Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek

Also known as Round Dhaulagiri Trek (French Pass / Hidden Valley).

Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek is an extreme 14-18-day teahouse/camping mix trek in the Annapurna region of Nepal, reaching 5,360 m. It starts at Darbang (road head beyond Beni; some itineraries still trek from Beni) and ends at Marpha/Jomsom (drive or fly to Pokhara).

Key facts

Region
Annapurna (Myagdi, Mustang)
Duration
14-18 days, 5-8 hours walking per day
Distance
100 km
Maximum altitude
5,360 m
Difficulty
Extreme — Graded 6 (Extreme): the hardest non-mountaineering route in this dataset. A wilderness expedition-style trek: back-to-back 5,000m+ passes (French Pass 5,360m, Dhampus Pass 5,244m), glacier travel on the Chhonbarban glacier, camping for the entire middle section with zero teahouses or evacuation shortcuts, and nights to -20C in Hidden Valley. Several operators grade it 5-6/extreme; only weather and snow conditions separate it from mountaineering.
Trek type
Teahouse/Camping mix, point-to-point route
Best season
Autumn (Oct-Nov, most stable for the passes) and late Spring (Apr-May)
Guide
Not mandatory
Restricted area
No
Budget cost
NPR 110,000–180,000
Comfortable cost
NPR 180,000–300,000
Guided cost
NPR 200,000–490,000
Getting there
Kathmandu -> Pokhara (tourist bus 6-8h) -> Beni (bus/jeep 3-4h) -> Darbang (jeep 1.5-2h, rough) -> trek -> Marpha/Jomsom -> Pokhara (bus/jeep 7-10h or 20-min flight from Jomsom)
Altitude sickness
Very high: the route climbs from a subtropical valley (1,100m) to sleeping at Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4,740m) and Hidden Valley (~5,100-5,200m) with no low-altitude escape once past Italian Base Camp; HAPE/HACE cases occur most seasons and descent options mid-route are limited to helicopter.

Weather

The lower Myagdi Khola valley is wet and landslide/leech-prone in monsoon; the high section (Italian BC to Dhampus Pass) is alpine and can see storms, deep snow and whiteout in any month. Afternoon wind on French Pass is severe. Winter snow depth and monsoon rockfall both effectively close the circuit; even in season, parties are regularly delayed at Dhaulagiri Base Camp waiting for a weather window.

Permits

Itinerary

  1. Day 1: Kathmandu to Pokhara, 0 h, 822 m — Highway drive
  2. Day 2: Pokhara to Darbang, 0 h, 1,110 m — Drive up the Kali Gandaki to Beni, then the Myagdi Khola road
  3. Day 3: Darbang to Dharapani (Myagdi), 4-5 h, 1,400 m — Terraced hillsides, Magar villages, first Dhaulagiri views
  4. Day 4: Dharapani to Muri, 5 h, 1,850 m — Large Magar village, Dhaulagiri and Gurja Himal panorama
  5. Day 5: Muri to Boghara, 5-6 h, 2,080 m — Steep descent to the Myagdi Khola, up-and-down trail through fields and forest
  6. Day 6: Boghara to Dobang, 5 h, 2,520 m — Narrowing forested gorge, increasingly wild country
  7. Day 7: Dobang to Sallaghari (Choriban Khola), 5 h, 3,110 m — Bamboo then pine forest, crossings of the upper Myagdi Khola
  8. Day 8: Sallaghari to Italian Base Camp, 5-7 h, 3,660 m — Treeline gives way to moraine beneath Dhaulagiri's colossal west face
  9. Day 9: Italian Base Camp to Italian Base Camp (acclimatization), 2-3 h, 3,660 m — Acclimatization hikes on surrounding moraine ridges
  10. Day 10: Italian Base Camp to Glacier Camp (Japanese Camp), 6-7 h, 4,210 m — Through the narrow avalanche-swept gorge onto the Chhonbarban glacier
  11. Day 11: Glacier Camp to Dhaulagiri Base Camp, 5-7 h, 4,740 m — Glacier/moraine travel to DBC under the north face; expedition tents in spring
  12. Day 12: Dhaulagiri Base Camp to Dhaulagiri Base Camp (acclimatization/contingency), 1-2 h, 4,740 m — Rest, hydration, weather watching before the pass push
  13. Day 13: Dhaulagiri Base Camp to Hidden Valley via French Pass, 6-8 h, 5,140 m — French Pass 5,360m - highest point; views of Dhaulagiri I, Tukuche, Sita Chuchura; descend into the desolate Hidden Valley
  14. Day 14: Hidden Valley to Yak Kharka (Mustang side) via Dhampus Pass, 7-8 h, 3,680 m — Dhampus (Thapa) Pass 5,244m, optional Dhampus Peak (6,012m) for climbers with permit - not included; huge descent toward the Kali Gandaki
  15. Day 15: Yak Kharka to Marpha, 4-5 h, 2,670 m — Descend to the apple-orchard village of Marpha; first showers, real food and lodges in a week
  16. Day 16: Marpha to Pokhara, 0 h, 822 m — Drive down the Kali Gandaki via Tatopani

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