A 15-day camping trek from Pokhara around the massif of Dhaulagiri I (8,167 m): up the Myagdi Khola to Italian Base Camp, along the Chhonbardan Glacier to Dhaulagiri Base Camp, over French Pass (5,360 m) into Hidden Valley, and over Dhampus Pass (5,240 m) down to Marpha and Jomsom in the Kali Gandaki.
A 15-day camping trek from Pokhara around the massif of Dhaulagiri I (8,167 m): up the Myagdi Khola to Italian Base Camp, along the Chhonbardan Glacier to Dhaulagiri Base Camp, over French Pass (5,360 m) into Hidden Valley, and over Dhampus Pass (5,240 m) down to Marpha and Jomsom in the Kali Gandaki.
The Dhaulagiri Circuit is one of the most demanding trekking routes in Nepal and one of the least crowded. It starts in the farming villages of Myagdi, follows the Myagdi Khola into the forest below the west face of Dhaulagiri, then climbs onto the Chhonbardan Glacier to the base camp below the mountain's north face. From there it crosses two passes above 5,000 m, French Pass and Dhampus Pass, either side of the high, empty basin of Hidden Valley, and drops into the Kali Gandaki at Marpha.
We drive from Pokhara via Beni to Darbang and walk the first days through terraced Magar villages, Dharapani, Muri and Boghara, on steep trails cut into the side of the Myagdi Khola gorge. Above Dobang the villages end and we camp in forest clearings at Sallaghari and then at Italian Base Camp (3,660 m), where we spend a second night to acclimatise, with Dhaulagiri's west face filling the head of the valley.
The middle of the trek is the hardest. From Italian Base Camp we descend onto the glacier and walk through the narrow Chhonbardan gorge, where we start early to avoid rockfall, to the Glacier Camp, sometimes called Japanese Base Camp (4,200 m). The next day takes us up the moraine to Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4,740 m), facing the icefall that spills off the north-east col. After another rest day we cross French Pass, with Dhaulagiri behind and Tukuche Peak and Sita Chuchura ahead, and camp in Hidden Valley at about 5,050 m. We keep a spare day here for weather before crossing Dhampus Pass and descending more than 1,500 m to Yak Kharka and the apple orchards of Marpha.
This is a fully supported camping trek. Your guide leads a crew of cooks, kitchen staff and porters who carry tents, food and fuel for the days above the villages. The first nights are spent in basic village lodges where they are available. Expect long days on rough ground, cold nights below freezing above Italian Base Camp, and snow on the passes in any season. We take the trek as a route that ends on the Mustang side of the range, finishing at Jomsom for the flight back to Pokhara.
This trek is for experienced, very fit trekkers who have already walked at altitude, ideally above 4,500 m, and are comfortable on rough, steep ground. Days run up to eight or nine hours, the glacier section involves boulder fields, moraine and possible rockfall, and both passes can be snow-covered, so you may need to walk with microspikes or crampons and follow your guide's instructions on exposed slopes. You spend five nights at or above 4,200 m in tents. Train for at least three months: long hill walks of six hours or more carrying 8 to 10 kg, back-to-back hiking days, and regular stair or hill sessions for leg strength. Previous experience of camping in cold conditions is a real advantage. Anyone with heart, lung or blood pressure conditions should consult a doctor before booking.
We leave Pokhara early and drive west via Baglung and Beni, then up the Myagdi Khola to Darbang, where your guide registers our permits. After lunch we cross to the west bank of the river and walk up through terraced fields to Dharapani, a Magar village above the valley.
The trail contours above the Myagdi Khola through millet and rice terraces, passing Takam and Sibang with views up the valley to Dhaulagiri's southern outliers. We finish at Muri, a large Magar village spread across a sunny hillside above the river.
We descend to the Myagdi Khola, cross it and climb up the far side, then follow a narrow trail cut into the steep valley wall through forest and past waterfalls. Boghara is the last sizeable village in the valley, perched on a shelf above the river.
Beyond Boghara the villages give way to forest of oak, bamboo and rhododendron. The trail climbs and drops along the valley side to Dobang, a small settlement on the river at the edge of the high forest.
We cross the Myagdi Khola on a wooden bridge and climb through fir, pine and birch forest, with the first close views of Dhaulagiri's west face appearing through the trees. The crew sets up our first full camp in the pine forest at Sallaghari.
The forest thins out as we climb along the moraine of the valley. Italian Base Camp sits on a grassy terrace at 3,660 m, directly below the west face of Dhaulagiri I and the peaks of Dhaulagiri II, III and V. It is a short day, which helps with acclimatisation.
A second night at Italian Base Camp gives the body time to adjust before the glacier. In the morning we walk up the ridge above camp to about 4,050 m for views of the Chhonbardan Glacier and the route ahead, then return for lunch. In the afternoon your guide checks everyone's microspikes, crampons and helmets.
We leave at first light and descend steeply onto the Chhonbardan Glacier, then walk up the narrow gorge between rock walls where stones fall as the day warms up; helmets on and no stopping. Above the gorge the valley widens and we camp on the moraine at the Glacier Camp, also called Japanese Base Camp.
We continue up the rocky glacier and its lateral moraine, with Dhaulagiri's north face rising above. Dhaulagiri Base Camp lies on the moraine at 4,740 m, facing the great icefall that falls from the north-east col between Dhaulagiri I and Tukuche Peak. Expeditions use the camp in spring and autumn.
A rest day before the highest crossing. We take a short walk on the moraine around camp to watch the icefall and stretch the legs, then rest, eat and drink well. Your guide reviews the plan for French Pass and checks the weather forecast by satellite.
An early start for the long, steady climb along the moraine and snow slopes to French Pass at 5,360 m, the highest point of the trek. From the top there are views back to Dhaulagiri I and ahead across Hidden Valley to Tukuche Peak, Sita Chuchura and Dhampus Peak. We descend gently across the open basin and camp in Hidden Valley at about 5,050 m.
We keep this day in hand for weather, either to wait at Dhaulagiri Base Camp before French Pass or here before Dhampus Pass. If it is not needed, we spend it exploring Hidden Valley, a wide, bare basin ringed by snow peaks where blue sheep are sometimes seen.
We climb gradually to Dhampus Pass (also called Thapa Pass) at 5,240 m, with Tukuche Peak close by and Tilicho Peak and the Annapurnas across the Kali Gandaki. The descent starts with a long traverse across steep slopes, which can be icy or loaded with snow, before dropping steeply to the summer pastures of Yak Kharka.
A steep descent through juniper scrub and then pine forest brings us down to Marpha, a Thakali village of whitewashed stone houses, flagstone lanes and apple orchards. After lunch and a taste of the local apple products, we walk up the Kali Gandaki to Jomsom for the night.
We take the early morning flight from Jomsom down the Kali Gandaki gorge to Pokhara, passing between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. After the transfer to your hotel the rest of the day is free.
Permits we arrange: Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP), TIMS card
The circuit needs the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, which costs NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals, and a TIMS card, which costs NPR 2,000 and can only be issued through a registered trekking agency. Since April 2023 foreign trekkers in Nepal's conservation areas must be accompanied by a licensed guide. Permits are checked at Darbang and again when you reach the Kali Gandaki. We arrange both permits; we need a scan of your passport and a passport photo at least a week before departure.
The route climbs from 1,470 m at Dharapani to 5,360 m on French Pass in eleven days, with rest days at Italian Base Camp and Dhaulagiri Base Camp. You sleep at 4,200 m, 4,740 m and about 5,050 m, and there is no quick way down from Hidden Valley except over one of the two passes. Tell your guide about any symptoms straight away. If someone shows signs of serious altitude illness above Italian Base Camp, the options are to descend on foot, which means retracing the glacier, or to call a helicopter, which is why your insurance must cover evacuation to at least 5,500 m.
Between Italian Base Camp and the Glacier Camp the trail drops onto the Chhonbardan Glacier and runs through a narrow gorge where stones fall from the walls, especially as the sun warms the slopes. We leave camp early, move through the gorge without stopping and ask everyone to wear a helmet. The glacier itself is covered in rock and moraine, with no technical ice climbing on the standard route, but footing is loose and the route changes from year to year.
French Pass and Dhampus Pass can hold snow at any time of year, and fresh snowfall makes the traverse below Dhampus Pass prone to avalanches. Bring microspikes or crampons that fit your boots and gaiters; your guide carries a rope. We keep a spare day in Hidden Valley so that we can wait out bad weather rather than cross in poor visibility. If it is not needed, it becomes a rest and exploration day.
Above Dobang there are no permanent villages or reliable lodges, so the crew carries everything. Nights in Hidden Valley and at Dhaulagiri Base Camp regularly fall to around minus 10 to minus 15 degrees Celsius, with strong wind in the afternoons. A sleeping bag rated to about minus 20 degrees and good insulated layers are essential. The cook prepares hot meals and boiled water in camp, and a toilet tent is set up at each site.
There are no ATMs between Beni and Jomsom, so draw enough rupees in Pokhara for drinks, snacks, charging and tips. Charging is possible in the villages of the Myagdi valley but not above Dobang, so bring a large power bank or a small solar panel. Mobile reception is patchy in the lower valley and absent on the glacier and in Hidden Valley; your guide carries a satellite communicator for emergencies.
The trek ends with a morning flight from Jomsom to Pokhara. Flights are often delayed by wind or cloud. If it does not go, we wait for the next morning or drive back to Pokhara by jeep, which takes most of a day. Keep at least one spare day before your onward travel.
Everything is yours to bring, except items marked “We provide” or “Rent locally”.
Waterproof and windproof shell jacket and trousers
Down jacketWe provide
On loan for the trek
Fleece or synthetic insulated mid-layer
Base layers, top and bottom
Two sets, plus one dry set kept for sleeping
Trekking trousers
Warm hat, sun hat and buff
Liner gloves and insulated waterproof gloves or mittens
Stiff, waterproof trekking boots that accept crampons or microspikes
Broken in before the trip
Gaiters
For snow on the passes
Camp shoes
Warm trekking socks
Five pairs
Four-season sleeping bag rated to about -20°CWe provide
On loan; bring a liner
Microspikes or cramponsRent locally
Available to hire in Pokhara; must fit your boots
HelmetRent locally
Worn through the Chhonbardan gorge
Trekking polesRent locally
Glacier sunglasses
Category 4
Daypack, 30 to 40 litres
Head torch with spare batteries
Insulated water bottles, 2 litres in total
Bottles can freeze in Hidden Valley
Large power bank or small solar panel
No charging above Dobang
Sun cream and lip balm with high SPF
Personal first aid kit and medication
Include blister care and any altitude medication your doctor prescribes
Water purification tablets
Passport with Nepal visa
Travel insurance details
Must cover helicopter evacuation to 5,500 m
Nepali rupees in cash
No ATMs between Beni and Jomsom
It is considerably harder. There are no villages for six days, you camp on and beside a glacier, and you cross two passes above 5,200 m with a night at about 5,050 m in between. We only take trekkers who have already walked at high altitude and are comfortable on rough, steep ground.
No technical climbing is involved on the standard route, but you should be comfortable walking on loose moraine and on snow slopes, and able to walk in microspikes or crampons. Your guide briefs everyone on their use before the passes.
Above Dobang there are no permanent villages or reliable lodges until Marpha, so we carry tents, food and fuel for the high section. The first nights are spent in basic village lodges in the Myagdi valley, and the last night before the flight is in a lodge in Jomsom.
April to May and October to November give the most stable weather. Spring often brings more snow on the passes, while autumn is colder but usually clearer. We do not run the trek in the monsoon, when the Myagdi valley trails are slippery and prone to landslides, or in winter, when the passes are usually closed by snow.
If snow or weather makes the pass unsafe, we wait at Dhaulagiri Base Camp using the spare day. If conditions do not improve, we turn back down the glacier and the Myagdi valley to the road. Your guide makes the final decision on the day.
Dhampus Peak (6,012 m) can be climbed from Hidden Valley with extra days, a climbing permit and mountaineering equipment. It is not part of this itinerary, but we can add it if you have the experience; ask us when you book.
The circuit starts in Myagdi district on the west side of Dhaulagiri and finishes in Mustang district. Hidden Valley, Dhampus Pass, Marpha and Jomsom are all on the Mustang side, and the trek ends at Jomsom airport, so we list it with our Mustang treks.
Porters carry your kit bag up to 15 kg, which includes the loaned sleeping bag and down jacket. You carry a daypack with water, layers, snacks and your camera. Anything not needed on the trek can stay at your hotel in Pokhara.
Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek
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