Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Mardi Himal is one of the most rewarding short treks in the Annapurna region, and one of the easiest to get wrong on paperwork.
For the Mardi Himal Trek in 2026, you need an Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) and a TIMS card, and you must trek with a licensed guide from a registered trekking agency.
Note: No restricted-area permit applies. That's it — no extra bureaucracy beyond that.
| Permit / Requirement | Required? | Who Needs It | Approx. Cost (2026) | Where / How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit) | Yes, mandatory | All non-Nepali trekkers | NPR 3,000 foreign / NPR 1,000 SAARC / free under 10 | NTNC counters in Kathmandu or Pokhara, or via your trekking agency |
| TIMS Card | Yes, mandatory | All non-Nepali trekkers on this route | NPR 2,000 foreign / NPR 1,000 SAARC | Issued only through a registered trekking agency |
| Licensed Trekking Guide | Yes, mandatory | All foreign and SAARC trekkers | Separate from permit costs | Booked through a registered trekking agency |
| Restricted Area Permit | No | Nobody — not a restricted area | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Nepali Citizens | ACAP/TIMS not required | Nepali nationals | Free | N/A |
ACAP is issued by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), the semi-governmental body that has managed the Annapurna Conservation Area since 1986. Revenue from the permit goes back into trail maintenance, ranger posts, waste management, and community development projects in the villages you'll pass through.
Note: The permit is a single entry into the conservation area, valid for the full length of your trek — you don't pay again if your itinerary combines Mardi Himal with a side trip elsewhere inside the ACA.
ACAP is available at the NTNC/Nepal Tourism Board counters in Kathmandu and at the tourism office in Pokhara (Damside area), and increasingly through the NTNC's online e-permit portal. In practice, almost every trekker lets their registered trekking agency handle this — the agency submits your passport details and photo in advance and either collects the permit for you or has it ready when you arrive in Pokhara.Fees are paid in Nepali Rupees, cash only, at physical counters. Card payments are only accepted through the online portal, where a small payment-gateway surcharge applies.
Documents needed: valid passport (original), one or two passport-sized photographs, and the permit fee in NPR cash.
ACAP is checked at conservation-area entry checkpoints, typically near Kande, Phedi, or Dhampus depending on your starting point, and again further along the trail near Pothana.
Insider Tip 💡 : Carry the physical permit at all times — printed copies or photos on your phone are not accepted as a substitute for the original.
Note:If you're also building your route around the wider Annapurna region, our Annapurna Circuit Trek Guide and Annapurna Base Camp Trek Itinerary cover the same permit system in more detail for those longer routes.
According to the Nepal Tourism Board's official TIMS provision, effective from March 31, 2023, a defined list of trekking routes across Nepal require both a licensed guide and an agency-issued TIMS card. The Annapurna Region section of that official list explicitly includes the Mardi Himal Trek, alongside the Annapurna Circuit, Poon Hill–ABC, and other Annapurna routes.
2026 TIMS fee: NPR 2,000 for foreign nationals, NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals.
Since the 2023 policy change, TIMS cards for routes on the mandatory list — Mardi Himal included — are only issued through a government-registered trekking agency, not directly to individual trekkers at an NTB counter. Your agency submits your passport details, trek dates, and guide assignment through the official TIMS portal, pays the fee, and the card (increasingly an e-TIMS record with a QR code) is generated for you.
TIMS matters most in exactly the situation you hope never happens: a medical evacuation, a search-and-rescue callout, or simply confirming who is on a given section of trail on a given day. Combined with your guide's own communication with the agency office, it's the backbone of how Nepal's trekking-safety system tracks who is where.
Yes , Since April 1, 2023, the Government of Nepal, through the Department of Immigration and the Nepal Tourism Board, has prohibited foreign trekkers from trekking independently, without a guide or registered agency, across national parks and conservation areas — including the entire Annapurna region, where Mardi Himal is located. The rule followed years of concern over lost or injured solo trekkers and was introduced jointly with TAAN to formalise trekker registration and accountability.
In practice, the three requirements are linked, not separate:
Note: You cannot get a TIMS card without a guide, and you cannot legally trek Mardi Himal as a foreign or SAARC national without one. This applies regardless of your trekking experience — the rule is about registration and accountability, not about the difficulty of the trail.
No, This is worth stating clearly because it's the most common point of confusion for first-time trekkers researching Nepal's permit system.
Nepal has a separate category of restricted-area trekking permits, issued by the Department of Immigration, for a specific list of politically sensitive or remote border regions — Upper Mustang, Upper Dolpo, Manaslu, Nar Phu, Kanchenjunga, and parts of Humla, among others. These permits are expensive (often USD 50–100+ per day) and involve separate paperwork from ACAP.
Mardi Himal is not on that list. It sits entirely within the Annapurna Conservation Area, governed by ACAP and the guide/TIMS requirements above — not by restricted-area rules. Don't confuse the ACAP entry permit (a conservation-area fee) with a restricted-area permit (a border-zone travel authorisation).
| Trekker Type | ACAP | TIMS | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign trekker | NPR 3,000 | NPR 2,000 | NPR 5,000 (~USD 38–40) |
| SAARC trekker | NPR 1,000 | NPR 1,000 | NPR 2,000 (~USD 15) |
| Nepali trekker | Free | Free | No fee |
Note: This figure covers permits only. It does not include your guide's daily fee, porter costs, teahouse accommodation, meals, transport to and from the trailhead, or travel insurance — all separate line items in your overall trek budget.
Required for the permits themselves:
Recommended for the overall trip, but not permit requirements:
Where to Get Mardi Himal Trek Permits
Note: Fully independent, self-service permit collection without any agency involvement is not an option for TIMS on this route, since the card is only generated through a registered agency's guide assignment.
Arrange your permits before you start walking, ideally a day or two before you leave Pokhara. If you're booking through an agency, they'll typically process both ACAP and TIMS in the day or two before departure, once your guide is confirmed.
Practical tips:
Permits are checked at conservation-area entry points as you begin the trek — commonly near Kande, Phedi, or Dhampus, depending on which trailhead you start from — and again further along the trail, typically around Pothana. Additional spot checks can occur at other points along the route as you gain altitude. Checkpoint staff verify both your ACAP permit and your guide's credentials, so keep your original documents accessible rather than buried at the bottom of your pack.
Note: Exact checkpoint locations and staffing can shift slightly between seasons, so treat this as a general guide rather than a fixed itinerary — your guide will know the current checkpoint locations on the day.
Note: None of this is about scare tactics — it's simply what the current system is built to enforce, and it's far easier to spend twenty minutes on paperwork in Pokhara than to deal with any of the above on the trail.
Q. Do I need a permit for the Mardi Himal Trek?
➤ Yes. You need an ACAP permit and a TIMS card, and you must trek with a licensed guide from a registered agency.
Q. How much does the Mardi Himal permit cost?
➤ Around NPR 5,000 total for foreign trekkers (NPR 3,000 ACAP + NPR 2,000 TIMS), and NPR 2,000 total for SAARC nationals. This doesn't include guide fees.
Q. Do I need an ACAP permit for Mardi Himal?
➤ Yes, it's mandatory. The entire trail lies inside the Annapurna Conservation Area.
Q. Do I need a TIMS card for Mardi Himal?
➤ Yes. Mardi Himal is explicitly listed under the Annapurna Region on the Nepal Tourism Board's current TIMS-required route list.
Q. Can I trek Mardi Himal without a guide?
➤ No, not as a foreign or SAARC trekker. A licensed guide from a registered agency has been mandatory across Nepal's conservation areas, including Annapurna, since April 2023.
Q. Can I get Mardi Himal permits in Pokhara?
➤ Yes. ACAP is available at the tourism office in Pokhara, and your agency can arrange TIMS from there as well.
Q. Can I get the permit myself?
➤ You can obtain ACAP yourself at an office counter, but TIMS is only issued through a registered trekking agency — so a fully independent, agency-free process isn't available for this route.
Q. Do Nepali citizens need ACAP?
➤ No, Nepali citizens don't pay an ACAP fee to enter the Annapurna Conservation Area.
Q. Do SAARC nationals pay a different fee?
➤ Yes — SAARC nationals pay NPR 1,000 for ACAP and NPR 1,000 for TIMS, both lower than the foreign-national rates.
Q. Is a restricted-area permit required for Mardi Himal?
➤ No. Mardi Himal is not on Nepal's restricted-area list (unlike Upper Mustang or Manaslu). Only ACAP and TIMS apply.
Q. How long are the permits valid?
➤ Both ACAP and TIMS are valid for the full duration of your specific trek — you don't need to renew them mid-trip.
Q. Can I use the same ACAP for another Annapurna trek?
➤ If you combine routes within the same visit without exiting the conservation area, your existing ACAP typically covers it. Confirm this with your agency when planning a combined itinerary.
Q. What happens if I lose my permit?
➤ Contact your trekking agency immediately — they can assist with reporting the loss and, where possible, obtaining a replacement through the issuing office. Avoid continuing the trek without carrying proof of a valid permit.
Q. Is the permit included in Orbit Nepal Adventure's Mardi Himal package?
➤ Yes. Our Mardi Himal Trek packages include ACAP and TIMS arrangement as standard, along with your licensed guide.
Getting the paperwork right for Mardi Himal isn't complicated once you know what actually applies: an ACAP permit, a TIMS card, and a licensed guide from a registered agency — nothing more, nothing less. Sorting this out properly before you leave Pokhara means no surprises at the checkpoints and more time actually looking at Machhapuchhre from High Camp instead of worrying about paperwork.
Planning your Mardi Himal adventure?Contact Orbit Nepal Adventure to arrange your permits, licensed guide, transportation, and a complete trekking itinerary built around your schedule and fitness level.
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