Group Size
Min. 2 Pax
Trip Grade
Strenuous Plus
Best Season
March, April, May, September, October & November
Accommodation
Hotel/Lodge/Tent
Max Elevation
5360 m, French Col
Meals
Full Board
Transportation
Private Vehicle/Car/Jeep/Flight
Trip Route: Beni - Muri - Dobhan - Italian Base Camp - French Base Camp - Dhaulagiri Base Camp - French Pass - Hidden Valley - Marpha - Jomsom
Trip Overview
- Close view of the 7th highest peak in the world- Mt Dhaulagiri (8167 m) and other significant Mountains falling in the trail area.
- Magnificent view of Hymalian landscapes and nature.
- Hidden Valley, one of the most beautiful and scenic valley in the Himalayas.
- French pass (5360 m), and Dhampus pass (52oo m) two of the most scenic passes in Nepal.
- Himalayan lifestyle, culture, tradition learning opportunities throughout the trail.
- Himalayan vegetation and wildlife seeing adventure.
- Lesser traveled the path with unique and differently delightful trekking experience.
- Himalayan sunrise and sunsets from most promising Natural viewpoints in the earth.
- Yak and Chauri products as well as Himalayan cuisine exploring.
- Authentic trekking experience with overnights in Teahouses and homestays.
- Picturesque Views that surrounds you throughout the trail.
- Monasteries, Chortens, Shrines and Gompas in the way to the Base camp.
Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek is a classic adventure trek giving you to experience the scenic, cultural, and some of the best trekking trails in the central Himalayas. Circling the astonishing villages and destinations around the mighty Dhaulagiri (8167 m), this trek is a sublime combination of nature and mountain culture of the Dhaulagiri region. Running side by side to the majestic Annapurna circuit, the trails to Dhaulagiri treats us the lesser-traveled delights of these regions. For those who love to spice things up, there are some of the most demanding reroutes in this trek which they might choose to experience more of the Himalayas. Walking through some of the most picturesque high passes, we will embrace the snow-capped peaks like never before.
The Dhaulagiri Circuit trek starts from the busy streets of
Kathmandu and takes you to the deepest gorge of Kali Gandaki River. The views
from the path are rewarding in every destination here. The Dhaulagiri range is
a massive mountain range constituting more than fifteen peaks over 7,000 meters
height. We can have perplexing views of Dhaulagiri (8167 m), Annapurna I (8091
m), Gurja Himal (7193 m), Churen Himal (7385 m) and Hiunchuli Patan from this
trail circuit. The Hidden Valley is a Natural delight towards the end of the
course where you can enjoy Nature, and its shades with your hearts fill.
Excluding the harsh winter and occasional heavy monsoon, you can do the
Dhaulagiri circuit trek almost any time of the year. Our professional guides
will assure your safety and give you the best bits of the fantastic Dhaulagiri
circuit.
Outline Itinerary
Day 01: Arrival at TIA Kathmandu & Transfer to Hotel
Day 02: Heritage Tour of Kathmandu and Prepration for the Trek
Day 03: Fly to Pokhara and drive to Beni (850 m) - Darbang (1110m)
Day 04: Darbang to Takam (1670m)
Day 05: Takam to Muri (1815m)
Day 06: Muri to Boghara (2050m)
Day 07: Boghara to Dovan (2630m)
Day 08: Dovan to Chaur Bag Khola (3445m)
Day 09: Chaur Bag Khola to Italian Base Camp (3800m)
Day 10: Rest and Acclimatization day
Day 11: Italian Base Camp to Glacier Camp (4480m)
Day 12: Glacier camp to Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4710m)
Day 13: Acclimatization day
Day 14: Dhaulagiri Base Camp - French Col Pass (5360 m) - Hidden Valley (5140m)
Day 15: Hidden Valley to Yak Kharka (3680m)
Day 16: Yak Kharka to Marpha (2650 m)
Day 17: Marpha to Jomsom and fly to Pokhara
Day 18: Drive to Kathmandu
Day 19: Cultural tour of Bhaktapur
Day 20: Departure
Day to Day Itinerary
You will meet and introduce to our representative from Himalayan Pic Du Midi today after your arrival in TIA, Kathmandu. He/ She will approach you in the arrival section with a placard with your name. After some formal welcoming, you will head towards your hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu. Freshen up, and after some snacks, we will do a quick orientation session about this tour in our office. Here you will also meet your guide for the journey. After that, you will be transferred back to your hotel. In the evening, you can wander around the sites nearby and peek into the Newari culture. Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.
After a quick breakfast, you will head towards a culture-packed tour of the Kathmandu valley. Our first site for today is the Basantapur Durbar square. The palace lies near your hotel and was the royal palace of former Malla kings of the valley. After a brief tour of the palace, head towards the Buddhist shrine of Swyambhunath. This stupa complex provides a great view of Kathmandu valley. Swyambhunath or “The Monkey Temple," because of the abundance of monkeys habituating the hill is one of the oldest temples in Nepal. After that, we will head towards the Hindu shrine of Pashupatinath, and the Tibetan styled Stupa of Boudhanath in quick succession. Return to your hotel and prepare for the trek with the aid of your guide. You can get all the necessary gears and equipment for this trek in Thamel. Rest and prepare to leave Kathmandu early tomorrow. Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.
We will take an early flight in the morning from Kathmandu to the Pokhara valley. This flight gives us magnificent landscape and geographic view of Nepal from the plains to the Mountains. After landing in Pokhara, we will rest for a while and take a bus ride in the hills to Beni and Darbang. This 8 to 9 hour drive will give you great landscape views, and you can stop in small settlements in between to try some local snacks. Overnight at Darbang.
After our breakfast, we will begin our walking portion of the Dhaulagiri circuit trek. We have a shorter trek today, and most of it is relaxed and plain-featured so we can enjoy the fantastic views in the way. We will be walking beside the Marang Khola and cross the bridge to a trail in the northern segment. We can take some brief stops in the settlements and villages to view the beautiful nature and landscape surrounding you. In the afternoon we will reach the village of Takam. Overnight at Takam.
Our trek of today is a short one with a couple of landslide-prone areas in the way. We will have to ascend through a narrow pass for starting the day. After about an hour of trekking here, our trail goes through a ridge and into a sub-tropical forest with few patches of rhododendron forests. We will have our lunch in the small settlements shortly after and continue our walk. Our trail drops down to some open grassland and again ascends until we reach the village of Muri. Overnight at a lodge/tent in Muri.
Our trail is a bit easier today in comparison to that of the previous days of the trail. After breakfast, we will have a quick descent, and most of the path next is normal and barren. We will walk through a small forest, and the views open up after it. In clear weather, we can view the Manaslu and tip of Dhaulagiri range today. In the latter half of today's trek, we will do about an hour of an uphill walk to reach Boghara. Overnight at Boghara.
We will have a delightful breakfast today with a great sunrise view over the green hills and snow-capped mountains. Our path crosses landslide/ rockslide area multiple times so, follow the instructions of your guide for safe passage in these sections. In some fresh landslide areas, you might have to use ropes to continue in the trail here. We will descend a ridge and crosses a forest at Jyardan. After that, we will pass a small rocky segment and reach the village of Dovan. Overnight at Dovan.
The trail continues through the dense bamboo and rhododendron forest, cross the Myagdi Khola. Passing through jungles, the trail is mostly ascending with the occasional plain segment. The views of Dhaulagiri mountain range opens up real today. Overnight at Chaur Bag Khola.
We have a huge climb to come today as we will gain about 400 meters in elevation from Chaur Bag Khola to the Italian Base Camp. The rapid ascending is balanced with outrageously amazing views of snow-capped Himalayas all around you. We will be camping beside the west wall of the beautiful Dhaulagiri Mountains. Overnight at Italian Base Camp.
We will stop for the today and acclimatize at the Italian base camp today. The camp also gives many day hiking trails surrounding the camp. The views of the mountains and landscape from this path to surrounding viewpoints are fantastic to view. We will also have mesmerizing views of Dhaulagiri II (7751m), Dhaulagiri III (7715 m), Tukuche peak (6837 m) and Dhaulagiri V (7618 m). After returning from the trek, you can rest for the day here. Overnight at a tent in Italian base camp.
After a beautiful sunrise view over the mountains, we will ascend to the Midway camp or the Glacier camp. The trail is slippery and a bit challenging in the latter half of the path. We have to climb to the main glacier, and the trail follows it for a while. In a couple of dangerous sections, you will have to take safety harness ropes and follow the guide in every step. After reaching Glacier camp take short hikes for better acclimatization. View the sunset, and we will rest for the day here. Overnight at a camp in Glacier camp.
Dhaulagiri base camp is only a short climb from the Glacier camp. We will have a gradual ascend with the upper half covered in snow. The trail is rocky and rough after passing the glacier, and we will have a steep section nearing the Dhaulagiri Base Camp. Overnight at a tent in Base camp.
Prepare yourself for the French pass in the upcoming day today. You can do some of the short hikes around the camp and acclimatize better. The fresh breeze and breathtaking scenery of surrounding ranges alongside the mighty Dhaulagiri peak make this acclimatization day special. View the beautiful sunset from the Dhaulagiri base camp and rest for the day here. Overnight at a tent in Dhaulagiri base camp.
We will start our day early and head for the top of the French Pass at 5360 m. After a couple of hours of walk in the glacier, we will climb a small rocky hill crossing across the mountain flank and the moraine. From here, our walk is straight up and steep to the pass. The vista of the majestic snow-capped Himalayas is treated to you once in the top of the pass. Mukut Himal (6328m), Sita Chuchura (6611m), and Dhaulagiri mountains are best visible from the French Pass. We will descend a bit from the Pass and find a suitable place to camp from the col. Overnight at a tent in French Col.
We will start our day early with a gradual plain walk to the Thapa/ Dhampus pass leading us to Yak Kharka today. After doing the pass, our trail is gradual descent with some extremely steep sections too. We will lose more than 1600 meters in elevation during this section of our trek. Once reaching Yak Kharka, we can rest for the day viewing the majestic sunset. Overnight at a tent in Kak kharka.
We have a bit relaxed trail to Marpha village today. Some people extend their trek today to Jomsom, but for the best experiences, we will spend more time in Marpha village. Marpha is the apple capital of Nepal and also an important village of the Mustang region. Visit the apple orchards in the village and take a tour of Marpha village. Try some of the organic Apple products (Juice, chips, and wine) around the village and rest for the day. Overnight at a lodge in Marpha village.
After breakfast in Marpha, we will start our trek to Jomsom beside the majestic Kali Gandaki river. This trail portion joins the Annapurna circuit from Marpha and gives us beautiful views of Mustang region. After reaching Jomsom, we will board a plane to Pokhara. Pokhara is one of the best places to visit in Nepal, and many people love to extend their visit days here. We will drive you to your hotel here, where you can rest for the day. In the Evening, you can take a short hike in the lakeside regions and try some Thakali cuisine. Overnight at a hotel in Pokhara.
After an organic honey tea and breakfast to freshen up, stroll around the streets of Pokhara and visit some of the iconic city attractions here. The destinations of Tal Barahi, Bindabasini, Begnas Lake and, others are among some of the places you can choose to visit today. Leave at early afternoon for a scenic drive back to Kathmandu stopping briefly in some famous places in the way. After you reach your hotel rest and go on for souvenir hunting in the streets of Thamel. You can find beautiful pictures, garments, ornaments, and handicrafts to take back as a memorandum to your home. You can also enjoy the partying nightlife in the city by entering some pub and bars here.
After your breakfast today, we will drive to the city of Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur is only about 45 minutes’ drive from your hotel. The first site of today will be the Historical Bhaktapur durbar (palace) square. The Palace was the ruling palace of Malla Kings before Kathmandu city. The golden gate temple, Palace of Fifty-five windows, and the Nyatapola temple square are some of the major attractions in and around the Palace. You can visit the painting schools here, view the Thangkas, and artforms around this fantastic city. You can taste the local Newari cuisine and the famous king curd (Juju Dhau) in Bhaktapur. Return to your hotel and stroll around Thamel in your evening today. Overnight at Kathmandu.
Your last day in Nepal will be full of joy and happiness as you look back to the achievements of your Dhaulagiri circuit trek in Nepal. We will have a parting breakfast with our crew and staffs, suggestions, feedbacks, and experience collection. In some of your spare time seek for some organic goods and products that you can take back home. We will transfer you to the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) a couple of hours before your flight. We will follow up with your suggestions and push forward for even better services in the coming days.
What's Included/Excluded
Accommodation
- Four nights Hotel in Kathmandu and One Night hotel in Pokhara with B/B basis
- Teahouse Accommodation while on the trek
Meals
- Welcome and farewell dinner at Nepali Kitchen
- All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea/coffee) while on the trek
Transportation
- Airport pick-ups and drops in a private vehicle
- All ground transportation on a comfortable private vehicle as per the itinerary
- Kathamndu – Pokhara – Jomsom – Pokhara by Domestic Flight Tickets.
Extras
- Full day sightseeing in Kathmandu /entrance fee
- All necessary paperwork and Annapurna Conservation Area Project/TIMS
- Professional & government licensed holder English Speaking Trekking Guide,Trekking Cook, Acc. Guide, Kitchen staff and necessary Local porters.
- Porter service (2 trekkers: 1 porter)
- Camping Equipment’s Guest Tents, Dining Tent, Kitchen Tent, Toilet Tent, Chairs and Table, Mattresses during the camping Trek
- Staff costs including their salary, insurance, equipment, food, Transportation and accommodation
- Warm clothing and other required trekking gear for staff including porters woolen hat, gloves, shocks, shoes & sunglasses etc…
- Hot Shower
- Trekking Map
- Medicine Box for Guide/Porters
- All government and local taxes
Not Included
- International Airfare and Nepal Visa fee
- Travel & Health Insurance
- Emergency Helicopter Rescue Insurance
- Lunch & Dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara
- Any Alcoholic Drinks, Water and deserts in Trek
- Battery Charges/International call/WIFI & Internet on trek
- Unforeseen Cost such as Flight Cancellation
- Tips for guides and porters
Notes
* Your big Luggage should be 12 kg each without your Carry bag (small bag). You have to carry 4/5 kg with a small bag during you walking on the Trekking. Your small bag should be over 30 to 40l.
* The flights in the Jomsom and Pokhara airport might sometimes get delayed or canceled due to bad weather conditions. We will book the flights succeeding it immediately so keep your patience and utilize your time visiting nearby attractions. You also have options to drive to these destinations which might change the itinerary by a bit.
* You have to bring personal medicine box for the mountain. You have to good physical condition is necessary to travel in Nepal. It is recommended to go to a doctor for a checkup before coming to Nepal.