- Length
- 13 days
- Highest point
- 4,750 m
- Difficulty
- Strenuous
- Best months
- Oct–Nov, Apr–May
- Starts
- Beni / Darbang (drive from Pokhara)
- Group size
- 2–10 People
- Sleeping
- Tea House / Camp
A 13-day wilderness camping trek up the Myagdi Khola to Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4,750 m) beneath the world's 7th-highest peak — no high-pass crossing.
- Stand at Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4,750 m) beneath the north face of the world's 7th-highest peak
- A genuine tented wilderness expedition up the wild Myagdi Khola gorge
- Walk the edge of the dramatic Chhonbardan Glacier and its tumbling icefall
- Shorter, less technical alternative to the full circuit — no French or Dhampus Pass
- Trek through remote Magar villages — Babichaur, Dharapani, Muri and Boghara
- Full camping crew with cook, kitchen and porters carrying all equipment
- One of Nepal's most spectacular and least-crowded base camps
- Dhaulagiri I (8,167 m) — the only 8,000er entirely within Nepal
The climb, day by day
Day 1Arrive Kathmandu (1,400 m)1,400 m
Arrive in Kathmandu, transfer to your hotel and meet your guide for a full trek briefing and equipment check. The Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek is a camping trek above Italian Base Camp, so we confirm gear, permits and crew arrangements this evening.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- –
- Meals
- D
- Night
- Hotel
Day 2Drive Kathmandu to Beni, on to Darbang (1,110 m)1,110 m
A long, scenic drive west via Pokhara and Baglung to the bustling town of Beni, then on by rough road up the Myagdi valley to the trailhead village of Darbang. We meet our camping crew and spend the night in a simple lodge.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- 7–8 hrs drive
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Lodge
Day 3Trek Darbang to Dharapani (1,560 m)1,560 m
The trek begins. We cross the Myagdi Khola and climb through terraced fields and Magar villages, passing Babichaur before reaching Dharapani, perched above the river. First night under canvas.
- Distance
- 12 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hrs
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Camp
Day 4Trek Dharapani to Muri (1,850 m)1,850 m
A rolling day of ups and downs through forest and farmland to the large Magar village of Muri, with our first proper views of Dhaulagiri and Ghustung South opening up ahead.
- Distance
- 13 km
- Walking
- 6 hrs
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Camp
Day 5Trek Muri to Boghara (2,080 m)2,080 m
The valley narrows as we descend to the Myagdi Khola and follow it upstream on exposed, sometimes airy trails to the small settlement of Boghara, the last permanent village on the route.
- Distance
- 12 km
- Walking
- 6 hrs
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Camp
Day 6Trek Boghara to Dobang (2,520 m)2,520 m
We enter true wilderness, traversing landslide-prone slopes and dense forest deep in the Myagdi gorge. After crossing the river we make camp in the forest clearing at Dobang.
- Distance
- 11 km
- Walking
- 6 hrs
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Camp
Day 7Trek Dobang to Italian Base Camp (3,660 m)3,660 m
A steep, beautiful climb through rhododendron and pine brings us out of the gorge to Italian Base Camp, a grassy shelf with a staggering head-on view of Dhaulagiri's huge west face. The tea-house huts end here.
- Distance
- 10 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hrs
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Camp
Day 8Acclimatisation day at Italian Base Camp (3,660 m)3,660 m
A vital rest and acclimatisation day. We take a short hike to higher ground to aid adaptation, then return to camp to relax beneath the mountain. This day greatly improves your chances of reaching base camp safely.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- 3–4 hrs (hike)
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Camp
Day 9Trek Italian Base Camp to Glacier Camp (4,250 m)4,250 m
We pick our way along the lateral moraine of the Chhonbardan Glacier, with the icefall tumbling below and Dhaulagiri's seracs above. Camp is pitched on rocky ground at Glacier Camp, surrounded by ice and stone.
- Distance
- 9 km
- Walking
- 5 hrs
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Camp
Day 10Trek Glacier Camp to Dhaulagiri Base Camp (4,750 m)4,750 m
A shorter but high day onto the glacier proper, arriving at Dhaulagiri Base Camp directly beneath the colossal north-east face. We spend the afternoon soaking in the amphitheatre of peaks — Dhaulagiri I, Tukuche and the wall of ice all around. This is the high point of the trek at 4,750 m.
- Distance
- 8 km
- Walking
- 4–5 hrs
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Camp
Day 11Trek Dhaulagiri Base Camp to Dobang (2,520 m)2,520 m
We begin the return, retracing the glacier and gorge route. A long descent past Glacier Camp and Italian Base Camp brings us back down through the forest to camp at Dobang, dropping over 2,000 m of altitude.
- Distance
- 18 km
- Walking
- 7–8 hrs
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Camp
Day 12Trek Dobang to Muri (1,850 m)1,850 m
A final big trekking day back down the Myagdi valley via Boghara, with the river thundering below and farewell views of Dhaulagiri behind us, to our last camp at Muri.
- Distance
- 23 km
- Walking
- 7–8 hrs
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Camp
Day 13Trek Muri to Darbang, drive to Pokhara, fly Kathmandu830 m
We descend to Darbang and Babichaur to meet our vehicle, then drive out via Beni to Pokhara. From Pokhara you continue by short flight (or drive) to Kathmandu, where the trek concludes.
- Distance
- 15 km
- Walking
- 5 hrs trek + drive
- Meals
- B, L
- Night
- –
The price includes
- ACAP permit and TIMS card
- Licensed, experienced English-speaking trekking guide
- Full camping crew — cook, kitchen helpers and porters
- All camping equipment — tents, dining tent, kitchen tent, toilet tent, mattresses
- All meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner) on the trek prepared by the trek cook
- All ground transport: Pokhara–Beni–Darbang drive and return
- Pokhara–Kathmandu flight at the end of the trek
- Airport and hotel transfers in Kathmandu
- Guide and porter insurance, wages, food and equipment
- First-aid kit, pulse oximeter and emergency oxygen
- All government taxes and official paperwork
You pay separately
- International airfare to/from Nepal
- Nepal entry visa fee
- Travel and high-altitude rescue insurance (mandatory, must cover helicopter evacuation)
- Accommodation and meals in Kathmandu and Pokhara
- Personal trekking gear and clothing (sleeping bag, down jacket can be hired)
- Tips for guide, cook and porters
- Drinks, snacks, hot showers and personal expenses
- Costs arising from early exit, flight delays or itinerary changes due to weather
- Anything not listed under Included
The Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek is the shorter, more direct way to stand beneath the towering north face of Dhaulagiri I (8,167 m) — the seventh-highest mountain on Earth and the only 8,000-metre peak that lies entirely within Nepal. Unlike the full 18-day Dhaulagiri Circuit, this 13-day route is an out-and-back wilderness trek: you follow the wild Myagdi Khola gorge up to Dhaulagiri Base Camp at 4,750 m, soak in the glacier amphitheatre, then retrace your steps down the same valley. There is no French Pass and no Dhampus Pass, which makes it less technical and a few days shorter — but it is still a serious, committing camping trek through some of the most remote country in the Annapurna region.
Starting with a scenic drive from Pokhara to Beni and on to Darbang, you climb through terraced Magar villages — Babichaur, Dharapani, Muri — before the trail narrows into the dramatic Myagdi gorge at Boghara and Dobang. Above Italian Base Camp the tea houses end and the trek becomes a fully tented expedition: your crew of cook, kitchen helpers and porters carries everything, setting up camp at Glacier Camp and finally at Dhaulagiri Base Camp itself, hard against the Chhonbardan Glacier.
Why trek to Dhaulagiri Base Camp
This is wilderness trekking in its purest form — no lodges, no crowds, no Wi-Fi, just you, your crew and one of the great mountain faces of the Himalaya. Because it avoids the 5,200 m-plus passes of the full circuit, it is achievable for fit trekkers who want a genuine high-altitude camping experience without glacier travel over a pass.
Who this trek is for
You need to be genuinely fit and comfortable with long days, basic camping and altitude up to 4,750 m. Prior multi-day trekking experience is strongly recommended. In return you get one of Nepal's most spectacular and least-visited base camps, on a route that still feels like a real expedition.