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Nepal Environmental Trek
Nepal Environmental
Treks & Expedition

Dhaulagiri Trek

Duration
19 days
Max. Elevation
5200m
Group size
Min 1
Level
ADVANCE
Transportation
Land
Best Season
Autumn: SEP-OCT-NOV Spring: MAR-APR-MAY
Accomodation
2-3 Star Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu. Camping accommodation during Trek. Standard Hotel accommodation in Pokhara
Meals
3 Meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Starts at/ Ends at
Kathmandu / Kathmandu
Trip Route

Highlights

Overview

Dhaulagiri Trek sets you off to the base camp of Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167m), the seventh highest mountain in the world. This is over two week long trek full of wild adventure fraught with high passes, untamed wilderness and high terrain. 
 
You will drive from Kathmandu to Beni, the starting point of the trek. The trail passes through beautiful villages, terraced fields, streams and forested hills. Once you make it to the Dhaulagiri Base Camp at an altitude of 4740m, you will get to see up close the beautiful Dhaulagiri I, Dhaulagiri II (7751m), Dhaulagiri III (7715m) Dhaulagiri IV (7061m) and Dhaulagiri V (7618m), Annapurna and Manaslu. 
 
Hold your breath as you will have to make a major crossing of French Col (5360m) and Dhampus Pass (5250m) ahead, perhaps two highest passes in the Himalayas. The trail leads further to the hidden valley that is gateway to Dhampus Peak  (6035m). Thereafter you will make a rapid descent to to Marpha in the Kali Gandaki Valley where you can take time out for yourselves while enjoying  culture and hospitality of Thakali people. 
 
Graded as moderate to strenuous, Autumn (Sep-Nov) and Spring (Mar-May) are the best seasons for the trek.  Dhaulagiri Trek combines camping and tea house.

Trip Itinerary

Drive from Kathmandu to Beni which takes about eleven hours. This is one of the picturesque road journeys found in Nepal. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Beni to Maldhunga (1300m.) which takes about six hours. We start soon hiking through the rough rubble which gives way to the smooth ice of the glacier. You climb steadily to the rough and chilling but spectacular Dhaulagiri Base Camp. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Maldhunga to Darbang which takes about five and half hours. This day you trek gently ascending for the early one hour passing through jungles with varieties of oaks, rhododendron and so on. You can hear the chirping of the local birds as your trails follow flat lands passing through a stream at one place. The route you trek through is a muddy road crossing villages at some points where you can interact with the local folks. Darbang is a small village mainly inhabited by the Magar and Limbu communities. A beautiful camping site is available here. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Darbang to Takum which takes about five hours. This day also you trek ascending through a narrow path in the early first hour. Now you go along the flat land passing through jungle with varieties of rhododendrons, oaks and Christmas pine trees at some distance. After you cross a small stream, your trails suddenly begin to follow an ascending path until you reach Takum. You will come across a government school before you enter Takum, a small village. Here, we camp behind the school located in central Takum. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Takum to Muri which takes about six hours. You start trekking through descending trails in the early first hour passing through a dense jungle. Then you follow steeply an ascending path and before you approach Muri you pass along a flat land until you reach Muri. This is a small village mainly inhabited by the ethnic Gurung and Rai communities of Nepal. You will also be captivated by the calm presence of a serene Buddhist monastery found here. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Muri to Baghara (2080m.). You descend a gentle slope, and cross a rocky stream. After you cross the river you climb to the right up the mountainside to Ghorban dhara. Following the right bank past Naura you begin to ascend the mountainside. After climbing for a short while, take a path that traverses the steep grass-covered hill. The Myagdi khola assumes a steep-walled V-shape as the traverse ends and a high, winding path climbs the steep, grassy slope. Soon you descend through a forested area, emerging to a ridge snout where bagara (2080) is visible. Descend through terraced fields to this mountain village where you camp in the yards of the local people's houses or on the terraced fields. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Baghara to Dobang (2520m.) which takes about five hours. Here you leave the villages behind and the trial begins to get increasingly challenging. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Dobang to Sallaghari (3110m) takes about six hours. The early part of the gentle ascending trail moves through forest of bamboo, pine trees and rhododendrons. After gently trekking for some hours in which the route goes uphill and downhill respectively, you reach Sallaghari. This becomes our camping spot in between forest surrounded by pine trees at the bank of Myagdi River. Stay overnight at camp in Sallaghari.

Trek from Sallaghari to Italian Base Camp (3660m.) takes about six and half hours. The trail is covered by bamboo forest all the way to Italian Base Camp. At some points you cross small bridges and jungles and this makes the trail quite strenuous and difficult. There is an open field at Italian Base Camp. There are two small tea houses available hereabouts that provide a minimal supply of trekking items. At this base camp, you experience breathtaking views of the Dhaulagiri range, Manapathi peak, Dhaulagiri II and other unnamed peaks and mountains. Stay overnight at camp in Italian base camp.

Rest day for acclimatization. The day is free for you to move around as you like. You may want to do some reading or explore the area around. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Upper Vugini (Italian Base Camp) to Glacier Camp which takes about four hours. After crossing the first glacier, probably using a rope at a couple of tricky spots, you climb onto the main glacier. The surroundings are beautifully which makes up for the rough and dangerous trail. You may also use a rope on this section. This is a particularly tough day. You camp on the glacier rubble.

Trek from Glacier Camp to Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4740m.) which takes about five hours. Soon the rough rubble gives way to the smooth ice of the white part of the glacier. You climb steadily to the rough and chilling but spectacular Dhaulagiri Base Camp. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Dhaulagiri Base Camp to French Col (5010m.) - Hidden Valley which takes about four hours. Getting off the glacier above the base camp often requires rope climbing. Once over the steep moraine walls we reach gentler, less strenuous country. After a breathless climb to the top of French Col (5300m,) the views of Hidden Valley open out. The broad valley is reminiscent of Tibet and Ladakh. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Hidden valley (5200m.) to Yak Kharka (3680m.) which takes about seven hours. You traverse avalanche-prone slopes and then take on the steep descent to Yak Kharka. This day you trek through bare land for some distance. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Yak Kharka to Marpha (2670m.) which takes about five hours. A steeper descent leads you to Marpha. The route is not much covered with trees. En route you can see some yak and sheep herds as well. Marpha is a small town mainly inhabited by a mixed community of Buddhist and Hindus as well. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Marpha to Kalopani (2530m.) which takes about six hours. Your trail stretches at an almost flat level through forests to Kalopani, a Thakali village and the southern-most limit of Tibetan Buddhism. En route, you find Larjung which is situated near Dhaulagiri Glacier. The first part of the trek passes through a high windy area covered with pine and rhododendron forests. At Kalopani, you will be amazed with the breathtaking views of Annapurna I (8091m.), Dhaulagiri I (8167m.) and Tukuche peak (6920m.). Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Kalopani to Tatopani (1189m.) which takes about six and half hours. The trail descends steeply up to Rukse Chhahara (Rukse Waterfall) which is amazing to look at this gushing milky looking water. The deepest gorge in the world is seen here between the two mountains Annapurna I (8091m.) and Dhaulagiri I (8167m.) facing each other near the Rukse Waterfall. The trail again descends slightly to Tatopani through different human settlements. You can enjoy the hot springs at Tatopani as the word Tatopati is termed after the natural hot springs situated near the banks of the Kali Gandaki River. It is popularly believed that taking a bath in the Hot Spring helps you get rid of skin diseases. Stay overnight in camps.

Trek from Tatopani to Beni which takes almost five hours and drive from Beni to Pokhara by bus which takes another four and half hours. Stay overnight at a hotel.

Drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu by a tourist mini bus that takes about seven hours. While driving from Pokhara to Kathmandu, you head up to Damauli, Dumre, Mugling and Kurintar where Nepal's first Cable car is operated to reach the famous Manakamana Temple. En route, you can enjoy the mountain views, green sceneries, rice terrace fields, vegetable fields and people happily engaged in their daily chores. From Naubishe you climb up to Thankot, gateway to the capital city of Kathmandu. You can also fly from Pokhara to Kathmandu which takes about 25 minutes.

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Includes

    • All airport pick-up and drop-off services by private A/C car or van
    • Entry permit for Annapurna Conservation Area
    • Trekkers' Information Management system (TIMS) card
    • Trekking guide and Sherpas
    • Cook and kitchen helpers
    • Necessary porters (One porter carries 25 kilograms of luggage)
    • All meals three times a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) 
    • Necessary camping equipment such as tents, mattresses, sleeping bags, down jackets, cooking utensils, etc.
    • Cooking fuel
    • Camping charges
    • One night hotel accomodation in Pokhara with breakfast
    • All land transportation wherever applicable
    • Insurance and equipments for all trekking staffs
    • First aid kit
    • Rescue assistance (In case of emergency, we will organize prompt and professional rescue services. To arrange timely evacuation/rescue by helicopter, you must be well insured from a reliable travel insurance company that covers both helicopter evacuation and medical treatment cost.)
    • One farewell dinner in Kathmandu with live cultural performance at authentic Nepali restaurant on last day 
    • Souvenir (t-shirt, mug, pen, bag, etc.) 

Doesn't Include

    • Personal nature expenses
    • Drinks, beverages, hot shower, etc.
    • Travel insurance
    • Tips
    • Lunch and dinner in Pokhara
    • Meals & hotel accommodation in Kathmandu

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Art representing various natural and cultutal heritages of Nepal