Trek Guide
The Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek 2026: a fully camped, 18-21 day expedition around the world's 7th-highest peak over two 5,200m+ passes. Our complete…
By Travel Himalaya Nepal · Jun 13, 2026
The Dhaulagiri Circuit is a fully camping, mountaineering-style trek around the only 8,000 m peak that lies entirely inside Nepal — there are no teahouses on the high circuit. You cross two passes above 5,200 m — French Pass (5,360 m) and Dhampus Pass (5,240…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Most Nepal trekking is a teahouse affair — you walk between villages, sleep in lodges, eat dal bhat cooked for you. The Dhaulagiri Circuit is the opposite. Above Italian Base Camp there are no settlements, no lodges and no permanent trail; you live in a…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
The classic circuit runs anticlockwise from the Myagdi Khola valley over to the Kali Gandaki. A typical 19—21 day plan breaks down like this: Days 1—2: Drive Pokhara (or Kathmandu) to Beni and on to Darbang, the road head, then begin walking through terraced…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
This is one of the hardest non-expedition treks in Nepal, and we will not pretend otherwise. You face long days at altitude, glacier travel on the Dhaulagiri and Hidden Valley glaciers, two passes above 5,200 m on consecutive days, real cold, and genuine…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
The permitting is refreshingly simple. The Dhaulagiri Circuit is not a government-restricted area, so there is no Restricted Area Permit (RAP). Because the route runs inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, the only permit you need is: ACAP ( Annapurna…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
There are only two viable windows, and they are not equal: October—November (best): the post-monsoon autumn brings the most stable weather, clear mountain views and firmer snow conditions on the passes. This is when we run the majority of our departures…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
The trek starts on the Annapurna side and finishes in Mustang, so it is a true point-to-point. From Pokhara (or Kathmandu via Pokhara) you drive to Beni, then continue on a rough mountain road to Darbang, the road head, where the walking begins. At the far…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
For the first couple of days from Darbang you can use simple village teahouses, but from Italian Base Camp onwards it is 100% camping . You sleep in two-person tents, eat in a dining tent, and our cook prepares hot meals on the trail — porridge and eggs to…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Pack as you would for a cold, high mountaineering trip rather than a lodge trek: A four-season sleeping bag rated to at least −20°C, plus an insulated sleeping mat. A full layering system: base layers, fleece, a down jacket, and a waterproof hard…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
The most useful comparison is with the Annapurna Circuit , because the names sound similar and trekkers often confuse them. They could hardly be more different. The Annapurna Circuit is now a teahouse trek with a road running through much of it ; you sleep in…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
With two consecutive nights near 5,000 m and passes at 5,360 m and 5,240 m, altitude is the single biggest risk on this trek — bigger than the glacier travel. Our itineraries build in acclimatisation days at Italian and Dhaulagiri base camps, follow a…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
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