Poon Hill vs Mardi Himal vs Annapurna Base Camp: Which Annapurna Trek Should You Choose?

Last updated: October 2026

Poon Hill, Mardi Himal and Annapurna Base Camp are the three treks people most often ask us about from Pokhara. They’re close together on the map, but they ask very different things of you. This guide uses our actual itineraries and prices to show how they compare and which one fits you.

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Poon Hill vs Mardi Himal vs ABC at a Glance

	Poon Hill	Mardi Himal	Annapurna Base Camp
Our trip	9 days	10 days	14 days
Days walking	5	5	9
Highest point	3,210m (Poon Hill)	4,500m (Mardi Himal Base Camp)	4,130m (base camp)
Highest night	Ghorepani	High Camp, 3,580m	Base camp, 4,130m
Price, 4 to 9 people	$440	$520	$760
Price, 2 to 3 people	$550	$615	$820
Price, solo	$870	$945	$1,280
Main challenge	Ulleri stone steps	Fast altitude gain and a steep descent	Long days and many steps over 9 days
Altitude risk	Low	Moderate	Moderate
Big view	Sunrise panorama	Machhapuchhre up close from the ridge	Ring of peaks all around you
Crowds	Busy	Quieter	Busy in peak season

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What We Tell Clients When They Can’t Decide

We run all three routes, and the best choice usually comes down to three things: how much time you have, how comfortable you are with altitude, and whether you want a viewpoint, a ridge walk or the full Annapurna Sanctuary.

• If it’s your first trek, or you’re trekking with kids: Poon Hill.
• If you have about 10 days and want real altitude: Mardi Himal.
• If you want to walk into the Annapurna Sanctuary and finish surrounded by the massif’s highest peaks: ABC.
• If you want quieter trails: Mardi Himal.
• If you can’t choose between Poon Hill and ABC: ABC. Our route goes over Poon Hill on the way in.
• If you only have 10 days but ABC is the dream: the ABC Express.
• If altitude is your main worry: Poon Hill. It never goes above 3,210m.

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What’s the Main Difference?

Think of them as three different ways to experience the Annapurna region.

Poon Hill: lower altitude and a classic sunrise. It’s a short loop through Gurung villages and rhododendron forest to a famous viewpoint at 3,210m. You see Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna range, but from a distance.

Mardi Himal: a high ridge and close Machhapuchhre views. You leave the main trails and follow a narrow forested ridge up to High Camp, then climb to Mardi Himal Base Camp at 4,500m. Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) towers right above you.

ABC: a longer journey into a mountain sanctuary. It’s the longest of the three, and it ends inside the Annapurna Sanctuary, with Annapurna I, Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Gangapurna and Machhapuchhre all around you.

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Which Trek Is Hardest?

It depends what you mean by hard.

Poon Hill is the easiest overall, but it’s not flat. The day to Ghorepani climbs the long Ulleri stone staircase, and that’s the toughest part of the trek. Altitude risk is low because you never go above 3,210m.

Mardi Himal is short but steep. On our itinerary you go from about 2,100m to 4,500m in three days, with no rest day for acclimatisation. The base camp day is long, and the descent afterwards is steep and hard on the knees. If you can keep up uphill effort for 5 to 6 hours, you can do it, but it’s not the gentle short trek some people expect.

ABC has a lower top point than Mardi, but it’s longer: 9 days on the trail with lots of stone steps and repeated climbs and descents. There’s no dedicated rest day either, so pacing matters as you get close to base camp.

So Mardi asks the most of your body over a short time, and ABC asks the most over the whole trip.

Where you sleep matters more than how high you go

Mardi Himal reaches the highest point of the three, but you don’t sleep there. You climb from High Camp (3,580m) to base camp and back down to Badal Danda the same day. On ABC you spend a night at base camp itself, at 4,130m.

Sleeping altitude is one of the biggest factors in altitude sickness. So even though Mardi goes higher, ABC asks your body to rest higher. Both need the same care: go slowly, drink plenty of water, and tell your guide early if you feel unwell.

For more, see our Nepal trek difficulty guide and our guide to altitude sickness in Nepal.

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How Many Days Do You Need?

Many websites list Poon Hill as a 4 or 5 day trek, so our 9-day trip can look long at first. The difference is that our packages run Kathmandu to Kathmandu. They include your arrival day, the drive to Pokhara and back, and a departure day. The walking part is shorter.

Trek	Our trip	Days walking
Poon Hill	9 days	5
Mardi Himal	10 days	5
ABC Express	10 days	6
Annapurna Base Camp	14 days	9

Which trek if you only have a few days?

• 5 days of walking: Poon Hill if you want it easy, Mardi Himal if you want altitude. They take the same time, so the choice is about how high you want to go.
• 6 days of walking: the ABC Express. It goes direct through Ghandruk and Chhomrong and skips Poon Hill. It’s faster and more demanding than the standard ABC trek.
• 9 days of walking: the standard Annapurna Base Camp Trek, with Poon Hill included and a free day in Pokhara at the end.

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Which Trek Costs the Least?

Our package prices per person:

Group size	Poon Hill (9 days)	Mardi Himal (10 days)	ABC (14 days)
4 to 9 trekkers	$440	$520	$760
2 to 3 trekkers	$550	$615	$820
Solo	$870	$945	$1,280

Each package includes permits, a licensed guide, a porter, transport and Kathmandu hotels. Meals on the trail aren’t included on any of them, so you only pay for what you eat. Food generally costs more the higher you go, so the upper camps on Mardi and ABC are pricier than the villages around Ghorepani.

For full breakdowns, see our Mardi Himal trek cost guide and ABC cost guide.

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Which Has the Best Views?

All three have big mountain views. The difference is how close you get.

Poon Hill gives you the classic wide panorama at sunrise, from Dhaulagiri across to Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre. It’s beautiful, but the peaks are a long way off.

Mardi Himal puts you right on the shoulder of Machhapuchhre. The ridge walk above High Camp is open, exposed and very dramatic on a clear morning.

ABC is the one where the mountains surround you. At base camp there are peaks in every direction.

If you want the “inside the mountains” feeling, choose ABC. If you want big close-up views in the fewest days, choose Mardi.

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Which Is More Crowded?

Poon Hill is one of the busiest treks in Nepal, and the viewpoint can get packed at sunrise in October and November. ABC is also busy in peak season, especially between Chhomrong and base camp.

Mardi Himal is the quietest of the three, though it has become more popular in recent years. It’s quieter, not empty.

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What Are the Teahouses Like?

On Poon Hill, the teahouses in Ghorepani, Tadapani and Ghandruk are some of the most comfortable in the region.

On Mardi Himal, the lodges at Low Camp and High Camp are simpler, and there are fewer of them. Rooms can fill up in peak season.

On ABC, standards are good up to Chhomrong and get more basic above Sinuwa. The few lodges near base camp fill up fast in October and November.

Your guide books rooms ahead on all three, so this matters less on a guided trip.

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What Permits Do You Need?

All three routes are in the Annapurna Conservation Area. We arrange the ACAP permit and the other required trekking documents for your trip. Requirements can change, so check our Nepal trekking permits guide for the latest rules and fees.

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Safety and Weather

On Poon Hill, the main risks are slips on wet stone steps and tired knees on the way down.

On Mardi Himal, the upper ridge is exposed. Wind, cloud and snow can roll in quickly, especially in winter, and guides will turn back if conditions aren’t safe. The fast altitude gain also means you should know the signs of altitude sickness.

On ABC, the section above Deurali toward Machhapuchhre Base Camp can carry avalanche risk after heavy snow. Guides watch conditions closely and will change plans when needed.

On any of them, your travel insurance should cover trekking and emergency helicopter evacuation at the maximum altitude of your itinerary. See our travel insurance guide for trekking in Nepal.

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Which Is Best for First-Time Trekkers?

Poon Hill is the easiest choice for a first trek. It’s short, low and has comfortable teahouses all the way.

If you’re fit and want more of a challenge, ABC is a good first high-altitude trek. It goes higher, but over enough days that most people manage well.

Mardi Himal suits a first trek only if you’re fit and confident on steep ground, mainly because of the fast climb to 4,500m.

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What About the Annapurna Circuit?

If none of these feels big enough, the Annapurna Circuit is the next step. It takes about two weeks and crosses Thorong La at 5,416m. See our Annapurna Circuit vs ABC comparison.

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So Which One Should You Choose?

Choose Poon Hill if

• It’s your first trek, or you’re trekking with kids
• You want low altitude and comfortable teahouses
• You have about 9 days in Nepal

Choose Mardi Himal if

• You’re fit and want to get high in a short time
• You’d like quieter trails
• You have about 10 days in Nepal

Choose Annapurna Base Camp if

• You want to walk into the Annapurna Sanctuary
• You have two weeks
• You want Poon Hill and the Sanctuary in one trip

For a closer look at the two shorter options, read our Poon Hill vs Mardi Himal comparison and our Mardi Himal trek guide.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is easier, Poon Hill or Mardi Himal?

Poon Hill. It tops out at 3,210m compared to 4,500m on Mardi, and the climb is more gradual. Mardi is steeper and gains altitude quickly.

How high is Mardi Himal compared with ABC?

Mardi Himal Base Camp is higher, at 4,500m against 4,130m for ABC. But on Mardi you sleep no higher than High Camp at 3,580m, while on ABC you spend a night at 4,130m. ABC is also the longer and more tiring trek overall.

Can I do Poon Hill and ABC on the same trek?

Yes. Our standard 14-day ABC route goes through Ulleri and Ghorepani and up Poon Hill for sunrise, then heads to Chhomrong and base camp. You get both in one trip.

Which trek is cheapest?

Poon Hill, from $440 per person for groups of 4 to 9. Mardi Himal starts at $520 and ABC at $760.

Which Annapurna trek is best for families?

Poon Hill is usually the best fit. It stays low and has comfortable teahouses, though the Ulleri steps are long and need patience from younger trekkers.

Is Mardi Himal crowded?

Less than Poon Hill or ABC. It has become busier in recent years, so it’s quieter, not empty. It’s still the quietest of the three.