Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek

On arrival, meet our TH staff for a courtesy transfer to your respective hotels in the heart of Kathmandu, in the Thamel area, a popular spot for shopping and dining at many world-class restaurants, pubs, and bakeries.

Our guide will inform you of details regarding the trek around the world’s 7th Highest Dhaulagiri with Hidden Valley & French Pass.

Early morning, an interesting scenic drive for nearly 07 hours to Beni via the popular tourist city of Pokhara on the main busy highway, the drive carries on with a fantastic vista of snow-capped mountains of Mt. Annapurna-Manaslu and Mt. Dhaulagiri with the famous beautiful peak of Machhapuchhre, the Fish Tail shaped mountain, which is unclimbed so far and well respected and regarded as sacred mountain in its natural structure.

On reaching Pokhara, our journey continues for another 04 hours to Beni town, where we begin this awesome adventure around Dhaulagiri and the Kaligandaki valley. Beni, a large city and the headquarters of the Dhaulagiri and Myagdi districts, offers overnight stays at top-tier hotels and lodges.

Our journey starts with another short drive on the dirt road following the raging Myagdi River upstream, passing many farm villages and cultivated lands with terraces of rice, wheat or barley, and mustard, after three hours of good interesting drive reaching Darbang village like town an entrance or the gateway to Dhaulagiri and towards Dhorpatan and Dolpo area, after a stop for a lunch break, our first-day walk begins on the trails that wind up slowly for an hour to the hills, leaving the Myagdi river way down below, then heading towards cooler area after reaching the top ridge on the outskirt farm village and descend back to Myagdi River after a nice first day walks to camp by the Riverside with fabulous views of Putali and Ghurja Himal, adjoining Dhaulagiri massif chain of mountains during the day trek.

After catching the morning views of the distant snow-capped mountains, the walk starts along a path through farm fields and small, scattered farm huts and hamlets, with views of the Dhaulagiri Himal range. Then, slowly, the walk leads downhill through farm terraces to Gatti Khola (a stream). After a lunch break in between, another two hours of steady climbing bring you to the base of a hillside on the route to Bagar village, near the confluence of the Myagdi and Dhara rivers. After catching the morning views of the distant snow-capped mountains, the walk starts along a path through farm fields and small, scattered farm huts and hamlets, with views of the Dhaulagiri Himal range. Then, slowly, the walk leads downhill through farm terraces to Gatti Khola (a stream). After a lunch break in between, another two hours of steady climbing bring you to the base of a hillside on the route to Bagar village, near the confluence of the Myagdi and Dhara rivers.

The morning walk descends towards warm areas for the last time in many days, walking on paddy fields by Dhora Khola, after Dhora Khola, the trail climbs on the steep uphill for an hour or more reaching a small ridge then on the downhill walk passing farmhouses and cultivated farm fields and terraces finally reaching to our overnight camp at a small farm village in Bagar, this will be the last human settlement and village on route to Dhaulagiri base camp till Marpha village at the Kaligandaki valley.

Our journey continues after leaving Bagar farm village following the trail into the forest and then with a climb on the western side of Myagdi fast flowing river, the walk follows the small undulating path then reaches the top ridge, from here a steep downhill to get an open small field surrounded by densely forested firs, pines, and rhododendron trees at a small place called Dovan for overnight stop, Dovan a cattle herders place with a small temporary hut serving as teahouse or lodge for the trekkers and porters.

after an overnight in this quiet spot with only the sound of nature and with only the sound of fast flowing Myagdi River, from Dovan our walk follows a small wooden bridge to cross over Konaban Khola ( stream), after the bridge our route follows into dense forest then leading to another small stream after crossing a log or a plank bridge, then with a small climb up through the forest with views of Dhaulagiri I, western wall between the trees.

The walk continues on the downhill path to Myagdi Khola, walking on the left bank, then it leads to a climb up towards another stream called Pakite Khola, just in a short distance from the Konaban river, after crossing Pakite Khola towards our overnight camp in a small place called Chartare, or Bhainsi Kharka.

From this heavily forested campsite, our morning journey leads on the path towards an open area, after leaving the last forest and tree line area to an ice and rocky moraine region, the walk follows the forest area to a wide ice and moraine valley named an Italian Base Camp (the Italian expeditions camped here on route to the summit of Mt. Dhaulagiri in the early 1960’s). After a break here walk heads with a climb to a rocky area then on the mountainside with a steep hill climb, crossing the moraine as the path narrows to cross and descend to another glacier which originated from the West Wall of Mt. Dhaulagiri, then with an uphill climb on the opposite bank to a small grassy ground on a narrow valley for overnight camp on this spot called Pakhaban, and as well known as Japanese Camp.

The overnight camp offers a stupendous view of the West Wall of Dhaulagiri and the rear of the huge wall face of Tsaurabong Peak.

From here onwards for a few days in the arctic-like terrain of ice and huge rocky moraines, from the camp following a lateral moraine to an ice and boulder ridge, that descends on the right side of the valley buried in snow and fallen rocks, actually a long glacier walking towards Dhaulagiri Base Camp, then reaching a glaciated area walking along the undulating glacier surface as the valley winds up to a following a faint path with short up and down passage to reach our overnight camp at Dhaulagiri Base Camp with 4,750 meter high altitude, overlooking an impressive Dhaulagiri I ( 8,167 m) North Face, including the west peaks of Dhaulagiri II (7,751 m.), Dhaulagiri III (7,715 m.) and Dhaulagiri IV (7,618 m.) soaring high towards the blue open sky, and the notorious Dhaulagiri Ice Fall tumbling from the col in between Mt. Dhaulagiri and Tukuche Peak. As this place is quite rocky, with stones and ice, the camp is set in a clearing from the previous camp made by expeditions or other trekkers. This spot offers the closest view of Dhaulagiri I and its massif glacier and icefall.

After a marvelous time at Dhaulagiri Base Camp, the morning walk carries on heading towards the moraine and glacier, the route follows near Tukuche Peak, and after a few hours of walking on the glacier it leads to an uphill reaching a gradual slope on this glaciated valley right side with further, walk all the way up towards at French Col at 5,360 meters, the highest spot of this amazing adventure.

After reaching the highest point of this journey at the French Pass, which is festooned with many Buddhist prayer flags called Lungta in the local language and in Tibetan, all passes are respected and regarded as places of the god or the holy spirit. From here marveling at the surrounding stunning scenery, an easy walk follows on the short downhill path to our overnight camp in the Hidden Valley a wide valley of summer grazing ground and pasture for cattle and Yaks of the villagers from Kaligandaki areas, from this camp offering a fabulous view of Sita Chuchura, the mountains of Mukut Himal, and Tashi Kang 5,386 m, which surrounds this campsite at Hidden Valley, among these peaks view of Tukche Peak west and to the rear the huge towering Dhaulagiri I. This Hidden Valley remained enclosed behind the Dhaulagiri massif, undiscovered and unexplored till the last three decades.

With two nights at Hidden Valley pulling up the energy, our morning walk leads on the narrow path towards Thapa / Dhampus pass, about a two-hour walk in snow conditions; it can take an hour more, with awesome views of the Tukuche peaks and Nilgiri’s Himal on the other side of the Kaligandaki valley. After a few hours of a gradual walk, reaching Thapa / Dhampus Pass at 5,250 m, overlooking the deep cleft of Kaligandaki Valley and the Annapurna mountains ahead. From the high spot of this with a panorama of mountains on both sides of Dhaulagiri-Tuckuche-Thapa or Dhampus peak, then on the front Nilgiris and Annapurna mountain range, after a glorious moment here, a long descent to the overnight camp at Yak Kharka, this is a summer pasture for cattle and Yaks, from the camp Dhaulagiri I lies hidden by the huge bulk of Tuckche Peak. Still, Nilgiri’s peaks and the Annapurna mountain range are visible from the campsite at Yak Kharka.

After being in complete wilderness with only the sound of nature, from Yak Kharka onwards encountering many villages, trekkers, and mules trains that bring the supplies to Jomsom onwards to the upper Mustang area, from Yak Kharka an easy long walk on the downhill trail coming across back to the greens vegetation and into the forest with tree lines of rhododendron, pines, and firs, after several hours of steep descent reaching at Kaligandaki river valley in Marpha for an overnight stop in the comfort of the cozy, nice lodge.

Marpha is a little gem, a charming village with whitewashed houses. The people here are the Thakali tribe, who practice Tibetan Buddhism and have been trading with Tibet for centuries. Marpha is also famous for its juicy apples. The whole place has an apple orchard and apple products like dried apples and apricots, apple juice, brandy, and local brew. The afternoon is free to explore this nice village and to taste its apple products and pies.

After an enjoyable time in Marpha, a morning walk follows the Kaligandaki river downstream reaching Tukuche village, located beneath Tukuche peak and Dhaulagiri massif mountain, with fantastic views of Nilgiri’s peak and tumbling icefalls of Dhaualgiri’s East Face, after an hour walk from Tukuche to reach Larjung village, then crossing wide river bed, getting back to forested area lined with pines, oaks and rhododendron trees, the path leads away from the river for a while then back to river bed before Kalapani village, Kalapani, another nice village with excellent surrounding and view of Mt. Annapurna I, Nilgiri’s and Dhaulagiri above the beautiful pine tree lines. A short, pleasant walk from here leads to Lete village for an overnight stop.

The trek from Kalapani and Lete onwards leads to a dramatic change in vegetation, from dry, arid country to warmer paddy terraces that lie between two giant mountains, Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, forming the world's deepest gorge, the Kaligandaki River valley. The first two-hour walk passes through the cool forest, leading past many settlements, lodges, and tea houses, where the houses' architectural styles vary, with richly carved woodwork. This pleasant walk continues through terraced paddy fields and into a warm subtropical climate, all the way to Tatopani, passing the beautiful Rupsi waterfalls along the way.

Tatopani (Hot Spring) village is in a quite constricted valley and is quite warm, with a subtropical climate and vegetation. Tatopani is another nice village with large hot spring pools just by the bank of the River Kaligandaki.

After an enjoyable time in Tatopani, the morning walk continues for an hour along the winding trail, crossing a bridge over the Kaligandaki River. Then our route diverts heading to a steeply terraced hillside, dotted with farms and villages, all the way through dense alpine forest reaching at Chitre, from here an hour climb to overnight stop at Ghorepani- Deurali village with fabulous views of world’s 07th highest Mt. Dhaulagiri towards North West, including Annapurna South and Vara-Shikar (Annapurna Fang), Ghorepani located on old Trans-Himalayan Salt Trade Route which extends to Upper Mustang and beyond Tibet, this village inhabited with Pun Magar tribe and Ghorepani is famous for Pun Hill viewpoint, offering a super panorama of world’s three highest mountains with striking sunrise and sunset.

Early morning before sunrise an hour's walk up to Pun-Hill at 3,190 meters, this wonderful hilltop, with a fantastic view of sunrise over the mountain range from Mt. Dhaulagiri, Mt. Manaslu to Annapurna and as far as Ganesh Himal in the far eastern horizon including majestic Mt. Machhapuchhre “The Fish Tail” one of the most respected and unclimbed peak, after an enjoyable and impressive panorama walk back to Ghorepani through enchanting rhododendron forest, and then walk continues with a long descent to Ulleri on the stone paved steps to the suspension bridge at Tirkhedhunga for overnight stop.

Today the final trekking to ends at Nayapul with a drive to Pokhara, The morning walk leads downhill on the gradual path most of the way passing many farm villages with beautiful views and waterfalls, then reaching a nice village of Bhirethati next to Modi River with views of Mt. Machhapuchhre (Fish Tail), from here half-hour walk reaches Nayapul completing a walk of this great adventure, and then two hours interesting and scenic drive to the famous tourist spot in Pokhara for overnight stop near beautiful Lake Phewa.

The morning after breakfast at a given time, our city and cultural guide will guide you in and around Kathmandu at places of interest and importance, as Kathmandu Valley is full of World Heritage Sites, the holy Pashupatinath temple, Bouddhanath (Little Tibet), Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) & monasteries, ancient Kings' Palaces and courtyard in Kathmandu; after an interesting sightseeing back to the hotel.

Last day in Nepal with a wonderful, memorable time in the Himalaya trekking around the World’s 7th Highest Dhaulagiri with Team Himalaya, and to the airport for the flight back home or to the respective destination.