Poon Hill vs Mardi Himal 2026: Which Short Annapurna Trek?

Two great short Annapurna treks

If you want a short trek (under a week) in the Annapurna region, two routes top the list: the famous Ghorepani Poon Hill and the quieter Mardi Himal. Both start near Pokhara and offer superb mountain views, but they suit different trekkers. Here's how to choose.

Factor	Poon Hill	Mardi Himal
Duration	4–5 days	5–7 days
Max altitude	3,210m	4,500m
Difficulty	Easy–moderate	Moderate
Views	Wide panoramic sunrise	Intimate close-up of Fishtail
Crowds	Popular and busy	Quieter, off-the-beaten-path
Best for	Beginners and families	Those wanting drama and solitude

The views

Poon Hill: A wide panoramic sunrise from 3,210m — the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges spread across the horizon. A classic, expansive vista.
Mardi Himal: An intimate, dramatic close-up — the high camp and viewpoint (4,500m) sit directly beneath Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) and Annapurna South. More 'in your face' mountain drama.

Crowds — the honest numbers

Poon Hill: on a clear October morning expect well over a hundred people on that hilltop, arriving by torchlight from 4:30am. It is genuinely sociable and the view earns it, but if you have pictured yourself alone with the Himalaya, this is not that. The trail below is busy too — Ulleri and Ghorepani are among the most trafficked lodges in Nepal.

Mardi Himal: the ridge carries a fraction of that. On the same October morning you might share High Camp with twenty or thirty people. It is not undiscovered — nothing near Pokhara is — but the difference is real and it is the main reason to choose it.

Difficulty — and what the altitude numbers hide

Poon Hill: easy to moderate, topping out at 3,210m. The one real effort is the Ulleri staircase — roughly 3,300 stone steps in a single climb. Beyond that it is forest paths and village lanes. Children manage it; so do most reasonably active people in their sixties and seventies.

Mardi Himal: moderate, and the single "4,500m" figure is misleading in both directions. You sleep at Low Camp (2,970m) and High Camp (3,580m). The 4,200m Upper Viewpoint and the 4,500m Base Camp are reached on a pre-dawn push and left within the hour. So the altitude exposure is much shorter than the number implies — but High Camp at 3,580m is still 370m above anywhere you sleep on Poon Hill, and people do get headaches there.

The harder parts of Mardi are not the altitude at all:

• The ridge is exposed. Above Low Camp there is no forest to hide in. In bad weather it is cold, windy and white, and the entire point of the trek disappears into cloud.
• Fewer lodges, less water. Water at High Camp is carried up. Expect basic rooms, expensive bottled water, and no bakery.
• The summit-day start is early and cold — usually 4am in the dark on frozen ground.

Which we would actually put you on

Since people ask us to choose rather than compare:

• First trek in Nepal, four or five days, travelling with family or unsure of your fitness — Poon Hill. It is the safer bet in every sense, and the sunrise is genuinely one of the great ones even with a crowd on it.
• You have five to seven days, you are reasonably fit, and the crowds are what put you off — Mardi Himal, without hesitation. Standing under Machhapuchhre at High Camp with a handful of other people is the better memory.
• You are coming in December to February — Poon Hill. Mardi's ridge in winter is genuinely cold and High Camp lodges may be shut.
• You are coming in the monsoon — neither. Both are entirely about a view you will not get. Take the days and go to Upper Mustang instead, which sits in the rain shadow.

Duration

Poon Hill: 4–5 days — the shorter, more flexible option.
Mardi Himal: 5–7 days — a bit longer for the higher ridge.

Scenery & character

Poon Hill is about rhododendron forests, Gurung villages, and that famous wide sunrise — a gentle, classic introduction to Annapurna trekking. Mardi Himal is about a dramatic ridge ascent, forest, and an intimate high-camp experience under Fishtail — quieter and a touch more adventurous.

Can you do both?

Yes — they can be combined into a single ~7–9 day trek (Poon Hill first, then over to the Mardi ridge), giving you the wide sunrise and the dramatic high camp in one trip. A superb option if you have the time.

The verdict

Poon Hill is the easier, shorter, more forgiving trek, with a wide classic sunrise and company on the trail. Mardi Himal trades a little comfort and two extra days for a far quieter ridge and a closer, more dramatic mountain.

If we had to pick one sentence: Poon Hill is the better first trek, Mardi is the better trek. Which matters more depends on whether this is your only trip to Nepal or the first of several.

Explore more in our Annapurna Base Camp trek guide and best treks in Nepal guide, or contact our team to plan a Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, or combined itinerary.

Other rising Pokhara ridge treks

Poon Hill and Mardi are not the only options. If you want fewer crowds, also weigh up:

• Khumai Danda Trek (5 days) — the closest Fishtail views
• Kapuche Lake & Sikles Trek (5 days)
• Muldai View Point Trek (6 days) — a quieter Poon Hill sunrise

See our full Mardi vs Khumai vs Kapuche comparison.