23-Day Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek Nepal

23 Days to the Hidden Valley and Back

Days 1 to 3  |  Kathmandu to Beni

Arrive in Kathmandu for the expedition briefing, then drive west the next day on the Prithvi Highway to Pokhara, with Machapuchare and the Annapurna range visible above the southern foothills for most of the way. An evening beside Phewa Lake is a calm start before the serious walking begins. The next morning, drive on to Beni, where the Kali Gandaki and Myagdi rivers meet, the last town of any size before the wilderness of the upper Myagdi valley.

Days 4 to 8  |  The Myagdi Ascent

From Beni the trail follows the Myagdi Khola upstream, well away from the usual Nepal trekking routes. The Magar and Gurung villages of the lower valley are traditional and largely untouched by the tourism that has shaped the Annapurna and Khumbu regions: the houses are stone and timber, the fields are worked by hand, and the people on the trail are local people rather than passing visitors. The forest changes with altitude, from subtropical mixed growth low down to dense oak, fern, and rhododendron in the middle section. The trail climbs steadily through Muri, Ramche, and Lapche to the remote settlement of Dobang, below the first big mountain walls.

Days 9 to 11  |  Italian Base Camp and Glacier Camp

Above Dobang the trail enters the Chhonbarban glacier basin and the landscape changes completely. The north face of Dhaulagiri I comes into view as you climb, rising over 4,000 meters from base to summit, one of the largest mountain faces in the Himalaya. Italian Base Camp, at 3,660 meters, is the acclimatization stop before the high section, and we never skip the rest day here. The gorge above Italian Base Camp toward Glacier Camp is narrow and prone to rockfall, and the guide team moves the group through it at the right time and pace.

Days 12 to 14  |  Dhaulagiri Base Camp and French Col

Dhaulagiri Base Camp, at 4,740 meters, looks out over the whole Dhaulagiri group: the main summit above, and Dhaulagiri II, III, and V along the ridgeline to the west. The crossing of French Col, at 5,360 meters, is the hardest part of the expedition: a steep climb on snow and ice to a narrow col, where the wind is constant and you can see the Hidden Valley below on the far side. The valley is a high plateau of bare rock and icefields at around 5,000 meters, under a huge sky, with peaks over 7,000 meters on all sides. Nights here are cold in any season and extreme in the shoulder months.

Days 15 to 23  |  The Return through Mustang and Annapurna

From the Hidden Valley the route crosses Dhampus Pass and drops through the Thapa Col into the Kali Gandaki corridor, by some measures the world’s deepest river gorge. Marpha is the first sizable settlement on the way back: a whitewashed, Tibetan-style village known for its apple orchards and the apple brandy it has made for generations. Continue south through Tukuche and Ghasa to Tatopani, where natural hot springs at the river’s edge make for the most welcome bath of the trek. The last days climb back into the Annapurna foothills through the mossy forests of Tadapani and the terraced village of Ghandruk, before the drive back to Kathmandu.

Day by Day

Days 1 to 3  Kathmandu to Beni  The Road West

Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfer to your hotel, where the SherpaHolidays team welcomes you. The expedition briefing that evening is detailed and important, because the Dhaulagiri Circuit is a hard expedition and needs different preparation from a standard trek. It covers the full 23-day route, including the altitude profile from Beni to French Col at 5,360 meters, the acclimatization plan for Italian Base Camp and Glacier Camp, the particular hazards of the gorge above Italian Base Camp, the camping logistics for 15 nights in the field, and the gear you need for nights at minus twenty degrees Celsius in the Hidden Valley. It also covers the Magar and Gurung villages on the way in and the Tibetan-influenced communities of the Mustang corridor on the way out.

The next morning’s drive west to Pokhara follows the Prithvi Highway through the middle hills, with the Annapurna range visible to the north for much of the way. Pokhara, at 800 meters, sits at the southern foot of the range, with Annapurna and Machapuchare rising directly above the lakeside city. An evening row on Phewa Lake, with Machapuchare reflected in the water, is a calm, unhurried start to the weeks in the mountains. The next morning the drive to Beni takes two hours along the Kali Gandaki valley road. Beni is a market town where the two rivers meet, and its bridge across the Myagdi Khola is where the trail north into the upper valley begins.

Stay: Luxury Hotel in Kathmandu then Hotel in Pokhara then Mountain Lodge in Beni

Days 4 to 8  Beni to Dobang  The Myagdi Ascent

From Beni the trail follows the Myagdi Khola upstream, far from the usual Himalayan trekking routes. There are no tea houses at regular intervals, no guesthouses at the camps, and on most days no other trekking groups. The Magar communities of the lower valley are among the oldest peoples of the western hills, with a language and customs distinct from the Gurung villages farther up the valley and from the Tibetan-influenced communities higher still. The houses are stone, the terraced fields are worked by hand, and the villages have stood where they are for as long as anyone can reliably trace.

The forest changes as the trail climbs. The subtropical growth of the lower valley gives way to dense oak and fern in the middle section, where the trees grow large, protected by remoteness rather than by any formal conservation status. Rhododendron covers the upper slopes and blooms red and pink in March and April. The trail crosses the river on log bridges in the narrower gorges and climbs the valley walls where the river leaves no room at its banks. Muri, Ramche, and Lapche come at intervals, each village smaller and higher than the last. After five days of walking you reach Dobang, a remote settlement at the edge of the high country, where the valley walls start to steepen toward the glacier basin.

Stay: Professional Tented Camp

Days 9 to 11  Italian Base Camp to Glacier Camp  Into the Glacier Basin

From Dobang the trail climbs steeply into the Chhonbarban glacier basin, and the vegetation thins from forest to high scrub and then bare moraine. The north face of Dhaulagiri I appears gradually as you gain height: first the upper icefields above the ridgeline, then the whole face as the basin opens out. It rises about 4,000 meters from the glacier to the summit at 8,167 meters, and from Italian Base Camp, at 3,660 meters, you are looking up at one of the largest mountain faces in the world. The acclimatization day here gives your body time to adjust before the higher sections, and gives you time to take in the mountain above.

The gorge above Italian Base Camp toward Glacier Camp is the most technically serious ground on the approach. The narrow channel is prone to rockfall from the walls above, and the guide team has set procedures for moving through it at the times and pace that minimize risk. You are not exposed for long, but it takes attention and good conditions. Glacier Camp, above the gorge, sits above the vegetation line among ice and moraine, in deep silence. The sky is a deeper blue than it looks from below, the surrounding peaks stand out in full on clear days, and at night you can hear the glacier moving slowly below camp.

Stay: Professional Tented Camp

Days 12 to 14  Dhaulagiri Base Camp to Hidden Valley  The High Crossing

Dhaulagiri Base Camp, at 4,740 meters, sits on a wide moraine bench with the main summit of Dhaulagiri I directly above and the other peaks of the Dhaulagiri group to the west. On a clear morning it is one of the best high-altitude viewpoints in Nepal: a ring of peaks over 7,000 meters with the world’s seventh-highest mountain at its center. Mountaineering expeditions attempting the north and north-east faces have used this camp since the 1950s. The Italian and Swiss expeditions that put the first routes up the north face staged from here, and cairns and old hardware from those attempts are still on the glacier above.

French Col, at 5,360 meters, is the highest point of the expedition. From base camp the route follows the glacier, then steepens to a snow and ice slope below the col. Fixed ropes on the steepest section help with the crossing, and the guide team carries the technical equipment the conditions require. The col is narrow, and the wind through it is steady and cold. On the far side the Hidden Valley opens below: a wide plateau of rock and ice at around 5,000 meters, enclosed by the Dhaulagiri and Tukuche ranges and very different from anything on the approach from the Myagdi. It is barren, brown, huge, and quiet, and with no forest or valley below them, the surrounding peaks over 7,000 meters are hard to judge in scale.

Nights in the Hidden Valley at this time of year are much colder than anything lower down. Temperatures can drop to minus twenty degrees Celsius, and the wind chill below the col is significant. This section calls for the gear of a cold-weather alpine expedition rather than a standard trek: a sleeping bag rated to minus twenty-five degrees, a four-season tent, and a layering system for nights on a high plateau. The SherpaHolidays team provides the camping equipment, including sleeping mattresses; you are responsible for your own sleeping bag and warm layers.

Stay: Professional Tented Camp (temperatures to -20°C)

Days 15 to 23  Dhampus Pass to Kathmandu  The Long Return

From the Hidden Valley the route crosses Dhampus Pass on the southern rim of the plateau, drops steeply into the Thapa Col, and follows the long ridge down toward the Kali Gandaki. The change from one side of the pass to the other is one of the sharpest on any trekking route in Nepal: within a day the bare rock and ice of the Hidden Valley give way to scrub and then the juniper of lower Mustang, and within two days you are among the apple orchards and stone lanes of Marpha, at 2,670 meters. Marpha is a Tibetan-style village of whitewashed houses with covered walkways against the Kali Gandaki wind. It is known across the region for its apples and apple products, including a brandy the village has made for generations.

South of Marpha the trail follows the Kali Gandaki gorge through Tukuche and Ghasa, with sheer walls on both sides as the river cuts between the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna massifs. Measured from the river to the summits beside it, this stretch of the Kali Gandaki is the deepest gorge in the world: Dhaulagiri, at 8,167 meters, and Annapurna I, at 8,091 meters, stand within 35 kilometers of each other on opposite sides of the same valley. The trail through the gorge is sheltered and lower, and the change from alpine to subtropical comes quickly as you lose height.

Tatopani, at 1,190 meters, has natural hot pools at the river’s edge, fed by geothermal water at a comfortable bathing temperature. After two weeks of glaciers and cold camps, an hour in these pools is one of the simple pleasures of the trek. The last days climb back into the Annapurna foothills through the rhododendron forests above Tadapani and the terraced village of Ghandruk, one of the most prosperous Gurung communities in the Annapurna region. From Pokhara you drive back to Kathmandu on the same Prithvi Highway, with the mountains behind you this time, three weeks after the drive out.

Stay: Mountain Lodges then Luxury Hotel in Pokhara then Luxury Hotel in Kathmandu

The Sherpa Standard

Every SherpaHolidays trip is fully supported from arrival to departure. Here is what that means on this one.

Accommodation and Meals

• City Hotels: Boutique hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara on a twin-sharing basis.
• Full Expedition Camping: 15 nights of full-service tented camping, with double-size sleeping tents, dedicated toilet tents, and a full kitchen tent setup at every campsite.
• Full Board on Trek: All meals during the trekking and camping days (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), freshly prepared by the expedition kitchen team, with coffee, tea, and fruit juice every day.

Leadership and Support

• Expedition Guide: One English-speaking Sherpa trekking guide with expert knowledge of the Dhaulagiri approach, high-altitude navigation, and the conditions on the French Col crossing.
• Sherpa Support Team: Professional porters who handle all luggage and expedition logistics throughout.
• Safety Protocol: A thorough pre-departure briefing, a carefully planned acclimatization schedule for Italian Base Camp and the high sections, and full safety management in the cold of the Hidden Valley.

Transport and Permits

• Private Transfers: All airport transfers, the Kathmandu to Pokhara drive, the Pokhara to Beni drive, and the return to Kathmandu, by private vehicle.
• Permits: All required trekking permit fees, including the Annapurna Conservation Area permit, and government taxes fully covered.
• Staff Support: Insurance, food, and accommodation for all local crew members throughout the expedition.

What Is Not Included

• International airfare to and from Kathmandu and Nepal entry visa fees
• Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara
• Specialized high-altitude equipment including personal sleeping bags
• Comprehensive travel insurance, which is a condition of every booking. Your policy must cover emergency medical treatment, emergency evacuation (including helicopter rescue at high altitude), trip cancellation and interruption, and repatriation. We can recommend providers.
• Tips for guides and porters
• Single supplement (for those taking a private room)

Five Highlights

Dhaulagiri’s North Face

Dhaulagiri, at 8,167 meters, is the seventh-highest peak in the world and one of the least-visited of the 8,000-meter mountains. Its north face, seen from Italian Base Camp and the glacier approach above it, rises about 4,000 meters from the Chhonbarban glacier to the summit ridge. From this close it is too big to take in at a glance, and the acclimatization day at Italian Base Camp gives you time to look. Many people who have seen a lot of Himalayan peaks rank Dhaulagiri’s north face among the most impressive mountain walls they know, and the long walk in through the remote Myagdi valley makes reaching it feel earned.

The Hidden Valley

The Hidden Valley is a high plateau at around 5,000 meters, ringed by peaks over 7,000 meters and reached only over French Col or Dhampus Pass. Nothing grows here, and in the cold months there is no running water. The ground is rock and permanent ice, the sky is the deep blue of high altitude, and with no forest or valley below them for comparison, the surrounding peaks are hard to judge in scale. It looks more like the Tibetan plateau than anything on the approach from the Myagdi, and the French Col crossing that brings you here is one of the hardest days of the trek.

The Magar and Gurung Villages of the Myagdi

The Magar communities of the lower Myagdi valley are among the oldest peoples of the western hills, with a language, architecture, and religious practice distinct from those of the busier trekking regions. The trail from Beni to Dobang passes a string of villages kept traditional by remoteness rather than by design: no tea houses, no souvenir shops, nothing built around passing visitors. People here see foreign visitors rarely and meet them with curiosity and warmth.

The Kali Gandaki Gorge

The Kali Gandaki flows between Dhaulagiri to the west and Annapurna to the east, in a gorge that is the deepest in the world if you measure from the river to the summits on either side. On the way back from the Hidden Valley, the trail through the gorge changes from high alpine scrub to subtropical valley in a single day of walking, with sheer cliffs rising above the river as you follow it south. The Tibetan-style villages of Marpha and Tukuche, the hot springs of Tatopani, and the slow return of forest and humid air as you lose height make this one of the most varied descents on any trek in Nepal.

Apple Orchards, Hot Springs, and Mossy Forests

The walk out through southern Mustang and the Annapurna foothills has its own rewards. Marpha has grown apples for as long as the village has been in the valley, and its apple brandy is a local product with a real reputation. Travelers on the Kali Gandaki have used the hot springs at Tatopani for centuries, and they are still some of the best natural baths on any trail in Nepal. The mossy rhododendron forests of Tadapani and the terraced fields of Ghandruk make a fitting end to the expedition.