The full money picture for a Mardi Himal trek in 2026: the two permits you cannot skip, the mandatory guide rule, a line-by-line cost breakdown, and budget tiers for a 5-day trek. Figures are indicative for 2026, so confirm the live numbers before you book.
Two things drive the price of a Mardi Himal trek: the fixed fees set by the Nepalese authorities, and the daily costs of walking, eating, and sleeping on the trail. Permits and the licensed guide are now non-negotiable; almost everything else flexes with how you travel. Here are the headline figures, with the detail that follows below.
The Mardi Himal trail sits entirely within the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal's largest protected area, so the area permit is the one you cannot do without. There is no separate restricted-area permit for Mardi, which keeps the paperwork simple compared with treks such as Manaslu or Upper Mustang. Alongside the ACAP you carry a TIMS card, the registration that records who is on the trail and confirms you are with a licensed guide.
NPR 3,000 for foreigners, NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, free for children under 10. Issued by the National Trust for Nature Conservation through the NTNC e-permit portal, and over the counter at the ACAP offices and Nepal Tourism Board tourist service centres in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Conservation fees are revised periodically, so confirm the current figure when you book.
NPR 2,000 for foreigners; for SAARC nationals it is NPR 600 as an individual or NPR 300 through a group. Crucially, the TIMS card is now issued only through a government-registered trekking agency, not to walk-in solo trekkers. In practice your operator arranges both permits as part of the booking. Carry printed copies and your passport for the trail checkpoints.
Where to get them in person: the Nepal Tourism Board tourist service centres in Kathmandu and Pokhara, or the ACAP counters in the same cities. For the wider paperwork picture, including your visa and money, see our Nepal travel essentials guide. Most trekkers simply let the operator handle the permits.
Since 1 April 2023, Nepal has required every foreign trekker in its national parks and conservation areas, the whole Annapurna region included, to be accompanied by a licensed guide. Solo and fully independent trekking is no longer permitted for foreigners, and the TIMS card that proves your registration is only issued through a registered agency. The rule was introduced for safety, to cut the number of missing and stranded trekkers, and to support local employment.
For Mardi Himal this means a guide is a fixed cost, not an optional extra. The going rate is USD 25 to 35 a day, which covers the guide's own food and lodging on the trail. A porter, at USD 18 to 25 a day and usually shared between two trekkers, remains optional but takes the weight off a steep, sustained climb. Our guide and porter page covers what each role does, how to choose a licensed and insured guide, and how the day rates and tipping work in detail.
Below is the trek broken into its parts. The fixed fees are the same for everyone; the daily figures rise with altitude, because everything at High Camp is carried up by porter or mule. Trekking in a small group lowers the per-person cost of the guide, porter, and transport, which is why fixed-departure dates can work out cheaper than a private trip.
Annapurna Conservation Area Permit. NPR 3,000 for foreigners, NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, free for under-10s. Paid once for the whole trek.
Trekkers' Information Management System card. NPR 2,000 for foreigners, NPR 600 individual or NPR 300 group for SAARC, issued only through a registered agency.
Mandatory in the conservation area. The rate covers the guide's own food and lodging on the trail.
Optional. Carries up to about 18 kg, usually shared between two trekkers. Rate covers their food and lodging.
A twin room in a trail lodge. Rates rise toward High Camp where everything is carried up by porter or mule.
Dal bhat, noodles, and the like. Prices climb with altitude. Budget roughly NPR 2,500 to 3,500 a day for three meals plus tea.
A shared local bus to the Kande trailhead is a few hundred rupees; a private car or jeep runs into the thousands. Split across the group.
Down jacket, sleeping bag, trekking poles, and the like, hired from shops in Lakeside. A useful way to avoid buying kit you will use once.
Want to share the guide and transport cost across a group? Our fixed departures join an existing date, which spreads the fixed costs and usually lands at the lower end of the standard tier.
Pulling the figures together, a 5-day Mardi Himal trek falls into three broad budget bands. The totals below are per person and assume the permits, guide, transport, lodging, and meals are all accounted for. Mardi is short and graded moderate, so it is one of the cheaper Annapurna treks; see our trip grades page for where it sits on difficulty.
| Tier | Total (5 days) | Style | Typically covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | USD 250 – 350 | Local bus, basic rooms, shared porter, careful meal choices | Self-organised permits, public transport, simplest lodges |
| Standard | USD 400 – 600 | Guided package, private transfer, comfortable lodges | Permits, guide, transport, teahouse rooms, most meals |
| Comfort | USD 700 – 1,000+ | Private guide, best available rooms, extras and a buffer | Everything above plus porter, upgrades, Pokhara nights, tips |
These ranges exclude your international flights, Nepal visa, travel insurance, and personal gear. A self-organised budget trip is possible, but the mandatory guide and agency-issued TIMS card mean even the leanest option still runs through a registered operator.
When you compare operator quotes, the headline number matters far less than what sits behind it. A cheap package that excludes meals and permits can cost more than a dearer one that includes everything. Read the inclusions line by line, then check the exclusions against the list below so there are no surprises in Pokhara.
There are no ATMs past Pokhara, and teahouses take Nepalese rupees in cash only, not US dollars and not cards. Draw the rupees you need in Pokhara before you start walking, and carry a buffer for drinks, snacks, hot showers, charging, and Wi-Fi, all of which cost a little more the higher you go. For exchange rates and where to withdraw, our Nepal travel essentials page has the money detail.
Tipping is customary but never obligatory. The convention is roughly 10 to 15 percent of the trek cost for the guide, and about 10 to 12 percent of the porter cost for the porter, handed over on the last evening in Pokhara, usually as a group in one envelope. A small note of NPR 50 to 100 for the teahouse staff who refilled your dal bhat is a kind touch. While you are budgeting, two siblings of this page help you pack and choose lodging: our packing list shows what to buy versus rent in Pokhara, and the accommodation page sets out room and meal costs camp by camp.
For a typical 5-day trek, budget travellers can manage on roughly USD 250 to 350, a standard guided package runs about USD 400 to 600, and a comfort-level trip with a private guide, porter, and upgrades runs USD 700 to 1,000 or more. The biggest single variable is whether you book a package or assemble it yourself, and how many people split the guide, porter, and transport costs.
Yes. The Mardi Himal trail runs inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so you need the ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit), which costs NPR 3,000 for foreigners and NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals. You also need a TIMS card, NPR 2,000 for foreigners, issued through a registered trekking agency. There is no separate restricted-area permit for Mardi.
No, not legally as a foreigner. Since 1 April 2023 Nepal requires all foreign trekkers in national parks and conservation areas, including the whole Annapurna region, to be accompanied by a licensed guide. Solo and fully independent trekking is no longer permitted. The TIMS card that goes with this is only issued through a registered agency. See our guide and porter page for what a guide actually does.
The ACAP is sold online through the NTNC e-permit portal (epermit.ntnc.org.np) and at ACAP offices and the Nepal Tourism Board tourist service centres in Kathmandu and Pokhara. The TIMS card is issued only through a registered trekking agency, so in practice your operator arranges both as part of the booking. Carry printed copies and your passport on the trail for checkpoints.
A standard package usually includes the ACAP and TIMS permits, a licensed guide, ground transport between Pokhara and the Kande trailhead, teahouse rooms, and most or all meals on the trail. It usually excludes your Nepal visa, travel insurance, personal gear, drinks and snacks, hot showers and Wi-Fi at lodges, tips, and any nights in Pokhara before or after the trek. Always read the inclusions line by line.
Carry enough Nepalese rupees for the whole trek plus a buffer, because there are no ATMs past Pokhara and teahouses take cash in rupees only, not US dollars or cards. For a self-funded 5-day trek, several thousand rupees a day covers rooms, meals, drinks, and a hot shower, so draw your cash in Pokhara before you start walking.
Tipping is customary but not obligatory. The convention is roughly 10 to 15 percent of the trek cost for the guide and about 10 to 12 percent of the porter cost for the porter, handed over on the last evening in Pokhara, usually in a group envelope. A small note of NPR 50 to 100 for helpful teahouse staff is a kind touch.
Ready to put a number on your dates? Start at the Mardi Himal trek overview, or talk to us for a quote that already includes the permits, guide, and transport.
We run small-group trips from Pokhara every Saturday from September to May. We also run private trips any day. A $50 deposit holds your place. Pay the rest on arrival in cash or by card.
