Upper Dolpo Trek

Upon landing at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, we will welcome you and arrange a private transfer to your hotel in Thamel. We will require your original passport with Nepal’s visa to process the Dolpo restricted area permit, which takes a few hours to complete. In the late afternoon, you will meet your hiking guide for a briefing on the details of your Upper Dolpo trek.

Take a single hour from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj city in west Nepal. Nepalgunj is a big town that is also a gateway to the Simikot of Humla. This town itself is an interesting Terai town of Nepal with influences from both the Nepal hills and plains well as local Hindu and Muslim cultures. Get experience visiting some sightseeing places in Nepalgunj with our guide if the weather permits. Otherwise, we at the Gokyo hiking team prepare for a flight to Juphal airport the next morning.

Catch a morning flight from Nepalgunj to Juphal airport takes 45 minutes. Distance from Nepalgunj to Juphal is 155 kilometers in front. In a clear sky, the tourist gets an amazing view of miraculous landscapes with a beautiful snow-capped mountain view. Juphal is a small Bazaar, where we can feel cold and breathe fresh air. We stay here for the first night because we have to arrange porters, arrange gear and prepare Donkeys to carry food for the Dolpo trip..etc.

On our first day of hiking, we traverse wheat and vegetable fields to reach the Thuli Bheri River. Crossing a large suspension bridge brings us to the entrance of Shey Phoksundo National Park (SPNP), the largest national park in Nepal covering an area of 3,555km².

Following the Suli Khola, we catch glimpses of the Dhaulagiri Range. Enjoy a refreshing tea with pure local honey along the way. Trekking through pine, fir, juniper, cypress, and bamboo forests, this is a beautiful opportunity to connect with nature. We camp overnight at Cheep Ka, amidst millet and wheat fields.

We trek through lush forests, tracing a river and encountering various ascents and descents. Along the way, we may see local people with their mules, known as dzopas (a crossbreed of yak and cow), loaded with goods to sell.

After several hours, we reach Reechi village, and from there, continue to Chumuwar village. In Chumuwar, there is an Amchi Hospital, where an Amchi, trained in traditional Tibetan medicine, provides treatments using herbs and natural remedies.

We begin our ascent for approximately two hours, and just before reaching the summit, we are greeted by the breathtaking sight of Phoksundo Waterfall, Nepal’s highest at an impressive 107 meters. While it may not hold the title of the tallest waterfall in the world, it is renowned for its stunning beauty, framed by vibrant wildflowers.

In contrast, the Hyatung Falls, also known as Hyatrung Falls, is the tallest waterfall in Nepal. However, it is more commonly visited and lacks the striking picturesque allure of Phoksundo Waterfall. After descending from the waterfall, we continue our journey to Ringmo village, home to residents who follow the Bonpo religion.

This ancient faith, founded by Buddha Lonpa Shanrab Miwo around 18,000 years ago, traces its origins to Dolpo, which is believed to have been the center of the Bon Kingdom, Zhang. This once-powerful empire spanned across what is now western and northwestern Tibet, leaving behind a rich cultural legacy.

On your second day at Phoksundo Lake, you can take a leisurely stroll around its serene shores, soaking in the stunning views and enjoying the tranquility of the area. Alternatively, you can explore the nearby ancient villages, visit the Bonpo monasteries, or hike to the viewpoint for panoramic vistas of the lake and surrounding mountains.

From here onward, begins the Upper Dolpo section. We follow the famous hiking trail where the famous movie called CARAVAN of Eric Valli was castes. Eric Valli is a renowned French photographer who discovers this Himalayan journey. Local Dolpo people are using Salla Ghari hiking trail route for the purpose to trade with Tibetans. We reach the high hill to get a beautiful view of Lane Ringmo, the dark green pine forests, and the snow-capped mountain to the South. Later on, you will have a spectacular view of Kanjirowa Himal (6,6612m), we reach an alpine area with junipers called Thaneba or Lakeside camp to stay for that night.

We trek through the pine forest between high rock walls on both sides and cross a couple of streams to reach the base camp caravan. Enter a narrow gorge where will set our camp to stay for that night.

We embark on an adventurous journey to Ngadra La (5,350m) before descending to Shey Gompa, a small village with a few houses and the ancient monastery. Dating back to the 11th century, it sits beneath Crystal Peak, where two rivers converge. Local legend holds that a Tibetan Buddhist built it after arriving on the back of a flying snow lion. Known as the spiritual heart of Dolpo, Shey Gompa attracts many pilgrims who make an annual Kora (clockwise circuit) around Crystal Peak.

Visit Tsakang Gompa – a Monastery that stands at an elevation at 4570 meters to explore and meditation. Tsakang had been a meditation center for 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 in the 11th century, Shey Monastery is renowned for its rich ancient Buddhist cultural heritage.

In Dolpo, the ancient Tibetan way of life combines animism with the teachings of Buddha. Drutup Yeshe introduced Buddhism in the Dolpo valley. Many years ago, he came to Dolpo and came across a wild people whose supreme God was a ‘fierce mountain spirit’. Crystal Mountain is to the west of the Shey monastery. It is a very strange mountain indeed. Its contorted cliffs are laced with quartz and embedded with a rich variety of marine fossils.

Today, we will cross the Sheyla Pass, also known as Geln La (5,000m). From the pass, you’ll be rewarded with stunning views of the northern Tibetan Plateau, the highest plateau in the world. To the east, Mustang’s rugged landscape comes into view. After crossing the pass, we continue our descent to the lush pastures of Namgung village. Namgung is a picturesque spot, known for its welcoming people and tranquil environment.

Our trek to Saldang La begins with an ascent up a tree-lined slope. We climb to 4,700m before descending steep slopes to the picturesque village of Saldang, nestled on a plateau high above the Nam Khong Nala. This village, the largest in lower Dolpo, thrives due to its agricultural productivity and its strategic position along the trade route to Tibet.

Leaving Saldang village, we make our way toward Sibu, passing through terraced fields, Stupas, Chortens, mani walls, and the Chaiba Monastery. Our next stop is Namdo, a village with sixty houses and nearly four hundred inhabitants, stretching 5km along the high slopes to the left of the Nam Khong Khola. Finally, we set up camp near the small settlement of Sibu, situated right along the riverbank.

From Sibu to Jengla Phedi trail in Upper Dolpo is rugged and challenging, with steep ascents and descents across rocky terrain. As trekkers make their way through narrow paths and alpine meadows, they will encounter some technical sections, requiring careful footing, but the stunning landscape and sense of remoteness make the journey rewarding.

We begin our walk to Jeng La (4,850m), passing a hilltop that provides an outstanding golden view of Mount Dhaulagiri in the morning. From there, we continue our descent toward Tarap Valley, a spectacular area with expansive plains nestled in the high mountains, stretching up to twenty kilometers along the Tarap Chu River. This valley is home to ten villages, featuring cultivated fields, numerous Gompas, and Chhortens, enhancing the area’s cultural and scenic richness.

Trek along the downward lower of Tarap Chu where the trail is easy as it is well-traveled. Along the journey, you will encounter numerous mani walls. Just outside the village of Dho Tarap, you can find the French School, and in the surrounding area, there is an irregular stone wall comprising thirty-four houses. Both Bonpo and Buddhists are inhabitants here. Visit the Buddhist Gompa where a Lama lives, he is happy to welcome you to show you his monastery and might even let you see his private Gompa and the Thankas which he made himself.

Trek route follows the Tarap Khola, generally downhill. Go through the narrow gorges with the river rushing through. One may see blue sheep, marmot, yak, sheep, and goat and perhaps meet people from Dolpo taking their flocks of sheep and goats to lower pastures for the winter. You will also see the first of the modern steel suspension bridges that have been built to facilitate people and animals. Because the track is often very narrow in places.

Leaving Khanigoan, walk alongside the river, sometimes going very high before reaching down to the water again. Coming into the broad fertile valley of the Barbung Chu, you walk among the various crops of millet, sweet corn, barley, buckwheat, green beans, chilies, and marijuana.

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. Sandul gompa is a famous gompa of 8km east of Tarakot and at the junction of Barbung Khola and Tarap Chu, 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.

The trail mostly descends and offers a relatively firm footing. You’ll walk alongside the Bheri River, using a clever path built about twenty feet above the river. Before you know it, you’ll arrive at Dunai and the campsite you used previously, marking the completion of the Dolpo circuit.

You now retrace your steps to Juphal. After reaching Jhupal, we can spend our afternoon exploring the busy market town or simply pursuing whatever we feel like. Initially, the way is flat but the final hour up to your destination seems steeper than you remember on our first-day hikes. As today is our last day of hikes in remote areas, we are safely back at our campsite. Our camping crew will set up a campsite over the nice ground. In the evening, we’ll have a celebration with our team of porters, cooks, guides, and fellow hikers. It’s a delightful opportunity to thank them for helping you realize your Dolpo exploring dream. Finally, we’ll fly from Juphal back to Kathmandu via Nepalgunj, and enjoy some free time in the capital before a farewell dinner as a group.

We take an early flight from Jhupal to Nepalgunj town. On reaching Nepalgunj airport, we return to Kathmandu on the next available flight immediately. Upon landing on the Kathmandu airport runway, our guide will arrange a private transfer for you to return to your hotel. Furthermore, You can spend the evening leisurely, perhaps catch up on some last-minute shopping and celebrate dinner with us. Overnight at Kathmandu.

After breakfast, the day begins with our guided tour of Kathmandu Valley’s cultural UNESCO World Heritage sites. This includes visits to the sacred Hindu Pashupatinath Temple, the world-renowned Boudhanath Stupa, the iconic Swayambhunath Stupa, and the historical Kathmandu Durbar Square. Tourists can explore ancient monuments, admire unique architecture, and visit the Kumari Temple, home to the living goddess, in central Kathmandu.

Later, we will drop you off at Kathmandu International Airport in the evening for your return flight to your home country, marking the end of your journey. Gokyo Treks Nepal is honored to have served you throughout your adventures, trekking, and tours in the Himalayas, and we wish you a safe and memorable journey back home.