Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking

Detail Itinerary

Day 01Arrival in Kathmandu (1,350 m) and Transfer to the Hotel. Overnight at HotelUpon your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, our representative from Himkala Adventure cordially welcomes you and transfers you to hotel at Thamel. It is 5 km in distance and takes 20 minutes by car. After check in hotel, you can take rest or explore the local area. Overnight at Kathmandu

Day 02Sightseeing around Kathmandu Valley and Trek Preparation.O/N at Hotel After breakfast, we set out for the guided city tour in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These are old historical monuments with graceful arts and crafts, enchanting architecture and live ritual practices since long. We can visit the ornately decorated the stupa and monasteries, Pagoda, shikhara styled temples, courtyards and palaces. These places are still full of crowded people for offering and performing religious activities. After the city tour, we return back to hotel and brief you the Dhaulagiri trekking that we begin from tomorrow. Overnight in Kathmandu

Day 03Drive from Kathmandu to Beni (850 m) by bus - 8 hrs. O/N at Guest House Today, we drive from Kathmandu to Beni. It is 282 km west from Kathmandu. We go through Prithivi Highway passing the lake city Pokhara. This will be the scenic drive in the well paved road. The can have lunch anywhere in the highway restaurant. The rushing river Trishuli, and Marshyangdi offer different charm. It takes about 8 hours by bus. Beni is the headquarters of Baglung district which has the Police check post and the trekking permit of Dhaulagiri Circuit is being examined here. The town is situated in the confluence of Myagdi Khola and Kali Gandaki River. Overnight at Beni

Day 04Trek from Beni to Babiachour (950 m),5 hrs. O/N at Tented Camp After breakfast, we head west along the north bank of the Myagdi Khola through the village of Beni Mangalghat to Singa and Tatopani. We cross the bridge beyond the village to the south bank of the River. We cross the other bridge near the Simalchaur Village and back to north bank from where the trail goes continuously to the village of Babiachaur

Day 05Trek from Babiachaur to Dharapani (1,400m), 6 hrs. O/N at Tented Camp After breakfast, we pass the village of Shahashradhara, cross the Duk Khola and walk through fields. We arrive at Ratorunga. From here, the valley narrows again and terraces disappears on either side of the river. We continue the path to Dharapani. Overnight at Dharapani

Day 06Trek from Dharapani to Muri (1,850 m), 5 hrs. O/N at Tented Camp We cross the river from the west bank and climb to the ridge. We again climb steeply to the village of Muri. We continue our trek to Sibang and Mattim. From here, we further ascend and hit the ridge, descend to Gatti Khola and reach Phalai Gaun (1,810). We cross the Dhara Khola and emerge on the west bank of the Myagdi Khola. We climb the ridge to the large Magar Vilage of Muri. Overnight at Muri

Day 07Trek from Muri to Boghara (2,080 m), 6 hrs. O/N at Tented camp After breakfast, we descend and cross a stream and continue through terraced fields before climbing a ridge to pass. We walk down to Myagdi Khola, follow the west bank and reach to Naura Village from where we climb to grassy hill and steep slope. We descend through the forest and terraced fields to Boghara. Overnight at Boghara

Day 08Trek from Boghara to Dobang (2,520 m), 5hrs. O/N at Tented Camp We first descend through the terraced fields to a small ridge. Then we follow the way through forest to Jyardan, After Jyardan, the winding path crosses the rocky area and descends before climbing to Lipse. There is only one hut. The trail continues through a forest to Lapche Kharka and climb to Dobabang. Overnight at Dobang

Day 09Trek from Dobang to Choriban Khola (3,110 m), 5 hrs. O/N at Tented Camp After breakfast, we cross the bridge and ascend through the forest. We descend to Myagdi Khola and cross the wooden bridge and continue the east bank to Chartare. We pass the forest and rocky area and cross the stream to Choriban Khola. Overnight at Choriban Khola

Day 10Trek from Choriban Khola to Italian Base Camp (3,660 m), 7 hrs. O/N at Tented Camp After breakfast, we follow the terminal moraine of the Chhonbardan Glacier and enter the glacier from the right. We can see the Tukuche Peak straight ahead and at the far end, the north flank of Dhaulagiri seems dominating the skyline to our right. After a while, we reach to Italian Camp. Overnight at Italian Base Camp

Day 11Acclimatization and Rest Day. O/N at Tented Camp Today, we spend the day to acclimatize, to revitalize and get ready for the challenging trek to Glacier Camp. Overnight at Italian Base Camp

Day 12Trek from Italian Base Camp to Glacier Camp (4,210 m), 6 hrs. O/N at Tented Camp Today, we begin our trek early in the morning expecting the clear weather. We walk through glacier moraine and snow. The trail goes through narrow gorge named Chonbardan. The route is risky but the scenery is beyond our imagination. Overnight at Glacier Camp

Day 13Trek from Glacier Camp to Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4,740 m), 7 hrs. O/N at Tented Camp From The Glacier Camp, we ascend to the Dhaulagiri Base Camp. Dhaulagiri is the White Mountain which has accumulated snow more than any other peaks in Nepal. The impressive north face of Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) dominates the skyline to our right. We can see the icefall descending from the north east col. As we reach to the Dhaulagiri Base Camp, we can enjoy the marvelous scenery of Dhaulagiri II, Dhaulagiri IV and Tukuche. Overnight at Dhaulagiri Base Camp

Day 14Cross The French Pass (5,360 m), then trek to The Hidden Valley (5,200 m), 6 hrs. O/N at Tented Camp Today, we climb two terraced hills after the glacier. The first one which runs along the glacier cuts the mountain flank and the moraine. We enter a gentle incline on the left from the valley. We climb the gentle slope to the French Pass. From French Pass, we can see the Mukut Himal,Tashi Kang, Sita Peak which have enclosed the hidden valley. From French Pass, we continue along the right edge of the hidden valley losing a little altitude to the Thapa Pass (5,250 m). We descend down from Thapa Pass and arrive at Hidden Valley where we camp for tonight. Overnight at Hidden Valley

Day 15Cross Dhampus pass (5,200 m), and trek to Yak Kharka (3,680 m), 6 hrs. O/N at Tented Camp We make a gentle climb through snow to reach to Dhampus Pass. We can see the Dhampus peak on the left and Tukuche on the right. After climbing over 5,200 m Pass, we descend down through risky slopes to Yak Kharka. Overnight at Yak Kharka

Day 16Trek from Yak Kharka to Jomsom (2,710 m), 5 hrs. O/N at Tented Camp After breakfast, we continue our trek from Yak Kharka to Jomsom. So, we reach to the village of Marpha, on the west bank of the Kali Gandaki River. Marpha is popular for the apple orchards and apple brandy. We continue north, up the river valley to the town of Jomsom. Overnight at Jomsom

Day 17Fly from Jomsom to Pokhara (827 m),25 min. Sightseeing around Pokhara. O/n at Hotel We fly from Jomsom to Pokhara in the morning. It is short and comfortable flight of 20 minutes over the mountain ranges. After our arrival, we can check in the hotel and take a rest for a while. Then after lunch we can go for the city tour. First, we can visit the Bindawasini temple and proceed to Seti Gorge. After this, we head towards south to Davi’s falls, Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave and Tibetan Refugee camp. We drive back to Lake Side and go for boating. We visit the small island where there is Tal Barahi Temple. We return back to hotel. Overnight at Pokhara

Day 18Drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu (1,350 m), 6-7 hrs. O/N at Hotel We drive back to Kathmandu from Pokhara. It is the same highway we drove before, 200 km from Pokhara. We cross many bridges over the streams. Following the bank of Trishuli River, we arrive at Kathmandu. In the evening, Himkala has arranged the dinner with Nepali Cultural Show in the Nepalese restaurant. Overnight at Kathmandu

Day 19Departure to the International Airport We depart you to the International Airport 3 hours before to your scheduled flight. If you have enough time, you could go for shopping in the local market around Asan, Indrachowk, and the dainty gifts to your family members, relatives and friends. We finally depart you to the airport. We are very much obliged to you that you joined Himkala Adventure for the trek to Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking. Hope to see you again and we wish you to have safe journey to your onward destination. Namaste!!!

Photos of Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking

Trip FAQ

Himkala Adventure would like to quench the thirst of all necessary questions answers about Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking for all curious travelers/trekkers in the world. As you are entirely from different geographical location, you could better to know everything about the treks from the beginning i.e. airport pick up till your departure like airport picks up, drops off, accommodation in city, in the trek, guide and porters, safety for the trekking, food and accommodation and some other things that you might face on the way. Hope our endeavor listing these questions answers will help you self informed.

This is simply the outlines of the services we offer but it may differ as per your requirement, number of trekkers. What we go through our conversation, we will manage the means of transportation, hotels in the city, accommodation in the trekking, numbers of porters etc. This is general idea about Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking before your trip and you become clearer about the trek. Please feel free to contact us to get more information about the trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal.

1) How is Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking in Nepal?

Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking is a strenuous trek, through high alpine pastures, higher passes, serene and uninhabited valleys.Mt.Dhaulagiri is in the western part of Nepal, probably the best spot for remote and adventurous trekking in Nepal. The simple reason behind it is that it consists of more than fifteen 7,000 m magnificent peaks with land of dramatic contrast.

2) What physical fitness do I need to book this trip?

Every trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal require the certain level of physical and mental fitness.So, we advise you to be in good physical shape and able to feel comfortable while hiking up and down 7 to 12 miles per day on a trail carrying a day pack of about 10 pounds. Three things could make you confident enough for any trek you would like to do: aerobic, strength and mental.

Aerobic conditioning is important primarily because you will be trekking in thinner air, up to 40% less than at sea level. With good aerobic conditioning, you will be able to better metabolize whatever oxygen is available to you. You should plan on doing at least one hour of aerobic 3 /4 times per week for 1 month or more before your arrival in Nepal. Walking, jogging, cycling, hiking on valley floor to ridge line ascents with day back are some of the excellent forms of exercise, so long as you are strengthening leg muscles and building stamina. Speed is not the essence; stamina, confidence and continuity are.

3) How do I find Himkala Adventure for my pick up at the airport?

Our representative from Himkala Adventure will display a small board of company or with your name outside the airport terminal. You will be driven to the hotel by our tourist vehicle.

4) What sort of accommodation do I get in Kathmandu?

Normally we provide standard rooms with twin sharing accommodations at three star or similar category hotels in Kathmandu including breakfast. Accommodation in these cities can be upgraded as per your request. But some of our packages are sold without accommodation in the city.

5) How is camping trek during Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking?

Camping trek to Dhaulagiri Circuit is fully organized and supported, with a team of guides, cooks, and porters to accompany you. Our porters carry all the trekking gear, food, fuel and personal belongings. Our cooks prepare hot meals. Trekkers need only carry a small bag as required for the day. At night, tents for dining, sleeping and ablutions tents are provided and set up, also mattresses and down-filled sleeping bags, tables and seating.

In a typical camping trek, we start the day around 6 a.m. with a cup of hot tea. You are then provided with a bowl of warm water for washing. Then trekkers enjoy breakfast before leaving camp. The trek begins around 7.30 - 8 a.m.Trekkers can set their pace for pausing and sightseeing and the walk to the lunch spot will normally take 3 hours. On arrival, you are served hot lunch. In the afternoon, after walking for another 3 to 4 hours, you arrive at the next camp around 5 p.m. Tea & snacks are served while our staff readies the camp. Dinner time is around 6/7 p.m. in the dining tent, lit with lanterns and comfortably furnished. The food is healthy, wholesome and hygienically prepared.

6) What mode of transportation do I use?

We will provide the private transportation for Airport/Hotel/Airport pick up and drop and sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley. We use transportation as based on our cost inclusion section. The transportation varies depending on your requirements at the time of booking the trip.

7) What is the best season for this trekking?

The best season for Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking is spring (March to May) and autumn (September to December). These are the perfect time of the year for the breathtaking views of Himalayas with clear and sunny days. But the weather in the mountains is unpredictable.

8) What is the weather and temperature like during the trekking?

The climate in Nepal varies from place to place which can be categorized in different four main seasons. The main seasons in Nepal are spring (March to May), summer (June to August), autumn (September to November) & winter (December to February). The best season to travel in Nepal is autumn (September, October & November) & spring (March, April & May). Weather in the mountains is unpredictable. But the day temperature in Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking is comfortable.

9) Who will be guiding me during this trip?

We provide the professional government license holder English speaking trekking guides for our entire trekking trip. We can also provide French, Spanish, Japanese, German or Italian speaking guides as per your preference with extra payment but not guaranteed.  All guides will be Nepali people who are carefully selected on the basis of their appropriate experience, leadership skills and personality. They are all trained from Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management, certified and approved by the Tourism Department of Nepal government.  We provide a different city tour guide to guide you in UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu. They are the professional license holder guide specialized in culture, history, geography, iconography, archeology and religion with good command over English. Tour guides are specialized in city tour and trekking guides are more in the hiking and trekking in the Himalayas.

10) What sort of experience do your guides have?

Our entire city tour guides have bachelors to Master Degree academic education along with many months tour guiding training from Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management, Rabi Bhawan, Kathmandu, Nepal. They are fluent in spoken languages and informative about the sites in many aspects. They are quite experienced and dedicated to their job and responsibilities.

Our entire trekking guides have minimum Intermediate to Master Degree academic education with trekking guide training from Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management, Rabi Bhawan, Kathmandu, Nepal. Many of them are from villages. As they are local, they know more about the routes, necessary precaution to be taken and so on. They have spent many years exploring many parts of the country. They are trained in first aid and able to handle any situation easily. They speak good English and make you know about the places you visit.

11) May I charge my electronic devices during Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking?

This is fully camping trek, so we may not be nearby any settlements. You could better manange extra battery or any other alternatives.

12) What is the social and environmental responsibility of Himkala Adventure for this trip?

The situation of environment in Nepal is in considerable stage due to so many factors caused by global warming, human activities, and adverse effects of natural incidents. Nepal is in between two giant countries like China and Nepal. The ozone layer is depleting and the atmosphere is getting heated. So, its direct effect is to the Himalayas that the snow is melting day by day and the sea level is rising. It is due to population growth, people are clearing the forest and the soil is being eroded. As a part of society, and our trekking related activities are directly concerned with the social and environmental things. We are very conscious not litter in the open spaces, to manage garbage properly and make local people aware in this campaign. We are working together with other companies and taking these issues seriously.

13) What is the minimum number requirement for this trip?

We operate individual trip to the group joining trips for Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking. If you want to do any private trip we are ready to organize for solo traveler as well with some additional charges.

14) Are there communication or internet services during Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking?

We highly recommend taking local SIM card for call and internet services during trekking. Local SIM cards are easily available in many stores and at airport as well. You need to provide two copies of your photographs and your passport copy to get local SIM CARDS of NCELL & NTC (only these two companies provide telephone services in Nepal

15) May I add extra days in trekking?

We are ready to operate your holidays as per your interest and requirements. You can spend extra days on your loving or favorable places or even can make it shorter. We will always do our best to manage your hotel bookings, flight booking and everything.

16) What happens in case of emergency?

Himkala Adventure has prepared for any emergency situation and knows how to handle it. Our guides are trained in first aid and can deal with most of the basic ailments that occur during the trek. Every client should have his own insurance before coming to Nepal for the case of emergency.

17) Do I need to have insurance for this trip?

We request you to have a travel-insurance policy to cover theft, loss, medical problem & emergency helicopter evacuation from high altitude places before coming Nepal. Choose a policy to cover your emergency high altitude helicopter evacuation with all medical insurances for trekking in high altitude in the Himalayas of Nepal.  Your travel insurance is always needed before going in any high altitude trekking.  Please check your travel insurance policy which doesn’t exclude mountaineering or alpinism.  Although you will not be engaging in these activities in your trekking, you might have problem convincing the insurance company of this fact.  Rescue insurance need to cover an emergency helicopter evacuation or a charted flight from remote mountain trails of Nepal as well as international medical evacuation. A helicopter evacuation might cost US$ 2500 to US$10000 depending on the places.  So that travel insurance to cover all above is must to travel in the high Himalayas of Nepal

18) What type of shoes should I wear during Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking?

You could better have carefully chosen hiking boots with extra laces and camp shoes, which should be kind of strong, well-made but light boots for Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking. Shoes and boots are best to buy before arriving in Nepal. We advise you to wear your new shoes for sometime before trek so that you could feel well habituated on the newer trail for your feet.

19) Can I use credit cards in Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking?

Of course not, you can use only in the cities like Kathmandu but not in Dhaulagiri Circuit Trekking route. When you are out of city, all you need is cash, better to have small notes. Please change the currency in local Nepali rupees before you go to the mountains.

20) Do I need to tip my guide and porter? How much would that be?

Tipping is not mandatory, neither it is right to ask by anyone but it is a way of showing gratitude after taking service. The level of tip also shows how satisfy you are from the team that you had been during your tour/trek.However, we recommend you to spend minimum 10% of your total trip cost for tipping entire local staffs, the ratio of tipping guide and porter will be given to you at the pre-trip meeting in Kathmandu before starting the trek.

Trip Note

Cost:

The cost of trip varies according to the number of travelers in the group, the category of the Hotel, mode of the transportation and any kind of changes (if there is). So, if you would let us know all of these above mentioned things, then we could quote you the exact price.

Essential Documents:

You are requested to send the following documents after you confirm or book the trip with Himkala Adventure:

A copy of your passport and travel/health insurance documents with contact details, three passport size photos.

It is advised to maintain a separate photocopy of all important documents including traveler’s cheques, bank/ATM card, contact numbers, international flight tickets, and emergency contact numbers.

Weather:

The main trekking season in Nepal is from October to December and March to May. The day temperature for walking to Dhaulagiri Circuit is comfortable. The sky is clear although there is snow and rainfall occasionally. It is about 10 degree centigrade at the height of 3,600 m and increasingly lower, the higher we go. 

Nepal Strikes:

There is much more progress in the political scenario in Nepal and we assure you that travelling in Nepal is safe. But there may be Bandha (wide transport strikes) at a very short notice. The shuttle bus is in operation by Nepal Tourism Board and the Nepal Tourist Police in conjunction with the Himalayan Rescue Association from domestic and international terminal to the various hotels in Kathmandu. The service costs 300 rupees per person.

Itinerary Disclaimer:

Himkala has thoughtfully designed all the itineraries but our itineraries are updated for the betterment on the basis of our past travelers’ comments and our own research. In case you find changes in the itinerary you printed and the upgraded one does not affect your trip. Please note that some changes may occur in our itineraries due to bad weather and common seasonal changes to timetables and transport routes.

Physical Rating:

Your trip will be meaningful if you could find yourself fit and fine. You will be walking up to 5,360 m from the sea level. As the geographical region varies, there is a temperature variation as well. So, we advise you to undertake regular physical exercise, jogging, hiking, riding, ascending and descending the long stairs etc.

Group Size:

Himkala Adventure organizes solo to group travelers. Our group trips are designed for sharing accommodation and there is no single supplement. Single travelers share with the same gender from twin to multi-share in an accommodation. You are requested to have mutual understanding in between the fellow travelers who have joined from the different parts of the world. Please remember that you have great responsibilities in the group. If you are requested to be at a particular place at a certain time, make sure that you have been there at a time. It is much more pleasing sharing experiences and traveling together.

Accommodation and Meals:

Accommodation and Foods in the Himalayan region of Nepal cannot be compared with any developed countries in the world. We know that you might not have experienced such things before but you should take it easy. Accommodations at local lodges are simple but clean and comfortable. The food is plain. Toilets and washing facilities are shared and rudimentary. In high altitude regions, there are very few tea houses and one has to be happy to share in simple dormitories without electricity, without running water. Hot shower means a  bucket of hot water upon our request.

Money Matters:

Please note that most establishments in Asia will not accept foreign currency notes that are old, torn or faded and they can be very difficult to exchange or extra fees added when exchanging at banks. Please ensure that you have new, clean notes.

The official currency of Nepal is the Nepali Rupee (NPR). ATMs can be found only in major cities of Nepal like Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan, Bhaktapur etc. The government of Nepal has banned the import, export and use of 500 and 1000 Indian rupee notes in Nepal. You make sure that you won’t carry these notes upon arrival in Nepal, otherwise they are confiscated and you may be fined.

Please make sure that the foreign currency notes that you have are new and clean notes because old, torn or faded foreign currency notes in Nepal are very difficult to exchange or extra fees added when exchanging at banks.

While travelers cheques have security advantages exchanging them can be a lengthy process, commissions can be high (up to 10%) and they can be difficult to change in rural areas, on weekends and public holidays. If you choose to bring travelers’ cheques, make sure they are a major brand and major currency.

Tipping:

Tipping is not mandatory. It is not anyone’s right asking for tips but if you are happy with the service, you could tip the staffs. It is entirely a personal preference. Tipping could be significant to them who took take great care of you in your traveling period. Himkala recommends that you could tip any intended recipient by any member of the group than collected and passed on by the group leader.

Note: Please do not tip with coins or dirty and ripped notes. This is culturally taken as an insult.

Local Dress in Nepal:

Nudity is a sensitive issue in Nepal. Women should avoid wearing shorts and sleeveless tops in public places where this might be seen as inappropriate. Remove shoes before entering certain holy places. Non-Hindus are not permitted in some temples.

Feedback:

Your feedback will be the great guidance to meet our target and to bring improvement in our service. What and how have you experienced with Himkala Adventure and our staff? Please write, we will read it carefully. One cannot see his/her shortcomings that are lying with them. Someone should point it out. We are always eager to hear from you.