Upper Dolpo Trek: Journey Through Nepal's Wilderness

Day 1: Kathmandu to Nepalgunj

1. Nepalgunj
   Pass by
   According to the flight schedule, flying to Nepalgunj from Kathmandu takes about an hour.
   
   It crosses a whole range of the western part of the Himalayas, like Langtang, Manaslu, Annapurna,
   
   Kathmandu is comparatively colder than Nepalgunj, located near the Indian border.

Day 2: Nepalgunj to Juphal then Trek to Dunai

1. Dunai
   Pass by
   It's necessary to have a fight in Juphal in the morning.
   
   A 45-minute ride in the air offers super visibility of the Himalayan foothill, with views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountains.
   
   An incredible journey begins with getting your belongings and other things together; then, it's time to take a little walk from Juphal to Dunai.

Day 3: Dunai to Chhpka

1. Pass by
   You can take longer if you want to set up your luggage.
   
   Crossing a bridge over the Bheri River, we turn left and head for Shulighat, the entrance to Shulighat National Park.
   
   The trail goes along the Phoksumdo Khola river, past several smaller villages, to Chhepka.

Day 4: Chhepka to Chunuwar

1. Pass by
   The gradual trail goes up the mountain and climbs through the forest.
   
   The trails will follow some slight up-and-down paths and then cross the river. You’ll be able to see the city of Raichi from a distance after you complete this trail.
   
   Raichi and Chunuwar are connected at one point by a scenic waterway separating two distinct water streams.
   
   In the meantime, we continue to walk to Chunuwar.

Day 5: Chunuwar to Phoksundo Lake

1. Phoksundo Lake
   Pass by
   The trek goes steeply uphill for the first three hours.
   
   It is an arid desert, and the hills are dusty during the dry season.
   
   The tallest waterfall in Nepal is the Katmandu Himalayan Range. It stands 107 meters high and is stunningly beautiful with its scenery around.
   
   If you will visit, hike up to the top of Mount Kailash at the base of this lake and enjoy its breathtaking view.
   
   After that, the trail passes through the pine forest to the small town of Ringmo.

Day 6: Acclimatization day

1. Phoksundo Lake
   Pass by
   We are visiting Phoksundo Lake today, where we may hike some villages in Ringo and its Tibetan monasteries. 
   
   Many in this area practice the Bon Buddhism religion, and they know a lot of Buddhist stories.

Day 7: Phoksundo Lake to Forest Camp

1. Pass by
   The boundaries between Lower and Upper Dolpo are called Ringo. They divide the lower parts from the upper parts of the valley.
   
   We will enter a restricted area of Upper Dolpo and follow the trail of the Oscar-nominated movie Himalaya.
   
   A trail connects Dolpo and Tibet. The twisted trail is an adventurous hike along the lake.
   
   After we reach 4105 meters, we go down a steep cliff and climb up through a dense forest, then we'll come out into an open valley with a view of the Kanjirowa Himal at 6,612 meters.
   
   And we're now at a beautiful camping place.

Day 8: Forest Camp to High Camp

1. Pass by
   If you’re looking for the ultimate experience in walking trails, hike through the Trekking trail.
   
   The river flows through the canyon, which runs up a steep hill. The river bank is wide open, with stony ground and thorny bushes.

Day 9: High Camp to Set Gompa via King La Pass 5360 meters

1. Pass by
   If you’re looking for the ultimate experience in walking trails, hike through the Trekking trail.
   
   The river flows through the canyon, which runs up a steep hill. The river bank is wide open, with stony ground and thorny bushes.

Day 10: Rest day at Shey Gumpa

1. Pass by
   Shey Gompa is the largest Tibetan Buddhist center in the United States, belonging to the Tibetan Buddhist community and the Kagyu sect. The monastery was built in the 11th century. Shey is famous for its ancient Buddhist culture.
   
   Tibetans live a peaceful, harmonious existence in the mountains of Dolpo.

Day 11: Shey Gumpa to Numagung

1. Pass by
   We have to cross a pass of 5,000 meters named Shey-La. Then the path begins to zigzag over bare rocks and rough eroded soil. The trail subsequently descends to the pastures. It means that our approach to Namgung.

Day 12: Numagung to Saldang

1. Pass by
   The trek has us climb steeply over 4700 meters to the peak. Finally, we arrive in Saldang, the largest village in this strategic location along the trade route to Tibet.

Day 13: Saldang to Sibu

1. Pass by
   You'll pass through several terraced fields, stupas, chhortens, and several villages. We walk along the gorge, where the bottom is populated with the green area of local barley, and when we come to the lot on the top. Finally, our campers and I arrive at the campsite, and crossing a knee-deep river is necessary twice. This is a tremendous open-air natural habitat for many species of birds, such as wrens and bluebirds.

Day 14: Sibu to Jeng-la Base Camp

1. Pass by
   This is the final pass of the journey, and mentality requires preparation. There is a river site along with a walk up a mild horizontal. At some point in the trail, we cross the river twice. But towards the end becomes steeper and steeper. The barren hill, almost the highest camp of the journey, was entered as we left valleys and villages.

Day 15: Jeng- La Base Camp to Dho Tarap

1. Pass by
   Today we climb the final hill of the trail to the top.
   
   The stunning sceneries of the Himalayas are Dhaulagiri and the barren lands of Inner Dolpo.
   
   The trail begins in the past, descends gradually as it nears the village, and then steeply down into the Tarap Valley.
   
   We go from Tokyo to Do Tarap at an altitude of more than 8,000 ft. It’s quite a trek, but worth it.

Day 16: Dho Tarap to Serkam

1. Pass by
   The trail goes down the side of the ravine in the steep canyon.
   
   There are some peaks on the left side, and it goes off into the distance and then come back and disappears between and under the hills.
   
   The path climbs through the narrow gorge and follows the river's course.
   
   Many mules, horses, and yaks carry the goods along the trail.
   
   The afternoon is seeing the progress of a new steel bridge that allows the movement of people and animals.

Day 17: Serkam to Tarakot

1. Pass by
   If you want to go hiking in the area, take the same route that we did to the river. The trail is slightly more challenging.
   
   The trail is not always smooth, as it may contain large rocks and many other obstacles, so there might be more than one period where your focus has to be on the stones and the rocks rather than the scenery.

Day 18: Tarot to Dunai

1. Dunai
   Pass by
   The path is easy to follow, gradual in inclination, and follows the riverbanks.
   
   Trail often climbs up, and sometimes you'll end up in Dunai.

Day 19: Dunai to Juphal

1. Juphal
   Pass by
   A journey from a starting point (the village) to a destination (the mountain) takes place over a trail, while a retrace takes you back.
   
   The narrow lane at Kala Gouda leads to the caves at Juphal. A steep climb up to the top of Juphal.

Day 20: Juphal to Kathmandu via Nepalgunj

1. Kathmandu
   Pass by
   We fly to Nepalgunj in the early morning. It's a 35-minute flight over the Himalayan foothills, with lovely views of the central mountains, including Annapurna and Dhaulagiri to the north. Finally, you arrive in Kathmandu and get an onward connection flight back home.

Pickup details

We will display our company's board at the arrival gate of the airport.

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness