Arrive in Kathmandu and we transfer you to Kathmandu Guest House (KGH). The day is kept light so you can rest, hydrate, and recover from travel. If you arrive early, you can take a short walk nearby and pick up any last-minute essentials for the trek. In the evening, we keep things calm so you start the trip feeling fresh and well-rested.

This is your second Kathmandu day, so it can be used for Optional World Heritage Sightseeing while still keeping time for trek preparation. You will have a trek briefing, final gear checks, and time to organize layers for warm days in the foothills and colder mornings higher up. If you choose sightseeing, we keep it relaxed and efficient so you still have downtime. A calm evening and good sleep help a lot before the Pokhara flight tomorrow.

Fly to Pokhara and transfer to Lakeview Resort. The lakeside atmosphere is ideal for slowing down, eating well, and preparing calmly for the trek start. Depending on your arrival time, you can take an easy walk by Phewa Lake or simply rest at the hotel. This is also a good moment to double-check your daypack setup and keep hydration strong. An early night is recommended so you feel fresh for the trailhead transfer tomorrow.

After a drive to the Tikhedhunga area, you begin trekking on classic Annapurna foothill trails through terraced farmland and forest edges. The day is designed to build your trekking rhythm gradually, with steady climbs and plenty of village life along the way. Banthanti is a common staging stop on this corridor and a comfortable place to settle in. The evening is usually calm and cozy, perfect for a warm meal and early sleep.

You continue climbing through forest and ridge paths, often through rhododendron woodland depending on season. The air becomes cooler and more alpine as you gain altitude, and the trail starts to feel like classic mountain trekking country. Ghorepani has a lively teahouse atmosphere and is the traditional base for the Poon Hill sunrise hike. After arrival, it is best to rest well and sleep early because tomorrow begins before dawn.

Before sunrise, you hike up to Poon Hill for the famous viewpoint experience, then return for breakfast. Poon Hill is widely referenced at 3,210m, and it’s known for wide Himalayan panoramas on clear mornings.

After breakfast, you continue trekking through ridge and forest trails toward Tadapani, shifting from the sunrise excitement into a beautiful onward day. Tadapani is a peaceful overnight stop that feels quieter and more forested than Ghorepani.

Today you move toward Chhomrong, a well-known Gurung village that sits on the main Annapurna Sanctuary approach corridor. The trail has the classic foothills rhythm of climbs and descents, with terraced hillsides and changing valley angles. Chhomrong feels like a major transition village because it connects viewpoint trekking with the deeper mountain routes. The village atmosphere is lively and welcoming, and it’s a great place to rest well before turning toward the Mardi side.

You trek through village trails and terraced hillsides toward Landruk, shifting into a warmer mid-hill landscape again. The day feels culturally rich, with a relaxed village-to-village pace and plenty of lived-in scenery. Landruk is a charming village stop and a comfortable place to reset before the Mardi ridge climbs begin. This is also a good evening to organize layers, because you’ll be heading into cooler forest and ridge terrain next.

Today you leave the main village corridor and enter the Mardi Himal route, where the atmosphere becomes quieter and more forested. The trail typically climbs through dense woodland, with a steady transition from village landscapes into ridge-and-forest trekking. Forest Camp is a well-known Mardi stop commonly referenced around the 2,520-2,550m zone.

After arrival, the focus is on rest, hydration, and enjoying the calm mountain-forest setting.

You climb higher along the Mardi ridge system where the forest begins to thin and the scenery opens up. This is often the day where you start feeling a stronger alpine atmosphere, especially in clearer weather windows. High Camp is widely cited around 3,550m (some itineraries list slightly higher, but 3,550m is common and well referenced).

An early, calm evening helps you feel strong for the base camp hike tomorrow.

This is the signature high-point day of the Mardi Himal section. You hike up from High Camp to Mardi Himal Base Camp, which many references describe at 4,500m, then return to High Camp for the night.

The day is about steady pacing, big scenery, and soaking in the ridge-and-basin feel near the mountains. Returning to High Camp for sleep is a smart design choice because it keeps the overnight lower than the day’s high point. After dinner, it’s best to rest early and stay warm.

You begin a long descent off the high ridge, dropping back into greener terrain and warmer air. The landscape shifts quickly from alpine ridge to forest and then into lower settlements in the Mardi Khola valley. Many Mardi itineraries descend to the Siding area at about 1,750m, and Bhuijung is used on some route descriptions as a lower hamlet stop in this same corridor.

After arriving, you’ll usually feel oxygen and sleep quality improve noticeably compared to the high camp nights.

Today continues the descent through village paths and farmland as you approach road access again. The trail feels more lived-in and warmer, and it’s a satisfying “back to the valley” finish after the high ridge section. Lumre is commonly used as a road pickup point on Mardi-related routes, and some map references list Lumre at around 1,206m.

From Lumre, you drive back to Pokhara and transfer to your hotel for a relaxed evening.

A full free day in Pokhara to rest and enjoy the destination properly. You can keep it simple with lakeside cafés, spa time, or just a slow recovery day after the trek. This day also works as a practical buffer in case weather affects flights. The goal is to finish the journey feeling refreshed, not rushed. A calm evening prepares you for the short flight back to Kathmandu tomorrow.

Fly back to Kathmandu and we transfer you to Kathmandu Guest House (KGH). After the hills, the city feels comfortable and easy, and you can enjoy a final celebratory meal or do last-minute shopping. We keep the schedule light so you can pack calmly and rest well. This day also acts as a practical buffer in case flight timings shift.

We transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for your onward flight home.