It joins the Alaknanda, the major source stream of the Ganges river.
Dhauliganga rises in the vicinity of the Niti Pass in the border regions between Garhwal and southwestern Tibet.
[1] It flows 50 km (30 mi) southwards until it meets the Rishiganga on its left bank at Rini, in the vicinity of Tapovan in Chamoli district.
It then flows 20 km (10 mi) westwards until it meets the Alaknanda at Vishnuprayag and terminates—the confluence just upstream of the city of Joshimath.
[1] On 7 February 2021, part of Nanda Devi Glacier, a Himalayan glacier in the Nanda Devi National Park, broke away and caused water levels in the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga rivers to rise.