Mardi Himal Khayar Lake Trek

We will begin our trek with a short flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara. The early morning flight provides us with the first glimpse of the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. We will get to see the mountains of the Langtang and Lakpa Dorje range during the first part of the flight the mountains of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri range during the second part. We will land at the Pokhara airport. During the landing, we will get a spectacular view of the Phewa, Rupa, and Begnas lake from mid-air.

A jeep will be waiting for us at the Pokhara airport. We will board on that jeep and head north towards the village of Sidhing. The road goes along beautiful terraced fields and villages. The ride is three and a half hours long. We will not set on foot today and stay at a guest house in Sidhing for the night.

Our trek begins from today as we set foot on the beautiful canopy forests ahead of Sidhing. The forest starts to get completely silent as we move further ahead of the settlements, except for some chirping of rare birds. We will see the Machhapuchhre (Fish Tail) and Mardi Himal get closer as we move towards the Mardi Himal Low Camp. We can also get a crystal clear view of the Annapurna and the Dhaulagiri mountain from our way. The vegetation turns into alpine as we move further up along the road.

When we reach Mardi Himal Low Camp, we can hike up to the top of Badal Danda if we are interested. It is located nearby the low camp and offers an even better view of the surrounding. There are only a few lodges in low camp. We will stay at one of these for the night. The low camp also provides an amazing view of the starry night sky. We can get out of our beds to catch this spectacle if we are interested.

We will trek towards the Mardi Himal High camp today. The Rhododendron, Juniper, Pine, and Fir forest creates an amazing atmosphere for trekking. If we happen to be trekking during spring the entire forest is turned red by the blooming Rhododendron. We can get a beautiful view of Mardi, Machhapuchhre, Annapurna, and Himchuli peaks throughout our journey.

The weather starts to get chillier as we move up. A cold breeze also blows from the mountain. If we are lucky we can see the beautiful Danphe bird, which is the national bird of Nepal. We will be right at the lap of Mardi Himal by the time we reach the high camp. We will stay at a guest house in high camp for the night.

We will start the trek towards one of the prime attractions of our journey – the Mardi Himal Base Camp. We will walk gently for a short while from the high camp until the path starts to go significantly uphill. The first part of the trek takes us through beautiful grasslands on the mountain slope. The road leading up to the base camp goes through a narrow and slippery pass therefore we must tread with care during the last one-third part of the trek.

Mardi Himal Base Camp offers a spectacular view of the nearby mountains like Mardi, Machhapuchhre, Himchuli, Annapurna, and Dhaulagiri. We will spend some time at the Base Camp and then restart our trek. We will head towards Badal Danda from the Base Camp and rest at a guest house there.

We will start the day with an easy stroll among the forest and grasslands. The trail mostly goes level or downwards during today’s part of the trek. We will once again meet with the wonderful forests of Rhododendron and conifers on our descent. If we are lucky we will get an occasional sightings of the Danphe bird, the national bird of Nepal, mountain Eagles, deer, langurs, mountain fox, and boar.

We will reach the stunningly beautiful village of Landrung at the end of the day. Landrung village is known for its spectacular view of the mountains in the Annapurna massif. It also provides a beautiful view of the Dhaulagiri mountain. The Landrung village is also often known as the twin city of the Ghandruk village, which lies in another hillside in the west across the Modi river. We will stay at a guest house in Landrung today.

We will trek towards the beautiful thoroughfare town of Tadapani today. The town is a meeting point for trekkers from Ghorepani, Ghandruk, Landrung, and Annapurna Base Camp. It sits at the rim of a mountain on the two sides of which lie glorious green river valley varved by the Kimrong Khola and the Modi Khola.

We will get a crystal view of the mountains on our right throughout today’s part of the trek. We will enter inside the canopy Rhododendron forests a number of times and get out of it often to find ourselves in small villages at the center of which lie beautiful tea houses which help us freshen up. We stay at a guest house in Tadapani for the night.

We will begin our trek with a beautiful walk along with the Rhododendron forests which provide a glorious end to end view of Mount Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Nilgiri (6,940m), Tukuche Peak (6,920 m), Annapurna I (8,091m), Varaha Shikhar (7,847 m), Annapurna III (7,855 m), Machhapuchhare (6,993 m), Annapurna South (7,219 m.), Annapurna IV (7,525 m), Lamjung Himal (6,931 m), Annapurna II (7,937 m) and numerous other peaks.

We will reach Dobato at the end of the day. Dobato is a small village of the closely clustered houses which is known for its traditional home-stays. We will learn and explore the culture and tradition of the local Gurung people today and rest at a homestay or a guest house for the night, the destination depending upon your choice.

We will move towards the village of Chistibung today. The village is divided into upper Cjistibung and lower Chistibung. Upper Chistibung is a settlement of Yak herders. There are wide and green pastures as we reach Chistibung. The herder’s settlement of upper Chistibung is much smaller compared to the village of lower Chhistibung, wherein lies the homes of the people in the region, including those who are temporarily staying at Upper Chistibung for animal husbandry purposes.

If we are lucky during today’s trek we can catch an occasional glances of the Danphe bird, the national bird of Nepal, and the Himalayan Tahr. We will also get a beautiful view of the mountains throughout our trek. We will rest at a guest house in lower Chhistibung tonight.

We will trek towards the Khopra Danda today. The village of Khopra lies at an altitude of 3,660 m and is among the last settlements before we reach Khayar Lake (4,600 m). The trek takes us through some of the most beautiful forests in the Annapurna Sanctuary. These forests are home to many rare species of flora and fauna. Different kinds of birds including the mountain eagle, Danphe  – the national bird of Nepal, Kalij, and Kite are found in the region.

We will reach the Khopra village during the second part of the day when the setting sun turns the entire northern Himalayan range into the red. The view of the Annapurna Massif in its entirety from Khopra is spellbinding. We will rest at a guest house in Khopra for the night following a choice between exotic local food and regular food.

We will begin an uphill trek towards the Khopra ridge. The first part of the trek until we reach near the top end of the ridge is challenging as we will have to go significantly uphill in a short period of time. As we reach the top of the Khopra Ridge, the highest point being 4,500 m in altitude, we will see mountains shooting up towards the sky from all sides. This view of the Himalayan peaks while walking along the Khopra Ridge is one to behold for a lifetime.

Khayar Lake is located at a slightly more altitude than Khopra Ridgetop. We will walk along with the grasslands on the mountain slope to reach Khayar Lake. Khayar is a beautiful lake, the surface of which reflects the nearby mountain peaks in vivid clarity. We will take a short tour of the grasslands and other smaller water holes nearby Khayar lake and return to the village of Khopra for the night’s stay.

We will trek down towards the village of Swanta today. The path starts to go downhill, providing a welcome respite for our weary legs. We will get a majestic view of Mount Dhaulagiri from our way.

We will reach Swanta after five and a half hours of the easy trek along with the dense forests of Rhododendron and other conifers. We will enjoy a wonderful evening by the fireplace with the local people, learning more about their culture, history, and way of life. We can also taste local brew tonight since we are already down from the high mountains and altitude sickness should not be a problem from now on.

We will start our trek towards the lower outskirts of the Annapurna Sanctuary tonight. We will

Walk along stone pavements for the most part of today’s trek, which makes our descent easier. We will often come across the herds of a mule on our way as a mule caravan is the only mode of transport in the region.

Beautiful terraced fields of the local people welcome us as we approach Tikhedhunga. The village is a small typical Gurung village located at the slope of the hills that go steeply up northwards. We will stay at a guest house in Tikhedhunga and enjoy the local cuisine made by the guesthouse owners.

We will go down towards Nayapul today, on what is the last day of our trek. The trek takes place along river banks, paved roads, and motorways. We will see beautiful villages of local people abound in citrus fruits, vegetables, and fields of paddy, corn, barley, and millet.

A car will be waiting for us as we reach Tikhedhunga. We will drive along the highway which goes up and down through green hills and forests. We will reach Pokhara after a three-hour drive. We will stroll by the Fewa lakeside during the evening and rest at our hotel during the night.

We will embark on a bus trip via Prithvi Highway to Kathmandu following an early morning breakfast. The ride on the tourist coach is a pleasant affair through the mid-Mahabharata hills of Nepal. The Trishuli river follows us for most of the journey.

We will check into our hotel upon reaching Kathmandu. Our trip formally ends after you check back into your hotel.