Mardi Himal Trek - 8 Days And Chitwan Safari Tour 3 Days

Our representative greets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and takes you to your hotel in Kathmandu. After checking into the hotel, our team assists you with the check-in process. Once you are settled into your room, you can relax after your flight. You can also visit our office if you want to get more information about the journey. 

• Max Elevation: 1,350 meters (Kathmandu)
•  Travel Distance: 6 to 8 kilometers
•  Travel Time: 20 to 30 minutes
•  Accommodation: 3-Star Hotel
•  Meals: Dinner

After having breakfast at the hotel, your sightseeing tour begins. A private vehicle is arranged for the full day, making travel between places comfortable and smooth. A professional tour guide accompanies you and explains the history, culture, and importance of each site you visit. The day is planned at an easy pace, allowing enough time at every location without feeling rushed.

The sightseeing tour takes you to some of the most important cultural and historical sites of the Kathmandu Valley. Each site gives you a unique insight into the religious and cultural heritage of Nepal.

A. Pashupatinath Temple (World Heritage Site)

Pashupatinath is counted among the holiest Hindu temples situated in Nepal. This temple is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. The temple runs along the banks of the River Bagmati. Non-Hindus are not permitted entry into this temple, but it is possible to observe the temple complex and the daily rituals performed there from the eastern side of the River Bagmati. It is a two-tier pagoda-style temple.

B. Boudhanath Stupa (World Heritage Site)

Boudhanath stupa is one of the holiest places within Kathmandu valley. This temple is home to the giant stupa, which dates to the 5th century and carries the image of Lord Buddha’s eyes on all sides to symbolize knowledge and awareness. You can witness priests and followers walking around the stupa while spinning the prayer wheels.

C. Patan Durbar Square (World Heritage Site)

Situated in Lalitpur, Patan Durbar Square is famous for its beautiful Newari architecture. Most of the palaces, temples, and courtyards were built during the Malla period and reflect fine wood and stone craftsmanship.

D. Swayambhu Stupa (Monkey Temple)

Swayambhu is located on a hilltop and offers a wide view of the Kathmandu Valley. It is commonly known as the Monkey Temple due to the many monkeys living in the area. The site is respected by both Buddhists and Hindus and holds strong religious value.

• Max Elevation: 1,450 meters (Swayambhu Stupa, the highest point during the tour)
• Travel Distance: 25 to 30 kilometers (total driving distance)
• Travel Hours: 6 to 7 hours
• Accommodation: 3-Star Standard Hotel
• Meal: Breakfast

After exploring the places of Kathmandu, on this day, you take a flight or a road vehicle to arrive at Pokhara. You can travel either by air or by road. If you choose to take flight, it takes around 25 minutes while offering a glimpse of Valleys, rivers and other mountain peaks such as Langtang, Ganesh Himal, Manaslu, and the Annapurna range. If you choose to take a drive, it takes around 4 to 5 hours, covering a distance of 215 km. During the drive, you can witness valleys, the Trishuli River, and the local lifestyle. Additionally, you can also witness a glimpse of the Manakamana Temple and Bandipur. After a few hours, you reach Pokhara. Upon reaching, you take a rest. After that, you can explore the attractive places such as Phewa Lake, Gupteshwar Cave, Mahendra Cave, David Fall, and World Peace Pagoda. Then, at night, you can return to your hotel where you stay overnight. 

• Max Elevation: 900 meters (2,952 feet)
• Travel Distance: 215 km
• Travel Hours: 4 to 5 hours (25 minutes through flight)
• Accommodation: 3-star hotel.
• Meals: Breakfast

After you arrive in Pokhara, your tourism journey begins. On this day, you reach Phedi through a drive. It takes around 35 minutes to reach, and you can enjoy the view of hills, villages, the Seti Gandaki River and mountains. Once you land at Phedi, your first trekking journey starts. From here, you trek for around 4 hours covering a distance of 9 km/4.34 miles to arrive at Pothana. While trekking, you can enjoy the view of the forest, villages, fields, and waterfalls. Additionally, you can also witness the view of Mt. Annapurna South and Mt Machhapuchhre. After a few hours of trekking, you reach your day 4 destination (Pothana). Here, you spend your night. 

• Max Elevation: 1,925 meters (Pothana, highest point of Day)
• Travel Distance: 9 kilometers (total trekking from Phedi to Pothana)
• Travel Hours: 4 hours (trekking) and  35 minutes (drive to Phedi)

In the morning, you are provided with breakfast. After that, continue your trek towards the forest camp. You can walk the quiet path, where you can find oaks, maples, and rhododendrons. After crossing the forest path, you can catch a glimpse of the Annapurna range. You can also have an opportunity to spot wild animals such as monkeys, pheasants, and even musk deer on the way to Forest camp. The distance you need to cover on day 5 is around 6 km/3.7 miles, which takes around 4 to 5 hours to reach Forest Camp. Once you reach here, you are provided with dinner and stay overnight here. 

• Max Elevation: 2,050 meters (Forest Camp, highest point of the day)
• Travel Distance: 6 kilometers
• Travel Hours: 4 to 5 hours
• Accommodation: Tea house/Lodge 
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

After spending the night at a hotel in Forest Camp, you can enjoy a warm breakfast in the morning before continuing your trek. On this day, you need to ascend through the alpine forest and ridges while witnessing the mountains (Machhapuchree, Annapurna and Hiunchuli). During trekking towards the High camp, you can also experience a close view of wild animals and diverse plants. Furthermore, you can watch the cultures of the Gurung and Magar communities. By witnessing these nature and local traditions, you reach the High camp where you stay overnight. The journey of this day covers 8.5 km (5.2 miles) and takes around 6 hours.

• Max Elevation: 3,600 meters (High Camp, highest point of the day)
• Travel Distance: 8.5 kilometers
• Travel Hours: 5 hours
• Accommodation: Tea house/Lodge
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

On this day, you finally reach the Mardi Base Camp. During the hike from High Camp to the Mardi Himal base camp, you can observe the sight of the Himalayas (Machhapuchhre, Mardi Himal, Annapurna South, and Hiunchuli). Additionally, you can also observe the glaciers and the sunrise and sunset views. By continuously witnessing these mountains and nature, you finally reach the Mardi Himal Base Camp. Upon reaching there, you can rest, take photos, create memories and enjoy the surroundings before starting your journey back. After enjoying the scene and taking photos, you start returning to the Low camp. While returning, you cross the rhododendron forest, ridges and small streams. After some hours of trekking, you reach Low Camp, where you stay the night. The full day trek covers 10 km (6.2 miles) and takes approximately 6 to 7 hours. 

• Max Elevation: 4,500 meters (Mardi Base Camp, highest point of the day)
• Travel Distance: 10 kilometers
• Travel Hours: 6 to 7 hours
• Accommodation: Tea house/Lodge
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After an early breakfast, you continue your trek towards the Siding Valley. The trail descends and takes you through the rhododendron forest, a high suspension bridge, farmlands and traditional villages to reach Siding village. You can also feel the change from snowy mountains to green fields as you get closer to the Siding Valley. Once you reach the Siding Valley, your trekking journey finishes. From this place, you have a 2-hour drive towards Pokhara while witnessing the view of green hills, fields, Gurung villages, and mountains. After you reach Pokhara, you can visit the nearby places like Phewa Lake, David's Falls, and Mahendra Cave. The whole journey of this day takes about 3 hours to complete.

• Max Elevation: 1,925 meters (between Low Camp and Siding Village)
• Travel Distance: 12 kilometers
• Travel Hours: 3 to 4 hours (trekking) and 2 hours (drive to Pokhara)
• Accommodation: Tea house/Lodge
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Early in the morning, you fly from Bharatpur (about 25 minutes) or drive to Chitwan (around 5 to 6 hours, covering 160 km). If you fly towards Bharatapur, you witness aerial views of mountains, rivers and valleys. If you want to explore Chitwan, you can take a scenic drive towards Chitwan. During the journey to Chitwan, you can catch a glimpse of wildlife (deer, monkeys, birds and elephants), forest, rivers, and local villages. Moreover, you can explore the Tharu village deeply until the evening. In the evening, you can witness the sunset view on the Rapti River. At night, we take you to the Tharu cultural events where you can enjoy traditional music, dance and rituals. At night, you come to your hotel and stay overnight. 

• Max Elevation: 250 meters (Bharatapur/Chitwan area)
• Travel Distance: 160 kilometers 
• Travel Hours: 5 to 6 hours (drive) or 25 minutes (flight)
• Accommodation: Hotel Safari Adventure Lodge
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 10 is dedicated to wildlife tourism in Chitwan. On this day, you roam around the Chitwan valley to witness many different things. After breakfast, you spend the whole day in Chitwan National Park on a jeep safari, an elephant safari, or a jungle walk. This safari allows you to spot one-horned rhinos, deer, and a variety of birds in their natural habitat. After you finish the safari and a jungle walk, you can take a boating or canoeing experience on a river. This offers a great way to observe wildlife from a different perspective. We take you to the Elephant breeding centre tour. Here, you can learn about elephant conservation and their breeding process. After exploring all these wildlife activities, you can finally return to your hotel to eat dinner and stay overnight. 

• Max Elevation: 250 meters (Chitwan)
• Travel Distance: 20 kilometers (approximate total distance covered during safaris and tours)
• Travel Hours: 6 to 8 hours
• Accommodation: Hotel Safari Adventure Lodge
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 11 is your last day of this journey. In the early morning, you take a final jungle walk in Chitwan and observe the many different birds in their natural habitat before having breakfast. After that, you prepare yourself for the flight or drive to Kathmandu. The flight takes around 25 minutes to reach Kathmandu, whereas by road it takes approximately 5 to 6 hours to cover the 179 km distance. Upon reaching Kathmandu, you can explore the different places and return to your home country. 

• Max Elevation: 1,400 meters (Kathmandu)
• Travel Distance: 179 kilometers (Chitwan to Kathmandu)
• Travel Hours: 5 to 6 hours (drive) or 25 minutes (flight)
• Meals: Breakfast