Upper Dolpo Trek

Our Upper Dolpo adventure begins with a scenic flight from Kathmandu (1,400 m / 4,593 ft) to Nepalgunj, a vibrant city located near Nepal’s southern border with India. Due to its proximity to the Indian border, Indian travelers may also join the trek directly in Nepalgunj (150 m / 492 ft).

Flights from the domestic terminal of Tribhuvan International Airport usually depart in the morning, allowing ample time to explore the city upon arrival. Nepalgunj offers a unique cultural atmosphere, influenced by both Nepali and Indian traditions.

In the afternoon, you may visit local temples and traditional ponds, or enjoy a walk through the lively streets while sampling popular local street food.

Overnight stay: Hotel in Nepalgunj

Our second flight from Nepalgunj takes us to Juphal (2503 m/8212 ft). We fly as early as possible since the weather in the mountains can be very unstable. With awesome views of lush hillsand the beautiful Himalayas, the mountain flight to Juphal definitely feels exciting.

At Juphal, we get our bags ready and start heading along the Thuli Bheri River on a gentle downhill route.

Soon, we will be walking on a narrow ridge through terraced fields, taking us to Dunai. Dunai (2140 m/7021 ft) is the largest settlement of Dolpa and also its headquarters.

Overnight stay in a tented camp.

On the 3rd day of the Upper Dolpo Trek Itinerary, we follow the Bheri River to the north. The suspension bridge and terrace farms
along the trail keep us excited while we walk to Phoksundo River Valley.

Hiking over more ridges and canyons, we get to Rahagaon, where we can see some quite old houses. Then, we walk into the very dense forest into a village that is called Ankhe (2896 m/9501 ft). It’s a perfect place to immerse yourself in nature, surrounded by forests and chirping birds.

This is where the Shey-Phoksundo National Park commences, and the mountains become clear.

Overnight stay in a tented camp.

Suspension bridge en route Upper Dolpo

Today’s trial is a little challenging but rewarding. We continue the Dolpo trekking package by walking in the sub-tropical forest, making many ascents, and descending on the way. There are some steep ridges and several drops into deep gorges on the route.

Walking via the river that flows on a very rocky path, we reach Ryajik, all along the aromatic smell of cedar and juniper trees.

After some interaction with the local area, we move towards Sulighat (2282 m/7487 ft). Sulighat is a small, peaceful riverside village located at the junction of the Phoksundo and Suli rivers.

We stay in a tented camp in Sulighat.

The 5th day of our Upper Dolpo trek is actually going to be exciting as we stroll in the valley leading us to the Phoksundo River and Pungmo River junction.
It is a highlight day of our trek as we will be reaching one of Nepal’s most magical destinations, Phoksundo Lake (3600 m/11,811 ft). Especially the last part of today’s trek offers a one-of-a-kind view as you will be able to witness the deep turquoise lake beneath towering cliffs.

Phoksundo Lake is a revered lake by Buddhist and Bon practitioners. The lake is decorated with prayer flags and a few small monasteries around its periphery.

Today, we will be camping near the lake, under the open sky, withstars and peaks reflected on the water. This is going to be nothinglike any night you have experienced before- silent, surreal, and spiritually moving.

As we are already at 3,600 meters above sea level, it’s wise to stop for a day and let our bodies rest well in this Dolpo trekking package. And the pristine beauty of Shey Phoksundo Lake makesit a perfect spot for acclimatisation and learning the local Dolpo lifestyle.

The prodigious turquoise-coloured lake and the visit to the Ringmo village make your day fruitful. We shall also visit Tshowa Gompa, a 900 years old Tibetan Buddhist Monastery nearby.

After we have visited around, we will be returning to our camp.

After a wonderful day on the Lakeshore, we move to the north of Phoksundo Lake. Hiking in the tough rocky hills and the lush grassland, we get to the Phoksundo Khola (3570 m/11,713 ft). It is a small, remote area with minimal human settlement.

Now, we walk on the north side of the river, entering the glacial valley. Crossing many bridges in the river junction and yak pastures, we continue the uphill climb to a steep gorge.

For that, we need to cross the via Kang-La pass, which lies at 5360 m (17,585 ft) above sea level. This is the highest point of our trek, offering the most magical view of deserted valleys and Crystal Mountain Valley.

For today, we set our camps right at the Phoksundo Bhanjyang (4,717m/15,417ft), just below Kang La Pass. It is for preparing for the next day’s high-altitude crossing.

Ready for the most difficult and exciting part of your Upper Dolpo trek? Today, we walk beyond the Phoksundo valley and get to theDolpo region.

For that, we need to cross the via Kang-La pass, which lies at 5360 m (17,585 ft) above sea level. This is the highest point of our trek, offering the most magical view of deserted valleys and Crystal Mountain Valley.

Now, heading downwards, we cross some more streams and yak/sheep meadows to get into a red Buddhist shrine. Here, we are welcomed into Shey Gompa Dolpo (4500 m/14,764 ft). It’s your first night in the Dolpo region.

There are a few teahouses here where we can spend the night.

Prayer flags and trekker at Crystal Mountain.

As the team will all be tired from the walk to the Kang-La Pass, you all deserve a rest day at Upper Dolpo Trekking. And without adoubt, Shey Gompa is an exciting place for rest and acclimatisation while we explore Dolpo.

During the daytime, we take our time to explore Shey Gompa Dolpo. This is an important monastery in Upper Dolpo Trekking with hundreds of Buddhist devotees.

It is believed that every 12 years, the monastery acts as the spiritual axis. During this year, devotees from around the region gather here for the Shey festival.

People celebrating the Shey Festival.

After a rest day, we are all rejuvenated to walk on the path amid the Juniper Forest to explore Dolpo. Walking through the rocky canyon, we walk via the meandering trail, first getting to Saldang-La Pass.

At 5,200 meters, this will also be a challenging climb, but the views from the top are worth it. Then, we descend while walking north to Namduna Gaun(4430 m/14,534 ft).

After visiting the Namgung monastery, we crash in one of the teahouses at Namduna Gaun for the night of this Dolpo trekking package.

Here, you can see herders grazing Chyangra, Himalayan goats raised for pashmina wool. The village is especially known for its Red Monastery, which is a spiritual centre.

We start the 12th day of Upper Dolpo Trekking by walking in the barren hills for a couple of hours. Today’s walk to the Saldang Village (3770 m/12,369 ft), which lies on the slope above the Namgung River, will be quite easy and relaxing.

This is the biggest village in Inner Dolpo, and it has almost 600 people. The village is still an active part of the old salt trade route with Tibet.

You will find some decent teahouses and terrace farms during thisexploration of Dolpo.

Although our stay in Saldang village will be quite fun, we will leavethe place to head further north. Walking to the Nang Chu, we enter the more remote villages of Tiling and Lurigaon.

Today’s destination is Yangze Gompa (4960 m/16,273 ft). This is a less-visited and lesser-known hidden monastery that few tourists reach. Trekkers can explore this beautiful monastery with murals and sacred texts dating back centuries.

It’s a challenging yet exciting hiking route leading further into the remote Dolpo region. The path to the monastery follows the steepand rugged terrains of Dolpo. We can also see the Bon-Po monastery, visit the Panzang River, and stay in one of the teahouses.

From Yangze, our Upper Dolpo Trekking Itinerary is two paths leading us to Sibu (4000 m/13,123 ft). If you pick the longer route,we get to walk via the villages of Nisalgaon and Shimengaon.

However, we walk on a shorter path that first takes us to Saldang village and then turns towards Namdo village. This is also a large valley with almost 400 residents.
In the daytime, we get to pray at Namdo monastery, which lies close to the Nam Khong River, and then walk for a few more hours to Sibu.

On the route, you might be able to see blue sheep, marmots, and even the snow leopard.

Now, following the Nam Khong River, we walk into the yaks’ caravans. In summer and spring, you can see many yak herds grazing around in these caravans. However, the winter is all covered in snow.

In a few hours, we will get up to the Jeng La Phedi (4900 m/16,072 ft). It is not a village but just temporary herder shelters. So, we camp at the foot of the pass and prepare for the next day’schallenging Jeng La Pass crossing.

The starting of the day is going to be quite challenging as we get to the top point of Jeng La Pass at 5110 meters (16,765 ft). So, we start trekking early. These two hours of the hike are worth the awesome, picturesque views of the Dhaulagiri massif.

Now, we walk down to Tarap Valley and then to Tokyu village (4209 m/13,809 ft), which is our stop for the night. Tokyu village isone of the highest permanent settlements in the world.

Today’s walk is quite relaxing as we head into the broad, fertile valley of Dho Tarap (3944 m/12,940 ft). In the daytime, we visit several Chortens and take many beautiful pictures before crashing at Dho Tarap.

Dho Tarap is an important destination for Upper Dolpo Trekking. The village has over a dozen monasteries and is known for its Bon religion.

Stone houses, fluttering prayer flags, prayer hymns, and a peaceful environment set this village apart.

Today’s walk is quite relaxing as we head into the broad, fertile valley of Dho Tarap (3944 m/12,940 ft). In the daytime, we visit several Chortens and take many beautiful pictures before crashing at Dho Tarap.

Dho Tarap is an important destination for Upper Dolpo Trekking. The village has over a dozen monasteries and is known for its Bon religion.

A monastery at Dho Tarap

Now, we start to lose altitude while we continue to descend to the lower section of the valley. Today’s trek through the bushes of junipers brings us to the meeting point of Tarap Chu and the LangKhola.

Then, we walk to Tarap Khola (3800 m/12,467 ft), which is also called Khoma Kharka, to set up our camps. Camping beside the river gives you a chance to explore yourself while you immerse yourself in the melody of flowing water.

Another day of an easy walk in the gorge of Tarap Khola until we reach Khanigaun (2950 m/9679 ft). It is one of the remotest and secluded regions in the Dolpo trek. We will rarely see any houses or even meet any people in this section of the tour.

Here, in a small riverside village, we will set up our camp, relax, and reminisce about the challenges and our triumphs of this trip.

First, we walk to the Lalberi village (Laina/Lahini Odar) and then cross the thick sub-tropical forest leading us to the river.

Then, we get to the Tarakot (2537 m/8324 ft), a small town in Dolpo that was one of the fortresses. Tarakot was earlier the centre of the Tichorung Kingdom and used to be the hub for international trade in the past. This is one of the last remote villages in the Dolpo region before heading towards Dunai.

Today, we camp for the last time in one of the bestcamping treks in Nepal

After morning breakfast, we first get to the Bheri River. Now, walking via many gorges, we get to Lawan village. Exploring some more settlements of Byasgar and Lochakhola Gaon, our path finally leads us to Dunai (2140 m/7021 ft). The headquarters of Dolpo already has over 2700 residents and great teahouses.

Today’s overnight stay is going to be in a comfortable teahouse.

It’s an easy walk towards the Juphal airport. After a lavish breakfast in Dunai, we continue walking on the path of Thuli Bheri.

First, we get to Dhupichaur and stop at Rupgad. After a final stop at Motipur, we reach Juphal (2503 m/8212 ft) for the night’s stay. The most memorable trek of your life, i.e. Inner Dolpo, ends here at Juphal; it’s time for celebration.

This is the last day in the mountains. In the evening, we can sit around for tea, coffee, or a glass of locally brewed chhyang and discuss our trip.

Farewell Gala Dinner with Equator Expeditions

As our remarkable Upper Dolpo journey comes to an end, we bid farewell to the remote landscapes and timeless culture of the Dolpo region.

From Nepalgunj, we continue with a domestic flight back to Kathmandu, arriving by midday. The afternoon is free to relax, explore Thamel, enjoy last-minute shopping, or unwind at a spa after weeks in the mountains.

Early in the morning, we take a scenic mountain flight from Juphal to Nepalgunj, offering final aerial views of rolling hills and rugged Himalayan terrain—an unforgettable conclusion to this extraordinary trek.

Accommodation: Hotel in Kathmandu

Meals: Breakfast & Farewell Gala Dinner