Duration
46 days
Max. Elevation
8167m
Group size
Min 2
Day
1
Dhaulagiri Expedition begins upon your arrival in Kathmandu. We’ll receive you outside Tribhuvan International Airport and drive you to your hotel located at the heart of the city. Enjoy lavish accommodation at one of the most beautiful hotels in the city. Spend the evening exploring the touristic Thamel and enjoy a delicious welcome dinner.
Day
2
Meet your Sherpa guide and teammates at the hotel. Your Sherpa guide will brief you about the expedition in detail. Exchange necessary documents with your guide. In the meantime, he will visit the appropriate government offices to get a climbing permit, garbage disposal, liaison permit, conservation area permit, and other necessary documents. You can choose to go out to shop for essential climb gear and equipment. You can find a wide range of trek stores at Thamel, ranging from cheap stores to North Face store. If time permits, you can embark on a scenic tour of Kathmandu City and explore some of the most famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, and Kathmandu Durbar Square.
Day
3
After a delicious breakfast, you’ll embark on a scenic road trip towards western Nepal. Leaving Kathmandu, you’ll begin driving towards Beni Bazaar, located in Myagdi District. Drive along the massive Trishuli River and Myagdi River towards Beni. Beni lies almost 300km west of Kathmandu. It marks the confluence of the Kali Gandaki River and Myagdi River. You’ll take an uphill road and begin driving towards Darbang village along Kali Gandaki River.
Day
4
Leaving Darbang village, you’ll begin trekking through the forested trail and small settlements towards Phaliya Gaon. The trail advances upstream along the Myagdi River. Cross the Myagdi River and travel towards the village of Dharapani. Enjoy a warm lunch and then embark on the latter section of the trail leading towards Takum. The final part goes past beautiful terraced fields towards Phaliya Gaon.
Day
5
Leaving Phaliya Gaon, you’ll begin trekking past terraced fields. The trail climbs through uneven terrains and several villages towards Gatti Khola. The solitary path will lead you further up for another two hours before you arrive at Muri village. Muri is a beautiful Magar village. You will get to observe the unique lifestyle and occupation of the indigenous Magar tribe here.
Day
6
From Muri, the trail drops towards a small stream. Cross the stream and begin trekking along the terraced fields towards Dhora Khola. From here, the trail rises uphill towards Ghorban Dhara. Catch the majestic sight of Ghustung South Peak (6465m). Continue advancing alongside the Naura River and take an upstream trail towards Myagdi Khola. Dive into the Myagdi Khola Gorge and continue trekking along the terraced fields towards Bagar Village.
Day
7
Leaving Bagar village, you’ll begin trekking along the Myagdi River. The trail continues along the river and enters the lush forested path. Exit the forest to arrive at a rocky ridge that leads towards Lapche Kharka. The trail continues to climb along the beautiful waterfall to reach at Doban or Doban Kharka. Overnight in an in a tented camp.
Day
8
From Doban, you’ll begin climbing the uphill trail to reach Sallaghari village. The trail climbs through beautiful Sal forest and advances towards sparse grassland. It opens up a broad valley that advances towards Sallaghari. Catch the beautiful mountainous sights en route. Leaving Sallaghari, you’ll continue trekking over the glaciated path. A short hike will bring you to Chhonbardan Glacier. Enjoy a beautiful view of Tukuche Peak (6837m) as you make your way towards Italian Base Camp. The low-altitude base camp lies amidst three towering peaks, Dhaulagiri II (7751m), Dhaulagiri II (7715m), and Dhaulagiri V (7618m).
Day
9
After enjoying the breakfast prepared by your staff, you’ll embark on a short hike around the glaciated valley. Italian Base Camp is also known as Upper Vugini. You can consider climbing the glacier toacclimatize for the upcoming climb. You can catch the beautiful sights of Dhaulagiri Massif and few of the highest Dhaulagiri peaks from the vantage point at Italian Base Camp. Overnight in a tented camp.
Day
10
Leaving Italian Base Camp, you’ll begin climbing through the glacier towards Japanese Base Camp. You might witness large boulders rolling down from the upper ridges. Cross past some tricky sections to reach Japanese Base Camp. The trail continues along the glacier towards rocky patches. The trail begins to climb towards the icefall. Cross the short section of rocky patched to arrive at Dhaulagiri Base Camp on over the rocky terrain. Spend the evening enjoying the magnificent sights of Dhaulagiri I (8167m), Dhaulagiri II, Dhaulagiri III, and Dhaulagiri V peaks.
Day
11
A day or two of practice session follows rigorous climbing training. Your Sherpa guide will offer detailed information about the use of climb gears and equipment. The technical climb requires you to use the ice-ax, crampon, and carabineer. The training will be followed by acclimatization before you approach the test ascents towards Camp I and Camp II. You can consider making a short hike towards the impressive icefall towards Northeast Col. Overnight in a tented camp.
Day
13
You’ll begin climbing the northeast ridge, one of the most undertaken routes for the Dhaulagiri expedition. The trail begins with a slippery ice trek towards Camp I. Cross the icefall below Little Eiger to arrive at Camp I. Continue climbing along the long natural arête to reach at Camp II. The route steepens as you begin climbing the perpendicular wall towards Camp III. A somewhat technical section follows en route to Camp IV. Camp IV lays at vast snowfields from where you’ll approach the summit. The 6-7hour long ascent begins with a walk across the snow. Begin climbing the 45-degree gully that advances towards the broad summit. The final section isn’t much technical, but you must follow the guideline provided by your Sherpa guide. Once at the top, catch the majestic sights of the pristine snowcapped peaks. The east of Dhaulagiri sees the desert of Mustang District, whereas the west face sees more of a mixed landscape of the Dolpo Region. Retrace your path and begin climbing down towards Dhaulagiri Base Camp.
Day
40
Clear your base camp before embarking downhill. Leaving Dhaulagiri Base Camp, you’ll begin climbing the steep terraced hills. Cross the glaciated path and start climbing steep moraines to arrive at the towering French Pass (5323m). Catch the magnificent sights of Mukut Himal (6328m), Tashi Kang, and Sita Chuchura peaks. The trail continues towards the elevated valley, better known as the French Col. Overnight in a tented camp.
Day
41
Leaving French Col, you’ll begin descending downhill towards the Hidden Valley. The discreet valley lying at the foothills of Dhaulagiri massif remains hidden from different vantage points of the trek. The trail continues towards another towering pass, Dhampus Pass (5244m). The trail descends towards Kharkha or Kharkha Camp. Spend the night in a tented camp.
Day
42
Leaving Kharkha Camp, you’ll begin descending along the rocky terrain towards Kali Gandaki Valley. You’ll be trekking in the Mustang District. The trail further descends along rock moraines towards a campsite at Yak Kharka. Yak Kharka refers to Yak’s pasture. The cattle herders use this as the summer pastureland. Catch the majestic sight of Nilgiri Peak (7061m) and the western end of the Annapurna massif.
Day
43
From Yak Kharka, you’ll begin trekking past barren ridges and canyons towards Marpha village. The trail is less vegetated. The half-day trek will bring you to the apple capital of Nepal, Marpha village. Enjoy a warm lunch overlooking the apple orchards. You’ll embark on a jeep and begin driving along the Kali Gandaki River towards Beni. Drive past Tatopani and Kalopani village en route to Beni. Overnight in a lodge.
Day
44
Leaving Beni, you’ll begin driving through the well-paved road and make your way towards Pokhara. Catch the beautiful sights ofthe colorful towns and villages located beside Baglung Highway. The half-day drive will take you past Nayapul towards Pokhara. Spend the rest of the day exploring the tourist city of Pokhara. You can indulge in many different activities in the city, such as boating at Phewa Lake, cycling, or visiting the tourist site of Davis Falls and Gupteshwor Cave.
Day
45
After a delicious breakfast overlooking the majestic peaks of Annapurna I and Machhapuchhre, you’ll embark on a short tour of the city. Shop for souvenirs at Pokhara. Then, you’ll start on a jeep and begin driving back to Kathmandu. Bid farewell to the beautiful city and continue driving along the pristine Trishuli River. In the evening, we will take you for a farewell dinner in one of the Nepali restaurants in Kathmandu.
Day
46
On the last day, you can indulge in shopping or sightseeing. You can explore a few of the popular tourist sites in the city or visit the Thamel area to shop for a souvenir. We’ll drive you to the airport and drop you off approximately 2hr before your departure
