Nepal: 7-Day Mardi Himal Trekking for Women

Trek to Mardi Himal on a 7-day women-only adventure led by a licensed female guide in Nepal. Enjoy close-up views of Machhapuchhre, rhododendron forests, a sunrise at High Camp, & Gurung villages.
Your adventure begins with a short flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara and a drive to Dhampus (1,580 m), a Gurung village of stone houses and terraced fields. You walk with a government-licensed female guide, a female porter and a small women-only group into the Annapurna Conservation Area. The trail climbs through rhododendron and oak forest to Deurali (2,040 m), with Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre appearing between the trees.

On Day 2, you follow a quiet forest path to Forest Camp (2,520 m), where the lodges are small and the trail is far less busy than the main Annapurna routes. In spring, the rhododendrons bloom red, pink and white overhead. On Day 3, you climb past Low Camp (2,970 m) and leave the treeline behind for Badal Danda (3,345 m), where the forest opens onto a narrow ridge.

On Day 4, a short three-hour walk along the open ridge brings you to High Camp (3,700 m). The ground falls away on both sides, with the Modi Khola valley to the west and the Seti basin to the east. Machhapuchhre, Nepal's sacred unclimbed peak, stands directly overhead. You have the afternoon to rest, acclimatise and watch the sunset turn its west face gold.

Day 5 starts before dawn with the climb to the Mardi Himal Viewpoint (4,500 m). From here you can see Mardi Himal, Machhapuchhre, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Annapurna I, with Dhaulagiri far to the west on a clear morning. You then descend the ridge to Badal Danda for the night.

On Day 6, you take a different trail down, heading east through forest and farmland to the Gurung village of Siding (1,750 m), then drive to Pokhara for a hot shower and an evening by Phewa Lake. On Day 7, a scenic drive returns you to Kathmandu.

Most days involve 5 to 7 hours of walking at an unhurried pace on forest and ridge trails, with plenty of rest stops. You carry only a light daypack. You spend the nights in small, family-run tea houses with twin beds, warm blankets and a stove-heated dining room. Three cooked meals a day are included.

You don't need any climbing skills or previous trekking experience. There are no ropes, crampons or glaciers, just steady walking that calls for good fitness. The route never sleeps above 3,700 m, which keeps you in the altitude range where most people acclimatise comfortably. The whole trek also fits into a single week of leave.

The women-only format makes a real difference. Your guide understands managing a period at altitude, wanting privacy in shared lodges and worrying about being the slowest walker. Nobody races ahead, and rooming is arranged in advance. Many of the lodges on this trail are run by Gurung women, so you are hosted by women from start to finish. When someone has a tough hour on the climb, the group simply waits.

Per garantire la disponibilità, prenota il prima possibile. La prenotazione anticipata è consigliata soprattutto se stai pianificando il viaggio durante l'alta stagione come le festività pubbliche o i fine settimana.

Questa escursione può essere annullata senza costi fino a 24 ore prima dell'inizio del viaggio. Se la annulli dopo 24 ore o non ti presenti all'escursione, ti verrà comunque addebitato il prezzo intero dell'attività. Essere in ritardo al ritiro o alla partenza sarà considerato come non presentarsi.