Upper Dolpo Trek

Your Arrival Time (?) Our office representative will meet and greet you at Kathmandu Airport and transfer to your hotel in Kathmandu. At 06:00 PM: In the evening we will meet for a coffee and will brief you the details of your trek program.

At. 10:00 AM: You will visit for a full day sightseeing of Kathmandu Durbar Square and Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath. Besides sightseeing, you can do the required shopping for your trek.
 

At 09:00 AM: This day we will prepare the paperwork for the restricted area trekking. After that, we will be flying to the Nepalgunj on the southwestern side of Nepal which is also considered as the gateway to the far west.

At 06:00 AM: Today early morning we will take the flight to Juphal which is on the northern side of Nepalgunj. The small aircraft will take us to the beautiful airport in Juphal. The view of mighty snow-capped peaks are visible throughout the flight. Juphal is our starting point of the trek and from here we will start our first day of the trek. 

The trail then takes us to the Sulighat which is followed by Shey Phoksundo national park check post. The trail ascends up from here and passes through the hemp fields before reaching Kageni village. The view of magnificent waterfalls, lush vegetation, and the tropical forest is throughout the trail reaching Shyanta.

At 07:30 AM: After breakfast, we will start our trek towards the Jharana hotel. Today we will get the first view of Phoksundo lake from the distant. The trail today passes through the wide meadows and forests. The gorge of phoksundo is just below us when we pass through the meadows. After the climb, we will see one of the most beautiful and largest waterfalls.

At 07:30 AM: After breakfast, we will be leaving the Jharana hotel and then continue toward the Ringmo village which is the bank of the Phoksundo lake. The trail first passes descending down inside the birch forest and then ascends up to reach the Phoksundo Khola. After crossing the bridge we will be heading towards the north to reach the ranger station at Phoksundo lake.

At 07:30 AM: Today we will explore the Ringmo village., Phoksundo lake, surrounding areas and monasteries. Phoksundo Lake is an alpine turquoise-coloured freshwater lake and the deepest lake of Nepal at 3,600 m. We will visit a 900-year-old Bon monastery,  Tshowa Gompa. The lake is famous for its striking turquoise colour and spectacular scenery.

At 07:30 AM: The trail flanks the Shey Phoksundo Lake from the western side. You walk through the trail of rocky hills of the western end of the lake. The trail continues through a lush grassland to the floodplain of Phoksundo Khola.

At 07:30 AM: After breakfast, we will continue along the level path through a glacial valley that now heads north. As this becomes narrower and narrower there are impressive vertical cliffs and contorted rock formations. At the confluence of the Phoksundo Khola and another, unnamed, mountain stream there is an old wooden bridge.

Here you take the barely discernible path to the northeast up a side valley which has a cavernous look. There is no trail as such, so it is necessary to clamber over rocks and boulders and to ford a stream that rushes down the steep valley. A long climb brings you to a sheep meadow where the trail veers up a steep ravine. A hard climb to the top brings you to yet another valley where you can see the Kang La Pass.

At 07:30 AM: It will take about two and a half to three hours to reach the top of the Kang La. The views from the top are magnificent and well worth all the hard work. The height of the Kang La is 5360 meters above from sea level. On descending steeply to the valley floor, not more than 45 minutes, you make a long meandering trek along the banks of the river, crossing it once. A red chorten heralds your arrival at Shey Gompa.

At 07:30 AM: After breakfast, we will explore the village and monastery. Shey meaning crystal, this monastery is also known as the Crystal Mountain. The lama of Shey resides at a red hermitage known as Tsakang Gompa which is north of Shey. It is rather a retreat than a monastery. Walk around the area and explore Shey Gompa. Shey Gompa is the most popular monastery in Upper Dolpo. Hundreds of Buddhist devotees visit Shey Gompa yearly.

At 07:30 AM: After breakfast, we will be following a pleasant trail amidst juniper which descends into a grey, stony canyon. Then the path begins to zig-zag over bare rocks and coarse eroded soil until it eventually brings us to the top of Saldang-la 5,200m. From there, the trail descends for a long time towards north to Namduna Gaun which is 4,800M above from sea level. You can visit Namgung monastery perched on the northern wall of a ridge.

At 07:30 AM: After breakfast, our route leads to a climb up a scree slope. Further on it begins a long traverse along some dusty barren mountains. After 3-4 hours of walk, you start to see Saldang Village which stretches through a slope above Namga River. Saldang Village is the largest settlement of Inner Dolpo. Surrounded by terraced fields, Saldang is an agriculturally prosperous settlement of inner Dolpo.

At 07:30 AM: After breakfast, You follow Nang Chu river on your trail to Tiling, and Lurigaon village. You walk further to Yangze village. Here, you can explore the Yangze region, Bon-Po monastery, and Panzang river.

At 07:30 AM: You will start your day after breakfast. Today's walking distance is about 10 km from Chagaon to Darsumna Dhobhan. It takes approx. 6-7 hours of walking through the Dachun river gorge. You will set up a camp overnight.

At 07:30 AM: The trail follows to the high camp which is at the elevation of 4700m. Today’s walking distance is 6.5 Km and you will gain 500m of height. You will follow the river bank walk and take a rest to cross the Jayanta La pass (5220m).

At 07:30 AM: After breakfast, we will start climbing to the top of Jyanta La Pass that takes about two hours from the high camp. From Jyanta La Pass, you can witness picturesque views of Dhaulagiri massif. After that, you descend towards Tarap valley. As you reach a stream, you follow the stream to Tokyu village which is 4,209M above sea level.

At 07:30 AM: After breakfast, the route leads eastward along the downhill course of Tarap Chu in a plain valley with patches of lush verdant grass on both sides of the river which is completely different from other parts of inner Dolpo. You walk through broad fertile valley visiting several chortens on the way. About 4-5 hours of the trek will take you to Dho Tarap.

At 07:30 AM: You can explore the village, visit the gompas and interact with local people. Dho Tarap is one of the highest settlements of the world, is the junction of trails leading to Mustang, Jomsom, and Tibet. Inhabitants consist of mostly Magars and Tibetans. There are many Buddhist shrines in Dho Tarap. Bon Gompa above Dho Tarap is a famous one.

At 07:30 AM: After breakfast, we descend towards a wide valley which eventually narrows into a gorge. We walk along with the juniper bush and wild rose, typical of dry inner Himalayan valleys, to just above the treeline. On this route, we might see herds of blue sheep. By the afternoon time, we reach the confluence of the Tarap Chu and Lang Khola, a stream that joins with Tarap River from further east.  

At 07:30 AM: After breakfast, we trek alongside the gorge of Tarap Khola. This will be one of the most exciting days of this trip, as the valley becomes so narrow in a deep gorge that in some places we can jump from one side to another. Sometimes there is no trace of any path and we have to walk across stone slabs fitted on logs in between the walls which act as a bridge. The gorge also provides unexpected adventure and thrills. Through such an adventurous trail, we will reach Khanigaon.

At 07:30 AM: After breakfast, we start our day trek following a trail to Lalberi village. Then, we pass through a forest, descend to a gorge then trek alongside the river. We will reach Tarakot after a total of 4-5 hours of walking from Khanigaon. Tarakot is a small town which once used to be a fortress and capital of Tichorung Kingdom and was a popular trading point.  After reaching Tarakot, you will take a drive to reach Juphal the same day for your overnight stay.

At 06:30 AM: Today you will take an early morning flight from Juphal to Nepalgunj. After reaching Nepalgunj you then further fly back to Kathmandu and celebrate our final dinner together.

You will be free until your flight time; we will drop you at Kathmandu airport 3 hour before your flight.