The first stop above the trees, at 2,985 m, and the first night with the mountains in front of you. Low Camp is where the Mardi ridge stops being a forest walk, and the most comfortable night you will have this high on the trek.
Low Camp sits at 2,985 m at the upper edge of the Mardi forest. The climb from Forest Camp, past Rest Camp at about 2,600 m, is the last stretch under the trees, 2 to 3 hours of walking. Near the top the forest thins, the trail steepens, and the snow peaks appear above you for the first time on the trek.
On the standard 5-day Mardi Himal trek it is the end of day 2, the longest day, with close to 900 metres of climbing behind you. The next morning the trail leaves the last trees within the hour and follows the open ridge over Badal Danda at 3,210 m to High Camp at 3,580 m.
For two days the trek has been farmland and then forest. Low Camp is where that changes. Machhapuchhre, the Fishtail, stands up behind the ridge, with the Annapurna massif beside it, and on a clear evening the light goes off the snow while you are still sitting outside with tea. Mornings are usually clearer than afternoons, when cloud tends to come up out of the valleys.
The mountain itself, and why it matters to the Gurung villages below, is on Mardi Himal and Machhapuchhre.
If you add one day to the trek, add it here. Low Camp is just under 3,000 metres, high enough that a second night helps your body adjust before High Camp, and low enough to sleep well. It also gives you a spare day if viewpoint morning is clouded out, instead of going home without the sunrise.
Longer itineraries give you more time here. The 6-day Mardi Himal trek sleeps at Low Camp again after viewpoint morning, and the 8-day Mardi Himal trek takes the whole ridge slower. The altitude side of it is on altitude sickness on Mardi Himal.
Eight or more teahouses with simple twin rooms, unheated, with the dining-room stove as the warm place in the evening. Bathrooms are shared and mostly squat. Power is solar and small generators, so charging is billed per device. Mobile signal is usable around Low Camp, then weak and unreliable above it, so this is the last good place to send messages before High Camp.
In October and April the lodges fill, and operators book ahead for guided groups. The rest of the year you can usually walk in. We do not publish lodge prices because each teahouse sets its own. Stop-by-stop detail is on Mardi Himal teahouses.
Low Camp sits at 2,985 m, about 435 m above Forest Camp and 595 m below High Camp (3,580 m). It is the first overnight stop with open mountain views.
About 5 km with 595 m of climbing, via Badal Danda at 3,210 m. Allow 3 to 4 hours. It is a short day on paper, but it is the first day above 3,000 m, so the pace is deliberately slow.
If you have the time, yes. An extra night at Low Camp is the single best optional addition to the trek, for sleep, for the legs on viewpoint morning, and as a spare day if the weather closes in. Longer itineraries spend more time here: the 6-day, for example, sleeps at Low Camp again after viewpoint morning instead of rushing down.
High Camp is closer and higher, and the sunrise climb starts there. Low Camp is where the view first opens: you come out of the forest and Machhapuchhre and the Annapurna massif appear above the trees. It is also a far more comfortable night than High Camp, being about 600 m lower.
In October, and in April when the rhododendron is out, it is worth it, and operators book ahead for guided groups. Outside those months you can usually walk in. Arriving by mid-afternoon is still the safe play.
Below Low Camp is Mardi Himal Forest Camp; above it, High Camp and the true Mardi Himal Base Camp. Every itinerary is on the Mardi Himal trek page.
The 6 reviews below are all Mardi Himal treks, each rated 5 out of 5. Every one is on TripAdvisor or Google and links back to the original. Quotes are shortened excerpts; names, dates and trek lengths are taken from the source. Counts as of April 2026.
Our recent trip to Nepal and trek to Mardi Himal turned out to be one of the most memorable adventures of my life. Our guide Max was friendly, knowledgeable, and incredibly supportive, especially during the steep sections. The views along the route were breathtaking.
We had an excellent five-day trek on the Mardi Himal trail. It is frequented primarily by Nepali tourists. The views are incredible all along the trail, and many guest houses have spectacular views. Our guide was a joy to be with.
We were considering trekking to Annapurna Base Camp, but changed to the Mardi Himal based on Raj's advice. This was probably the best advice we got in Nepal. Mountains were fully covered in snow, the lower fields were green, and the rhododendron trees were flourishing.
Prakash was our trekking guide for the Mardi Himal trek. Even when we arrived feeling unwell, he showed immediate sympathy and organised a range of Pokhara-based activities for us. We can't recommend him enough. Prakash has completed over 500 trips on this route.
Our Mardi Himal trekking experience was great because of this team. Our guide Gautam was so professional, cordial and hospitable. We enjoyed it a lot. Looking forward to our next adventure with them.
Truly exceeded our expectations and made our trip to the Himalayas absolutely memorable. From the moment we inquired until the day we returned, their professionalism and attention to detail were outstanding.
We run six scheduled departures a month from Pokhara, September to May: Sundays for the 5-day itinerary, Thursdays for the 6-day. Every other trip on this site runs privately, on your own dates. A 20 % deposit holds your place, and the balance is paid in Kathmandu before the trip starts.
