The town is situated in a beautiful valley at 940 m elevation and is 92 km from its district headquarters, Pithoragarh. The way from Pithoragarh to Dharchula is alongside the Kali River and is a 3 to 4 hour journey. The chief mode of transportation available are private jeeps and state government buses. However, reaching Pithoragarh itself from the plains is a tiring journey. One can reach Pithoragarh from either Haldwani or from Tanakpur (both towns situated on the foothills of Himalayas in the Uttarakhand state).