Kande to Mardi Himal Low Camp Day Hike

The best single-day high-altitude hike accessible from Pokhara. From Kande (on the Pokhara–Baglung highway), a well-maintained trail climbs steadily through rhododendron and oak forest to Mardi Himal Low Camp at 2,600 m — where, on clear days, you face a wall of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Machapuchre so close it seems architectural. This trail is the gateway to the popular Mardi Himal Base Camp trek, but makes a perfect standalone day hike. The climb from Kande gains 1,100 m over 8 km — sustained but never technical — through a UNESCO-protected zone of Annapurna Conservation Area. The forest in the middle section is exceptional: old-growth rhododendron that blooms red in March–April. Low Camp itself sits in a clearing at 2,600 m with a small teahouse. On a sharp day the Annapurna massif dominates the entire northern skyline. Most hikers reach Low Camp in 3–3.5 hours and return to Kande in 2 hours. Entry permit: ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area) fee — NPR 100 Nepali / NPR 1,000 SAARC / NPR 3,000 foreign, paid at the checkpoint. TIMS abolished 2023. Licensed guide mandatory on trekking routes.