A Connected Permit Picture: How Mardi Himal Compares to Other Trekking Regions in Nepal

Every trekking region in Nepal answers to the same tourism authority, yet no two regions ask a trekker for exactly the same paperwork. Mardi Himal, tucked into the southern flank of the Annapurna range above Pokhara, sits at the simple end of that spectrum. Manaslu and Upper Mustang sit at the complicated end. Everest, Langtang, and the Annapurna Circuit fall somewhere in between, each shaped by its own national park, conservation area, or border-security concern.

This guide covers the exact permits you need for the Mardi Himal Trek permits in 2026, what they cost, and where to get them.It will aslo help you to need the requirements next to Annapurna Base Camp, the Annapurna Circuit, Everest Base Camp, Langtang, Manaslu, and Upper Mustang, so you can see why some Nepal treks need one conservation stamp and others need a restricted-area authorization, a minimum trekking window, and a guide booked weeks in advance.

🧭 Quick take: Mardi Himal needs just two permits — ACAP and TIMS — with no restricted-area layer. Manaslu and Upper Mustang need a third, government-issued Restricted Area Permit that can cost more than the entire rest of the trek's permit total.

 

 

What Permits Do You Need for the Mardi Himal Trek?

Mardi Himal sits entirely inside the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA), Nepal's largest protected area, managed by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) on behalf of the government. Because the trail never crosses into a restricted border zone, a Mardi Himal permit package is limited to two permit documents.

 

1. Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)

• Issuing authority: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) / NTNC
• Cost: NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals, NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals, free for children under 10
• Where to obtain: NTB Tourist Service Centre in Kathmandu (Bhrikutimandap) or the NTB/ACAP counter in Pokhara. Trekking agencies process it on your behalf with a passport copy and a photo.
• Payment: Cash (NPR) only at the counter; agencies can prepay on your behalf.

 

2. TIMS Card (Trekkers' Information Management System)

Since the Revised TIMS Provision took effect on March 31, 2023, Mardi Himal is one of the named routes in the Annapurna Region on the Nepal Tourism Board's official list of trails where a licensed guide and an agency-issued TIMS card are mandatory. This is a national policy, not a Mardi Himal-specific quirk — it applies across the Annapurna, Everest, Langtang, and Manaslu regions alike.

• Cost: NPR 2,000 for foreign nationals, NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals
• Who issues it: Only registered trekking agencies since the 2023 revision — no over-the-counter TIMS for independent foreign trekkers
• Colour coding: Green cards were historically for independent trekkers; blue for agency-organized groups. Almost every foreign trekker now receives the blue card.

Note : Every foreign trekker must now book a licensed guide through a registered agency, which arranges the TIMS card as part of the booking.

 

Do you need a guide for Mardi Himal?

Yes, as a legal requirement since April 1, 2023, enforced at ACAP checkpoints near Kande and Deurali. Trekking without a guide risks fines and turned-away entry, on top of the practical safety argument for a route that climbs past 4,500 m.

 

Mardi Himal Permit Cost at a Glance

Permit / Requirement	Required?	Approx. Cost	Where to Obtain	Notes
ACAP	Yes	NPR 3,000 (~USD 22)	NTB Kathmandu/Pokhara or agency	Conservation fee
TIMS Card	Yes (since 2023)	NPR 2,000 (~USD 15)	Registered agency only	No independent purchase
Licensed guide	Yes	USD 25–35/day	Registered agency	Checked at checkpoints
Machhapuchhre RM local fee	Yes	NPR 1,000–2,000	Kande / High Camp checkpoint	Trail maintenance fund
Restricted Area Permit	Not required	N/A	N/A	Not a restricted area

Total for a foreign trekker: roughly NPR 5,000–6,000 (USD 38–45) in government and TIMS fees, plus the guide's day rate — one of the lowest permit totals of any major Nepal trekking region.

 

Why Mardi Himal's Permit System Is Relatively Simple

It sits inside an existing conservation area, not a new one. The ACA has managed permits since 1986. Mardi Himal shares its ACAP with Annapurna Base Camp, Poon Hill, and the Annapurna Circuit.

It has never been classified as a restricted area. Restricted-area status is reserved for regions near the Tibet border or with limited historical tourist access. Mardi Himal, close to Pokhara, never carried that classification, so it skips the Department of Immigration entirely.

TIMS is now a single, bundled step. Since guides are mandatory, agencies bundle ACAP and TIMS into one booking transaction.

Note : The honest trade-off: since 2023, trekking Mardi Himal without any guide or agency involvement is no longer legal, regardless of experience level. Its old appeal as a short, guide-free acclimatization trek has folded into the same mandatory-guide framework as the rest of the Annapurna region.

 

Mardi Himal vs Annapurna Base Camp: Permit Comparison

Mardi Himal and the Annapurna Base Camp Trek share the exact same conservation area and, as a result, the exact same permit package.

Category	Mardi Himal	Annapurna Base Camp
ACAP fee	NPR 3,000	NPR 3,000
TIMS	Mandatory	Mandatory
Restricted Area Permit	Not required	Not required
Guide requirement	Mandatory since 2023	Mandatory since 2023
Permit complexity	Low	Low

Note : One ACAP covers both trails if your itinerary combines Mardi Himal with a continuation to ABC, since both sit inside the same conservation area. What separates the two treks is length and elevation gain, not paperwork.

 

Mardi Himal vs Annapurna Circuit

The Annapurna Circuit Trek uses the same ACAP + TIMS combination as Mardi Himal ; a longer trail through the same conservation area, crossing Thorong La (5,416 m). Trekkers adding the Nar Phu Valley side trip leave the standard ACAP zone and enter a genuine restricted area, carrying its own permit (USD 100/week peak season, USD 75/week off-peak, plus daily rates beyond one week). The base Circuit itself needs nothing beyond ACAP and TIMS.

 

Mardi Himal vs Everest Base Camp

The Everest Base Camp Trek leaves the Annapurna system entirely and enters Sagarmatha National Park, with a second, locally administered permit layered on top.

Category	Mardi Himal	Everest Base Camp
Governing body	ACAP / NTB	Sagarmatha NP + Khumbu Pasang Lhamu RM
Park/conservation fee	NPR 3,000	NPR 3,000 (Sagarmatha NP)
Local municipal fee	NPR 1,000–2,000	NPR 3,000 (raised Sept 2024)
Restricted Area Permit	None	None
Where obtained	Kathmandu, Pokhara, or agency	Sagarmatha permit in Kathmandu; Khumbu fee only at Lukla/Monjo
Total permit cost	~NPR 5,000	~NPR 6,000–8,000

Note : The practical difference isn't the fee total — it's the collection points. EBC's Khumbu municipal permit can only be bought after you land in Lukla or reach Monjo, building a permit stop into every itinerary that Mardi Himal doesn't need.

 

Mardi Himal vs Langtang Valley

The Langtang Valley Trek runs through Langtang National Park and uses a two-permit system structurally similar to Mardi Himal's, just under a different park authority — NPR 3,000 park fee (NPR 1,500 SAARC), mandatory TIMS, mandatory guide, no restricted-area layer for the standard route. The exception: routes pushing toward the Tibetan border through Rasuwa's high passes (Ganja La, Tilman's Pass) cross into a restricted zone requiring an additional Immigration permit (~USD 20/week). Trekkers on the standard Kyanjin Gompa turnaround never touch that tier.

 

Mardi Himal vs Manaslu

Manaslu is where the comparison stops being close. The Manaslu Trek is Nepal's clearest example of a regulated, restricted-area trekking environment.

What Manaslu requires that Mardi Himal doesn't

• MCAP: NPR 3,000 foreign / NPR 1,000 SAARC — same structure as ACAP, different authority.
• Restricted Area Permit: September–November: USD 100 for the first week, USD 15/day beyond. December–August: USD 75 for the first week, USD 10/day beyond.
• Group and guide rules: A licensed guide has always been mandatory. Until March 22, 2026, a minimum of two foreign trekkers was required per RAP application; that minimum was lifted nationwide across all 15 restricted-area districts, including Manaslu. The guide requirement was not removed.
• Tsum Valley add-on: USD 40/week (Sept–Nov) or USD 30/week (Dec–Aug), plus daily rates beyond one week.

 

Category	Mardi Himal	Manaslu
Conservation fee	ACAP NPR 3,000	MCAP NPR 3,000
TIMS	Mandatory	Not separate (RAP-based)
Restricted Area Permit	None	USD 75–100/week, seasonal
Minimum group size	None	None since March 2026 (was 2)
Guide	Mandatory	Mandatory, always has been
Total permit cost (7-day, peak)	~USD 40	USD 190–230+
Issuing office	NTB only	NTB + Department of Immigration

 

Mardi Himal vs Upper Mustang

Upper Mustang sits inside the Annapurna Conservation Area geographically (ACAP, NPR 3,000), but the trail beyond Kagbeni crosses into a restricted zone bordering the Tibetan Plateau, triggering Nepal's steepest restricted-area fee.

📌 Restricted Area Permit: USD 50 per person, per day — charged for every day inside the restricted zone, year-round. This 2026 rate replaced the older flat block rate (previously USD 500 for the first 10 days).

Category	Mardi Himal	Upper Mustang
ACAP	NPR 3,000	NPR 3,000
TIMS	Mandatory	Not separate (RAP-based)
Restricted Area Permit	None	USD 50/person/day, year-round
10-day trek total permit cost	~USD 40	~USD 500+
Issuing office	NTB only	NTB + Department of Immigration

 

Quick Comparison: Nepal Trekking Permit Requirements

Trek	Main Permit/Fees	Restricted Area?	TIMS	Complexity
Mardi Himal	ACAP NPR 3,000	No	Mandatory	Low
Annapurna Base Camp	ACAP NPR 3,000	No	Mandatory	Low
Annapurna Circuit	ACAP NPR 3,000	Only if Nar Phu added	Mandatory	Low–Moderate
Everest Base Camp	Sagarmatha NP + Khumbu RM (NPR 6,000 combined)	No	Mandatory	Moderate
Langtang Valley	Langtang NP NPR 3,000	Only border-pass routes	Mandatory	Low–Moderate
Manaslu	MCAP NPR 3,000	Yes — USD 75–100/week	RAP-based	High
Upper Mustang	ACAP NPR 3,000	Yes — USD 50/day	RAP-based	Highest

 

Where Can You Get Mardi Himal Permits?

In Kathmandu: The NTB Tourist Service Centre at Bhrikutimandap issues ACAP directly; agencies can process both ACAP and TIMS before you travel to Pokhara.

In Pokhara: The NTB/ACAP counter in Pokhara is the more common stop, since almost every Mardi Himal itinerary starts there.

Through a trekking agency (the default since 2023): Bring your passport, a passport photo, and your itinerary dates. Orbit Nepal Adventure arranges both permits as part of every Mardi Himal booking.

What to prepare: A passport valid for at least six months, two passport photos, your Nepal visa, and NPR cash for any on-route municipal fees.

 

What Happens If You Trek Without the Required Permit?

Checkpoints along the Mardi Himal route verify ACAP and guide documentation. Trekking without a valid permit can result in an on-the-spot fine and being turned back at the checkpoint. Beyond the financial penalty, an unregistered trekker has no TIMS record on file — which matters most in an emergency, since rescue coordination depends on knowing who is on the trail, with which guide, on what itinerary.

 

Which Trek Has the Easiest Permit Process?

Mardi Himal and Annapurna Base Camp tie for the simplest permit process — a single conservation fee, a single TIMS card, one issuing authority, no restricted-area paperwork. Langtang Valley and the standard Annapurna Circuit sit close behind. Everest Base Camp adds a layer of complexity through split-location permit collection without adding restricted-area cost. Manaslu and Upper Mustang are, by a wide margin, the most complicated and expensive permit processes in Nepal.

Permit simplicity is a real factor, but only one input among several — scenery, altitude profile, crowd levels, and trip length matter just as much when choosing where to spend a limited trekking window in Nepal.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What permits are required for Mardi Himal Trek?

➤ Two: ACAP and a TIMS card, both mandatory, plus a licensed guide booked through a registered agency since April 2023.

Q. How much does a Mardi Himal permit cost?

➤ Around NPR 5,000 (roughly USD 38) total — NPR 3,000 for ACAP and NPR 2,000 for TIMS — plus a small on-route municipal fee.

Q. Is TIMS required for Mardi Himal?

➤ Yes, since March 2023, and it can only be issued through a registered trekking agency.

Q. Can I get Mardi Himal permits in Pokhara?

➤ Yes — Pokhara's NTB/ACAP counter processes both permits and is the more commonly used location.

Q. Do I need a guide for Mardi Himal?

➤ Yes, as a legal requirement since April 1, 2023, for every foreign trekker.

Q. Is Mardi Himal a restricted trekking area?

➤ No. It requires only standard Annapurna Conservation Area permits.

Q. Are Mardi Himal and Annapurna Base Camp permits the same?

➤ Yes — both use the identical ACAP + TIMS combination, and one ACAP can cover a combined itinerary.

Q. Which Nepal trek requires the most permits?

➤ Upper Mustang and Manaslu, both requiring a conservation fee plus a Department of Immigration restricted-area permit — Upper Mustang's USD 50/day fee is the most expensive in Nepal.

Q. Is a permit required for every trek in Nepal?

➤ Nearly every region inside a national park or conservation area requires at minimum a park fee and TIMS. Short hikes immediately around Kathmandu and Pokhara fall outside this.

Q. Can one permit cover multiple trekking regions?

➤ Only within the same conservation area. An ACAP for Mardi Himal also covers Annapurna Base Camp, Poon Hill, and the standard Annapurna Circuit route.

 

Conclusion

Mardi Himal's permit system one conservation fee, one TIMS card, one mandatory guide, no restricted-area layer ; makes it one of the most straightforward treks in Nepal to plan for. That simplicity holds up well against Annapurna Base Camp and the standard Annapurna Circuit, and becomes dramatically more distinct next to Manaslu and Upper Mustang, where restricted-area status turns a same-day permit errand into a real planning and budget consideration.

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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