Upper Dolpo Trek

Positioned at the crossroads of multiple ancient Asian civilizations, the Kathmandu Valley is home to no fewer than seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. As a result, the valley became the setting for the construction of numerous monuments, temples, and pilgrimage sites that are significant to both the Hindu and Buddhist faiths.

Exploring around the city has become much more easier and convenient as compared to the past. You can easily book a ride using travel apps like Pathao, and Tootle to travel across the city. The sightseeing can be carried out in the following order:

Swayambhunath Temple

One of the greatest tourist destinations in Kathmandu is this historic architectural wonder, which is situated on a hill in the Kathmandu Valley. The major stupa, numerous temples, a monastery, a museum, and a well-stocked library are all part of it.

It is a sight to behold in and of itself to see the eyes and eyebrows of the Buddha painted on the temples, with the number 1 painted as the lord’s nose in the native alphabet.

Patan Durbar Square

After the peaceful visit to Swayambhunath temple also known as the monkey temple, up next we have Patan Durbar Square, enriched with its architectural beauty. This location is a historical gem of Newar. Snippets of the same can be seen from the red brick and tiled square floor.

Many temples in the region help their followers establish a divine connection. The old royal palace where the Malla Kings formerly lived is one of the most popular sights in this area.

Pashupatinath

In Nepal, Hinduism is the religion most people practice. With several renowned locations, such as Pashupatinath Temple, the nation has accepted and respected this religion.

The sacred site is regarded as one of the most significant temples in the entire globe and is among the most popular tourist destinations in Kathmandu. There are 12 Jyotirlinga in India and the one in Nepal is the head over this body. The temple has 275 holy abodes of Shiva as well.

A visit to this temple will help you cleanse all the negative energy away from you. This holy temple feels like a walk through heaven due to its radiating energy.

Boudhanath

As the Stupa is believed to be the tomb of Kassapa Buddha’s relics, the location has witnessed numerous traders and travelers giving prayers to their lord. It is undoubtedly one of the greatest locations to visit in Nepal and is richly associated with tales.

One of the most important locations in Buddhism and architecture is the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu. The smell of incense surrounds the stupa which radiates a form of positive energy in the believers.

After completing a brief sightseeing around the preserved areas of Kathmandu, you will be boarding a flight to Nepalganj on the third day. The flight will be of approximately 60 minutes.

If the weather is pleasant, you mayn’t encounter much of a delay in the flight schedule. It traverses the entirety of the western Himalayan regions, including Dhaulagiri, Langtang, Manaslu, and Annapurna. In contrast to Kathmandu, it is warmer. The Indian border is not far from Nepalgunj.

You will travel to the Nepalgunj airport for the Nepalgunj-Juphal flight after breakfast. The flight to Juphal will take about thirty-five minutes. Excellent vision of the Himalayan foothills is possible from the air, including views of Dhaulagiri Masiff and Annapurna.

Once you get to Juphal, you shall begin your adventure. Since this is where the journey begins, the trail is easy. It will take 45 minutes of easy walking downhill to get to Kalagauda. Following it, you’ll trek for an additional two hours along the Thuli Bheri River to Dunai.

Rooms will be assigned based on the reservation after you get to Dunai. The Dolpa district’s headquarters are at Dunai. You will officially end your first day of trek at Dunai where you’ll enjoy your dinner and rest.

Max Altitude:

2,150 m

Duration:

4 hrs

The next morning, you’ll be heading west from Dunai after crossing the suspension bridge. You shall follow the Suli Gad River and head north at its intersection with the Thuri Bheri alongside it. With the sound of the river thriving in the background, you shall trek up gradually.

You’ll stroll through fields of potatoes, pumpkins, millet, and marijuana. You’re going to trek along the river till you get to Hanke, a little village. It is the entrance to the national park of Shey Phoksundo.

To reach Ankhe, you’ll have to walk through Rahagaon and Parela. You will complete the trek in six hours and will be spending the night in tented camps.

Max Altitude:

2,660 m

Duration:

6 hrs

From here on the trek starts to get challenging. You will have to ascend and descend multiple times along the grassy hills of the trial. Following a solid bridge crossing of a diminishing river, you will ascend steep terrain along a narrow path.

You trek down a trail through luscious woodlands until you reach a precipice and a vertiginous descent down a shaky stone ladder to the riverbank. Following a seven-hour trek, you will set up a tent alongside the Suligad River.

Max Altitude:

3,104 m

Duration:

7 hrs

Today, you will begin early in the morning. For the first few hours of the trek, it will be fairly easy. You’ll take a sharp decline from Sumdo. You will descend through lovely birch trees to arrive at Phoksundo Khola and the lovely village of Ringmo, which is adorned with Mani walls and Chortens made of mud plaster.

You’ll trek a short distance from here to the Phoksundo Lake shoreline, where you’ll pitch up your camp. The journey will take about seven hours on this day.

Max Altitude:

3,600 m

Duration:

6-7 hrs

The trek on this day will lead you to a daring trail that will take you along a wooden walkway held up by pegs hammered into crevices in the rock face. The westernmost tip of the lake leads into the Upper Dolpo Trekking Trail, which takes you across a lush meadow to the plain of Phoksundo Khola.

Subsequently, you will stroll down the valley, traversing the river while dodging the occasional swamps beneath your feet, and eventually arriving at the overnight camp situated on the riverbank.

Max Altitude:

3,507m

Duration:

4-5 hrs

The Upper Dolpo Trek Route, which leads you through a glacier valley on the north side, meets the Phoksundo Khola and another mountain stream at this location. From a sheep grazing area, you will reach a still valley through a long and exhausting ascent.

You can admire the daring Kang La Pass from another valley after completing another arduous and lengthy trek to the summit. After trekking for about 7 hours, you will have finally reached your destination where you’ll be camping for the night.

Max Altitude:

4,402 m

Duration:

7 hrs

You’ll climb a steep track early in the morning that leads to a pass. Despite being a challenging climb, the peak will offer a breathtaking perspective of the surrounding area. Approximately three hours will pass before you get to the 5,151-meter summit of Kang La Pass.

The reward for all your hard effort is the breathtaking views from the top. You need to use extreme caution as you descend the steep valley bottom. It won’t take more than 45 minutes or so. When you arrive in Shey Gompa, you will be greeted with a lovely red Chorten.

Finally, after crossing a log bridge, you will arrive at your destination for the day, the Shey Gompa compound where you’ll set up your camp.

Max Altitude:

5,151 m

Duration:

7 hrs

This is specially set aside for acclimatization. You can spend the exploring the surroundings of Shey Gompa. In Tibetan, shey means “crystal.” Another name for this monastery is Crystal Mountain. You can go to the Shey Gompa and receive the Lama’s blessings.

The lama Ten-szin-Ra-Pa founded the first Kagyupa monastery. The 11th century witnessed the creation of the monastery. She is well-known for her antiquated Buddhist traditions. The ancient Tibetan style of life in Dolpo blends Buddhism and animism.

Above the meeting of Kwangju Nala and Yeju Nala is Shey Gompa. There is a collection of water-wheel-driven prayer mills close to the confluence.

You start the day by going down a pleasant juniper-lined track that leads into a stony, grey canyon. After there, the trail starts to zigzag across rough, eroded soil and exposed boulders until it finally reaches the summit of Saldang-la Pass

Ascending from the summit, you take in the views of the surrounding countryside, grazing livestock, and a few wandering tents. The sight of yaks grazing and the nomadic tents made of yak hair will be pleasing. This indicates that you are now in the Namduna Gaon.

You will spend the rest of the day exploring the area after visiting Namgung Monastery, a red-stone monastery in Namduna Gaon, and will be spending the night there.

Max Altitude:

4,785 m

Duration:

7 hrs

You are going to walk uphill after you leave the Namjung Valley. The journey starts with a prolonged and thrilling ride across the steep highlands. Then you stroll around Saldang, a charming town. Due to its strategic location on the trade route to Tibet, it is one of the major villages in the area.

It is located on a plateau high above the Nam Khong Nala River. This day roughly consists of 4 hours of trekking.

Max Altitude:

3,903 m

Duration:

4 hrs

Early in the morning, you will depart from Saldang and travel along the riverbank, passing by terraced fields, stunning stupas, and Chortens. While traveling, you can stop at the Chaiba Monastery and see a lot of Mani stones.

You stroll along the gorge, where green fields of native barley cover the bottom. Thorny juniper shrubs are the only vegetation in this lovely open space. On your way to the campsite, you have to cross a twice-deep river.

Max Altitude:

3,942m

Duration:

6 hrs

On the first day, you trek along the Nam Khong Khola, passing yak caravans that are heading for the Tibetan border. After two hours, you will cross another stream and then turn to a side valley. A grazing region beneath the Jeng La pass is reached by the steep trail.

After that, you will reach a lovely meadow that is mostly covered in rocks. You’ll set up camp here in this lovely meadow.

Max Altitude:

4,369 m

Duration:

5 hrs

You rise early and begin your journey for the day. The ascent of Jeng La will just take two hours to complete. This location offers an exceptionally captivating view of the Dhaulagiri Mastiff.

From here, you follow a rocky trail down to the Tarap region, which is a wonderful region that stretches twenty kilometers along the Tarap Chu River and features large grasslands surrounded by steep mountains.

You can visit Gompas and Chortens when you arrive in Tokyu Gaon. The grounds of Tokyu Monastery allow you to stay the night. The Chaiba sect owns the monastery.

Max Altitude:

4,845 m

Duration:

7 hrs

Today’s trail is wide and reasonably challenging. Unlike any other area of inner Dolpo, you will go downhill through a plain valley with patches of abundant grass on both sides of the river.

Additionally visible are the Mani Walls and Chortens, many of which currently require renovation. There are not many Tibetans living in Tarap; most of the residents are Magars. The locals are Buddhists or Bon Po devotees.

After traveling a short distance, you go to Dho Tarap, where you’ll be camping for the night.

Max Altitude:

4,090 m

Duration:

4-5 hrs

Along the Tarap River, the trail descends steeply through a winding valley. As you head away from the river, the path will get more narrow. Yak, horses, and mules in large numbers will be encountered on the route to deliver the loads.

After trekking for about 6-7 hours, you’ll finally reach your destination for the night where you’ll be camping.

Max Altitude:

3,630 m

Duration:

6-7 hrs

The trip today is going to be an exhilarating experience since the valley gets so small that you will have to jump from one side to the other. Occasionally, there would be no sign of a trail, forcing us to cross the gaps between the walls using stone slabs fixed above logs as a bridge.

In many locations, the bridges are either destroyed or washed out, forcing individuals to cross the ice stream on foot. Eventually, you arrive in Khanigaon and set your camp next to the Tarap Khola, where you’ll spend the night.

Max Altitude:

2,550 m

Duration:

7 hrs

The next morning, through a recently constructed suspension bridge, you will leave Khani Gaon and the mountains in the background and trek beside the river. The trail can get challenging at times, and you’ll have to cross one of the rivers on wet stepping stones.

The challenging trek for about 4 hours will eventually lead you to your final destination for the day, Tarakot where you’ll be camping for the night.

Max Altitude:

2,281 m

Duration:

4 hrs

Following a trail behind the Bheri River, you will cross a bridge close to the settlement of Lawan to start your trek. Your route will continue to climb alongside the large Bheri River to the Byas Gadi.

From here, the trail follows a fairly simple path westward. You will recross the river close to Lochakhola Gaon and head up to Dunai where you’ll be spending the night. Most of the walk today will take place on a gorgeous ravine lined with pine trees.

Max Altitude:

2,052 m

Duration:

5 hrs

For your last day of trekking, you’ll trek beside the Bheri River from Dunai, taking in the breathtaking scenery. Along the route, you pass a temple and the villages of Dhupichaur and Rupgad.

You carry on your trek past the villages of Motipur and Kalagaonda, until you reach your final destination of the day, Juphal where you’ll be spending your night in a tea house.

Max Altitude:

2,404 m

Duration:

3 hrs

On this particular day, you’ll board two flights. One will fly you to Nepalgunj (35 minutes) and the other from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu (60 minutes).

After reaching your hotel, you can rest for the day or stroll around the streets of Thamel and enjoy the nightlife.

After enjoying your breakfast, you can book a Pathao or Indrive to explore the places around Kathmandu Valley. You can stroll along the alleys of Patan, Bhaktapur, Ason, and Thamel and collect souvenirs to take back home as a memory from your trip.

You can try the local cuisine of various ethnic groups and indulge yourself in activities such as pottery classes. You can take back some local snacks such as “titaura”, organic tea leaves from Illam from shops in Kathmandu, churpi which is a kind of hard cheese.

Later at night, you must try authentic Nepali cuisine for dinner such as thakali khana set which comes with rice, a special kind of lentil soup called dhal made up of lentils imported from Mustang tempered with homemade butter called ghee, seasonal vegetables, and optional meat of choices along with homemade pickles.

During the final day of your departure, the hotel staff will traditionally bid you goodbye presenting you with a “khadha” and a bouquet. The staff for the hotel will escort you to the airport and bid you a farewell wishing for your safe travel.