Mardi Himal vs. ABC Trek: Which Trek Is Right for You?

Nepal is an amazing trekking destination. But there are so many amazing hikes to choose from. So which hike is right for you? I did three short treks in Nepal, namely Ghorepani/Poon Hill trek, Mardi Himal Trek, and Annapurna Basecamp Trek, and can confidently say that you’ll have a great time no matter if you choose ABC or Mardi Himal. But since this answer won’t help you with the Mardi Himal vs. ABC question, let me break down the pros and cons of each.

Annapurna Base Camp trek: What is it like?

Annapurna Base Camp trek, or ABC trek for short, was my first long-ish hike in Nepal. It took us five days and I absolutely loved it. This is the right hike for you if you’re looking for breathtaking views of the Himalayas, snowy peaks, and perfectly neat trails. Before you set out, you’ll need to get your ACAP permit, but then you’re good to go.

My careful estimate is that the trek is 70% stairs; the rest is lush forest trails at low elevations and snow on the last day. Annapurna Base Camp trekking is very popular with guided group tours from East Asia, meaning that there are often large clusters of people to overtake if you’re a fast hiker. Since we combined ABC trek with Ghorepani/Poon Hill, we were hiking for a total of seven days. Five days of walking without Poon Hill. This means that you’ll walk in forest terrain for two to four days before the trail becomes more mountainous and you feel like you’re actually in the Himalayas.

There’s great WiFi coverage in the guest houses, and all of them have electricity outlets in the rooms or dining room. At the beginning of March, at the onset of the busy season, the teahouses were already quite crowded, but we didn’t see many individual hikers at the ones we stayed at. The guesthouses would mostly seem empy when we arrived but would be packed for dinner because the groups were generally slower than us. It definitely makes sense to be smart about when to order dinner if you want to avoid waiting forever.

Annapurna Base Camp lies at 4130 meters. The last two hours of ascent are very snowy, but it’s a continuous elevation, which makes it quite okay. Not easy, but you don’t need to take breaks constantly.

Mardi Himal Trek: What is it like?

Mardi Himal trekking was amazing. It has a lot of steps but also a lot of natural terrain. You can see the mountains, but the full panorama is often blocked by the trail you’re walking on. You only have those unobscured views on the last summit/base camp push. This hike took us only three days, so the work vs. reward ratio is very favorable if you’re short on time.

Crowd-wise, this trail felt very relaxed, with some people, but no big groups. We met mostly Nepali people, which I found really interesting. Strangely, even though there were fewer people at the guest houses, there were a lot more individual hikers, not groups, so it felt more social and I actually talked to some other hikers over dinner.

Mardi Himal base camp altitude is at around 4500 meters, though there are many different highest points on the maps. I went to a viewpoint just above some tea houses (only for tea, not sleeping) at 4200 meters and not all the way to the final, final point across the ridge. I’ve heard that the view doesn’t change much and still enjoyed it a lot. Plus, the snow up there won’t be as walkable and compact because there’s less foot traffic. This is also where many guided groups turned around. The two hours it took us to get there were really hard for me, and the constant stairs were tough.

My opinion: Which trek in Nepal is better?

The decision between ABC and Mardi trek was a tough one at first, so I’m really happy that I had time to do both in the end and really enjoyed both treks. I preferred the walking itself on Mardi Himal because of the more natural trails. Mardi Himal was also less crowded, which I appreciated a lot. However, the views on ABC trek were just spectacular, and Mardi Himal couldn’t compare in my opinion. If you’re looking for the highest numbers, Mardi Himal height is a bit higher than Annapurna Base Camp. Because of the snow, ABC felt much higher though, but Mardi was tougher. If you’re short on time, Mardi Himal is a great option because you’re only away from Pokhara for two nights. Comparing Mardi Himal and Annapurna Base Camp trek is not easy, but considering the crowds in the main season, I would probably choose Mardi Himal knowing what I know now if I didn’t have time for both.

Digital nomad essentials for life on the road

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Flights

I normally book my flights via Skyscanner or Kiwi. These search engines for flights show all the best connections and even include budget airlines for transfer hacks that can save you even more money.

Hotels

I normally use a good mixture of booking.com and Agoda to get the best deals. I like booking for its user-friendly interface. But for Asia, I’ve found that Agoda has a wider selection of hotels.

If you’re on a budget, Hostelworld will be your best bet because they focus on dormitory-style accommodation.

Tours

GetYourGuide is perfect for locally guided tours or if tickets are already booked. I saw the famous Last Supper painting by Leonardo Da Vinci with them in Milan and had a very smooth experience.

Klook is a great option to book bus tickets in South Korea. This can be such a hassle, especially if you want to book before you actually get to the country. Klook allows you to book a bus ticket online for pickup at the station. You can also reserve SIM card packages with them an arrange airport pickup, with is super convenient because it’s already paid for.