Upper Dolpo Trek

Sightseeing of famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu Valley including, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa & Pashupatinath Temple. Stay overnight at Kathmandu. Accommodation: Hotel, Included: B.

After waking up in the bustling capital city of Kathmandu, we are going to head toward the domestic airport as we plan on leaving Kathmandu for Nepalgunj. Our flight will head toward the lower plains of Terai where the dry humid air along with the burning sunlight tends to make it very a hot place when compared to Kathmandu. It will take us approximately one hour to reach Nepalgunj from Kathmandu. Stay overnight at Nepalgunj. Accommodation: Hotel, Included: B, L, D.

It is day four and finally we are going to reach the fabulous Dolpa region today. Unlike Nepalgunj, Dolpa is one of Nepal’s most isolated and remote region where development of modern infrastructures hasn’t been able to reach. We plan on taking a morning flight to Juphal from Nepalgunj and the begin trekking on from there onward. It will take us approximately 30 to 40 minutes reach Juphal. Upon reaching Juphal, we are going to start our trekking by taking our first steps into the dazzling trek trails of Dolpa. Later after walking for about 2 hours, we are going to reach Dunai which is going to be our final destination for the day. Stay overnight at Dunai. Walking time: 2 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

It is your first morning inside the Dolpo region and you can easily feel the freshness of the natural environment lurking around every corner of this magnificent place. As we finish having our breakfast and packing our bags, we shall march onward on a dry dusty trail down to the river banks of Thuli Bheri River and then cross a large suspension bridge. Now we begin to enter the naturally blessed Shey Phoksundo National Park of Nepal which is sure to be one of the major highlights of our entire trek. Later ahead as we pass through a trail occupied by some vegetation of bamboo, we shall arrive at Hankhe village. Stay overnight at Hankhe. Walking time: 5 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

As per our itinerary, we are now going to move further with our trek and leave Hankhe village. At the initial section of our trek today, we are going to traverse through a trail surrounded by pine trees and reach a village called ‘Chhekpa’ which consists of a small rural community which cultivates millets majorly. Moving on, we now follow our way along a river and walk through thin forest lines and reach Regi village after walking for about 5 hours from Hankhe village. Along the way, you can expect to see dzopas which are a locally cross bread animal used to transport materials, goods and foods across the Himalayan region such as Dolpa. Stay overnight at Regi village. Walking time: 5 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

A day truly worth cherishing lies ahead of us because today we will be traveling to the iconic Phoksundo Lake which surely isn’t something less than amazing. So, after waking up and having our breakfast, we shall start hiking towards a village called Chumuwar which will take us about 1 to 2 hours to reach. Our trail goes high above 3,000 meters and the land becomes a lot drier with loose soil. Continuing on, trekkers climb steeply for a couple of hours before reaching the top of Phoksundo waterfall which is also referred to as sunlight waterfall. From here the trek route starts to descend further down till a small village settlement beside the great Phoksundo Lake which is often referred to as Ringo village. Stay overnight at Ringmo village. Walking time: 5 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

The stunning Phoksundo Lake is the deepest lake of Nepal which has been a major attraction for tourists all around the world. Located in the serene heartland of the majestic Dolpa region, the Phoksundo Lake is also a natural habitat for diverse species of wildlife. Exotic plants and animals can be found thriving around the shores of the Phoksundo Lake. Not only that but you are also going to visit the enriching Ringmo Gompa which surely can’t be less fascinating than the lake itself. Possessing a rich historical and cultural significance, the Ringmo Gompa is one of the least known site inside Dolpa region. However, it is one of those places which surely must be visited if you ever find yourself traveling around the Phoksundo Lake. Stay overnight at Ringmo Gompa. Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

Leaving Ringmo village, we shall now head toward our next destination of Chunemba village which will take us about 5 to 6 hours to reach from Ringmo. Things can get a bit harder as we walk into the restricted route of Dolpo region which can be very exotic destination to travel in. Along with that, you can even walk on a trail that is famously known as the ‘Demons Trail’ which was previously used by casting crew of the Oscar nominated film “Himalaya” by Eric Valli. You get to travel in a more beautiful terrain where the ethnic indigenous communities bring out their yaks to transport many of the trading products which carry huge economic value for the people of this intriguing region. You will then ultimately reach Chunemba village. Stay overnight at Chunemba. Walking time: 5 to 6 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

This day won’t be any less challenging as we make an attempt to go win over the tricky complications of high altitude trekking. After waking up and having our breakfast, we are now going to march onward to our next destination of Lar Tsa which is a charming village made up of small indigenous rural community. Our trail will take us further into the theatrical landscape of Dolpo region where the towering walls of rocks surround us. Marching onward, we shall arrive at Lar Tsa after traveling for about 5 hours from Chunemba village. Stay overnight at La Tsa. Walking time: 5 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

After sleeping at a high altitude more than 4,000 meters above sea level, your body might have gotten ample amount of time to get acclimatized to the surrounding altitude. So, as you wake up and consider heading off towards your next destination, you must be wary about your physical health condition. As trekking up through the treacherous terrains of Upper Dolpo can be a gruesome task for many of the trekkers today. Initially, you will cross a bridge and then start climbing up to a slope made up of rubbles and dusty stones. Next, a grassy ridge will appear ahead of us that will then be passed over by us to reach the gentle descent to Mendok Ding. Stay overnight at Mendok Din. Walking time: 3 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

Another adventure packed awaits us as we march onward to recapture the true essence of trekking. Our trail now begins to follow the north of Phoksundo Khola and then we head further north to cross the Sehu La pass which is also known as Mendok Ding La. Later we will need to make a series of lengthy ascents and descents which lead our way towards Shey Gompa. Ultimately, we shall arrive at Shey Gompa after walking for about 7 hours. Stay overnight at Shey Gompa. Walking time: 7 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

One of the most highlighted beautiful places of our trek lies at Shey Gompa is a very old Tibetan Buddhist monastery. Climbing past a big chorten, you reach a large compound of Shey Gompa which surely has a lot of enchanting features to look upon. It is often said that the entire building itself is about 800 years old which doesn’t feature up as much because the inside paintings are mostly done recently. Along with that, this place holds up the historical scroll which tells the mythological stories of the Crystal Mountain and the Shey Gompa itself. Stay overnight at Shey Gompa.

It is day fourteen and now we are going to head towards our new trekking destination of Saldang village. We begin by marching onward to Namdo Gaon as we head toward the Saldang La Pass that can take us more than 3 hours to reach. But before that we are going to cross the Saldang La Pass which lies at a very high altitude of 5,010 meters above sea level. Later on, we have to begin descending steeply down to Saldang village which is also one of the largest settlement found inside the Dolpa district. Being a traditionally driven village of Tibetan Buddhist communities, trekkers can see people carrying out their local agricultural activities upon arriving at Saldang. Stay overnight at Saldang village. Walking time: 5 to 6 hours, Accommodation: Tented camp, Included: B, L, D.

Continuing our trek, we are now going to trek onward and further to Yangjeer Gompa today. After finishing our breakfast and we shall leave Saldang village behind. Marching forward, we are now going to head north following the Nagon Khola which is one of the spectacular rivers inside Dolpa region. We also get to walk on a barren terrain occupied largely by the ongoing treacherous landscape which normally collides up with the Dolpa region. Ultimately, after walking for about 5 to 6 hours, we shall arrive at the charming little community village of Yangjeer Gompa. Stay overnight at Yangjeer Gompa (3,890m). Walking time: 5 to 6 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

As per our itinerary, we now plan on leaving Yangjeer Gompa and force ourselves through a descending trail that consists of many dramatic Himalayan views. The trail isn’t much lengthy today as we continue to follow the Musi river until reaching at our final destination of Musigaon. For your kind information, Musigaon is the one of the last village before reaching the Nepal Tibet border. So, if you want to then you can simply go and view the border line of Nepal and Tibet by doing a short 1-hour hike. Stay overnight at Musigaon. Walking time: 6 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

Today we are again going to have to cross another high Himalayan pass called Lnag La which sits comfortably at a high altitude of 5,002 meters above sea level. Due to high altitude, it can be a bit tough for you to climb over the pass so be very cautious while you are climbing over it. As we are going to go over 5,000 meters, the lack of atmospheric pressure can easily be noxious for many trekkers during their attempt to travel over the pass. Upon clearly getting through the pass, trekkers can expect to make their way down to Shimengaon which is going to be our final destination. Stay overnight at Shimengaon. Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

On the way to Tinjagaon, today we are going to have to abandon Shimengaon. We shall wake up, have our breakfast and then continue marching on a flat plain land terrain which won’t change much during our trek today. As we continue walking, we shall emerge out of the flat surface trail and make our way through Poniyan Khola. Trekkers can witness a different sight of small vegetation growing in some parts around this region. Later, we reach our final destination of Tinjagaon and take rest for the reminder of the day. Stay overnight at Tinjagaon. Walking time: 6 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

It’s another long day of trekking but as usual it will be filled with a lot of incredible & beautiful views. We shall finish eating our breakfast and then assemble our team mates for another remarkable journey to Kheng Khola which will take us about 6 hours to reach from Tinjagaon. Upon reaching Khengkhola, you can enjoy the scenic views around you and relax your exhausted muscles. Stay overnight at Khengkhola. Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

As we are approaching some of our last attempts to complete the trek, we are now going to cross Charka Pass which is another high Himalayan pass that is full of tantalizing views. Climbing over this pass can be a strenuous activity for trekkers as they may feel exhaustion and pain over their knees during the process of climbing over the pass. After reaching the top of Charka Pass, you can now start descending down to Charka which is situated at a much lower altitude. Stay overnight at Charka. Walking time: 7 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

Similarly, like yesterday, we will need to cross another high pass called Sangda Pass which has an estimated height of 5,490 meter above sea level. Hence, getting across this gigantic pass can be a very troublesome task for many of the individual trekkers. Next, as we get higher and higher, the cold strong winds are another thing to factor in while crossing this pass. Upon successfully reaching the top of Sanga Pass, you shall begin to descend you way down to Sanga Phedi. Stay overnight at Sangda Phedi. Walking time: 6 to 7 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

The final destination for today is set to be Yak Kharka which will take us approximately 5 hours to reach from Sangda Phedi. Passing through a varied zone where strong hurls of winds and dusty tracks can be found in abundance, we are going to march our way through to arrive at Yak Kharka alter in the afternoon. Stay overnight at Yak Kharka. Walking time: 5 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

From Yak Kharka, we are now going to move our way towards Sangda village. So, after waking up and having our breakfast, we are going to follow a descending trail down towards the lower regions. Later after walking for about 5 hours, you shall arrive at the final destination of Sangda village. Stay overnight at Sangda village. Walking time: 5 hours, Accommodation: Tented Camp, Included: B, L, D.

We will move through trails away from Sangda village to reach Jomsom. Today is comparatively easier downhill and level walk to Jomsom which take nearly 3 to 4 hours to complete. Upon reaching Jomsom, trekkers will be checked into their respective lodges where they can ultimately put their bags down and relax for the rest of the evening. Walking Time: 4 to 5 hours, Accommodation: Local lodge, Included: B, L, D.

A 30-minute morning flight takes us to Pokhara from Jomsom. Once we arrive at Pokhara airport, we then drive to the hotel. In the afternoon either we relax in our hotel or may have a sightseeing tour around Pokhara valley, which covers Phewa Lake, Devi’s water fall, Museum, Tibetan refugee settlement and Gupteshower cave, etc. Flight Time: 30 minutes, Accommodation: Hotel, Included: B.

We drive back to Kathmandu today. Try to get left pane of your vehicle to enjoy the greeneries, mountains, river gorges, villages and terraces during the drive. In the evening, we will have a farewell dinner in a traditional Nepalese restaurant with cultural performances. Driving Time: 6 hours, Accommodation: Hotel, Included: B.

You have gone through some of the most challenging trekking region of Nepal where lack of modern infrastructures made it even more daunting and tough. Hence, as you have reached back to Kathmandu, we are giving you a free day resting day for you. You can sooth out your tired muscles and may go for some souvenir shopping around the local markets. Stay overnight at Kathmandu. Accommodation: Hotel, Included: B.

Your Upper Dolpo Trek concludes today. Our airport representative will drop you at the international airport in Kathmandu for your departure flight from Nepal. We hope beautiful Nepal, the magnificent Himalayan sceneries, and unique cultural experience you got along your Upper Dolpo Trek will stay in your memory lifelong and you will go back home with a sense of achievement. Included: B.