Start & End Point
| Kathmandu
Duration
26 Days
Best Time
Oct-Nov Feb-Apr
Grade
Moderate
Activity
Trekking
Upper Dolpo Trek
Upper Dolpo Trekking is one of the restricted area trekking trips in Nepal.
An exploration of the remote mountainous parts of western Nepal, Upper Dolpo Trekking is a beautiful trip to bring you closer to the remote and timeless villages and cultures of the mountains. A relatively less-explored area, this adventure brings fascinating views of the mountains, lake and amazing surroundings. The remoteness and wilderness of the region is so overwhelming that the trip certainly becomes a lifetime experience.
Unlike any other popular and widely explored trekking adventures in Nepal, this adventure feels peaceful with fewer trekkers throughout the trek. Although the accommodations and foods are pretty basic, the charm of nature, mountains and the villages that come along the trail is indescribable.
Why We Trek Nepal for Upper Dolpo Trekking?
Deciding to go on Upper Dolpo Trekking is one thing but choosing who to go with is definitely a difficult one to resolve.
We have good reasons for you to choose us from the crowd in the market. Highly committed and experienced team of We Trek Nepal stands out in the market for unparalleled service we provide to our clients. We know no compromise while it comes to your safety and satisfaction.
Our style of small group trek operation in the mountains makes it quite easier for us to pay an individual attention to the group members. While the destination in itself is impressive, it is the unrivalled experience of our professional service and attention that makes Upper Dolpo Trekking a special one with us.
What do you see on the trek?
- Exploration of timeless villages and cultures
- Three high Himalayan passes – Kang La, Saldang La and Jeng La
- Trekking through the remoteness and wilderness of mountains
- Arresting beauty of the nature and wilderness
- Beautiful view of the mountains
- Phoksundo Lake view and exploration
- The real Nepalese mountain life of western Nepal
Your Itinerary
1
Day-01: Kathmandu (1,400m)
Day one of the trip is your arrival day in Kathmandu, Nepal. When you arrive at Kathmandu airport, We Trek Nepal representative will welcome you and transfer to hotel. It will take more or less 20 minutes to reach hotel depending upon traffic. We will let you know about our trip briefing schedule and other essentials on your arrival at the hotel. You stay relaxed and try to adjust with the new atmosphere as a traveller. We will talk about any questions you may have at our trip briefing meeting.
2
Day-02: Acclimatization and Exploration Day in Kathmandu (1,400m) - B
We are at the elevation of 1,400 meters from sea level and are going well above 5,000 meters on the trip. We will take this day as our acclimatization and preparation day before we head up towards the mountains. Instead of staying idle in hotel, we will take you for a wonderful day tour of Kathmandu valley. Exploring UNESCO’s cultural heritage sites in Kathmandu is the best way to know about historical, cultural and spiritual aspects of this 2 millennia old city. We will visit Swoyambhunath popularly known as the Monkey Temple that is oldest monument in Kathmandu valley, Kathmandu Durbar Square that is one of the medieval palace squares in Kathmandu valley, Boudhanath that is the largest Buddhist stupa and Pashupatinath that is a Hindu temple premises with open Hindu cremation platforms on the bank of River Bagmati. Once we are back to hotel in the afternoon, we will go for last minute gearing up for our trekking adventure.
3
Day-03: Fly to Nepalgunj (150m) – B
We will fly to Nepalgunj, 365 kilometers aerial distance west of Kathmandu. The flight will be of about an hour that takes us to the destination with stunning views of the Himalayan peaks. While in Nepalgunj, we will be at quite a lower elevation than Kathmandu. We can explore Nepalgunj for a while once we reach there.
4
Day-04: Fly to Juphal (2,400m) and Trek to Dunai (2,150m) – B.L.D
It is our first day in the mountains and also the first day of trekking. We will fly to Juphal airstrip in the morning. Juphal airport is a small airport situated at the lap of a slope and surrounded by magnificent mountains. We will land at beautiful Juphal in about 35 minutes and trek to Dunai to stay overnight. The walk for the first day will be of about 3 hours to reach the overnight destination for today.
5
Day-05: Trek to Ankhe (2,660m) – B.L.D
The second day of the trek takes us to Ankhe today. We start the day after relishing our breakfast at the camp. We follow the trail that goes along the river valley. We walk across Thulo Bheri and Phoksundo river valley towards the destination today. The trail passes through villages of Dhera and Raha and also goes through a densely forested part before making it to Ankhe. The walk today brings a beautiful view of Kagmara peak and fascinating landscape in the region.
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Day-06: Trek to Renje (3,104m) – B.L.D
The third day on the Dolpo trail is taking us to Renje today. The walk involves several going up and down on the trail as it curves through the terrain. We cross several suspension bridges over calming rivers; walk past lush forested part before reaching Renje for overnight stay. It’s going to be a beautiful nature walk although descending and ascending the trail ceaselessly until we reach the destination can be tiring and monotonous. But the landscape and excitement the walk is bringing to us is worth taking the effort without any complaints.
7
Day-07: Trek to Phoksundo Lake (3,610m0 – B.L.D
We are entering the Phoksundo region on our trek today when we walk to Phoksundo Lake, the deepest lake in Nepal. We traverse the trail along Pungmo River and advance towards Palam village through coniferous cedar forest. The walk after Palam village and climbing to a ridge brings the view of Lake Phoksundo for the first time along with a beautiful waterfall. We then descend through forested part and walk towards Ringmo village and eventually to Phoksundo Lake shortly after.
8
Day-08: Acclimatize and Admire the Beauty of Phoksundo – B.L.D
As we have already reached the elevation where we need a definite acclimatization day to adjust and be able to go further higher, we spend the day today here at Phoksundo. This acclimatization day is also a perfect time to exploit and admire the beauty and serenity of the lake and surrounding. We go for some exploration of Ringmo village where we can immerse into the incredible culture and spirituality of the place. The uniqueness in the life style, costumes and culture of the people living in the village is an amazing cultural experience of the region. We can also explore the monastery there and see how devoted people are to their faith which has given them the ability to lead a simple yet inspiring life.
9
Day-09: Trek to Phoksundo Khola (3,507m) – B.L.D
We are going to enter even more remote area on the trek today when we walk to Phoksundo Khola. The trail goes from the western end of the lake and advances unsteadily and unevenly ahead towards the destination. The trail is tricky and difficult with many narrow passages, rock crevasse and bogginess. We walk across the trail, past meadow and riverbed to reach Phoksundo Khola along the river valley.
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Day-10: Trek to Phoksundo Bhanjyang (4,400m) – B.L.D
The walk today involves walking on the glacial valley on the very first part of the day. Once we reach the river confluence, we take the trail north east to climb to a sheep pasture. We then follow steep uphill trail where our stamina will be well tested. Although the walk today is effort demanding, it brings us fascinating views of beautiful mountain peaks along the way. We set our camp at Phoksundo Bhanjyang closer to Kang La pass, the first pass we cross on our trek.
11
Day-11: Trek over Kang La Pass (5,151m) and to Shey Gompa (4,126m) – B.L.D
We take our breakfast at the camp and set off for the day. The very first task of our walk today is to walk to Kang La pass at the elevation of 5,151 meters above sea level. A strenuous effort to go trek up to the pass is well worth as the exquisite view from the top awaits us. We follow a steep downhill trail after the pass to go to the riverside and walk along the river bank. We walk past mud caves, yak and sheep pastures, and cross the river several times before reaching Shey Gompa to stay overnight.
12
Day-12: Shey Gompa Exploration Day – B.L.D
We spend an extra day at Shey Gompa exploring the wonders of this beautiful spiritual place. We definitely enjoy the magnificence of the Gompa which has its history since 1655. We also go to explore Shey village hiking around it and exploiting the Buddhist and Bon Po cultural and spiritual wonders. Amazing mountains with strange forms surround Shey village and Gompa which will give us a nice time wondering about them. Stay overnight at Shey Gompa.
13
Day-13: Trek over Saldang La Pass (5,200m) and to Namduna Gaun (4,800m) – B.L.D
The walk today involves crossing of another high mountain pass. But before starting on the climb to the pass, we will get a good warm up walk down the trail through woods to a canyon. A winding and rocky trail leads us towards the pass right after the descent to the canyon. The trail descends again after crossing the Saldang La pass. The descent is quite long and tiring but yet we will have a nice nomadic life experience of the region before we reach Namdung Gaun for overnight stay. If time permits us, we will visit a monastery in the village which is perched of a cliff of a gorge.
14
Day-14: Trek to Saldang (3,620m) – B.L.D
We have spent quite a few days and experienced a great deal of the Dolpo region but there are still more days ahead with magical wonders to amaze us. We are walking to Saldang today through sloppy uphill walk. The walk feels strenuous as it goes long and tests our stamina with stretching uphill trail. We see Saldang village from our walk up before we start our descent to reach the destination itself. Saldang is an affluent village in the region that lies on a trade route to Tibet. The village is beautifully perched on a plateau just above Namga Khola.
15
Day-15: Trek to Sibu (3,942m) – B.L.D
We trek to Sibu after breakfast today. Some people choose to go to Yangze Gompa instead which will take one more day on the trip. But we choose to walk to Sibu along the river. We come across several small chhortens, mani stones, terraced fields and monasteries. We walk past Namdo village that is an affluent settlement in the region and Namdo monastery down to river bank and continue further to Sibu for overnight stay. The walk is an amazing combination of remoteness and wonders.
16
Day-16: Trek to Jeng La Phedi (4,900m) – B.L.D
We embark on our trek for the day after relishing our mountain breakfast. We are walking to the base of Jeng La, the third high mountain pass we are crossing on our trip. The trail goes along a stream called Nam Khong Khola and reaches a confluence to start an uphill climb steeply to Jeng La Phedi on a yak pasture. Our walk today will bring us some encounters with yak caravans carrying stuffs on their back. We stay overnight at tent camps in Jeng La Phedi getting a well-deserved rest for the pass tomorrow.
17
Day-17: Trek over Jeng La Pass (5,090m) and to Tokyo Gaun (4,210m) – B.L.D
We have a well worth effort to make early in the morning on our walk today. We embark on the trek towards Jeng La pass for about two hours to rejoice the view of the Dhaulagiri range of the Himalayas. After spending some time at the pass, we start descending towards the destination. The trail runs down towards Tarap valley and eventually reaches Tokyu Gaun where we spend overnight today.
18
Day-18: Trek to Dho Tarap (4,040m) – B.L.D
The first part of the day today is an exploration of an ancient monastery here before we set off on the trek for the day. We start the trek to Dho Tarap today after the monastery exploration and breakfast at the camp. The trail goes downhill passing through a river valley. We can experience the abundance of cultural and spiritual wonders of the region on our walk before reaching Dho Tarap for overnight stay.
19
Day-19: Trek to Khani Gaun (2,550m) – B.L.D
The walk from Serkam to Khani Gaun today involves steep slope walking. Long and careful stride on the tricky trail is what we need to face today. The trail that follows the Tarap River takes us to Khani Gaun. The stretch of the trek brings some wonderful sights along the trail before we reach the destination and find a suitable place to establish our camp to stay overnight.
20
Day-20: Trek to Khani Gaun (2,550m) – B.L.D
The walk from Serkam to Khani Gaun today involves steep slope walking. Long and careful stride on the tricky trail is what we need to face today. The trail that follows the Tarap River takes us to Khani Gaun. The stretch of the trek brings some wonderful sights along the trail before we reach the destination and find a suitable place to establish our camp to stay overnight.
21
Day-21: Trek to Tarakot (2,280m) – B.L.D
We are trekking to Tarakot today. The walk is relatively shorter than many of the other days we have gone through in the trip. We pass through Lalberi village and enter a beautiful forested part to descend to the river bank. We follow the trail on the river bank to reach Tarakot. Once we reach Tarakot and establish our camp, we might choose to go on a few hours hike to Samdul Gompa or simply relax at camp taking the advantage of reaching early at the camp.
22
Day-22: Trek to Dunai (2,150m) – B.L.D
We set off on the trek to Dunai after breakfast. We are going to complete one full circle to the Upper Dolpo region and near the completion of our trek. The trail to Dunai passes Lawan village and along the Bheri River to ascend to Byas Gadhi. We cross the river and make one final climb to Dunai. The walk, although long, is a pleasant journey through the lower Dolpo region. Once we reach the headquarters of Dolpa district, Dunai, we set up our camp to stay overnight
23
Day-23: Trek to Juphal – B.L.D
We take an easy day today to walk to Juphal. A short 3 hours of trek will take us back to Juphal on the trail alongside the Bheri River. We pass through some beautiful villages of Rupgad, Dhupichaur, Motipur, Kalagaunda etc. to reach Juphal leaving the amazing Upper Dolpo trekking trail behind us. A wonderful trekking journey to this remote yet fascination region comes to an end here and we feel our legs being very thankful and excited to end the trek. We thank all our supporting crew members for making this wonderful trip happen in the most wonderful way possible in the region. Stay overnight at Juphal.
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Day-24: Fly to Nepalgunj and to Kathmandu – B
We will take morning flight to Nepalgunj from the Juphal airstrip to leave the rugged Dolpo far behind. Once we land at Nepalgunj airport, we prepare to board another plane to Kathmandu. Once we reach Kathmandu after so many days in the mountains, we might like to do some street walking on the chaotic city.
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Day-25: Additional Day – B
This additional day is to cover any possible delay or cancellation of the flight which is a usual thing in the mountains due to weather condition. If this contingency day is not used, it’s a free day in Kathmandu to do some activities or just spend a relaxing day.
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Day-26: Departure – B
We have come the final day of the big Upper Dolpo Trekking and we hope that you enjoyed the adventure. Now, it’s the time to say a departing goodbye for this time with the hope to see you soon for next adventure. We will drive you to airport 3 hours before your flight schedule.
Include/Exclude
Cost Includes
- Pick up and drop off service on your arrival and departure flights
- All accommodations on twin sharing basis
- All major meals during the trek, breakfast in Kathmandu
- Three cups of tea a day on the trekking days
- A professional trekking and necessary number of number of supporting crew members
- All necessary permits for the trekking
- All camping equipment for the trek
- Flight from Kathmandu – Nepalgunj – Juphal and vice versa
- Kathmandu sightseeing tour
Cost Excludes
- International airfare and travel insurance
- Any kind of drinks in Kathmandu, Nepalgunj and trekking area (Except three cups of tea a day on the trek)
- Lunch and Dinner in Kathmandu, Nepalgunj
- Any other personal expenses
- Gratuities to guide, porters and driver
- Any other expenses caused by some unforeseen and uncontrollable situations that may arise during the trip
Date & Price
Here, we have published our small group guaranteed departures dates for this trek. If the published date does not fit your travel date, write to us with your date, and we will be very pleased to organize this trek at your desired date and time requested.
If you do not want to join our small group departure, we will be very happy to organize a private departure date to this trek to you and your group. Please write to us with your proposed travel date to this trek with us.
2023
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