Mardi Himal Trek Cost: A Comprehensive Breakdown

Mardi Himal Trek is a short and easiest yet one of the most beautiful treks in the Himalayas. The trek offers awe-inspiring views of the towering peaks such as the Mardi Himal, Annapurna range, Machhapuchhre, and many more. It is a perfect trek option for those looking for short, affordable, and beginner-friendly treks in Nepal. With Himalayan Masters, the Mardi Himal Trek costs just $500.

The Mardi Himal trek package includes food, accommodation, permits, transport, guides, and a porter for the trek. Moreover, the overall cost of the trek can differ based on the level of service you take, the duration of the trip, and other additional expenses. Depending on all these factors, the Mardi Himal trek cost can range from around $400 to over $1000.

Accommodation Cost during Mardi Himal Trek

The accommodation on the Mardi Himal route is well-established. Accommodation in the lower regions, around Pothana, Dhampus and Siding, is quite reasonable.

Trekkers can stay in lodges and teahouses, from basic to luxurious, during the trek. The level of accommodation trekkers choose determines the overall cost of the trek.

Normally, the accommodation costs around $5-$8 during the trek. Moreover, the teahouses offer accommodation, dinner, and breakfast packages for around $25-$30 per night.

They offer neat and warm beds and blankets to sleep in, delicious meals to eat, and other services (for an additional charge). Teahouses charge extra for services like Wi-Fi, hot water, showers, and battery charging.

Cost of Food for Mardi Himal Trek

The food menu during the Mardi Himal trekking is pretty similar to other treks in the Annapurna region, like Annapurna Base Camp Trek and Circuit Trek.

The teahouses serve as much as you can eat Dal Bhat for dinner and lunch. Along with it, they serve other local Nepali cuisines and a few Western food options.

The lunch and dinner menu includes Dal Bhat, potato, veg and non-veg curry, pasta, Chowmin, Mo: Mo, pizza, spaghetti, roti, chapati, puddings, and many more. At the same time, the breakfast menu includes tea/coffee, Tibetan bread, egg items, porridge, muesli, corn flex, seasonal fruits, jam, butter, yak cheese, honey, etc.

Typical Dal Bhat costs around $3-$8, while other foods could cost $4-$9. As you trek to higher altitudes, food costs are likely to increase.

Mardi Himal Trek Transportation Cost

Your Mardi Himal trek transportation cost is included in the trip package if you are trekking with us.

To reach the base camp of Mardi Himal, you first need to drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara and then from Pokhara to Phedi (the starting point of the trek). Again, while returning, trekkers will be driving back to Pokhara from Siding.

There are several options for travelling from Kathmandu to Pokhara and vice versa. If you choose to travel by public vehicle, it costs around $8, while a tourist bus can cost around $10 and a luxurious tourist bus costs around $30.

Likewise, private vehicle can cost around $110-$150. Finally, if trekkers want to reduce the Mardi Himal Itinerary by a day and start trekking on 1st day itself, they can choose to fly to Pokhara, which costs around $100.

Further, the cost of transportation from Pokhara to Phedi can be around $5-$20 per person, depending on the means of transportation you choose. Similarly, Siding to Pokhara costs the same as Pokhara to Phedi.

How much do permits for Mardi Himal trekking cost?

In order to trek to the base of Mardi Himal, trekkers need to obtain the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) and Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS).

As the trek traverses around Annapurna Conservation Area, a restricted area, trekkers need to issue an entry permit.

The cost of ACAP for foreigners is NPR 3000 (around $25); for SAARC nationals, it is NPR 1000 (about $8); and for Nepalese, it is NPR 100. This permit can be obtained in Kathmandu from the Nepal Tourism Board or at the conservation area entry gate at Pothana.

Likewise, the TIMS card is optional for the Mardi Trek and many other treks in Nepal. Local permits have replaced this permit. However, the cost of a TIMS card for foreigners is NPR 2000 (around $17), and for SAARC citizens is NPR 1000 (around $8).

Trekkers need to submit a copy of their passport, a filled application form, and two passport-sized photos and pay in Nepali currency to issue the permits.

Guide and Porter Cost

Hiring a guide and porter significantly increases the trekking experience. Local guides are well known for the terrain, culture, and weather, and the porters carry all your luggage, allowing you to trek freely.

A guide generally costs around $25-$30 per day, and a porter costs around $20-$25 per day. You can include tips for your guide and porter for their hard work on the overall guide and porter cost.

NOTE: Licensed guide and porter are included in the trip package.

Gears Cost For Mardi Trek

This is not a challenging trek, and you are not required to pack any climbing gear. However, you do not miss some of the essentials when packing for Mardi Himal Trek.

Remember to pack some warm clothes, a down jacket, comfortable and warm pants, sturdy and waterproof hiking boots, a sleeping bag, a trekking bag, etc.

If you are a regular trekker, it is better to buy good quality gear instead of renting it all the time. You can buy or rent trekking gear here in Kathmandu or Pokhara also.

For buying this gear, it can cost around $200-$300. The cost might increase if you are buying premium quality products.

Some of the items like trekking poles, water bottles, sleeping bags, down jackets, duffle bags, etc., are offered by Himalayan Masters as a complimentary trek.

Miscellaneous Cost

Costs for buying snacks, souvenirs, tips for guides and porters, additional charges at the teahouse, etc., come under miscellaneous costs. If you choose to fly to Pokhara from Kathmandu or travel in a private vehicle, you need to pay an extra charge apart from the standard cost of the Mardi Himal Package.

Likewise, if you want to stay in a luxurious accommodation during the trek or want to extend the duration of the trek, there might be an additional charge.

All in all, you can expect to spend $15-$20 daily on miscellaneous things and $300-$400 extra for additional services.

Furthermore, whenever trekking in rugged terrain in the Himalayas, it is better to have travel insurance covering medical expenses and helicopter evacuation in emergencies.

Cost of Mardi Himal Package by Types

A normal Mardi Himal trip can be completed at around $500-$900. However, if you are a solo trekker, the overall cost of the trek could be cheaper or higher based on which services you choose.

In contrast, a luxurious trip package costs around $1000-$1500. During this exclusive trek, trekkers stay in luxurious lodges and travel in private jeeps. Also, they can choose whatever they want to eat from the menu and have unlimited cups of tea and coffee.

Mardi Himal Trek Cost for Nepalese Trekkers

The cost of Mardi Himal Trek for Nepalese trekkers depends on how much he/she spends on accommodation, food, drinks, transport, etc.

Normally, Nepalese need to only get one permit for the trek. ACAP only costs NPR 100, which they can save a lot of money. The cost of lunch for Nepali is around NPR 400-700 per meal, as they do not require any fancy food and like to eat Dal Bhat.

Similarly, accommodation is comparatively a little cheaper and basic for Nepalese, and they can save around NPR 200-300 per day. In addition, Nepalese tend to complete the trek in less time, which contributes to reducing the overall cost.

Transportation and overall additional services charged for Nepali and foreigners are almost the same.

Hence, the overall cost of the Mardi Himal trek cost for Nepalese trekkers comes between NPR 15,000 and NPR 20,000 if they choose the average level of services.