Peaceful Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek
Wanted something less crowded than Annapurna or Everest; the Peaceful Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek and this route delivered; maybe saw two other groups the entire trip. Dharapani through Dovan is a long stretch of forest and river walking before things really open up near Japanese Camp. Base camp itself was the highlight, Dhaulagiri’s north face right there, no one else around to share it with. Yak Kharka to Tukuche the next couple of days brought us back into greener terrain fast, a strange transition after so much bare rock. Quick flights home from Pokhara saved a lot of extra walking at the end.
Ryan Doyle
Limerick, Ireland
Surprising Dhaulagiri Circuit Adventure
Nobody had really prepared me for what Hidden Valley actually looks like: this wide flat basin at almost 4900m surrounded by peaks on every side, barely any vegetation left at that point. Getting there over French Pass was rough, cold wind and thin air the whole crossing. Dhaulagiri Base Camp the day before was quieter than I imagined, just us and the mountain for most of the afternoon. Marpha near the end was a welcome change, apple orchards and actual trees again after days of bare rock, before the short flight out from Pokhara.
Charlotte Dubois
Rennes, France
French Pass at 5360m was harder than expected but worth it
The days from Bagar through japanese camp are a slow steady grind, forest turning to rock and less oxygen with each stop. base camp on day 10 was the payoff, sitting right under the north face with hardly anyone else around. french pass the next day tested me more than i expected, ice underfoot near the top and a headache that didn’t quit until we dropped into hidden valley. flying out from Pokhara after seventeen days of walking felt strange, too fast a way to end something that slow.
Magnus Berg
Vasteras, Sweden
Camping through Dhaulagiri instead of teahouses changed the whole feel
Most of my other treks in nepal have been teahouse style so the camping setup here took adjusting to, especially the colder nights around bagar and dovan early on. japanese camp before base camp was where it really started to feel remote, hardly any other trekkers around at all. hidden valley was strange and beautiful, this flat high altitude basin surrounded by peaks, we had a spare day there which ended up being needed for acclimatization more than anything. walking all the way down through lete to tatopani instead of flying out early meant we got the hot spring at the end, first real wash in over two weeks, cannot overstate how good that felt.
Sabine Roth
Innsbruck, Austria
Two Passes Above 5,000m in Three Days, Legs Still Recovering
French Pass and Thapa Pass back to back inside the hidden valley section is no joke; both are over 5000m, and the weather turned on us right before French Pass, which meant an extra contingency day just sitting in the tents waiting it out. Dhaulagiri base camp itself was strangely calm by comparison; we just sat there staring at the north face for a while. Marpha, after two and a half weeks of camping, felt like arriving in a proper town again, apple brandy included. Nineteen days is a serious commitment, but crossing both passes is something the shorter base camp route doesn’t even attempt.
Erik Halvorsen
Tromso, Norway
Almost booked just the base camp trek, glad I didn’t
Originally I only wanted the base camp version, shorter and I figured seeing dhaulagiri up close was really the whole point anyway. talked it over with the team beforehand and switched to the full circuit instead, mostly for the extra days. no regrets. base camp itself was everything I’d hoped, but the stretch after, over thapa pass and down through marpha and lete, is what I’d have missed entirely on the shorter version. tatopani’s hot spring right before the drive back was a proper reward too, not something the quicker route even reaches. glad someone talked me into the extra two days.
Lotte Jansen
Groningen, Netherlands
Langtang Valley Trek Is Most Worthy
The Langtang Valley Trek is Highly Recommend Trekking in Nepal. This Trek offers Tibetan-Buddhist culture with out the crowds of Everest, Dramatic Glacier Views, Lush Rhododendron Forest and beautiful valley. This Trek accessible from Kathmandu within a 7–8-hour drive to the beginning point. It allows us to reach breathtaking alpine landscapes and about 5,000 meters viewpoint Tserko Ri. So, remember this team to get the best service for the Langtang Valley Trek.
Tomas Nowak
Wroclaw, Poland
Best Day at Kyangin Gompa and Gosainkunda Lake
Kyangin Gompa was supposed to be the highlight for me going in, and it was stunning, snow peaks all around the monastery. But Gosainkunda a few days later actually topped it: this bright blue sacred lake at over 4300m that I hadn’t researched much beforehand. Laurabina La crossing right after was brutal: thin air and a long exposed ridge; legs were shaking by the top. Sundarijal at the very end felt like a totally different trek: warm forest trail, farmland, dogs following us into the village.
Grace Milton
Manchester City, England
Sundarijal at the End Calmed Our Fatigue
What got me about this trek is how it never really loops back on itself; every few days feels like a different route entirely. Langtang village and Kyanjin Gompa early on were the classic mountain stretch, then Gosainkunda Lake at 4381m was this whole other world, pilgrims up there despite the cold. Laurabina La Pass the next day was the toughest single push, high and exposed. Chisapani to Sundarijal at the end brought us back down into forest and farmland, a gentle way to close out two weeks of walking.
Nikolai Petrov
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Muktinath Overland Made a Beautiful Place Easily Accessible to Us
Always wanted to see Muktinath but never had time for the full Annapurna Circuit; this overland trip solved that problem completely. Temple darshan day was quiet and moving in its own way; I didn’t expect to feel much, but standing there among the pilgrims got to me a little. Thamel on the last evening was a fun contrast, chaotic streets and shopping after days of empty mountain roads. Would recommend this route to anyone short on time who still wants the pilgrimage experience.
Rafael Costa
Curitiba, Brazil