How to Connect Annapurna Base Camp and Mardi Himal Trek (10 Day Itinerary)

Why Connect Annapurna Base Camp and Mardi Himal Trek

Connecting the Annapurna Base Camp and Mardi Himal is a great option if you want to spend more time trekking in the Annapurna Region, and explore the Mardi trek which is a less touristy trekking route.

Generally, most people connect Poon Hill and ABC, but if you combine ABC with Mardi, then you can trek on a less touristy trail and get to see Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) from a closer look.

Plus, once you trek ABC, you are already acclimatized, and the Mardi trek will feel very easy afterwards.

It usually takes around 5 days to complete the Mardi trek, but if you connect it from the end point of ABC (Jhinu Danda), then you can complete Mardi in 3 days – ultimately you can trek both ABC and Mardi Himal in 10 days!

How to Connect ABC and Mardi Himal

The best way to connect the Annapurna Base Camp to Mardi Himal is to complete the ABC trek in Jhinu Danda, then from Jhinu Danda walk over to Forest Camp via Landruk.

Jhinu Danda is where most people finish the ABC trek, so you can follow a classic ABC trek itinerary, then join it to Mardi Himal.

Forest Camp is on the Mardi Himal trekking route and once you get there, it saves you 2 days of the Mardi trek as you don’t have to start from the beginning of the trek route.

The trail from Jhinu Danda to Forest Camp is 10 km and takes around 5 hours walking. The route is pretty easy and goes through Landruk, which is a nice place to take a break.

Annapurna Base Camp and Mardi Himal Trek Information

Difficulty Level

The Annapurna Base Camp is moderate difficulty, while the Mardi Himal trek is easy.

The Annapurna Base Camp trek is slightly difficult as the trek is longer, and it has many sections that goes up and down on stairs.

In comparison to ABC, Mardi Himal is easier. There are sections on the Mardi trek which has stairs, however, it has also many parts where the trail goes through forests and the ascend is more gradual – so it feels easier.

Especially, once you trek ABC and then go to Mardi, then Mardi feels more like a walk through the forest, rather than a difficult trek.

Permits

You have to get the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) for trekking ABC and Mardi Himal, but you can get one permit for both treks if you connect ABC and Mardi into one trek.

When you start ABC, there are checkpoints for your permit in Nayapul and Chhomrong. Then, after you finish ABC in Jhinu Danda and walk over to the Mardi trail in Forest Camp, you can use the same permit.

Best Time for Mardi Himal and ABC Trek

Autumn (October-November) and Spring (March-April) are generally considered as the best times for trekking in Nepal.

However, it can be very busy on the trails in Autumn, and in recent years the views in the Spring have been sometimes covered in smog and haze.

For less crowded trails and clear views of the Himalayas, late Autumn (end of November-beginning of December), and early Spring (mid-February to early March) are good times to go trekking in Nepal.

Annapurna Base Camp and Mardi Himal Trek Itinerary: 10 Days

If you connect ABC and Mardi Himal, you can generally complete both treks in 10 days.

It means that you follow the classic ABC trek route (7 days) and end the trek in Jhinu Danda. Then, from Jhinu Danda, you walk over to Forest Camp that is on the Mardi trek route.

Generally, once you finish the ABC trek in Jhinu Danda, from there onwards, you can complete the Mardi Himal trek in 3 days.

Annapurna Base Camp and Mardi Himal Trek Map

If you combine the ABC and Mardi Himal trek, the trekking route goes through the villages of Ghandruk, Chhomrong, Dovan, Deurali, MBC, ABC and Jhinu Danda for the ABC trek, and Forest Camp, High Camp and Sidhing for the Mardi trek.

ABC and Mardi Himal Trek 10-Day Itinerary

• Day 1: Pokhara to Ghandruk Jeep
• Day 2: Ghandruk to Chhomrong trek
• Day 3: Chhomrong to Dovan trek
• Day 4: Dovan to Deurali trek
• Day 5: Deurali to ABC trek
• Day 6: ABC to Sinuwa trek
• Day 7: Sinuwa to Jhinu Danda trek
• Day 8: Jhinu Danda to Forest Camp trek
• Day 9: Forest Camp to High Camp trek
• Day 10: Mardi Himal Viewpoint/ Base Camp sunrise hike, trek down to Sidhing, jeep back to Pokhara

Detailed Annapurna Base Camp and Mardi Himal 10-Day Itinerary

There are sharing jeeps that go from Hari Chowk (Pokhara) to Ghandruk all throughout the day. The jeeps start around 6 am in the morning and go until 5-6 pm in the evening.

The jeeps cost Rs. 5,000 (USD 36) and the price is split between the passengers. Once you get to Hari Chowk, you can wait for other passengers to share the jeep with, alternatively, if you don’t want to wait, you can also just hire the jeep on your own.

It takes around 2 hours to get from Pokhara to Ghandruk by jeep. The road is pretty good and you pass by Nayapul on the way, where you have to show your ACAP permit.

Trekkers that are short on time usually trek from Ghandruk to Chhomrong the same day, however, if you have more time, it is nice to spend a day in Ghandruk. The views here are great if the sky is clear, plus you can explore the Gurung culture at its museums.

The first day of trek goes from Ghandruk and Chhomrong. It is not a long day of trekking, but it is best to start early so you can beat the heat and the sun.

I had a late start on this day, and only started around 8 am. It is better to start earlier, around 7 am, so that you spend less time in the heat (if the weather is sunny).

The trail is not too difficult. It goes through some forests, and some stairs, but it is more like a warm up for the ABC trek.

When you get to Chhomrong, the village itself is pretty big and can take 15 minutes to walk from one edge to the other. I recommend walking to the far end of Chhomrong, close to the ACAP office.

If you find a room in a guesthouse near the ACAP office, then the next day, you are closer to the trail to where you continue the trek.

In Chhomrong, the network connection mostly still works for both NCell and Nepal Telecom. Plus, the wifi in guesthouses is usually free of charge. As Chhomrong is lower altitude and is warmer, it is a good place to take a shower too.

Day 3: Chhomrong to Dovan Trek

• Chhomrong to Dovan trek: 9.5 km, 5.5 hours walking
• Dovan altitude: 2,600 m/ 8,530 ft

The Chhomrong to Dovan section is one of the most difficult all throughout the ABC trek route. Especially, the first part, Chhomrong to Sinuwa and Sinuwa to Bamboo is pretty rough. It has many stairs going up and down, like continuously stairs for hours.

It is also in a part of the trail that is on the side of the mountain with no shade, so if it is a sunny day, then it is very hot. So, use lots of sunscreen and wear a sun hat to protect you.

Once you reach Bamboo and start on to Dovan, the trail gets slightly easier. Less stairs and more walks through forests.

As the first bit of the trail out of Chhomrong is pretty difficult, it is good if you have an early start and leave at 7 am.

If you start at 7 am, you can reach Dovan by 1 pm. Some people only stop in Dovan for lunch, but I stayed for the night as I was happy with only trekking 5 hours a day.

Plus, it was a bit sunny and thought Dovan is the last village in lower altitude where it still feels fine to take a shower and not freeze afterwards.

The trek from Dovan to Deurali is also a bit of an easier trek. It takes only 4.5 hours to trek it, and you can be in Deurali by lunch time.

Some groups pushed from Dovan to MBC, and it is possible to trek it. I didn’t continue to MBC as I was fine having some shorter days and just enjoying my time in each village.

Also, I was a bit worried about altitude sickness, so I planned to go up slower than most trekkers.

Nevertheless, Deurali is a popular stopping point for many trekkers and it was the most difficult to find accommodation in Deurali as a solo trekker.

It meant that in Deurali many teahouses were booked out by big trekking groups, so I had to ask around a couple of places to find a room available.

Later I met other solo trekkers, and they also told me that they found it was the most difficult to find a room in Deurali, and due to the limited number of teahouses, it was also the most expensive to stay along the ABC trek.

The trek from Deurali to ABC goes via MBC. It is good if you start the trek early from Deurali at 7 am.

Once you leave Deurali, there is an avalanche risk zone the trail goes through and they say that in winter and spring, it is best to pass by this area before 9 am, as a lot of avalanche happen later in the day.

However, if there is snow avalanches can happen anytime, so you always have to be careful on this part of the trail. It is best to go through it as fast as you can, and not take any breaks while passing by.

It takes around 2 hours from Deurali to MBC and overall, the trail is not too difficult. Once you get to MBC, it can be a good place to take a break and see how you feel with the altitude.

If you feel fine, then it is okay to continue from MBC to ABC. The last stretch of trek is not too long but it feels harder due to the high altitude and lower levels of oxygen.

If the sky is clear, you get a pretty nice view of ABC village and the Annapurna range around it as you walk towards it. However, it is a rainy and foggy day, you may barely even see the houses at ABC, let alone the mountains.

The views are generally supposed to be clear in the mornings, and the best part about staying at ABC for the night is that the next day, you are directly at ABC to see the sunrise!

The highlight of my trek was staying the night at ABC. The teahouse was buzzing with happy trekkers, and even though the weather was super cold and snowy in the afternoon, the next morning the skies were clear to see the mountains!

Day 6 starts with an early wake up to see the sunrise and after taking in the views and taking lots of photos, you go for breakfast and get ready to trek down.

It is best if you walk as far down on this day as possible. It is a bit tiring but if you can make it from ABC to Sinuwa (even if just Upper Sinuwa), it will make your following day easier.

I made it to Upper Sinuwa on this day, and while it was tiring, I was happy I could make it. The section from Bamboo to Sinuwa, and from Sinuwa to Chhomrong, is full of stairs.

So, if you can make it to Sinuwa on this day, then the next day is easier as you go from Sinuwa to Chhomrong. I mean, the section from Sinuwa to Chhomrong is still difficult, but you are not so tired when you get to it.

It is the last day of the ABC trek, and it goes from Sinuwa to Jhinu Danda.

The section from Sinuwa to Chhomrong is difficult with lots of stairs, so it is best if you start early at 7 am, so you can beat the sun and heat.

It is a tiring part of the trek, and there are lots of stairs up and down, so even though you are ending ABC trek, the difficult parts are not yet over.

Once you get to Jhinu Danda, it’s worth celebrating the accomplishment of trekking ABC, even if celebrating means going to sleep because you are totally exhausted.

After I finished ABC, I was pretty tired and I was contemplating whether to continue to Mardi Himal or not. I decided to stay one night at Jhinu Danda, relax, and then either take the jeep back to Pokhara or continue to Mardi the next day.

Then, after relaxing in Jhinu Danda for 1 day, I felt okay to continue to Mardi. Plus, I could see that from Jhinu, I could complete Mardi in 3 days (it usually takes 5 days), so I gathered all the energy I had left to continue trekking!

One of my favourite parts of the trek was walking over from Jhinu Danda to Forest Camp. Not many people connect ABC to Mardi Himal, so it was the quietest part of the trek.

The trail is pretty easy, there are some parts where you go up on stairs. There are stairs just before Landruk, and then when you start from Landruk to Forest Camp.

However, the initial part of the trek goes along a river and waterfalls, and then through a forest, so the view is a nice change after the ABC trek.

While there are some stairs along the way, after just completing ABC, it does not feel too strenuous.

I took a quick break in Landruk and had some food and tea. It was a nice little break, and then I set off to Forest Camp. Usually, if the view is clear, you can get nice views of the Himalayas from Landruk.

Much part of the trail from Forest Camp to High Camp goes through a forest. There are some parts with stairs up, but it never goes on for too long and it is made easy with sections of the trail that are flat or has a more gradual ascend.

Between Forest Camp and High Camp, you can find the villages of Low Camp and Badal Danda. Either village is nice to have a quick break.

I found the distance from Forest Camp to Low Camp is very short, and you can trek it in 2 hours. So, I continued straight to Badal Danda and I took a quick tea break there.

People who only trek Mardi Himal, sometimes make an overnight stop in Low Camp to acclimatize, however, if you are coming over to the Mardi trek from the ABC trek, then you are already acclimatized, and you can continue to High Camp.

When I got to High Camp, I did hear from some trekkers that they had headaches, but lucky for me, I was already acclimatized after ABC, and probably for the first time in a long time, I didn’t seem to be affected by altitude.

The last day of the trek is pretty long, but not too difficult. There is a trail from High Camp to the Mardi Himal Viewpoint and then on to the Mardi Himal Base Camp.

It is tradition to hike up to the Mardi Himal Viewpoint for sunrise. The best is to get up at 3:45 am and start the sunrise hike then. Make sure to have a headlamp, as it is totally dark when you get started.

Most people also go for the sunrise hike, so while the trail is dark in the early morning, you see other trekkers on the trail too.

From High Camp to the Viewpoint, it takes around 1.5 hours walk. Then from here, it is about another 1.5 hours to reach the Mardi Himal Base Camp.

After you check out the Mardi Viewpoint or the Base Camp, it is best to head back to High Camp and have a late breakfast.

After breakfast, the final leg of the trek goes from High Camp to Sidhing. From Sidhing, there are jeeps back to Pokhara.

The trek from High Camp to Sidhing takes around 3.5 hours walking. It is relatively easy from High Camp to Low Camp, then after you pass Low Camp and start to go towards Sidhing, most of the trail goes downwards on stairs for the whole time.

Due to the continuous downward stairs from Low Camp to Sidhing, I found this section of the trail heavy on the knees. Luckily, the trail is not very long and the thought of getting back to Pokhara is very motivating to get through it.

The jeeps from Sidhing to Pokhara go once it fills up. It costs Rs. 7,000 (USD 50) and the cost is split between the passengers. Alternatively, if you don’t want to wait for other passengers, you can also hire the jeep on your own.

It takes around 2 hours by jeep from Sidhing to Pokhara, and the jeep usually drops passengers at Hallan Chowk.

Mardi Himal and ABC Trek Cost

On average, I spent Rs. 3,000 (USD 22) per day on both the ABC and Mardi Himal treks. So, in total, it cost around Rs. 30,000 (USD 220) for 10 days of trekking. It includes food, accommodation, transport, permit, wifi, charging, hot showers, and hot drinking water.

I trekked solo, so it excludes guide and porter fees. If you want to go with a trekking guide or porter, budget an extra USD 35/day for a guide, and USD 20/day for a porter.

Also, my spending was very minimal. If you want to have a beer in the evenings or buy extra snacks, it is good to budget an additional Rs. 1,500 (USD 10) per day.

➡️ Here you can check out my detailed guide on the ABC trekking costs and money saving tips!

What to Pack for ABC and Mardi Himal

When going trekking in Nepal, it is best to pack as light as possible!

I can usually pack everything into a 28-litre backpack for a trek in Nepal. During my ABC and Mardi trek, I tested out if all these items are sufficient for a 10-day trek, and they are!

Here you can check out my packing list for ABC and Mardi Himal. It is a minimalist packing list, and it means that you have to wear the same T-shirt and trousers 2-3 times on the trek.

I initially packed these items for a 7-day ABC trek, but ultimately, I extended the trip to Mardi Himal and the packing list worked for Mardi too.

Packing everything into a 28-litre backpack works out great and the weight you carry doesn’t feel too heavy.

Teahouses on the ABC and Mardi Himal Treks

The teahouses on the ABC and Mardi Himal Trek are very similar, however I did find some slight differences.

On the ABC trekking route, the teahouses don’t have a fireplace in the dining hall, which means that you cannot warm up there in the evenings. On the other hand, teahouses on the Mardi trek do have fireplaces in the dining hall, so overall you can warm up pretty well.

On the ABC trek, the teahouses were slightly cheaper due to the high number of trekking groups. While, the rooms were a bit more expensive on the Mardi trek as it is not yet visited by that many trekking groups, so the competition between the teahouses is not that high and teahouses can keep higher prices.

As a solo trekker, I found it difficult to find accommodation in Deurali on the ABC trek, and at High Camp on the Mardi Trek. You don’t have to pre-book accommodation, but you may have to ask around 3-4 teahouses until you find one that has rooms available.

Nepal Trekking Itineraries

Not sure about which trek to go on? Check out my itineraries and posts about trekking in Nepal:

• Annapurna Base Camp Trek
• Mardi Himal Trek
• Langtang Valley Trek
• Pikey Peak Trek
• Australian Camp Trek
• Panchase Trek
• The Best Short Treks in Nepal
• Solo Trekking in Nepal
• Teahouses in Nepal: What Accommodation is Like on Treks
• Trekking in Nepal Costs: How to Plan Your Budget
• The Best Time to Trek in Nepal

FAQs: How to Connect Annapurna Base Camp and Mardi Himal Trek

What’s the best way to connect ABC and Mardi Himal?

The best way to connect ABC and Mardi Himal is to finish the ABC trek in Jhinu Danda. Then, from Jhinu Danda, you walk over to Forest Camp via Landruk.

Forest Camp is on the Mardi trek trail, and once you get there, you are officially on the Mardi Trek.