Known by a very few, Upper Dolpo is a region that offers an abundance of discoveries. From the unique culture and tradition to the presence of wild varieties of wildlife, Upper Dolpo is the unexplored part of Western Nepal. Once trekkers visit Dolpo Region, they cannot help themselves falling in love with the region.
Upper Dolpo is among the best off-the-beaten treks of Nepal. Upper Dolpo is a bit far and visiting this region takes more time than other popular treks of Nepal. This is why this trek attracts only a few numbers of trekkers. But the fact remains; Upper Dolpo is one of the best trekking regions of Nepal.
Peter Matthiessen’s has shown the world what Dolpo looks like in his “Snow Leopard” book. Two decades ago, the Oscar-nominated movie “Caravan” also helped the world know about Dolpo. Nepalese Government has included Dolpo as a restricted area. Foreigners have to pay USD 500 per person for the first ten days and then USD 50 day for each additional day.
Dolpo offers you beautiful valleys, high passes, thin settlements, and the different culture and lifestyle of locals. You will visit centuries-old monasteries, meet nomadic people, witness caravans of yaks, explore the different Tibetan-influenced culture, spend time around the turquoise Phoksundo Lake, and more.
A Himalayan Joy Adventure representative will greet you at the Tribhuwan International Airport upon your arrival and provide transportation to your hotel. After checking into your room and refreshing, our HJA representative will describe the details regarding your Upper Dolpo trek. Then, you can visit the tourist hub in Thamel. There are many places to shop for trekking gear and souvenirs. In the evening, Himalayan Joy Adventure will host a welcome dinner at the typical Nepali restaurant with a Nepali cultural dance. After dinner, you will be dropped off at your hotel. Overnight in Kathmandu. Includes: Dinner.
After breakfast, our city guide will take you to various historical places and world heritage listed sites. These will include Pashupatinath (One of the greatest Hindu temples in Asia), Boudhanath stupa (Buddhist stupa), Swayabhunath (Buddhist stupa, also known as the Monkey Temple) and Kathmandu Durbar Square (home of the living goddess Kumari)). After sightseeing, you will be dropped at your hotel with time to prepare for your trek. Overnight in Kathmandu. Includes: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
On day 03, you will take an early morning flight to Nepalgunj. Nepalgunj is a city in the Western Terai of Nepal near the India-Nepal border. It is a major transport hub of Mid-Western and Far-Western Nepal.
As you reach Nepalgunj, we will transfer you to your hotel room. Then, you can spend your time resting in your hotel room or roaming around the city. You can indulge yourself in the street foods, explore the art and culture, and more. If you need any shopping to do for the trek, you can do that in Nepalgunj.
Altitude: 2,850m/9,348ft
Travel Hour: 45 min flight
Trek Hours: 2-3 hours trek
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Early in the morning, you will take a flight from Nepalgunj to Juphal. With the view of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna massifs, and other mountains of Himalayas, the 45-minute flight is truly amazing.
After you reach Juphal, you will have a short break after which you will bein your trek. You will walk for about 2-3 hours to reach Dunai. Dunai is a small town located at the bank of Bheri River.
Altitude: 2,896m/9,499 ft
Trek hour: 5-6 hours
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
You will start your trek towards Ankhe which is also the gateway to Shey Phoksundo National Park. At first, you cross a new suspension bridge and then turn to the west and continue your trek.
Then, you ascend by the Thulo Bheri Valley to enter into Phoksundo Valley. From there, the trail slightly goes down to Dhera and the lower parts of Rahatgaon. You then continue your walk through a deep forest to finally reach Ankhe for the overnight stay.
Trek hour: 5-6 hours
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Today, you continue your trek from Ankhe and destine to end the day walk at Sulighat. You will cross through several streams and walk by a rocky trail, which can be a bit enduring too. You may be surprised how easily the local people, even with loads on their back, easily manage to speed through such hard and danger rocky trail.
You, unlike them, can walk slowly and carefully and enjoy the beautiful sceneries the place has to offer. After about 5-6 hours of walk, you will reach the beautiful village of Sulighat for the overnight stay.
Altitude: 3,611m/11,849 ft
Trek hour: 4-5 hours
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
After morning breakfast, you continue your trek. Today, you will trek to the beautiful and pristine Phoksundo Lake. In the beginning, you trek along the valley to the meeting point of Phoksundo and Pungmo rivers. Then you continue your trek by crossing a bridge and walking alongside the Pungmo River.
You then continue your journey through a cedar forest to reach Palam Village. Then, you will ascend to a ridge from where you can get the astounding view of Turquoise-colored Phoksundo Lake and the waterfall originating from it.
Then you continue your journey towards the lake by descending by birch forest to reach the beautiful settlement of Ringmo. With mud-plastered chortens and beautiful mani walls, this beautiful village sits right next to the astonishing Shey-Phoksundo Lake.
Today, you spend the day exploring around Phoksundo Lake and Ringmo Village. Phoksundo - the turquoise-colored lake is the deepest lake in the Himalayas. Buddhist have a sacred belief in this lake and they do not take bath in this Lake. You can also visit Tshowa monastery that lies on the lakeshore.
Trek hour: 4-5 hours
Accommodation: Camp
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
On day 09, you continue your adventure continues through the western bank of the shore. The 2-feet path made on the wall of the cliff looks quite scary to many. You then enter into the remote region of Upper Dolpo. After crossing the lush meadow, a floodplain of Phoksundo Khola to finally reach a nice place for the overnight camp on the bank of the river.
Trek hour: 6-7 hours
Accommodation: Camp
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
The first half of the trek is quite easy as you trek through a level trail by a glacial valley. With the magnificent views of Chahamlang Peaks, the journey becomes quite interesting.
The latter part of the trek is a bit enduring though. There is a hard climb to do to reach a valley from where you can see the Kang-La Pass. You will spend the night here in a tented camp.
Altitude: Shey Gompa (4,500m/14,760 ft) and Kang-La pass (5,360m/17,581ft)
Trek hour: 5-6 hours
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
The day trek begins with an early-morning ascent through a steep trail. Today, you will cross the Kang-La Pass and the climb is quite strenuous. As you reach the pass after hours of the climb, the incredible view of a large valley from there rewards you for all the strenuous climb you had done.
From the Pass, you start descending down towards the valley. The trail is quite steep, so you have to be careful while walking. Then, you have to walk alongside a river and cross it several times to come across meadows. On the way, you can see the mud caves on the walls of the hills.
Finally, after hours of walk, you reach Shey Gompa.
Today is the acclimatization day at Shey Gompa. Shey Gompa lies just above the confluence of Kanjunala and Yeju Nala river. Shey Gompa monastery carries a lot of value on the Buddhist of this region. It is believed that Tibetan Buddhists built Shey Gompa during the 11th century. There are old statues, prayer mills, and Tibetan murals at Shey Gompa.
Altitude: Namduna Gaun (4,800m/15,744ft) and Saldang La (5,200m/17,056ft)
Trek hour: 6-7 hours
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
The day begins with a hearty breakfast. After that, you begin the trek on a pleasant trail that takes you into a canyon. You walk through the rocky trail and ascend to Saldang La Pass. You get the beautiful views of yaks pastures on the way.
The walk then continues from Saldang La to Namduna Gaun. Namduna Gaun has Namgung Monastery which is quite popular in Upper Dolpo. You can visit the monastery and know a lot about the monastery and the local values and tradition.
Altitude: 3,620m/ 11,874ft
Trek hour: 4-5 hours
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
The walk on the morning begins with a long walk through the dusty barren hills. After a few hours of walk away from Namduna Gaun, you can see the Saldang Village far away. Then, you begin descending down to Saldang Village.
Saldang Village is a huge settlement in the Inner Dolpo. There are terraced fields, Mani stones, and many houses scattered in a big area.
Altitude: 4,960m/16,267ft
Trek hour: 4-5 hours
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
A 4-5 hours trek takes you alongside Nagon Khola passing through several villages including Marang and Ki. At first, you will pass through a tributary of Panzang River and then begin marching towards the east.
Then, you have to cross the river once again when you are about to reach Yangze Gompa. Yangze Gompa is the destination for today. It has an old Bonpo monastery as its major attraction.
Altitude: 4,560m/14,957ft
Trek hour: 6-7 hours
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
From Sibu, there are two trails that lead to Sibu. But, you will use the shorter one that passes through Saldang Village. At first, you retrace your path back to Saldang. Then, you continue your walk alongside a river and pass through terrain, chortens, mani walls, and Chaiba Gumba to Namdo Village.
Namdo village has the popular Namdo Monastery that lies near the river bed. From Namdo, you continue your journey to the nearby village - Sibu.
Altitude: 4,900m/16,072ft
Trek hour: 5-6 hours
Accommodation: Camp
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Today, you walk alongside Nam Khong River. Then, you continue your walk towards the east to reach at a confluence of two streams. From there, you have to ascend to a meadow that lies within a short distance away from Jeng La Phedi. Continue your walk to wind up the day at Jeng-La Phedi and get enough rest to pass the Jeng La Pass tomorrow.
Altitude: Tokyu Gaon (4209m/13809ft) and Jeng La pass (5,090m/16,695ft)
Trek hour: 5-6 hours
Accommodation: Camp
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
After morning breakfast, you begin your trek to cross Jeng La Pass. After about two hours of ascending, you reach Jeng La Pass. The view of Dhaulagiri massif and other mountains from the top is so breathtaking.
After spending some time there, you begin descending down towards Tarap Valley. This beautiful valley elongates along Tsarap Chu Khola. After descending down to Tarap Valley, you reach Tokyu Gaun which is the village for the overnight stay. You can visit Tokyu monastery in Tokyu Gaun.
Altitude: 4,040m/13,251ft
Trek hour: 4-5 hours
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Today, the trek is a bit shorter one. You continue your descend on the Tarap Valley with amazing views all around you. As you walk alongside the Tsarap Chu River, you can see green lush meadows on both sides of the river.
You continue your walk towards Dho Tarap. Dho Tarap is a beautiful village where you can find people of multiple tribes. Majority of locals consist of Tibetan-origin people and Magar.
You have walked for several days without any rest day in between. So, today you spend the entire day resting or exploring the beautiful village of Dho Tarap.
Irregular walls made up of stone surrounds this beautiful village. With its unique appearance, you are sure to enjoy your time there. You can explore a Buddhist Gompa, interact with locals, and know more about the unique culture.
About 40-minutes walking distance away lies the famous Bon Po Gompa which you should not miss. So, hike to Bon Po Gompa and return back to Dho Tarap for the overnight stay.
Altitude: 3,800m/12,464ft
Trek hour: 6-7 hours
Accommodation: Camp
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
The descent continues. You begin the walk by descending towards a valley through juniper forest. You may encounter herds of blue sheep on the way multiple times. After a few hours of walk, you arrive at the meeting point of Tarap Chu and Lang Khola.
As you continue your walk, you will shortly reach Kama Kharka. Today, we will pitch our tent and camp on Kamakharka.
Altitude: 3,150m/10,332ft
Trek hour: 4-5 hours
Accommodation: Camp
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
After morning breakfast, you will pack all the materials and start walking towards Khani Gaon. At first, you descend to the gorge of the Tarap Khola. You may meet the herds of cattle on the way.
Farther you go, the valley becomes narrower and narrower into a deep gorge. The walk through this amazing trail is quite mesmerizing. There are small bridges built of logs to cross fast-flowing streams on the way.
After this memorable trail, you arrive at the camping site of Khani Gaon for the overnight stay.
Altitude: 2,537m/8,321ft
Trek hour: 4-5 hours
Accommodation: Camp
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
You walk for about 4-5 hours today. At first, you walk through a trail that leads you to the settlement of Lalberi. From there, you continue your trek passing through dense forests, and climb down into another gorge. The journey continues further alongside the river to Tarakot. You can visit Sandul Gompa in Tarakot.
Altitude: 2,140m/7,019ft
Trek hour: 5-6 hours
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
After your morning breakfast, you leave Tarakot for Dunai. This day, the total walk is about 5-6 hours. You alongside Bheri River passing through several deep gorges and beautiful small settlements. Finally, you arrive at Dunai which is a comparatively larger town with modern conveniences available.
Trek hour: 2-3 hours
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
A short walk for about 2-3 hours takes you to Juphal. You hike alongside Bheri River to finally arrive at Juphal. Finally, your trek ends here at Juphal and you will fly to Kathmandu the next day.
After breakfast, you will board a flight to Nepalgunj. After your arrival in Nepalgunj, you can spend some time refreshing yourself and then board a flight to Kathmandu.
As you land at Kathmandu, Himalayan Joy’s Adventure representative will transfer you to your hotel room. Then you can spend the rest of the day relaxing in your hotel room or exploring Kathmandu.
In the evening, we will have a farewell dinner in a typical Nepali restaurant.
Today is the final day of our service. We will transfer you to the Tribhuvan International Airport’s terminal and wish you a safe and happy journey. We will be glad to working with you again.
ECO-FRIENDLY
Every day the world is facing a big issue of environmental pollution and in Nepal as well. Our field staffs are quite conscious about environmental pollution at any time and we encourage all. We would suggest to our guest to use boiled water or water purification pills than buying a bottle of water, it helps to avoid plastic bottles which can take long time to disappear. During the trek, if possible you can order same items food in a group which minimizes the fuel used and to make the campfire is almost forbidden. We would encourage being a responsible traveller so, just leaving foot-print on the trail and bring out all non-biodegradable which you had. Upper Mustang is one of the protected areas in Nepal.