Upper Dolpo Trek

We pick you up from Kathmandu airport as per your flight landing time on your arrival day. Our airport representative will assist you in check-in at the hotel and leave you to freshen up. Feel free to explore the nearby area. You have a meeting with the trip manager in the evening who will address your needs and brief the program in detail. 

Today is a free day for you. We make a special permit for you to trek to Upper Dolpo. As you have a free day, you can explore Kathmandu Valley on your own after morning breakfast at the Hotel. 

Flying over the entire western Himalayan range, we fly to Nepalgunj, one of the hottest cities in Nepal. From here, we take another flight to Jhupal, which is around 45 minutes, enjoying the superb views of the Himalayan foothills. From Jhupal, we load our luggage in the jeep and drive to Dunai where the trek begins.

We pack the luggage and get ready to begin the first day of the trek. The trail crosses a bridge over the Bheri River and walks on the left side of the route to Shulighat. It's the entry point of Shey Phoksundo National Park. Trekking through many small settlement areas, we reach Chhepka village.

We gradually ascend along the valley through lush forest. The route further has numerous small ascents & descents. We cross a river on a small bridge and reach Raichi. Here we have lunch. Further, the trail takes us across an impressive point where we can see two rivers of different colours merging to form a single Phoksundo river before reaching Chunuwar.

We slowly walk uphill via the densely forested slopes. The route presents fantastic mountain views. Soon, we will get to see the spectacular view of Phoksundo Lake. The views we get to see today are unbelievable. We will spend the night in the Ringmo Gaun, situated near the lake.

It is our day off in Ringmo. We explore the gorgeous Phoksundo lake and enjoy its beauty. Later, we visit ancient monasteries in the Ringmo villages. The locals of this village follow the BonPo religion. 

We will have a great opportunity to see their lifestyle and learn about their traditions.

We begin the day by gradually ascending a carved path along the cliffside overlooking the lake. It is an uphill walk mostly, and the views are remarkable. We take a small break at a rocky area and further trek through the lush forest to Phoksundo Khola Camp.

The trail winds through the Tuk Kyaksa River. We alternate the sides as we walk further along the river. The trail then crosses a gorge, and we climb to Nagdalo High Camp.

Today, we reach the Shey Gompa, a very prominent place in the Dolpo region. But first, we have to cross the Nagdalo La pass. From the high camp, we ascend on a steep path to reach the top of the pass that offers breathtaking mountain scenery. Further, the trail steeply descends to Shey Gompa, an 800-year-old monastery situated on a grassy slope.

On our second acclimatization day, we explore Shey Gompa and Tsakang Gompa. Tsakang Gompa is more like a retreat centre. Later, we visit the Shey Gompa, built in the 11th century. We get to see superb views of Crystal Mountain to the west of Shey Gompa. The cliff of this mountain is laced with quartz and a wide range of fossils.

After having breakfast, we begin trekking towards Shey La Pass. The path is zigzag and rocky. From the pass, we descend to the pastures and walk towards Namgung Gompa.

From Namgung Gompa, we steeply ascend to a ridge at 4,700 meters. The trail from here drops down to Saldang village. It is a short and scenic walk today. Saldang is one of the biggest villages in Dolpo.

Here comes our third rest day. We take all these rest days between the trek to acclimatize our bodies and explore the villages. We hiked to Yangtsher Gompa today. Encompassing dunes, we visit centuries-old Samye Choling and Jovo monasteries. Along the way, there are many mani walls and prayer flags. We also visit hidden hamlets around Saldang village.

The trail from here onwards gets quiet and isolated to Khoma Gaun. We trek enjoying diverse landscapes of bare hills and dunes to white-washed villages, colorful chortens & mani walls. On the way, we cross many streams and ascend & descend a few times before reaching Khoma Gaun.

We pack up our belongings and begin trekking towards Shimen Gaun. The trail passes through old traditional villages and mani walls. We cross Shimen La pass (4,375 m) and descend to Panjyan Khola. Shimen village is located at the bank of this river.

We trek on a downhill path that gets off-trail above Panjyan Khola. Along the way, we visit another ancient and significant monastery called Pu Gompa. From Tinkyu, the scenery gets exclusive, and the culture of the locals makes the trek very special.

We begin walking following the Panjyang Khola and reach Chhamdang. The trail then goes through arid shrublands to Thalum Khola. From here, we trek and reach Yak Kharka.

We cross a bridge over Sulun Khola and begin trekking upstream to Choila La (5,040 m). It is the last 5,000 meters on this trek. The route is tough and steep, but the outstanding view from the top of the pass pays for all of our hard walks. The trail from here descends to Tokyu for the night's stay.

We visit the ancient Tokyu monster early in the morning and have breakfast. The trail then moves to Dho Tarap. We pass by hamlets and terraced fields. Along the way, we get to see huge cattle grazing on huge green pastures. The views are heavenly. Visiting Chaiba Gompa further, we pass by the chortens and mani walls before reaching Dho Tarap.

Passing by several small villages, we trek through the Tarap valley. The trail is packed with chortens and some occasional gompas. The scenery today is fantasy. Further, we walk along the Tarap Khola and a narrow gorge to reach our campsite at Ghyangmar.

The rough trail continues through the gorge. We alternate walking from one side of the river to another, and eventually open up to a wide area called Chhyugar.

The day begins by crossing a bridge and walking alongside the Tarap Khola. It's an impressive route today. The trail leads us to the beautiful Tarakkot village, where we'll be spending the night.

After having breakfast, we begin walking along the banks of the Thuli Bheri River. The trail then goes through forests and terraced fields to Dunai village.

Our last day of the trek is here. It's an easy and relaxing walk to Juphla from Dunai. Enjoy the views while trekking and celebrate in the evening. We have completed one of the toughest and longest treks in the Himalayas.

We take a back to back flight from Jhupal to Nepalgunj and then to Kathmandu. It's your last day in Kathmandu, so enjoy the remaining day as you wish. Shopping and spending some time in the spa sounds great. 

Our airport team members will take care of the airport drop as per your flight departure time. Have a safe flight, and see you soon!