Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek - 20 Days

Upon your arrival at the airport in Kathmandu, you will be greeted and escorted to the hotel by one of the Himalayas Trekkers’ representatives. After assisting until you check in at the hotel, you can have some rest depending upon your time of arrival. Then we will have a short briefing session at your hotel lobby or at our office. After this session, you could opt. to take a short walk in the streets of Thamel which is the most touristic site in Kathmandu. You will also get to see the lifestyle here and get familiar with the streets. 

After breakfast, we will spend half of the day exploring a few of the most significant cultural heritage sites of the Kathmandu Valley. We will most likely visit the most significant Hindu Site, Pashupatinath Temple, and the biggest Buddhist stupa, Bouddhanath Stupa.

Pashupatinath Temple is the most revered Hindu Pilgrimage Site in Nepal and is one of the four most important in the world. This temple is also one of the oldest temples in Nepal and is dedicated to the Hindu deity, Lord Shiva. It is renowned for its significant cultural and religious importance but is also popular for its unique architecture. Pashupatinath and its complex was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979.

Bouddhanath Stupa was also listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. It is a Tibetan Buddhism pilgrimage site loved by both locals and foreigners. The centerpiece of Bouddhanath is the giant white dome/stupa in the middle which is also known as one of the largest in the world.

Besides these two sites, there are other five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu that are equally significant. They are Swoyambhunath Stupa and Kathmandu Durbar Square located in Kathmandu city, Patan Durbar Square in Patan, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square in Bhaktapur city. 

Once we finish today’s exploration, you will have the remainder of the day to prepare for your Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek. You can also have some last-minute shopping before the journey to Thamel.

We drive out from Kathmandu today and start heading towards Beni to start our Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek journey. The drive goes along the highway pitched in the hills offering amazing landscape views. We will also get to see the Himalayas such as Langtang and Ganesh Himal from the route if the weather is clear. The terraced fields, small settlements, and the locals engaging in their daily activities are a few other sites we can enjoy during our long drive. After around 7 hours of driving, we will reach the city of Pokhara and on a clear weather day, we can view the Annapurna ranges and Machhapurchhre Himal.

And from Pokhara, we will continue to Baglung and to Beni where we will call it a day for today. Once we are in Beni, check-in and take a good rest. 

NOTE: If you do not prefer a long drive, then we can drive up to Pokhara on this day, stay overnight and drive to Beni the next day. Or, you can also opt. for 25 minutes flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara and once in Pokhara, drive to Beni for the night.

Following our breakfast in Beni, we will take a 2 hours long drive to Darbang (1140m) passing through the famous Tatopani town and Babiyachaur. Then our real Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek starts from Darbang. After we have checked in at the checkpost, we will start our trek along the Myagdi River and cross a suspension bridge. Then we will gradually climb until we reach the Gurung and Magar settlement of Dharapani. Here, we have our first view of the Dhaulagiri located to the north if the weather is clear. 

We leave Dharapani after breakfast and slowly trek toward the village named Muri. We will pass by notable settlements at Takum and Sibang through picturesque hillsides with terraced farms and thin forests. We can have a good view of Gurja Himal and Putha Hiunchuli located to the west. 

After some hours of flat walking, we start to ascend again on the paths. We will pass by various places, including Mattim, Ghati, Phalai Gaon, and others. After crossing Dhara Khola on a suspension bridge we continue to Muri. 

After breakfast, we will descend a little bit on the paths as we leave the Muri Village behind. After crossing a bridge, we ascend a hill to a pass. From this pass, we will get to see the stunning Mt. Ghustung South. From the pass, we take the pathways down to Mahatala and Naura through thick jungles and other vegetation. With one last climb steeply up zigzagging trails, we will see terraced fields and beautiful scenery right before reaching Boghara. The views of Dhaulagiri I, Gurja Himal, and Manapathi are beautiful from Boghara. 

Today we start our day by walking along the Myagdi River’s woodland trail. Today’s route offers a variety of lovely twists and thrilling changes in the landscape. We continue on our journey until we pass the rocky area and climb to Lipshe at 2080 meters and take a lunch break. Then, we will eventually climb through the forests to Dobhan for the night. 

After leaving Dobang, we will start our trek to Sallaghari. The trail goes through the dense, lush vegetation of ferns, bamboo, and rhododendrons along the Myagdi Khola. We might also get the sights of cattle grazing on the pasture land. We will also pass through several small streams and waterfalls on the way today. Our trek continues until we reach Choriban Khola in Sallaghari. After we reach there, we will set our camp nearby and spend the remainder of the day resting. 

Following our breakfast at Sallaghari Camp, we will start our trek through the dense jungle of birch, rhododendron, and pine trees. The walk continues on an undulating terrain through more dense vegetation of juniper, azaleas, and heather trees. As we approach our today’s destination Italian Base Camp, we will notice the change in vegetation and the temperature. And with more river crossings, we will reach the base camp where we will pitch our camp and enjoy the breathtaking views of Dhaulagiri I (8172 meters) in the west and Tsaurabong Peak on the opposite. 

Today is an acclimatization day to adjust to the high altitude. We can take a rest and stroll around our camp side or take an acclimatization day hike to the ridge that offers a wonderful close-up view of the west face of Mount Dhaulagiri. 
 

We begin our day with magnificent mountain views and a warm delicious breakfast. Then we will slowly start our trek ascending to a grassy slope until we reach the glacier moraine's edge. We will trek past the Swiss Base Camp and cross the glacier with the help of these ropes. Then we will continue along the moraine on the left side of the Chonbarden Gorge. We will get to see the Chhongardan Glacier and the breathtaking mountain vistas of Dhaulagiri, Dhampus Peak, Manapathi Peak, and Tsaurabong Peak on the route to Glacier Camp. Once we reach Glacier Camp, we pitch our tents and rest. 

Today is another rest day which is also an opportunity to take in the natural beauty surrounding Glacier Camp. We can opt to trek around the glacier in the morning while gazing through a beautiful waterfall.  The views of the mountains such as Tukuche, and others are wonderful during this journey. After this morning’s hike, we will get back to our camp and spend the rest of the day resting. 

Today is one of the toughest days of our Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek journey. Following our breakfast, we will follow a rough trail along the moraine that is covered by the glacier and head towards Dhaulagiri Base Camp. After a few hours of tough ascents, we will be rewarded with an amazing view of Tukuche Peak. We continue our trek through the rocky path that runs alongside a glacier covered in moraines until we reach Dhaulagiri Base Camp. Once we reach the Base Camp, we get to soak in the impressive view of the Dhaulagiri I, Tukuche Peak, and Little Eiger. 

It is advisable to spend a rest day around base camp. Hence, we will be spending another day at Dhaulagiri Base camp resting and taking a quick ascent just above the camp for a breathtaking vista of the Dhaulagiri Range. We also have the option just to spend the whole day at our camp enjoying the splendor of the mountains.

Today’s trek from Dhaulagiri Base Camp to Hidden Valley(5050 m)is one of the toughest and longest treks during this journey. We leave Base Camp after an early breakfast by strolling along the moraine strip. We turn around and move to the Upper Chonbarden Glacier's left side. Then, a lateral moraine ridge leads us toward French Col (5360 m. Pass) which is the highest point in this Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek. The Pass offers us a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of snow-covered mountain panoramas such as Tukuche, Thapa, Dhampus, Mukut Himal, Tashi Kang Peak, Sita Chuchure, etc. 

After we spend some time at the pass admiring the beauty, we will approach our trek toward the Hidden Valley. Our trek goes past the slopes covered in loose soil, gravel, and other debris. As we enter Hidden Valley, we can see the change in vegetation. After we arrive at our campsite which is usually beside the river, we will pitch our tents, rest and enjoy the views. 

A rest day is well deserved after trekking through the difficult passes. Hence, we will use today as our rest day. Though it is a rest day, we have few options to spend this day as per our interest. We could explore the Valley while taking a quick hike to a ridge on the valley's northwest side from where we will get to enjoy stunning views of Hidden Valley and the mountains like Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, and Annapurna. 

Or, if you are interested in peak climbing, you can opt. to make a summit to Dhampus Peak at 6060 meters. However, we will need another two days to make the successful summit and return back. It is around a 1000-meter climb to Dhampus Peak from the Hidden Valley on a path that ascends on a ridge on moderately steep snow slopes and scree to the top. The view of the peaks such as Dhaulagiri, the Annapurnas, etc., and the Mustang region is breathtaking from the Dhampus Top.

Another long and tough walk awaits today. We leave the Hidden Valley (5240 M) quite early in the morning and begin our trek up a steep snow slope to the 5,240 meters high Dhampus Pass. Like other passes, the Dhampus Pass is also marked with colorful prayer flags offering impressive views of Dhampus Peak and Tukuche Peak. We will also be able to see the Annapurna range. 
Leaving the pass, the trail drops for about 100 meters before beginning to traverse left and head toward Alu Bari which is our today’s destination. After a few hours of trekking through snow and rock and forest, we will reach Alu Bari and enjoy the view of Nilgiri and the western Annapurna Massif. 

Today’s trek from Alu Bari to Jomsom marks the end of our Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek. After breakfast, we will trek down to the Kali Gandaki Valley through an oak and pine forest and reach beautiful Marpha Village. We will take a short break at the village exploring its paved lanes, whitewashed houses, Buddhist Monastery, and apple orchids. And from Marpha, we continue our trek down to Jomsom village and spend the remainder of the day resting and celebrating the success of our Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek. 

We bid farewell to the Himalayas and head towards the Jomsom airport and catch the first flight from Jomsom to Pokhara. Once in Pokhara, unwind and spend the day as per your interest.

NOTE: The mountain flights depend upon the weather. And if the weather is not favorable on this day, we will have to take the roadways to reach Pokhara. You can also opt. for the long drive from Jomsom to Kathmandu without stopping in Pokhara for the night. 

After breakfast, we will drive out from Pokhara and head back towards Kathmandu. Our drive goes past the scenic highway with beautiful landscapes and rivers. Once we reach Kathmandu, you can spend the remainder of the day resting at your hotel or as per your interest. You can take one last stroll around the Thamel Market, the traditional markets of Ason and Indrachowk shopping for some souvenirs. 

After breakfast, spend the day before your departure as per your interest. And one of our representatives will pick you up and transfer you to the airport around 3 hours prior to your flight schedule.