Phedi, uphill trails take you through dense forests, farmlands, and quaint villages like Dhampus, a famous tourist area for breathtaking scenery and homestay service.

After the Gurung village of clustered stone houses, cross Pothana to reach Pitam Deurali. Sweeping views of mountains and walks through rhododendron forests really make this day trip wonderful, although you almost gain 1000 m of elevation by covering 8 to 9 kilometer distances within 5 to 6 hours.

After a hearty breakfast, the journey starts through rhododendron forests. In this section, you will not find a large settlement, as only the forest camp and rest camp will be crossed, located in the middle of rhododendron forests. Covering 6 to 7 kilometers with no technical or challenging stretches, you finally reach the day’s destination– Low camp for overnight. From here, Machhapuchhre and Annapurna start to open more, providing you with more vibrant scenes. Low Camp is often known as a serene stop, located within the dense alpine woodlands with simple lodges, which serves as the gateway to quite challenging sections towards the High Camp.

While trekking to High Camp, leaving the Low Camp behind, not only do the landscapes transform from lush forests to alpine meadows, but also the terrains become steeper and more rugged. This section will be rewarding, although the trails are more challenging than the earlier sections. After walking almost four hours, gaining 1200 m in elevation, reach the destination that opens into grasslands and alpine ridges. This place is more popular for breathtaking sunrise and sunset views. 

After having a hearty breakfast together with the enjoyment of a glorious sunrise from the Mardi viewpoint, make your way towards the  Mardi Himal Base Camp, one of the highlights of the trek. Continuous uphill trails take you to the base camp after gaining 300 m within 2 hours from the viewpoint. The journey is quite challenging but more satisfying due to panoramic vistas of the Annapurna ranges. Spend some quality time with your fellow trekkers here before heading down to High Camp for the overnight stay. 

Today’s journey is quite longer than the previous one that takes you back to the Low camp and Forest Camp in the first section. Continuing from here, the gradually descending trails through forests filled with oaks, rhododendrons, and maples will lead you towards Landruk, a traditional settlement of Gurung communities. During the walk of 12-13 km, you are occasionally treated to glimpses of mountains. However, a serene environment with beautiful scenery contrasts with the higher elevation of High Camp’s alpine terrain. welcomes you. 

The journey begins with a descending trail that takes you to downhills where the Modi Khola river awaits you to cross it via a suspension bridge. Afterward, the uphill routes with some steeper ascents continue through bamboo and farmhouses and then reach Jhinu Danda. Trekkers can pause here for lunch and also have a bath in natural hot springs to heal body pain because of walking for more days on rough trails, as the hot springs are situated just below the Jhinu Danda. After spending a while, the trail again proceeds towards a day’s final destination, Chhomrong, with gradual ascents through sections of forests and some steep terrain. Chhomrong is a wonderful village of Gurung, situated in a peaceful atmosphere, providing comfortable teahouses for trekkers along with awe-inspiring vistas of mountain giants.

This is the day to reach Deurali, the last settlement with teahouses and lodges before the Annapurna Base Camp Trek. Starting with a descending trail to Chhomrong Khola, the trail leads towards Kuldi via Tilche and Sinuwa after crossing a suspension bridge. Again, you will walk on steep downhill trails via Bamboo before taking an ascending path from the west bank of the Modi Khola River. Traversing settlements such as Dovan, Himalayan Hotel, and Hinku cave, trekkers finally arrive at Deurali, which is a famous key point to pause to adapt to the air of the alpine landmark before heading to Annapurna Base Camp.

After a hearty breakfast at Deurali, make your way towards the Annapurna Base Camp, one of the key highlights of this 24-day trip. As this day is both challenging and rewarding, you feel great while reaching the base of Mt. Annapurna, encompassed by snow-covered mountains and decorated with colorful prayer flags. Forgetting all pains, enjoy savoring the surreal charm of nature. Celebrating the moment, capture some photographs with your loved ones and fellow trekkers in such a wonderful background. At night, have a comfortable sleep under the blanket of stars with the happiness of accomplishment of reaching one dream destination. 

On this day, the trail takes you to Bamboo or sinuwa on the base of your trekking pace. The journey will be quite longer but easier with descending trails, which also offer breathtaking scenery. If you feel exhausted while covering roughly 14 to 17 km to Bamboo, you will stay at Bamboo for a night. Otherwise, the journey proceeds to Sinuwa, covering 2 to 3.5 km from here. 

Leaving Bamboo or Sinuwa behind, an ascending trail alongside the dense forests leads towards Chule through small villages and terraced fields. A continuous walk with ups and downs of 5 to 6 hours finally takes you to Chule. Here, trekkers can observe beautiful houses and close-views of mountains, enjoying their serenity. It has become a perfect natural rest point before heading to the higher stop, Dobato, and beyond.

After breakfast at Chule, the journey begins with gradual ascents through dense forests and some rough terrain. Crossing some small settlements, it continues towards Dobato. As you approach the destination, the trip becomes quite challenging due to stone paths and some steep terrain. Since the landmark transforms to alpine meadows, unobstructed views of mountains such as Mt. Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre, and Hiuchuli become more vibrant. 

On this day, you will go on a side hike to Muldai for a sunrise view before heading to Upper Chistibung. Walking for 45 minutes to 1 hour, reach the vantage point, a flat grassland where you can see some yaks grazing. In the dramatic background, take some photos for lifetime memories, and return to Dobato, and continue to walk by taking steps from north of Dobato. Before Dhan Kharka/Upper Chistibun, you can take a rest for a while at Bayeli Kharka. Afterward, walk through a dense woodland with steep descents before climbing up to the day’s destination for an overnight stop.

Wake up with the excitement to reach Khopra Danda, a popular viewpoint in the Annapurna region. This will be a short yet wonderful stretch, as you will not only notice the change in landscapes but also find a kind of satisfaction while spending a period at Khopra Danda, observing the surrounding towering mountains and valleys. The 360° panoramic vistas of Annapurna, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Nilgiri, and Machhapuchhre are key highlights of the day. Since it is a gateway to the sacred glacier lake, Khayer Lake, the lodges are comfortable and also provide warm hospitality. 

This will be a longer day, as you will go on a hike to Khayar Lake and get back to Khopra Ridge for an overnight stay. Due to the breathtaking surroundings, some trekkers love to do campfires near the alpine lake. At Janai Purnima, pilgrims come in huge numbers to take baths, as it is believed that the sacred water of Khayar Lake rinses sins. Spend a wonderful period here, and get back to the teahouse before it’s dark to avoid injuries or unexpected incidents. 

Leaving Khopra Danda behind, start heading toward Swanta after a difficult day, and complete the major destinations of the trek. The journey will be comparatively easier due to mostly descending trails. The trail retraces to Chistibung through deep woodlands, and you also get an opportunity to see a tiny hydroelectric device that produces and supplies electricity to the nearby settlements during our descent. Eventually, you shall emerge from the forest and arrive at the peaceful community of Swanta, where the Magar and Poon communities reside.

Your trekking off the beaten path will be coming to an end as you will be joining the trail coming from the Annapurna Circuit Region towards Ghorepani in Chitre. The hike during the first hours of trekking today allows you to spend some time without many travelers as you cross a suspension bridge over the Dhand Khola (River). After reaching Chitre, you will join the ancient trading route used by traders to travel to Tibet, but in the opposite direction. The trail climbs gradually as you slowly step into the town of Ghorepani.

The best part of the day is hiking to Poon Hill early in the morning before dawn to have one last look at the majestic peaks. From Poon Hill, the entire Annapurna and Dhaulagiri range is visible, and the Himalayas stretch eastward to Manaslu. We will return to Ghorepani for breakfast after witnessing a breathtaking sunrise. Then, your journey will continue towards Ulleri for an overnight stay. 

After having breakfast in Ulleri, the day opens up to an enjoyable and relaxing downward walk along the stone-paved path that leads to the suburbs of the Magar people, rice terraces, and forest fragments of the subtropical climate zone. The sloping trail is gentle and opportune for relaxation, as it replaces the previous days’ steep sections with a gentle and relaxing final trekking experience.

On your way to Tikhedhunga/Trikhedhunga, the path takes you past small waterfalls, and you also get to go over some suspension bridges built over the Bhurungdi River; thus, a refreshing ambiance is created alongside the river valley. After a little break at Trikhedhunga, a vehicle takes you back to Pokhara; this time, you are on an uphill and winding road through villages and farms, gradually descending towards the lakeside city. Enjoy a relaxing evening at Pokhara (970 m), have time to wind down, walk by the lake, or be among the first to celebrate your trek’s completion at one of the cozy cafés or restaurants in the city.

After having breakfast, we will return to Kathmandu by car, taking the beautiful route through the valleys of the rivers, the hills with terraces, and the small villages. The trip lasts about 6-8 hours with short stops for tea and lunch during the journey. When we arrive in Kathmandu, you will be taken to your hotel and have the whole day free for either relaxation or city sightseeing.

Alternative: For those who want to get back faster, a scenic flight of 25-30 minutes to Kathmandu is available.

The day today is a well-deserved day off, a buffer day in Kathmandu, thus making it possible for you to relax, recover from the trip, and also explore the city at your own pace. After having breakfast, you can either take it easy at the hotel, have a slow morning, or go for a short stroll to the nearby streets and markets. For many travelers, a day spent mostly in Thamel is what they prefer; this place has a mix of handicraft shops, trekking gear stores, cafés, bakeries, and souvenir stalls occupying the lively lanes.

For those who are eager to explore even more, optional sightseeing will be available with visits to UNESCO World Heritage sites like Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple), Pashupatinath, Boudhanath Stupa, or the ancient courtyards of Kathmandu Durbar Square. Such visits will strongly immerse you in Nepal’s cultural heritage, witness traditional craftsmanship in the areas of architecture and lighting, and partake in the esoteric atmosphere that is spiritual by nature.

Besides personal activities like laundry, spa or massage, buying gifts, and organizing pictures and journals from the trip, the day is also open for relaxing activities. If you want to get souvenirs like pashmina shawls, handmade crafts, prayer flags, or local paintings, your hotel or guide can suggest reputable shops.

The journey is over! Today, you will be transferred to the airport by our team of Adventure Treks Nepal for your international flight. While boarding the plane, you take with you the memories of stunning views, friendly people, and significant times during the trekking—things that will not leave you soon but rather encourage new travels and a bond to Nepal and its people that will be forever in your heart.