Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek - 16 Days

IMG_6629

Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek is a package of thrilling adventures, enduring and noteworthy experiences you will be capturing for the rest of your life. A trek in the heart of the central Himalayas will signify you the beauty of the world’s 7th highest peak, Dhaulagiri (8167m). It is the range of the elegant Himalayas between the Bheri River and the Kali Gandaki River on the west and east respectively. Dhaulagiri Circuit holds a record of exciting as well as challenging tour that takes you through a mesmerizing glimpse of glaciers and a hilarious range of mountains.

Overview

Well, Mt. Dhaulagiri is not only the main attraction of this trek. You will feel blessed to see hilarious and splendid natural beauty, small local villages, and lush landscapes. It is also surrounded by Mt. Manaslu, Mt Annapurna, and 23 other neighboring Alps which makes this place absolute heaven. Thus, the difficult terrain and the less traveled trails make this trek sensational. Dhaulagiri Circuit is unquestionably a complete Himalayan trekking experience.

This trek is a rough, high altitude camping trip in one of the lesser-visited areas of the Annapurna Himalayas. The initial point where you will be experiencing this tour will be from Beni. It is a 2 to 3-hour drive from Pokhara. For the first few days, you will be traveling at the foot of Dhaulagiri.

You will see changing landscapes from fresh farmland to barren land and often the snow-covered Rocky Mountains. The higher you go, the more you will see the wide settlement of Magar ethnicity. People believe that the name Dhaulagiri has its meaning as it seems, “Dazzling, white, beautiful mountains”. You will also be crossing the popular pass in that area i.e. the French Pass and the Thapa pass. Both are on an altitude of 5300 and 5250 meters above sea level respectively. Moreover, you will be experiencing unique flora and fauna, the lifestyle of local people with their interesting and contrasting cultures.

All these add to the beauty of the Dhaulagiri Circuit trek. This trek will take at least 20-21 days from arrival in Kathmandu to departure. No matter how challenging or rough this trek will be, it will be worthwhile and mesmerizing for the trekkers. You must be physically fit energetic and ready to go all the time.

Outline itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu
Day 2: Sightseeing around Kathmandu valley
Day 3: Flight to Pokhara
Day 4: Trek from Darbang to Sibang
Day 5: Trek from Sibang to Naura
Day 6: Naura to Dobhan
Day 7: Dobhan to Italian Base Camp
Day 8: Acclimatization day
Day 9: Italian base camp to Japanese Base Camp
Day 10: Japanese base camp to Dhaulagiri Base camp
Day 11: Second acclimatization day
Day 12: Dhaulagiri Base camp to Hidden valley
Day 13: Hidden Valley to Yak Kharka
Day 14: Yak Kharka to Jomsom
Day 15: Jomsom to Pokhara
Day 16: Farewell/ Departure from Kathmandu

Trip Highlights:

  • Close up view of Mt Dhaulagiri and many other mountains.
  • The famous French Pass and the Thapa Pass
  • Beautiful villages like Marpha and Jomsom
  • Dhaulagiri Base camp at an altitude of 4740 meters above sea level.
  • Dhaulagiri lying above the deepest gorge in the world, Kali Gandaki
  • Annapurna I lying 34km east of Dhaulagiri
  • Dhaulagiri circuit trek is one of the most challenging and demanding trekking trails in Nepal
  • Exploration of the lifestyle of people with different ethnicities.
  • Breathtaking views of the mountain, landscapes, and villages
  • Authentic Nepali food and hospitality by local people

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival in Kathmandu, Nepal

You will be arriving in Kathmandu and your tour guide will be escorting you to the hotel where you will rest for the rest of the day and have dinner at the hotel.

Day 2
A quick city tour

The second day, you will be exploring the capital city, Kathmandu. After your breakfast at the hotel, your tour guide will take you sightseeing. You will be seeing Swoyambhunath also known as the monkey temple, Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath stupa and other places as well if time left. The tour guide will make sure to utilize this time. Return to hotel, have dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 3
Fly to Pokhara city

You will have your breakfast early morning at the hotel then catch a domestic flight to Pokhara. After you reach there, you will be traveling from Beni bazaar following the Kali Gandaki river and Myagdi River to Darbang village through a four-wheeler. You will be camping in the village overnight.

Day 4
Drive to Beni- Darbang- Trek to Sibang

After your breakfast, you will be climbing the mountain village of Dharapani. You will be observing a beautiful view of Gurja Himal and Puth Himal which are at an altitude of 7,193 meters and 7,246 meters respectively. You will be carrying on your journey to Sibang and overnight camping there along with a full board meal.

Day 5
Trek from Sibang to Naura

You will be proceeding to Naura. You will come across Gatti Khola and then Muri village where Myagdi and Dhara river meets. You will be crossing the bridge over Dhola Khola and then the agricultural fields. You will see the starting of thin settlements reaching the village of Naura. Dinner and overnight stay at the camp.

Day 6
Trek from Naura to Dovan

You will now be walking along the bank of Myagdi River and arrive at Bagar. You will now proceed to Dobhan then continue down the forest to Jyrban before climbing up for Lipshe. The path will be going in the forest part and overnight at the camp with a full board meal.

Day 7
Trek from Dovan to Italian Base Camp

The path will be covered with oaks, bamboos, and pine trees. You will be climbing up for Italian Base Camp and eventually see the mountains surrounding you. Now you can get the perfect view of the Tukuche peak at the height of 6920 meters, Dhaulagiri mountain range, and other peaks as well.

Day 8
Acclimatization Day

You will now be exploring Italian Base Camp and spend your day enjoying the breathtaking view of brilliantly still snow-capped mountains. You can rest there as well then night stay at the camp.

Day 9
Trek to Japanese Base Camp

Now you will depart from Italian Base camp and hike the rocky part on a steep slope before
crossing glacial brunettes. You will now come to a grassy area in Japanese Base Camp and you
will be seeing Dhaulagiri I (8167m) and Mt Pico Tsaurabong (6395m) on the west side. This will
take around 4-5 hours.

Day 10
Trek to Dhaulagiri Base Camp

Finally, you will be trekking toward the most challenging part of this journey, Dhaulagiri Base Camp. You will be walking on the wavy surface of the glacier. This will take you 4 to 5 hours. When you reach there you will see an amazing view of all the peaks along with incredible ice- fall that descends from Dhaulagiri and Tukuche peak. You will be settling there overnight in the camp.

Day 11
Acclimatization Day

You will need rest and restore the energy for upcoming treks. So you’re having an acclimatization day at Dhaulagiri Base Camp. You can spend your day exploring the surrounding areas.

Day 12
Trek to Hidden Valley

You will be proceeding towards the north direction of Chhondarban glacier. Follow the crooked path and head towards the French Pass where you will be observing a 360-degree view of mountain ranges surrounding you. Then you will be coming across a smooth trail that will lead you to Hidden Valley. It will take at least 6 to 7 hours. You will be staying at your camp overnight.

Day 13
Trek to Yak Kharka

After having your breakfast, you will be moving forward to Yak Kharka through Dhampus pass. You will the having an amazing scenario of Mt. Annapurna and Dhaulagiri in the background.

Day 14
Trek to Jomsom

You will reach the lower Mustang as you descend the steep slope from Yak Kharka to Markha Village. Marpha village is famous for its apple which is distributed all over Nepal. You will be passing through the villages, overlay road, and then following the Kali Gandaki River. After that, you will head towards the capital of Mustang, Jomsom. It is a windy district headquarters but making you sure that you will feel fresh and crisp air. You will have a farewell dinner/ last day party with tour guide and other tour members then night stay at a lodge. You will also be having typical Nepali food which is very healthy.

Day 15
Flight to Pokhara

You will be having your breakfast in the lodge then take off on a domestic flight from Jomsom to Pokhara. Even on the last day of your tour, you can still view the amazing and beautiful geographical scenarios from an aerial view. You will reach Pokhara just in a few hours and have your lunch there. From here on you can decide if you want to roam around and explore the places and activities you can do in Pokhara and return to Kathmandu.

Day 16
Fly to Kathmandu

You will be returning to Kathmandu from Pokhara after a long, hectic yet unforgettable trek. You will be taking along an enduring experience with you to your home country. Your tour guide will help you to your homeland

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek
Price From
$ 19,990 $ 1,791 Per Person
Add Travelers
Adult
$ 1,791 Per Adult
Need Help With Booking? Send Us A Message