UPPER DOLPO
The region’s history, lifestyle, and natural beauty make it a unique destination for trekkers and those interested in exploring the rich tapestry of himalayan culture.
The Upper Dolpo trek is an extraordinary journey through one of Nepal’s most remote and culturally rich regions. Located in the western part of Nepal, Dolpo is nestled between the Dhaulagiri range and the tibetan plateau. The region was relatively unknown to the outside world until the mid-20th century. It gained some attention after Matthiessen’s book “The snow leopard” which recounts his journey in search of the elusive snow leopard in the Dolpo region, was published in 1978.
The lifestyle of the people in Upper Dolpo is largely influenced by tibetan buddhism. The Dolpo live a life that revolves around agriculture, animal husbandry, and trade. The harsh climatic conditions and rugged terrain make agriculture challenging, so the inhabitants grow hardy crops like barley, buckwheat, and potatoes. Animal husbandry, especially yak and sheep farming, is a vital part of the economy, providing wool, meat, and dairy products.The people of Upper Dolpo engage in trans-Himalayan trade, traditionally trading salt from Tibet for grain from the southern regions of Nepal. The region is dotted with ancient Buddhist monasteries, some of which date back over a thousand years.
The trek through Upper Dolpo offers trekkers breathtaking views of high mountain ranges, deep valleys, and pristine lakes. The Upper Dolpo trek is not just a physical journey through one of Nepal’s most remote areas, but also a cultural and spiritual voyage.
BESTS
- A sacred monastery offering stunning mountain views
- A breathtaking turquoise lake at 3,620m/11,875ft
- A challenging pass with panoramic views
- A tibetan village rich in culture
- A remote village known for its tibetan culture and desert landscape
- Possibility of custom modification of the trip program with other activities or visits as well
COST
3,450 USD per person with 3 participants with local guide
Private trip possible every day. Contact us to receive a customized quote for 1 or 2 people. Contact us to receive a customized quote with european guide speaking english, french, italian.
OUTLINE ITINERARY
- Day 01. Arrival in Kathmandu
- Day 02. Kathmandu to Nepalgunj by plane
- Day 03. Nepalgunj to Juphal (2,475m/8,120ft) by plane
- Day 04. Juphal (2,475m/8,120ft) to Chepka (2,838m/9,311ft), 6 hours
- Day 05. Chepka (2,838m/9,311ft) to Palam (3,820m/12,532ft), 6-7 hours
- Day 06. Palam (3,820m/12,532ft) to Phoksundo lake (3,620m/11,875ft), 4 hours
- Day 07. Phoksundo lake: acclimatisation day
- Day 08. Phoksundo lake (3,620m/11,875ft) to Phoksundo Khola camp (3,750m/12,303ft), 5-6 hours
- Day 09. Phoksundo Khola camp (3,750m/12,303ft) to low camp (4,500m/14,764ft), 5-6 hours
- Day 10. Low camp (4,500m/14,764ft) to Shey gompa (4,320m/14,170ft), 7-8 hours
- Day 11. Shey gompa: acclimatisation day
- Day 12. Shey gompa (4,320m/14,170ft), to Namgung (4,430m/14,534ft), 6 hours
- Day 13. Namgung (4,430m/14,534ft) to Saldang (4,046m/13,277ft), 3 hours
- Day 14. Saldang (4,046m/13,277ft) to Sibu (4,000m/13,123ft), 6 hours
- Day 15. Sibu (4,000m/13,123ft) to Jengla (4,480m/14,698ft), 4-5 hours
- Day 16. Jengla (4,480m/14,698ft) to Tokyo Gaon (4,240m/13,944ft), 6-7 hours
- Day 17. Tokyo Gaon (4,240m/13,944ft) to Dho Tarap (4,200m/13,780ft),2-3 hours
- Day 18. Dho Tarap (4,200m/13,780ft) to Serkam (3,623m/11,886ft), 7 hours
- Day 19. Serkam (3,623m/11,886ft) to Tarakot (2,280m/7,480ft), 4-5 hours
- Day 20. Tarakot (2,280m/7,480ft) to Dunai (2,109m/6,883ft), 4-5 hours
- Day 21. Dunai (2,109m/6,883ft) to Juphal (2,404m/7,887ft), 3-4 hours
- Day 22. Jupal to Kathmandu via Nepalgunj by plane
- Day 23. Kathmandu: sightseeing and free shopping
- Day 24. Final departure
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 01. Arrival in Kathmandu
After arriving in Kathmandu you will be picked up from airport representative and transfer to hotel. Presentation of the staff, briefing with the guides and verification of the equipment. We will serve authentic nepalese cuisine with cultural show in the evening.
Meals included: dinner. Overnight: hotel.
Day 02. Kathmandu to Nepalgunj by plane
We will take afternoon flight to Nepaljung and transfer to hotel.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: hotel.
Day 03. Nepalgunj to Juphal (2,475m/8,120ft) by plane
Juphal, just in 35 minute flight from Nepalgunj with beautiful views of snowcapped mountain. Juphal is a small mountain village, where we can breathe cold and fresh air than that of Nepalgunj. We will stay there because we have to arrange porters and equipment for the all days.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: lodge.
Day 04. Juphal (2,475m/8,120ft) to Chepka (2,838m/9,311ft), 6 hours
From Juphal, we have to descend through wheat and vegetable field to reach Thuli Bheri river. A big suspension bridge will lead us to the entrance of Shey Phoksando national park, Nepal’s largest national park. It is comprising the trans himalayan ecosystem and the Tibetan type of floras and faunas. We will follow Suli Khola viewing a part of the Dhaulagiri range. We have tea while we pass through the village as we can stay there. We can enjoy tea with honey, pure and fresh honey. Then we will trek through the trail surrounded by pine tree line spruce, fir, juniper and cyprus and bamboo forest. At the end of the day we will reach Cheep Ka, a small village surrounded by millet and wheat field.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: lodge.
Day 05. Chepka (2,838m/9,311ft) to Palam (3,820m/12,532ft), 6-7 hours
To reach Palam, we have to pass through beautiful forest, following a river. We have to ascend sometimes and descend sometimes. On the way we can see the local people with their mules as dzopas (cross bread of yak and cow) loaded with thongs to sell. We will reach Reechi village and leaving behind Reechi we will reach Chumuwar where there is an Amchi hospital. An Amchi is a doctor who is educated in traditional tibetan medicine. You can have treatment from herbs and numerals. Interested person can donate for this hospital.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 06. Palam (3,820m/12,532ft) to Phoksundo lake (3,620m/11,875ft), 4 hours
We have to climb steep before reaching the top and to see a spectacular waterfall of Phoksundo. Then we will descend from the top to get Ringmo village, a small charming village. People residing here practice Bonpo religion, religion related to buddhism but it is older than buddhism. It is believe that Dolpa used to be the center of Bon kingdom called Zhang. It a big and powerful kingdom in present western and north western Tibet. It is believed that in the century Zhang was defeated by the Buddhist kingdom of Tibet and Bonpo disappeared completely, but still some people practice it.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 07. Phoksundo lake: acclimatisation day
We will rest at Phoksundo lake and visited nearby villagers inhabited by Bon and Buddhist religion.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 08. Phoksundo lake (3,620m/11,875ft) to Phoksundo Khola camp (3,750m/12,303ft), 5-6 hours
From here walk leads towards the high Upper Dolpo area to our major destination of the adventure, as the walk follows contouring around a rocky ledge high over a river bank in between unsteady paths. A walk leads further towards the far end of the lake past summer pasture which opens up into a wide valley at Phoksundo Khola for the overnight.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 09. Phoksundo Khola camp (3,750m/12,303ft) to low camp (4,500m/14,764ft), 5-6 hours
The morning walk starts on a fairly nice path heading north past Phoksundo Khola and then walking up on hilly slopes, after a climb reaching a ridge top with great views of the green wide valley as far towards Nagdalo-la or Kang-La pass on-route Shey gompa, overnight camp pitched on a nice green summer pasture at low camp.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 10. Low camp (4,500m/14,764ft) to Shey gompa (4,320m/14,170ft), 7-8 hours
We will start trek by a long climb over a dusty path to Kang La (5350m/17552ft) also called as Ngadra La. We have to descend through pass covered with snow which is very steeply and we will reach shey Gompa, a very small village with a couple of houses and the gompa. It is an 11th century gompa situated beneath the crystal peak on a small grassy plain, at the confluence of two rivers people believed that it was constructed by a tibetan buddhist, who arrived here on the back of flying snow lion. It is also called spiritual heart of Dolpo. Every year many pilgrims visit his gompa to make Kora (clockwise circuit) of crystal peak.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 11. Shey gompa: acclimatisation day
We can explore around Tsakang gompa. It is not really a monastery but a retreat. Tsakang had been a meditation center of many famous lamas from Tibet. Shey gompa belongs to the Chaiba community, followers of the Padmasambhava and Kagyu sects. It was the first Kagyupa monastery and its founder was the lama Ten-szin-Ra-Pa built during the 11th century. Shey is famous for its ancient Buddhist culture. Shey Gompa stands above the confluence of Kangju nala and Yeju nala. Near the confluence there is a group of prayer mills turned by water wheels.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 12. Shey gompa (4,320m/14,170ft), to Namgung (4,430m/14,534ft), 6 hours
To get to Namgung, we have to cross the pass Sheyla which is also called Geln La is about 5000m/16400ft. While we are through the Glen pass, we can see beautiful view of northern part of Tibetan plateau, which is highest plateau in the world. To the east we can see Mustang. After through pass we have to descend to the pastures of Namgung. Peoples of Namgung heartily welcome us. It is a beautiful place with friendly environment.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 13. Namgung (4,430m/14,534ft) to Saldang (4,046m/13,277ft), 3 hours
Our trek to Saldang starts with climbing a tree slope. We have to ascend about 4700m/15400ft before going down steep slopes to picturesque village of Saldang, situated on a plateau high above the Nam Khong nala and the biggest villages of lower Dolpo area. The village is prosperous, not only agriculturally but also for its strategic location on a trade route to Tibet.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 14. Saldang (4,046m/13,277ft) to Sibu (4,000m/13,123ft), 6 hours
We will leave Saldang village and on way to Sibu we have to pass through terraced fields, stupas, chortens mani and a Chaiba monastery. Namdo, the next village contains sixty houses having nearby four hundred in inhabitants. It stretches on the high slopes to the left of Nam Khong Khola. We will set camp near the small settlement of Sibu, right on the river bank.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 15. Sibu (4000m/13,123ft), to foot of the Jengla (4480m/14,698ft), 4-5 hours
We will follow the line of the river valley and the trail is easy going initially. But after two hours, we must make another stream before turning into side valley where the rise becomes very sharp.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 16. Jengla (4,480m/14,698ft) to Tokyo Gaon (4,240m/13,944ft), 6-7 hours
To reach to Tokyo Gaon we have to cross the Jeng La which is about 4850m/15900ft. We need to climb to reach the top of Jeng La. Form the top of the peak we can have good views of Dhaulagiri, beautiful goldy views in the morning then we will descend towards Tarap valley. By the after we will see green valley which leads us by a beautiful trail down. Towards Tarap Chu. Tarap is a spectacular valley with vast plants in high mountains extending up to 20 kilometers along the Tarap Chu river. It consists of ten villages with cultivated fields, many gompas and chortens.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 17. Tokyo Gaon (4,240m/13,944ft) to Dho Tarap (4,200m/13,780ft),2-3 hours
To reach to Dho Tarap we will walk east along the downward lower of Tarap Chu. The trail is easy as it is well travelled. There are many mani walls, we can see but some of the chortens are in a bad situation. The french school is just outside the village of Dho Tarap. Dho is surrounded by an irregular stone wall and consists of thirty four houses. Both bonpo and buddhist is inhabitant here. We will visit buddhist gompa where a Lama lives. He is very happy to show his monastery and might even let you see his private gompa and the Thankas which he has made himself.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 18. Dho Tarap (4,200m/13,780ft) to Serkam (3,623m/11,886ft), 7 hours
The next two days are long with a choice of several different campsites so the itinerary can be flexible. Your route follows the course of the Tarap Khola, generally downhill. You go through narrow gorges with the river rushing through. One may see blue sheep, marmots, yaks, sheep and goats and perhaps meet people from Dolpo taking their flocks of sheep and goats to lower pastures for the winter. The afternoon brings more undulations in the path when it leaves the immediate course of the river. There is evidence of improvements to the trail where parts of the rock have been blasted out. You will also see the first of the modern steel suspension bridges which have been built to facilitate movement of people and animals. The track is very narrow in places.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: tent camp.
Day 19. Serkam (3,623m/11,886ft) to Tarakot (2,280m/7,480ft), 4-5 hours
We leave Khanigoan by the new suspension bridge and then walk alongside the river, sometimes going very high before reaching down to the water again. Your lunch and night stop is high above the river but there is a standpipe for water. Tarakot is an old fortress town known by the local people as Dzong, meaning ‘fort’. Before the Gorkha dynasty Tarakot was the capital and had a dzong. The famous Sandul gompa stands on a knoll to the south of Bheri river and at one time supervised collections of tolls for the trading caravans traversing an area called Tichu Rong.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: lodge.
Day 20. Tarakot (2,280m/7,480ft) to Dunai (2,109m/6,883ft), 4-5 hours
The trail is mostly down and fairly firm underfoot. Walking beside the Bheri river you use the ingenious path built twenty feet above the river. All too soon you have reached the village of Dunai and the camp site you used before. You will now have completed the circuit and can mark the occasion with a celebration party!
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: lodge.
Day 21. Dunai (2,109m/6,883ft) to Juphal (2,404m/7,887ft), 3-4 hours
We will follow our first steps to Juphal. Initially the way is flat but the final hour up to your destination seems steeper than you remember on day one!
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: lodge.
Day 22. Jupal to Kathmandu via Nepalgunj by plane
Early morning flight to Nepalganj and make connecting flight to Kathmandu. We will transfer to hotel in Kathmandu.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: hotel.
Day 23. Kathmandu: sightseeing and free shopping
After breakfast take an excursion visit. Today we will go for sightseeing Swyambhunath, Pasupatinath temple, Bouddhanath and Patan. World heritage site and freely shopping day. Evening there will be a typical nepali dinner organized for you in the typical nepali restaurant with cultural program.
Meals included: breakfast. Overnight: hotel.
Day 24. Final departure
You will have breakfast and you will be free until your departure. A representative will take you airport for your final departure.
Meals included: breakfast.
INCLUDED
- Arrival and departure transfer to/from Kathmandu airport
- Kathmandu-Nepalgunj-Juphal-Nepalgunj-Kathmandu
- All the necessary paper work such as national park entry fees, special trekking permit for Upper Dolpo
- High quality tents and camping equipments (sleeping tent, dining tent, kitchen tent, toilet tent, mattress and kitchen untensils)
- Full board meals during the trekking period with hot tea and coffee
- All the trekking crews (guide, sherpa, porter, helper, cook) salary, accommodation, food and insurance
- Hotel in Kathmandu on B/B plan
- Supported staffs and camping transfer by bus from/to Nepalgunj and by plane from/to Nepalgunj to Juphal
- All the government taxes and company service charge
NOT INCLUDED
- International flight to and from Nepal
- Airport taxes
- Vaccination and Nepal visa
- Meals when not in trekking and drinks
- Personal insurance and other personal expenses
- Tips for trekking staff (tipping is expected)
ON REQUEST
- Single room
- Sleeping bag rental on site
- European guide speaking english, french, italian
- Travel insurance
- Superior hotel accommodations in town
- Tour extensions
