Quick Review
- Start: Kathmandu
- End: Kathmandu
- Duration: 24 days
- Best Season: Mar-Nov
Introduction
An unexplored paradise, Upper Dolpo happens to be a remote and unspoiled area in the Far-Western region of Nepal. Trek to Upper Dolpo offers a great view of spectacular snow-clad mountains, green lush meadows, rich wildlife, alpine forest and many more. Upper Dolpo is a restricted area so you need to take a special permit before entering. Upper Dolpo is a culturally rich Tibetan region in Far-Western Nepal and during the course of the trek, we will visit numerous Buddhist monasteries and other historical monuments. The trek passes through high Himalayan villages, hidden valleys, turquoise Shey Phoksundo Lake, snowy high passes, the popular Shey Gomba monastery, etc. You can also witness the holy mountain called Crystal Mountain during the trek where hundreds of pilgrims visit the Upper Dolpo region just to witness this. The most people of Upper Dolpo speak Tibetan languages. Wildlife is also the key attraction of this trek where you can encounter endangered species of wild animals like Snow Leopard, Peter Matheson, etc. The Nangda-La Pass at 5,400m is the highest point of this trek and crossing this is mandatory to get to Shey Gompa.
The trek starts with a scenic drive or flight to Nepalgunj from Kathmandu City. Then we fly to Juphal. To reach our destination, we go through several stopping points: Dunai, Kageni, Chhepka, Ringmo, Shey, Saldang, Dho, and Lingdo. We have to cross three passes: Nagdalo La, Shey La, and Jeng La during this trek. You'll fall in love with the mesmerizing beauty of the Shey Phoksundo Lake, the deepest lake in Nepal that will blow your mind with its seducing beauty along with exploring the antique Shey Gompa. A trek through the Upper Dolpo Region will be etched in your memory for a lifetime.
Trek Highlights
- Shey Phoksundo Lake, Deepest lake of Nepal
- Historical Shey Gompa
- Three passes: Nagdalo La, the Shey La, and Jeng La
- Tibetan culture, tradition, and lifestyle
- Splendid mountain view
- Wildlife exploration
Food
You will have three meals a day, all provided by these tea houses which includes varieties of option such as Dal Bhat, potatoes, vegetables, pasta, noodles, cereals, eggs, rice, soup, etc. You'll stay in clean teahouses which provides homely services. But we recommend you to have local Nepali food like Dal Bhat meal, (rice, curry, and lentil soup) or normal food items like bread, Thukpa soup, Momos, Tennduk soup, Potatoes items and many more. In the climbing period, our kitchen crew team will provide you the food of your choice because there won't be any teahouses or settlements in higher elevations.
Accommodation
Staying at tea houses during Upper Dolpa Trek gives you the chance to explore the simple way of living away from luxury products and modern devices. You'll find all the room simple and comfortable usually with two beds with mattress blanket and pillows. Some will have an en-suit bathroom but most have shared bathrooms with the squat toilet in mountain areas. We'll also spend a few days in a tent during this trek. While in Kathmandu city, you will stay at a 3-starred hotel with breakfast service.
Day 1 - Arrive at Kathmandu
Day 2 - Trek preparation day
Day 3 - Fly to Nepaljung
Day 4 - Fly to Jufal and Dunai
Day 5 - Trek to Chhepak
Day 6 - Trek to Chunuar
Day 7 - Trek to Phoksundo lake
Day 8 - Rest and explore around Phoksundo lake
Day 9 - Trek to Forest camp -5 hours-alt.375m.
Day 10 - Trek to Nango-la high camp-5-6 hours-alt 4717m.
Day 11 - Trek to Shegumpa via (Nangda-La pass 5400m)
Day 12 - Trek to Namgung gumpa via se-la pass 5100m
Day 13 - Trek to Saldang
Day 14 - Day hike with sightseeing around
Day 15 - Trek to Komash village
Day 16 - Trek from Komash village to Siman
Day 17 - Trek from March to Tinje
Day 18 - Walk from Tinje to Yak kharka
Day 19 - Trek to Tokyu
Day 20 - Trek to Dhorpatan
Day 21 - Trek to Chhegur , alt 2800
Day 22 - Trek to Tarakot , alt 2675m
Day 23 - Trek to Jufal , alt 2450m
Day 24 - Fly to Jufal- Nepalgunj- Kathmandu , alt 150 to 1300m
Day 1 - Arrive at Kathmandu
On the first day of Upper Dolpa Trek, You will arrive at Tribhuvan International in Kathmandu. The travel representatives will meet you just outside the airport terminal and direct transfer you to the hotel. After the hotel check-in process, you can relax after dinner and in the evening, you can explore the Thamel area. Overnight stay.
Day 2 - Trek preparation day
Today, you'll meet your trek guide in the morning and get all the relevant information about the trek such as the accommodation, weather, difficulty level or other information, etc. Then we will go to the exploration of historical sites located in Kathmandu including UNESCO listed, Boudhanath, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, and Pashupatinath. Overnight stay at the same hotel.
Day 3 - Fly to Nepaljung
Early morning flight to Nepalgunj from capital city Kathmandu will be one of the most scenic as you will get to see glimpse the Nepali villages, rolling hills, and different environments. Overnight at a lodge in Nepalgunj.
Day 4 - Fly to Jufal and Dunai
Today, we fly to the beautifully located town over the Himalayan foothills offering the spectacular panorama of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri peaks to its north. After arriving at Jufal, we start our trek to Dunai and stay overnight.
Day 5 - Trek to Chhepak
From Dunai, we start walking in the morning coming across the wheat and vegetable field to reach Thuli Bheri River and cross a suspension bridge that will lead us to the entrance of Shey Phoksando National Park. Walking through the National Park area, you may encounter varieties of flora and fauna. Overnight at Chhepak.
Day 6 - Trek to Chunuar
Early morning, we have to pass through the forest following a beautiful river and you'll find the area surrounded by a pine tree, spruce, bamboo, fir, Juniper, etc. The trail to Chunuar is interesting. Overnight at Chunuar.
Day 7 - Trek to Phoksundo lake
After walking 4-5 hours continuously, we reach Shey Phoksundo Lake which is the deepest lake of Nepal. First, we climb for 2 hrs and reach the top, from where one can see the view of Nepal's highest waterfall of 107m high known as Phoksundo waterfall. After reaching, we spend overnight at tented camp.
Day 8 - Rest and explore around Phoksundo lake
After several days of a long walk, we should have rest at least for one day admire the sublime beauty of pristine Phoksundo Lake. On a free day, we can also visit nearby villages inhabited by Bon and Buddhist religion where you can learn a new culture and lifestyle. Overnight at the tented camp.
Day 9 - Trek to Forest camp -5 hours-alt.375m.
You walk through the trail of rocky hills from the Phoksundo Lake to reach Forest Camp. The trail continues through a lush grassland and witnessing the best of Shey Phoksundo National Park, we reach Forest to camp for an overnight stay.
Day 10 - Trek to Nango-la high camp-5-6 hours-alt 4717m.
Today's trek is relatively short and after walking 5-6 hours, we reach Nangdala High Camp 4717m. In the first few hours, we ascend the narrow trail and follow the scenic route to reach Nangdala High Camp. Overnight stay.
Day 11 - Trek to Shegumpa via (Nangda-La pass 5400m)
We start today's trek after early morning breakfast at the camp and follow the route to Shegumpa via Nangda La Pass at 5,400m. Overnight at Shegumpa.
Day 12 - Trek to Namgung gumpa via se-la pass 5100m
We start our trek early morning with a long steep climb to the top of Sela Bhanjyang. The trail offers spectacular views of Mustang Valley and Tibetan mountains including Kanjirowa Range. The day ends at Namjung Gumpa for an overnight stay.
Day 13 - Trek to Saldang
The day starts with a walk on a pleasant trail surrounded by juniper and pine which goes downhill to the stony canyon, then turns into zig-zag with rocks. The trail is quite exciting and peaceful that brings us to Saldang for an overnight stay.
Day 14 - Day hike with sightseeing around
This is your free day at Saldang which is the largest village in the inner Dolpo area. It is a different village with a picturesque landscape and it belongs to the arid zone of the Trans-Himalayan Tibetan plateau. We spend overnight admiring the natural beauty around Saldang.
Day 15 - Trek to Komash village
Today's walk takes us towards the unexplored area of the region. After early morning breakfast, we move towards Komash Village and spend overnight there.
Day 16 - Trek from Komash village to Siman
After a wonderful moment here at the Komash Village, the trek leads on the rough path towards Siman village. We will pass through the green valley which leads us on the pleasant track down to Siman for an overnight stay.
Day 17 - Trek from March to Tinje
We begin our journey with an early morning trek to Tinje situated at an elevation of 4,090m that allows you to enjoy the high elevation mountain environment along with the fresh air. Overnight stay.
Day 18 - Walk from Tinje to Yak kharka
Today’s journey includes a walk from Tinje to Yak kharka perched at an elevation of 4,000m. The trek goes through yak pasture fields and the surrounding beauty on the way to Yak Kharka is just amazing. Overnight at Yak Kharka.
Day 19 - Trek to Tokyu
The trek continues through Yak pasture fields and on the way to Tokyu, you can witness the picturesque views of Dhaulagiri massif. Tokyu is a famous refreshing point for trekkers where you can enjoy camping with friends and enjoy it. Overnight at Tokyu.
Day 20 - Trek to Dhorpatan
Today's trek leads us towards Dhorpatan at an elevation of 4000m from sea level and the journey is full of fun along with a chance to explore beautiful periphery. Overnight stay.
Day 21 - Trek to Chhegur , alt 2800
We start the trek with lite breakfast and continue towards Chhegur at 3500m altitude. The trek goes mostly downhill and the day allows us to click memories in natural landscapes. Overnight at Chhegur.
Day 22 - Trek to Tarakot , alt 2675m
The journey continues on a fine trail that leads us to Tarakot at 2,475m altitude. After reaching Tarakot you'll experience the beautiful nature along with the fresh breathing air. You can enjoy camping with friends and spend overnight.
Day 23 - Trek to Jufal , alt 2450m
We fly early morning to Jufal with a lot of new experiences and memories in a mountain environment. Overnight at Jufal.
Day 24 - Fly to Jufal- Nepalgunj- Kathmandu , alt 150 to 1300m
Finally, we leave Jufal behind and fly to Nepalgunj and Kathmandu to end our trek. One of our representatives will drop you to the airport for your flight back home.