Dhaulagiri Circuit

The TrekGuard planning itinerary for the Dhaulagiri Circuit runs 16 days and covers 120 km of walking. That includes 1 acclimatization day where you sleep at the same village instead of climbing higher. Treat it as a baseline: weather, flight delays and how you acclimatize can add days, so build slack into your schedule.

The Dhaulagiri Circuit tops out at 5,360 m. The highest place you sleep on this itinerary is about 5,100 m, which matters more for altitude illness than the daytime high point.

The Dhaulagiri Circuit normally requires: Dhaulagiri Conservation Area Permit, TIMS Card. Permit rules, fees and issuing offices change between seasons - confirm the current requirements with the Nepal Tourism Board or a registered agency before you travel.

Mar - May, Oct - Nov is the usual window for the Dhaulagiri Circuit. Outside it you are trading stable weather for either monsoon cloud and leeches or deep winter cold and snow-blocked passes.

The Dhaulagiri Circuit is rated strenuous, with 8,500 m of total ascent over 120 km. Walking days are roughly 5-8 hours. Above 4,000 m the limiting factor is usually altitude rather than fitness, so pace and rest days matter more than training volume.

Yes. The Dhaulagiri Circuit reaches 5,360 m, well above the 2,500 m mark where acute mountain sickness (AMS) becomes possible for anyone, regardless of fitness or age. Keep sleeping-altitude gains gradual, take the built-in rest days (1 on this itinerary), and descend if headache, nausea or breathlessness get worse rather than better. This is general information, not medical advice - see a travel-medicine clinician before the trip.

The Dhaulagiri Circuit starts at Beni and finishes at Marpha, in the Dhaulagiri region.

Coverage on the Dhaulagiri Circuit is: patchy in upper sections. Assume you will lose data for long stretches - download map packs, the GPX track and the forecast before you leave the last town, and carry a power bank.