If you want the grand scale of the Himalayas without sharing the trail with herds of trekkers, Mardi Himal is your hidden gem. This relatively new, eco-conscious route takes you off the beaten track and onto a dramatic ridgeline that runs directly toward the sacred peak of Machhapuchhre.

You’ll climb out of lush terraced villages into magical rhododendron forests, eventually rising above the tree line to walk along a narrow spine in the sky. The payoff is an incredibly intimate, face-to-face view of the Annapurna massif that feels entirely your own.