Districts
Gandaki Province
Myagdi म्याग्दी
Dhaulagiri Circuit trek
Myagdi, in Gandaki Province, is built around Beni — a market town at the confluence of the Kali Gandaki and Myagdi rivers — and reaches north to the base of Dhaulagiri at 8,167 metres, the world's seventh-highest peak. The Dhaulagiri Circuit, one of Nepal's most demanding treks, crosses the French Pass at 5,360 metres and the Dhampus Pass at 5,234 metres through high glaciated terrain. Beni also marks the start of the lower Kali Gandaki approach into Mustang.
About Myagdi
Myagdi is built around Beni, a busy market town at the confluence of the Kali Gandaki and Myagdi rivers at roughly 830 metres, and stretches north into some of Nepal's most demanding high-mountain terrain. The Dhaulagiri Circuit — one of the most technically challenging treks in Nepal — starts in Beni and ascends through the Myagdi Khola valley, past Italian Base Camp at 3,660 metres and Dhaulagiri Base Camp at 4,740 metres, before crossing the French Pass at 5,360 metres and the Dhampus Pass at 5,234 metres. Dhaulagiri at 8,167 metres, the world's seventh-highest peak, dominates the northern horizon of the district.
Beni also marks the standard road and trail entry to the Kali Gandaki valley heading north toward Mustang, making Myagdi a through-district for anyone driving or trekking toward Jomsom. Historically, Beni was a winter headquarters of the Parvat principality and a crucial stop on the Tibet-Nepal trading route. The Dhaulagiri Circuit is rated expedition-grade and sees far fewer trekkers than the Annapurna routes; acclimatisation, crampons and an experienced guide are considered essential for the upper sections.
At a glance
- Headquarters
- Beni
- Known for
- Dhaulagiri Circuit trek
Getting there
Beni, the district headquarters, is around 70 km south-west of Pokhara — roughly a 2.5-hour drive. From Kathmandu the road journey via Pokhara takes about 9–10 hours in total. Local buses and jeeps connect Pokhara to Beni throughout the day. For the Dhaulagiri Circuit, the trek begins in Beni on foot; the upper sections are glacier terrain requiring an experienced guide, crampons and camping gear.