Upper Dolpo Base Camp Trek

A dramatic flight over the foothills lands at Juphal, followed by an easy walk down to Dunai on the banks of the Bheri River.

The trail enters Shey Phoksundo National Park and follows the Suli Gad river through gorges and forests of blue pine to Chhepka.

You continue through dense forest and across wooden bridges as the valley gradually rises toward the high country.

A climb past the Phoksundo waterfall leads to the striking turquoise Phoksundo Lake and the Tibetan-style village of Ringmo.

A day to acclimatise, explore the lakeshore and Ringmo village, and visit the Bon monastery while taking in the views of the surrounding peaks.

The trail traces the western shore of the lake along a spectacular rock ledge, then follows the Phoksundo Khola to a riverside camp.

You leave the valley floor and climb steadily through juniper and open slopes to the high camp below the Kang La, preparing for the first big pass crossing.

A strenuous day climbing to the Kang La with views of Kanjiroba and the Tibetan plateau, followed by a long descent to Shey Gompa, the Crystal Mountain monastery.

Spend a day at the sacred monastery and the surrounding landscape, visiting the Crystal Mountain and local hermitages, with time to rest at altitude.

You climb through juniper forest to the Saldang La and descend along a remote valley to the Bon-Po settlement of Namgung and its monastery.

An easier day through barren hills and scattered fields leads to Saldang, one of the largest and most important villages of Upper Dolpo.

The trail follows the Nagon Khola through Marang and Ki villages to the ancient Yangze Gompa, an important Bon-Po monastery.

You walk through the villages of the upper Nagon valley, passing monasteries and fields of barley, to reach the hamlet of Sibu.

A gradual climb up the valley leads to a high camp below the Jeng La, with the landscape turning stark and wide open.

Cross the Jeng La with wide views of the Dhaulagiri range and descend into the Tarap valley to the village of Tokyu and its monastery.

A short walk along the Tarap Chu through a broad valley brings you to Do Tarap, one of the highest permanently inhabited valleys in Nepal.

Explore the villages of the Tarap valley, visit the Bon-Po and Buddhist monasteries, and meet the people who still live a semi-nomadic life here.

The trail follows the Tarap Chu downstream through a narrowing gorge, crossing the river several times as the vegetation slowly returns.

You continue through the river canyon with steep walls and forest, descending toward the lower Tarap valley.

The descent continues along the Tarap Chu to Tarakot, a historic fort town above the Bheri River with an ancient monastery nearby.

You follow the Bheri River downstream through terraced fields and small villages back to Dunai, the district headquarters.

A short climb from the river brings you to Juphal, where you spend the night near the airstrip before the flight out.

After a scenic flight out of the mountains and a connection in Nepalgunj, you return to Kathmandu, concluding your Upper Dolpo expedition.