Upper Dolpo Trek

directions_walk

Activities

Trekking

event_note

DURATION

25 Days 24 Nights

DESTINATION

Katmandu Nepalgunj

landscape

MAX ALTITUDE

5350 Meters.

people

GROUP SIZE

2 min. Pax

restaurant_menu

MEALS

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

hotel

ACCOMODATION

Tea House, Home stay, Lodge

BEST TIME

Spring Autumn

TRIP OVERVIEW

Located between the Tibetan plateau and Dhaulagiri Himalaya ranges, trekking in the Upper Dolpo takes you to the most exotic part of Nepal. Although recognized as the most strenuous area, trekking to this region offers the most pristine and hidden beauty of Nepal. This restricted area was opened for tourists since1989 and is still taken to be the restricted zone which needs a special permit to enter this zone. As this place is the representation of Tibetan Buddhist Culture, one can visualize the lifestyle, language, culture, and traditions of Tibetan. Moreover, this place offers the most breathtaking views of Shey Phoksundo National Park, rare and vulnerable floral and faunal species, different kinds of oldest monasteries, and so on. One can realize the truest sense of living in the wilderness.

Also known as the Inner Dolpo, Upper Dolpo Trek is such a destination that only a few people see it. In general, this place is considered to be a dry and bare place that is covered with huge waterfalls, fast-flowing rivers, profound river gorges, lush meadows, and valleys of tilled fields. In addition, the major captivation point of this place is the turquoise water of Shey Phoksundo Lake. The highest point of this trek is the Kang- La Pass which offers the most tranquil landscape and beautiful mountains. Kang- La Pass is the connecting point of Phoksundo valley and Shey Gompa. One can get the opportunity to visit the medieval village of Saldang and nomad camps of Dho Tarap which is considered to be the highest human settlement in the world. To meet the apex of this trek, one should reach over 5000 meters and one can observe the serene mountain views  

Despite the natural splendors and breathtaking scenery, the path goes to the hidden Saldang and Yangtser Gumpa, which is about the Upper Dolpo secret that no one knows about. As a result, the voyage transports you to a magnificent Upper Dolpo hideaway. Trekking to this zone is a difficult one as the trekkers need to reach the high altitude zone and cross several very high passes. However, for people with healthy lifestyles, high stamina, physical fitness, and for those who are a little bit courageous one, this trek can be the most unique and not to be missed journey.    

Best time to go for Upper Dolpo Trek

The most favorable time to visit Upper Dolpo, like much of Nepal, is in the spring (April to May) and fall (October to November), when temperatures are nice, skies are clearer, and there is very little chance of snow at high elevations.

Highlights of the Tour

  • Snow leopards can be found in Shey Phoksundo National Park, one of the world's highest wildlife concentration parks.

  • Breathtakingly beautiful turquoise water of Lake Phoksundo

  • An 800-year-old monastery which is Shey Gompa at the base of Crystal Mountain, immortalized in Peter Matthiessen’s “The Snow Leopard”.

  • Shey Phoksundo National Park which is the home of diverse Flora and Fauna

  • Experience the springtime hunting for yarchagumba, a strange caterpillar fungus prized for its therapeutic properties.


Itinerary

Our team will meet you at the Nepal international airport in Kathmandu for a short transfer to your hotel in Kathmandu. Our guide will educate you on tour programs, including information about notable sights, local traditions, and other key things to make your stay in Nepal delightful, after you have checked in and refreshed. In the evening, you can go around Kathmandu valley for a walk and buy things that are needing for your trek.

After breakfast fly to Nepalgunj from the domestic airport of Kathmandu which is a 50 minutes flight. Overnight stay at the hotel.

You will drive to the domestic airport of Nepalgunj to catch a flight for Juphal after breakfast. The flight will be of 35 minutes after that you will start your trek to Dunai which is the headquarter of the Dolpa region. It takes around 2 to 3 hours of walking to reach Dunai. O/N at the hotel.

You'll begin your walk to Chhepka after an early morning meal. It is a pleasant stroll. We'll hand over the Dolpo and Shey Phoksundo National Park trekking permits at the Silughar checkpoint. We'll enter Shey Phoksundo National Park. After that, we'll walk along the Phoksundo River Trail. Kageni, Jutung, and Shangta will all be passed. At the confluence of the Phoksundo and Maiba Kholas, we will cross a bridge across Phoksundo Lake. To go to Cheppka, we'll continue north. When we arrive in Cheppka, we'll set up tents somewhere convenient.

After early morning breakfast, you will start your trek to Chunuwar from Chhepka. Today we'll be hiking along the Lower Dolpa Circuit trek's well-known trail. We'll walk in the opposite direction of the current of the river. We'll cross the Phoksundo River bridge twice. This walk is incredibly tranquil. Lunch on your way to Chunuwar. And after the arrival in Chunuwar, we'll set camps in a nice place.

You will start your trek early in the morning after breakfast from Chunuwar. Your destination for today is Shey Phoksundo Lake, which is the deepest lake of Nepal with turquoise water flowing. The trail goes downhill first and climbs up to the ridge and passes through the Ringmo village. You will be walking for approximately 5 to 6 hours from Chunuwar to Shey Phoksundo.

We'll spend today exploring the area around Phoksundo Lake and Ringmo settlement. We'll start by exploring the Ringmo settlement. Ringmo village is a traditional Tibetan settlement with its own culture and traditions. Then proceed to Tshowa, a Bon monastery located on the lake's edge. It was constructed approximately 900 years ago. We will go inside the monastery to explore, which will be an amazing experience. Following that, we'll make our way down to Phoksundo Lake.

One of the nicest trekking days of the Dolpo trek will be today. We'll hike up the tiny pathways that run beside the hills above Phoksundo Lake. This section of the journey is akin to the fantasy walks portrayed in fiction novels. We'll then descend for about an hour and a half through the lovely woodland. After that, we'll head to Phoksundo Khola camp on the other side of the lake. Then we'll finish the last leg of today's journey and arrive in Sallaghari. We'll set our camp amid a lovely pine forest.

We'll have a short hike up to Nangdala High Camp today, which will take around 3 hours. We'll start our hike by ascending the Tuk Kyaksa River's narrow track. We'll flip sides of the river multiple times. We'll cross a river bridge where the rapids will be calmer. We will arrive at a vast valley after about 30 minutes of walking from the bridge. We'll trek for another two and a half hours along the gorge from there. Then we'll set up camp at Kang La/Nangdala Base Camp, which is a gigantic rock slab.

Day 10 Trek to Shey Gompa (4343m) via Nangda LA pass (5350m) Today, we'll hike to Shey Gompa and Crystal Mountain, Dolpo's most revered mountain. On this day, we will travel to the Dolpo region, which is extremely interesting. We must first cross the Kang LA or the Nangda LA pass to get there. Crystal mountain, the Tibetan territorial mountain, and the stunning beauty of the Dolpo region are all visible from the top. During the walk, you may see peaks like Shey Shikhar and Kang Chunne. At the entrance to Shey Gompa, there is a crimson chorten. According to the Tibetan calendar, a major festival is held every dragon year (every 12 years). This great festival attracts a large number of people from all around the country.

This day will be spent exploring the area surrounding Shey Gompa. This monastery is thought to be 800 years old, and it houses an ancient scroll detailing the legends surrounding the Crystal Mountain. Shelri Sumdho Gompa is the local name for Shey Gompa. Shey Festival is a summer celebration held at this monastery. Shey Gompa is Thinley's son's Gompa in Eric Valli's "Caravan" film and is beautifully depicted in Peter Matthiessen's "The Snow Leopard." On your way to Namgung, you will experience the stunning view of Mustang, Tibet, Kanjirowa, Kagmara, and the crystal mountain. It takes around 6 to 7 hours of trek to reach Namgung from Shey Gompa.

Early in the morning, you will explore the monastery of Namgung then we will follow the trail of Namga Khola. To go to Saldang village, we'll pass through additional summer herding areas. Saldang is a lovely community with a lot of dry lands surrounded by spectacular hills. We'll walk around the village and talk to the residents. At Saldang, don't forget to have some salt butter tea or Chyang (barley beer). This community prospered in Dolpo's ancient Buddhist and Amchi traditions.

We'll climb to Yanjer after an early breakfast. It is the region's wealthiest monastery. We'll go on a tour of the monastery and have our packed lunch while enjoying the tour. Then we'll head back to the Saldang campground.

The hike today will take about six hours. After breakfast, we'll travel to Komash village. Along the Rapyha Khola, we'll follow the Saldang Lek. We'll climb to 4500 meters and then descend to Komash settlement. This settlement resembles the majority of Tibetan villages. At Komash village, we'll set up camp.

After breakfast, we'll set out on our journey. We might see some uncommon species like blue sheep and snow leopard on our hike this day. During today's hike, we'll pass through several little communities. This section of the journey is characterized by highland deserts with shrub-like flora. The paths are pleasant and not overly tough. We will arrive in Shimen after walking for about 4-5 hours. We'll set up tents at a suitable camping location.

Today, we'll be hiking along the Panjyang Khola's pathways. Along the way to Tinje, we'll pass through numerous lovely villages and monasteries. The hike will last approximately 5 hours. Tinje is a lovely valley with a natural airstrip, where a British plane once landed and took off. Tinje village will be the location of our camping.

Today we'll hike to Yak Kharka, which will take around 5-6 hours. We'll walk along the Panjyan River's pathways, passing through the little village of Chhamdang. After Chhamdang, we'll take a short walk along the riverbank before arriving at the junction of the Chholtam and Panjyan Khola. We'll cross the Thalum Khola on a bridge and then arrive at an open grazing area for yaks and sheep. Yak Kharka is the name for this open area.

Today we will trek to Tokyu from Yak Kharka. To begin, we will head to Choila North pass crossing a bridge over Sulun Khola, which is located at an elevation of 5040 meters. This section of the walk is a little tougher. To reach the top of Choila pass, we'll have to climb for nearly two hours. The view of Tokyu camp from the top is breathtaking. We'll arrive in Tokyu after descending from the pass, where we'll set up camp.

Our destination for today is Dho Tarap which is only a one-and-a-half-hour hike. We will explore the village of Dho Tarap after arriving in Dho Tarap. You will have the option of visiting one of the monasteries in the Dho Tarap area, so choose wisely. Ribo Bumpa Monastery, Drakmar Dewa Monastery, Mekhyim Monastery, and Dhoro Monastery are some of the monasteries.

Today's walk will be tough because we have a longer distance to go than in previous days. We will hike over a flat trail to the junction of the Tarap and Mirubabane Khola. Then, at Langa Camp, we'll cross a bridge over the Klang Khola. We shall continue to follow the Tarap Khola's pathways. During this section of the journey, you can enjoy a beautiful scenic perspective of the spectacular scenery. We'll pass via Sisaul, Gyamghar, and Toltol, and see a variety of attractive settlements. After that, we'll head to Naworpani, where we'll set up camp. The camp will be set up at Naworpani.

We'll continue down the Tarap Khola's routes today. After a while of walking, we will notice a shift in the scenery and landscape. As we go, a green forest will begin to develop. Then we'll climb high above Tarap Khola to Lamchaur. We'll trek down to Chhedhul Gompa after crossing the Lahini Odar. Following the Tarap Khola, we will arrive at Laisicap, where we will set up camp.

To get to Tarakot today, we'll hike across the verdant meadows above the Thuli Bheri River. We'll cross a short bridge across a brook after arriving in Tarakot. On this day, we will cross through Lawan and Byasgad. Today's hike will take you through some woodland areas and farmed terraced farms which take around 6 hours of walk to reach Dunai. O/N at tea house or hotel.

The trek's final day has arrived. We'll continue along the Bheri River Trail till we reach Kalagawda. We'll ascend a few times after Kalagawda to get to Juphal. It will take about 3 hours to hike up to Juphal.

After breakfast, you will head towards the domestic airport of Juphal and catch a flight to Nepalgunj and eventually of Kathmandu and transfer to your hotel.

After having breakfast we will transfer you to International Airport for final departure

INCLUDES

  • Two way fare of flight
  • First aid or oxygen during the time of emergency
  • All Government, Vat, Service charge, and taxes
  • All necessary trekking permits and governmental documents
  • Sharing twin/double bedrooms hotels, tea houses or tents
  • Airport shuttles, Accommodation, and Meals

EXCLUDES

  • Personal trekking equipment
  • Travel insurance, Nepal tourist visa fees, personal items, and expenses
  • Items of a personal nature such as alcoholic drinks, cold drinks, laundry, phone calls
  • Tips for guide and porters

Fix Departure

sn Date Pax No.
1 2022-07-28  10
2 2022-07-21  10
3 2022-07-07  10
4 2022-07-01  10
5 2022-06-28  10
6 2022-06-21  10
7 2022-06-07  10
8 2022-06-01  10
9 2022-05-19  15
10 2022-05-18  15
11 2022-05-17  15
12 2022-05-13  15
13 2022-05-11  15
14 2022-05-10  15
15 2022-05-12  5

FAQs

It's a long journey which will be of 24 Nights and 25 Days. But if you are willing to stay in Nepal for a longer period, the trip can be customized according to your will and availability of time.

Upper Dolpo trekking is considered difficult. This is not a trek for beginners or those visiting Nepal for the first time. However, experienced trekkers and return tourists to Nepal will find it to be a worthwhile challenge.

Yes there are possibilities if AMS or altitude sickness. If the symptoms start appearing then your guide will provide you first- aid treatment but if it’s an emergency then contact your travel agency and insurance company, they will arrange a helicopter for you.

Since the region is remote, you might not find wifi or electricity in every part of the trek but for charging your devices and gadgets, solar services are available but take extra charge on using it.

Since the region is very remote, it is quite hard to find mineral water in the higher points of the region but you can use water purifiers or water purifying tablets.

There are no banks or atm or money exchange to the higher points of the trek. If you want to carry extra cash for extra expenses then you can either withdraw or change from Kathmandu or Nepalgunj.

 0  Reviews