Upper Dolpo Trek

A representative from our company will be awaiting your arrival outside TIA with a sign board of your name. You will then be escorted to the hotel where you can rest after your flight and prepare for the trek. In the evening, you will be served traditional Nepali cuisine as dinner to introduce you to the country’s culture.

Includes: Overnight stay at hotel, Dinner

The Upper Dolpo trek will lead us through the Shey Phoksundo National Park, which is a special area designated for conservation. As tourism is regulated there, we will require special permits that our staff will acquire for you today. Meanwhile, you can spend the morning shopping for essentials or exploring the city. In the afternoon, once everyone has gathered, your trek leader will introduce the rest of the crew to the group and shortly brief you regarding the expedition ahead. Finally, you will head to TIA to catch a domestic flight to Nepalgunj which concludes our activities for the day.

Includes: Overnight stay in lodge, Breakfast and Dinner

After an early breakfast at the lodge, we head back to the airport to catch a flight to the bustling market town of Jhupal. You will catch scenic views of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri in the north, basking in the morning sun during the course of this flight. Once at Jhupal, we will have our lunch and being our trek to Dunai. Walking along the Bheri River, we reach Dunai fairly easily. We spend the evening exploring the district centre of Dunai and prepare for the actual trek that begins the next day.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Our trekking journey begins today as we head northwest on the trail past the recently built suspension bridge towards Thulo Bheri valley. We enter the Phoksundo river valley as we walk nearby the roaring Suli Gadi River. Passing through the settlements at Dhera, Hanke, Parela and Rahagaon, we eventually reach the entrance to Shey Phoksundo National Park at Ankhe.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Our journey continues today as we walk past the numerous streams, forested riverbeds and grassy slopes and make a steep ascent towards Sulighat. We cross a bridge and reach Ryajik village where we will take a short break and have our lunch. After feeling somewhat rejuvenated, we resume on our trail and arrive at Sulighat after a few more hours of walking. We spend the night in tented camps beside the village and prepare for the rewarding trek that lies in wait for us tomorrow.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The trail today takes us to the convergence of Pungmo and Phoksundo rivers. We depart from Sulighat after breakfast and cross the old bridge, after which we make our way towards Palam. As we tread past the birch and cedar forests, we eventually arrive at the quaint little settlement of Ringmo where we will be camping for the night. We spend the rest of the evening enjoying the hospitality of the locals.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

All the tedious climbing and walking you’ve done so far will have been well worth it because of what’s in store for you today. Phoksundo is an alpine fresh water lake, sitting at an elevation of 3611 meters. It is also the deepest lake in Nepal. We spend most of the day taking a pleasant walk around the enchanting turquoise blue waters around Phoksundo. There are also a few Bon monasteries in the locality for us to visit, along with a fantastic waterfall nearby. We will likely also witness trading caravans like the ones you might have seen in the movie ‘Caravan’ or ‘Himalaya’. We set up camp beside the lake and enjoy the sight of it basking in the moonlight.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Rejuvenated from yesterday’s pleasant rest day, we resume on our trail along the edges of the Shey Phoksundo Lake towards the western end. We ascend quite steeply along the cliffs, upto almost 4000 meters high and then descent once more into the flood plains of the Phoksundo River. We set up camp early, somewhere in the midst of the trees as the cold winds start early in the evening and can be quite harsh at night.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We resume on the trail after an early breakfast as we will need to reach our destination early today and rest for the difficult trek tomorrow. We tread along the narrow paths through the glacial valleys and cross the wooden bridge. We continue climbing north on the barely visible path and treacherous path. Walking past the meadows and streams, we reach the top a ravine that serves as a good vantage point for the Kang La pass as well as Chamlang peak 6 (6739m) and peak 7 (6105m). 

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We have a strenuous trek ahead of us today as we walk on the steep slate laden trail. A few hours of ascent will take us to the top of the Kang La pass, which is the highest point we will reach during this whole trip. We have our lunch while enjoying views of the valleys, canyons, drylands and mountains in the backdrop. After lunch, we tread carefully on a steep descent and pass through some rivers and pasture lands, coming across herds of Himalayan yaks, mountain goats and sheep. We eventually cross a log bridge and arrive at a red chorten, a sign that we’ve reached Shey Gompa.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

As safety is our utmost concern, we will spend the day trying to acclimatize to the thinning air as we’ve gained a lot of altitude in the last few day. The monastery nearby, also known as Crystal Mountain was built almost a millennia ago primarily to teach Buddhist animism and is a popular attraction for newcomers. You may also find it worthwhile to observe the lifestyle and culture of the curious locals who will be more than happy to make friends with foreigners.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Revitalized from our day of rest at the tranquil crystal mountain, we resume on our trail past the juniper forest which leads us into the windy stony gray canyon. Climbing further ahead, we eventually arrive at the top of Saldang la pass where we stop to have our lunch. This vantage point provides a panoramic view of the arid dry lands of Mustang valley as well as the Tibetan Himalayan Chain in the distance. After lunch, we begin the descent towards Namduna Gaun and arrive after a few more hours of walking. We spend the evening visiting the Namduna monastery, which is perched on the northern side of a ridge.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After an early breakfast, we trek through the dusty and barren mountainside for a few hours. You have a good view of the valley down below from the trail. Continuing on the ascent and descent trend for a bit longer, you eventually arrive at Saldang village. Perched on a plateau high above the Nam Khong nala, Saldang village is home to almost 600 people and is the largest settlement in all of Inner Dolpo. Apart from agriculture, it also prospers from being located on a strategic trade route to Tibet.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today, we journey into the even more remote and secluded regions of Dolpo. We follow the Nang Chu River for the most part, treading on this mountainous yet desert like terrain. Passing through the villages of Tiligaon and Lurigaon, we eventually arrive at the small settlement at Yangze Gompa. We have our lunch, after which, we spend the rest of the day exploring the nearby Bon monastery and the Panzang river.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We tread north on these wild and windy lands today along the Nagon River. Following the riverbed, we go past numerous terraced fields and chortens before arriving at Namdo gaun. We stop here for lunch. After a brief rest, we resume on the trail for a couple more hours to reach our camp at the small settlement of Sibu.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We will be following yet another river today, the Nam Khong khola on this fairly easy trail. After treading east for a while, we arrive at a convergence of two small streams. We might also encounter some trading caravans on the way. The path ahead is a steep climb that leads to the base of the Jeng La pass, where we will be setting up camp for the night in a pleasant meadow.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We embark on the steep, yet fairly easy climb towards the top of the Jeng la pass which will take us around a couple of hours. We will have our breakfast at the top while relishing in the view of Dhaulagiri basking in the morning sun in the backdrop. The somewhat rougher descent towards the fascinating Tarap valley will lead us to Tokyu gaun, given a few hours of walking. We set up camp nearby the Chaiba monastery.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The trail today is an easy one compared to the past few days, as the roads are wide and often used. Passing through the numerous chortens and fields on the path, we make our way to the quaint little village of Dho Tarap. We spend the evening visiting the nearby Bon gompa and enjoying the hospitality of the local Magars and Tibetans.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The trail has been quite rough on our bodies the past week. So, we spend the day taking it easy and exploring the stone walled settlement of Dho Tarap. We will try interacting with the locals and try to come to an understanding about their cultures and traditions.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The tedious part of the trek is behind us now. Nonetheless, we embark on the trail after an early breakfast and descend towards the valley which eventually narrows in a gorge. Walking past the juniper bushes and wild roses, as well as the occasional herds of blue sheep and domestic goats, we reach the confluence of the Tarap Chu and Lang Khola. We stop for a quick rest and have our lunch here. We continue further to the meadow at Kamakharka, where we will be camping for the night.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We continue treading along the gorge of the Tarap River. It is necessary to be careful as the occasional man made stone stairs are not the most reliable and are vulnerable to derailing. Jumping across the narrow but deep gorge from one side to another and crossing some wooden bridges, we eventually manage to descend all the way down to Khanigaon.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We cross the new suspension bridge at Khanigaon and follow the barely distinguishable path to the village of Lalberi. We descend through a lush forest, into a gorge and begin following the river again. We arrive to the old fortress town of Tarakot for lunch. We set up camp on the grassy plateau nearby the Gompa and spend the rest of the evening exploring the old capital.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We set out after breakfast on the wide trail above the Thuli Bheri River ascending until the Byas Gadi. Then, the trail leads us westward for an easy ascent to the regional headquarters in Dunai where we will be camping for the night. Since bottled beers as well as local specialties are available, a small celebration is customary.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Retracing our steps from the beginning of the trip, we pass through Dhupichaur and Rupgad villages as we tread alongside the Bheri river. We arrive pretty easily at the small grassy airstrip of Jhupal and spend the rest of the day exploring the town.

Includes: Overnight stay in tented camps, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We breathe in the last of the mountain air as our early morning flight takes us from Jhupal to Nepalgunj. We have our breakfast in Nepalgunj after which another flight will take us back to the capital. Once at Kathmandu, your trek leader will escort you back to the hotel. Afterwards, you can choose to rest at the hotel, or spend the rest of the evening shopping, as per your preference.

Includes: Overnight stay at hotel, Breakfast and Dinner

You will have the day to yourself today. You can spend the day resting at the hotel after your long trip. You also have the option of joining the rest of the group for a quick tour around the capital, where we’ll visit some of its major attractions including Boudhanath, Pashupatinath and Swayambhunath. You may also spend the day shopping downtown for any mementos if you like. In the evening, you’ll be taken to a restaurant serving traditional Nepali cuisine as well as some cultural performances.

Includes: Overnight stay at hotel, Breakfast and Dinner

We will have a brief farewell program after breakfast, during which you’ll be able to meet up with the all the crew and group members one last time. Afterwards, one of our representatives will escort you to Tribhuwan International Airport a few hours before your flight.

Includes: Breakfast