The shortest Mardi you can walk.
The 4-day Mardi Himal trek sits in a specific gap. It is faster than the 5-day standard, but unlike the 3-day express version it needs no helicopter to make the timing work. You walk in from Kande, climb to the Upper Viewpoint at 4,200 metres, and walk all the way back down to Sidhing under your own steam, with a jeep for the final road section. If you want Mardi done quickly and you would rather spend the money on the trail than on a flight, this is the version that fits.
The way it saves a day is honest and worth understanding. It keeps the same three trekking days as the 5-day to reach the viewpoint, but it removes the in-between descent night and the Pokhara buffer day. That turns Day 3 into a single big push: the pre-dawn climb to 4,200 metres followed by the full descent to Sidhing, well over two thousand metres down in one day. Combined with the thousand-metre climb to High Camp on Day 2, this is the most aggressive sensible Mardi profile we run. For fit walkers with some altitude behind them it is very doable. If altitude is new to you, read our altitude sickness guide before you commit to this pace.
We are clear about who this suits. Take the 4-day if you are reasonably fit, comfortable on long hill days, and short on time. Take the 5-day version instead if it is your first high trek, if you acclimatise slowly, or if you want a buffer day in case the summit morning clouds over. Both reach the same ridge sunrise; the 4-day simply removes the margin. The full route map and all the duration variants live on our itinerary page too.
The full schedule, day by day.
Four days from Pokhara and back, with three days of trekking and a jeep return on Day 4. Altitudes and walking hours are listed for every day. Day 2 is the altitude day; Day 3 is the summit morning and the full descent in one, the longest day on the trek.
- Day 1
Pokhara → Kande → Australian Camp → Forest Camp
- Drive
- 1.5 hrs (Pokhara → Kande)
- Trek
- 6 – 7 hrs
- Distance
- ~12 km
- Altitude
- Kande 1,770 m → Forest Camp 2,550 m
- Net change
- +780 m
We leave Pokhara early, around 07:00, to give the long first day enough daylight, and reach the Kande trailhead by around 08:30. Stone steps climb to Australian Camp, where the first wide view of Annapurna South and Hiunchuli opens up, then on through Pothana where the ACAP permit is checked. Lunch is taken near Pitam Deurali at 2,100 metres, the junction where the Mardi route leaves the busier Annapurna Base Camp path and turns up its own quiet ridge.
The afternoon climbs through cloud forest of oak, maple, and rhododendron to Forest Camp at 2,550 metres. On the 4-day plan this is a long, committing first day, because it covers ground the 7-day version splits across a day and a half. Langur troops are common in the canopy on this stretch, and the teahouses at Forest Camp are simple but warm.
Arrive Forest Camp by mid to late afternoon. Early dinner, early night, because Day 2 is the big altitude day and the whole 4-day profile depends on you starting it rested.
- Day 2
Forest Camp → Low Camp → Badal Danda → High Camp
- Drive
- —
- Trek
- 5 – 6 hrs
- Distance
- ~9 km
- Altitude
- 2,550 → 2,985 → 3,580 m
- Net change
- +1,030 m
The day with the most altitude, and the reason this itinerary needs honesty up front. The trail climbs steadily through the upper forest to Low Camp at 2,985 metres, where the trees thin and the full Annapurna massif comes into view. We stop here for an early lunch and a pulse-oximetry check before continuing.
Above Low Camp the route breaks onto the open ridge, crosses Badal Danda (Cloud Ridge) at 3,210 metres, then climbs to High Camp at 3,580 metres. That is roughly a thousand metres of net gain in a single day, the same big climb the 5-day makes, and it is the part of the 4-day that asks the most of your body. Pace is deliberately slow above Low Camp, and anyone showing early symptoms is held at Low Camp for the night rather than pushed on. If you are new to walking above 3,000 metres, read our guide to altitude sickness before you book this version.
Arrive High Camp in the afternoon with time to rest. Machhapuchhre stands directly ahead across the valley, and the sunset from the dining hall is the moment most trekkers remember from the whole trip.
- Day 3
High Camp → Upper Viewpoint → long descent to Sidhing
- Drive
- —
- Trek
- 8 – 9 hrs
- Distance
- ~16 km
- Altitude
- 3,580 → 4,200 → 1,860 m
- Net change
- +620 m / -2,340 m
The summit morning, and the longest day on the trek. We leave High Camp around 04:30 with headtorches for the pre-dawn ridge climb to the Upper Viewpoint at 4,200 metres. On a clear morning the sun lifts over the eastern peaks while Dhaulagiri sits far to the west and the Annapurna wall fills the sky in front of you. This is the highest point of the trek and the reason most people come.
Return to High Camp for a proper breakfast, then begin the full descent. The 4-day skips the in-between night that the 5-day keeps, so we drop the whole way down, back through Low Camp and onto the forest path toward the Gurung village of Sidhing rather than retracing the inbound trail. That is well over two thousand metres of descent in one push, and it is hard on the knees. Trekking poles are not optional on this stretch.
We reach Sidhing at 1,860 metres in the late afternoon. It is a working Gurung village, and after the summit ridge and the long drop, a teahouse bed here feels earned. The hard part of the trek is now behind you, and Day 4 is short.
- Day 4
Sidhing → road head → jeep to Pokhara
- Drive
- 2.5 – 3 hrs (Sidhing → Pokhara)
- Trek
- 1 – 2 hrs (short descent)
- Distance
- ~5 km on foot
- Altitude
- Sidhing 1,860 m → Pokhara 820 m
- Net change
- -1,040 m
A relaxed final walking morning down terraced farmland from Sidhing to the road head, where the jeep meets us for the rough but scenic drive back to Pokhara at 820 metres, passing through Lwang and its tea gardens on the way. After the effort of Day 3, this is a gentle close.
We reach the Pokhara lakeside by early to mid afternoon. Hot shower, a real bed, and a celebration dinner by Phewa Lake. Four days from the lakeside to the upper ridge and back, every metre walked, is the whole point of this version.
Three, four, or five? An honest call.
All three reach the same 4,200-metre viewpoint. The difference is how you get back down, how much altitude you gain per day, and whether you keep a weather buffer. Here is who should take which.
- You are fit and comfortable on long, steep hill days.
- You want Mardi fully walked, with no helicopter cost.
- You are short on time but not on cardio.
- You can handle a 4,200 m summit then a full descent in one day.
- This is your first Himalayan or high-altitude trek.
- You acclimatise slowly or have felt altitude before.
- You want a buffer day in case the summit clouds over.
- You would rather break the long descent over two days.
3-day
4-day
5-day
Want even less time on the trail and a flight back? The 3-day express version compresses the route further and returns by helicopter from Sidhing. Want the gentlest acclimatisation and the most comfortable days? The 7-day flagship spreads the same ridge over more nights.
A tailored quote, the same day.
We quote the 4-day on request rather than publishing a fixed figure. The total depends on your group size and your board and accommodation, so a single headline number would always be wrong for someone. Tell us your dates and group size and we send a tailored quote the same day.
The 4-day sits just below our published 5-day rate, since it is one night and one walking day shorter on the same route, and it follows the same per-day cost logic rather than a mystery premium. The full rate structure, the per-day cost breakdown, the ACAP and TIMS permit fees, and optional add-ons such as a porter all live on the permits and cost page. Guaranteed group dates and how to reserve are on fixed departures.
- ACAP entry permit and TIMS card
- Licensed Gurung guide for all 4 days
- Pokhara → Kande transfer and Sidhing → Pokhara jeep
- Teahouse accommodation (Forest Camp, High Camp, Sidhing)
- Meals on the trail per your chosen board option
- Celebration dinner on return to Pokhara
- First aid kit, pulse oximeter, and trekking poles on loan
- All ground transport on the itinerary
- International flights to Kathmandu or Pokhara
- Nepal entry visa
- Pokhara hotel nights and lunches in town
- Personal trekking gear and clothing
- Travel insurance (mandatory, must cover heli evacuation)
- Tips for the guide and any porter
- Optional porter (see add-ons on the cost page)
- Any cost arising from weather delays or early exit
The 4-day touches 4,200 metres and ends with a long descent, so kit matters. Our packing list covers layering, footwear, and the trekking poles you will be glad of on Day 3. Pick a stable window with the best months guide, which matters more here because there is no buffer day for bad weather.
Before you book.
- Is 4 days enough for the Mardi Himal trek?
- Yes, four days is enough to walk Mardi Himal in full and reach the Upper Viewpoint at 4,200 metres, with no helicopter and no shortcut. It is the shortest fully-walked version of the trek. What it removes compared with the 5-day is slack, not scenery: there is no buffer day for weather and Day 3 combines the summit ridge with the entire descent. If you are reasonably fit and have a tight schedule, four days works. If you want a safety margin for weather or altitude, take the 5-day.
- How hard is the 4 day Mardi Himal trek?
- It is the most aggressive sensible Mardi Himal profile. Day 1 is long, Day 2 gains roughly a thousand metres to High Camp at 3,580 metres, and Day 3 climbs to 4,200 metres before descending over two thousand metres all the way to Sidhing in a single day. There is no technical climbing, but the daily hours are demanding and the descent is hard on the knees. If you can walk 6 to 9 hours on steep hill terrain with a daypack on back-to-back days, you can do it. If that sounds like a lot, the 5-day spreads the same route over more time.
- Can beginners do the 4 day Mardi Himal trek?
- We do not recommend the 4-day as a first Himalayan trek. The fast altitude gain on Day 2 and the very long summit-and-descent Day 3 reward people who already have some hill fitness and ideally some experience above 3,000 metres. Complete beginners are far better served by the 5-day or the 7-day, which give the body more time to acclimatise and keep a buffer for a bad-weather morning. Read our altitude sickness guide before deciding, and be honest with yourself about your fitness.
- Should I do the 4 day or 5 day Mardi Himal trek?
- Both walk the same ridge and reach the same 4,200-metre viewpoint with no helicopter. The 4-day removes the in-between descent night and the Pokhara buffer day, so Day 3 becomes a long single push of summit plus full descent and there is no weather margin. Choose the 4-day if you are fit, time-pressed, and comfortable with a hard day. Choose the 5-day if you want a gentler descent, a buffer day in case the viewpoint clouds over, and the version most trekkers book. The 5-day is the safer default; the 4-day is the lean option for people who know they can handle it.
- What does the 4 day Mardi Himal trek cost?
- We quote the 4-day on request rather than publishing a fixed figure, because the price depends on your group size and your board and accommodation choices. It sits just below our 5-day rate, since it is one night and one day shorter on the same route, and it follows the same per-day cost logic. Tell us your dates and group size and we send a tailored quote the same day. Our permits and cost page shows the rate structure, the per-day breakdown, and the ACAP and TIMS fees the quote is built on.
- Do I need a helicopter for the 4 day Mardi Himal trek?
- No. The 4-day is fully walked, both in and out: you trek up from Kande and descend on foot to Sidhing, then take a jeep back to Pokhara. The helicopter belongs to the 3-day express version, which flies you back from Sidhing to save the final walking day at a much higher cost. The 4-day is the cheaper, all-walking way to do Mardi quickly, with no flight involved.
- When is the best time to do the 4 day Mardi Himal trek?
- Spring (March to May) and autumn (late September to November) give the most stable weather and the clearest mountain views, which matters more on the 4-day because there is no buffer day to absorb a clouded-over summit morning. Winter is colder and quieter with a real chance of snow at High Camp, and the monsoon (June to August) brings cloud, leeches, and obscured views. Our best months guide breaks the seasons down in detail.
