- Length
- 22 days
- Highest point
- 5,360 m
- Difficulty
- Extreme
- Best months
- Late May–Oct, Sep–Oct
- Starts
- Juphal (fly via Nepalgunj)
- Group size
- 2–10 People
- Sleeping
- Tea House / Camp
A 22-day camping expedition across Nepal's restricted trans-Himalayan Dolpo — Phoksundo Lake, Crystal Mountain, Shey Gompa and high passes over 5,300 m.
- Camp beside the turquoise Phoksundo Lake (3,600 m), Nepal's deepest lake
- Visit Shey Gompa, the Crystal Monastery beneath sacred Crystal Mountain
- Cross the high Kang La (5,360 m), Saldang La and Jeng La passes
- Explore Saldang and Dho Tarap — true Tibetan villages on ancient salt-caravan trails
- Immerse in living Bon and Tibetan Buddhist culture in a restricted frontier region
- Trek the rain-shadow trans-Himalaya, walkable even through the monsoon
- Walk the landscapes of the film Caravan (Himalaya) and The Snow Leopard
- Genuine remote camping expedition through snow-leopard country
The climb, day by day
Day 1Arrive in Kathmandu (1,400 m)1,400 m
Arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, transfer to your hotel in Thamel. Trek briefing, permit paperwork and equipment check with your guide in the evening.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- –
- Meals
- –
- Night
- Hotel
Day 2Kathmandu sightseeing & expedition prep (1,400 m)1,400 m
Guided tour of UNESCO World Heritage sites — Boudhanath stupa and Pashupatinath. Final shopping for personal trekking gear and packing for a remote camping expedition.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- –
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Night
- Hotel
Day 3Fly Kathmandu–Nepalgunj (150 m)150 m
Scenic flight to Nepalgunj in the hot western Terai near the Indian border. Overnight here to connect with the early morning mountain flight to Juphal.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- Flight
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Hotel
Day 4Fly Nepalgunj–Juphal, trek to Dunai (2,140 m)2,140 m
Spectacular short flight to the Juphal airstrip in Dolpa. Meet the camping crew and trek down the Bheri River to Dunai, the district headquarters, where we make our first camp.
- Distance
- 8 km
- Walking
- 3 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 5Dunai to Chhepka (2,687 m)2,687 m
Cross the suspension bridge and follow the Phoksundo Khola, entering Shey Phoksundo National Park. The trail winds through pine and walnut forest to camp at Chhepka.
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 6 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 6Chhepka to Chunuwar / Amchi Hospital (3,110 m)3,110 m
Continue up the river valley through forest and small farms, passing the Tibetan amchi (herbal medicine) hospital. Steady climb to our camp at Chunuwar.
- Distance
- 12 km
- Walking
- 6 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 7Chunuwar to Phoksundo Lake / Ringmo (3,600 m)3,600 m
A steep climb past Nepal's highest waterfall brings us to the Tibetan village of Ringmo and the stunning turquoise Phoksundo Lake — one of the most photographed scenes in the Himalaya.
- Distance
- 7 km
- Walking
- 4 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 8Phoksundo Lake — acclimatisation & exploration (3,600 m)3,600 m
Rest and acclimatisation day. Visit Ringmo village and the ancient Bon Tshowa Gompa above the lake, and take a short acclimatisation hike along the shoreline.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- 3–4 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 9Phoksundo Lake to Phoksundo Khola / Sallaghari (3,630 m)3,630 m
Traverse the famous narrow ledge path along the western shore of the lake, then descend to the river and follow the glacial valley to a forest camp at Sallaghari.
- Distance
- 10 km
- Walking
- 5 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 10Sallaghari to Kang La Phedi / High Camp (4,400 m)4,400 m
Leave the treeline behind and climb steadily up the alpine valley to a high camp at the foot of the Kang La pass, ready for an early start the next morning.
- Distance
- 9 km
- Walking
- 5 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 11Cross Kang La (5,360 m) to Shey Gompa (4,500 m)5,360 m
The first big pass. A demanding climb to the prayer-flag-strewn Kang La at 5,360 m offers sweeping views of the Dolpo plateau, then a long descent to Shey Gompa, the Crystal Monastery beneath sacred Crystal Mountain.
- Distance
- 12 km
- Walking
- 7–8 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 12Shey Gompa — exploration & acclimatisation (4,500 m)4,500 m
A full day to explore the 11th-century Shey Gompa, the spiritual heart of Dolpo, and the kora pilgrimage trail around Crystal Mountain. A vital acclimatisation day before the next pass.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- 2–3 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 13Cross Saldang La (5,100 m) to Namduna Gaon (4,400 m)5,100 m
Climb across the barren Saldang La pass into true trans-Himalayan desert, then descend to Namduna Gaon and the red-walled Namgung Gompa set into the cliffs.
- Distance
- 13 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 14Namduna Gaon to Saldang (3,770 m)3,903 m
Trek to Saldang, the largest village in Upper Dolpo — terraced barley fields, chortens and a string of houses on an old salt-trading route between Tibet and Nepal.
- Distance
- 12 km
- Walking
- 5 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 15Saldang to Yangze Gompa (4,960 m)4,960 m
Follow the Namga Khola up the valley to the remote Yangze Gompa, an important ancient Bon monastery, passing scattered herders' settlements along the way.
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 16Yangze Gompa to Sibu (4,560 m)4,560 m
Retrace down to Saldang and continue south along the Nam Khong Khola, passing chortens, mani walls and caravans of yaks and goats, to camp at Sibu.
- Distance
- 13 km
- Walking
- 6 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 17Sibu to Jeng La Phedi (4,900 m)4,900 m
Follow the river then climb steeply alongside grazing herds to a high camp below the Jeng La pass, with views opening towards the Dhaulagiri massif to the east.
- Distance
- 11 km
- Walking
- 5 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 18Cross Jeng La (5,090 m) to Tokyu Gaon (4,200 m)5,090 m
Cross the Jeng La for dramatic dawn views of Dhaulagiri, then descend into the green Tarap valley to Tokyu Gaon and its old Buddhist monastery.
- Distance
- 12 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 19Tokyu Gaon to Dho Tarap (4,040 m)4,040 m
A short, easy walk down the broad Tarap valley to Dho Tarap, one of the highest permanent settlements on earth, where Bon and Buddhist communities live side by side.
- Distance
- 8 km
- Walking
- 3 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 20Dho Tarap to Tarap Khola / Kamakharka (3,800 m)3,800 m
Begin the long descent off the plateau, following the Tarap Khola down through a dramatic gorge with junipers and the first trees in many days.
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 6 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 21Tarap Khola to Khanigaon / Tarakot (2,550 m)2,550 m
Continue down the narrowing gorge and along the Bheri River to lower, greener country, camping near the village of Tarakot.
- Distance
- 16 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Night
- Camp
Day 22Trek to Dunai & Juphal, fly to Nepalgunj / Kathmandu (1,400 m)2,475 m
Final trek down to Dunai and up to the Juphal airstrip, then fly via Nepalgunj back to Kathmandu (schedule permitting) where the expedition concludes.
- Distance
- 15 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hrs
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Night
- Hotel
The price includes
- Upper Dolpo Restricted Area Permit, Shey Phoksundo National Park & Lower Dolpo permits
- All domestic flights: Kathmandu–Nepalgunj–Juphal and return
- 3 nights hotel in Kathmandu (twin share, with breakfast) plus airport transfers
- Licensed, experienced English-speaking trekking guide and full camping crew (cook, kitchen staff)
- Porters or pack animals to carry all group equipment and supplies
- All camping equipment — two-person tents, dining tent, toilet tent, kitchen gear, mattresses
- All meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner) during the trek, freshly prepared by the camp cook
- Guide and crew wages, insurance, food, accommodation and equipment
- Comprehensive first-aid kit with oximeter and emergency oxygen
- Kathmandu city sightseeing tour with a guide
- All government taxes, service charges and official paperwork
You pay separately
- International airfare to and from Kathmandu
- Nepal entry visa fee
- Travel and high-altitude rescue/evacuation insurance (mandatory)
- Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu
- Personal trekking gear and clothing (sleeping bag and down jacket can be rented)
- Drinks, bottled water, hot showers, battery charging and Wi-Fi on trek
- Personal expenses — laundry, telephone, souvenirs
- Tips for guide, cook and crew (customary)
- Emergency helicopter charter or extra hotel nights due to flight delays
- Any costs arising from circumstances beyond our control (weather, flight cancellations, political situation)
The Upper Dolpo Trek is one of Nepal's last great wilderness journeys — a 22-day camping expedition deep into the restricted trans-Himalaya behind the main range, where Tibetan Buddhist and ancient Bon culture have survived almost untouched. This is the landscape made famous by Peter Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard and Eric Valli's Oscar-nominated film Caravan (Himalaya): ochre cliffs, salt-caravan trails, fortress monasteries and turquoise Phoksundo Lake set against an arid, wind-carved plateau.
From the airstrip at Juphal we trek through Shey Phoksundo National Park to the deep-blue Phoksundo Lake (3,600 m), then climb over a chain of high passes — Kang La (5,360 m), Saldang La (5,100 m) and Jeng La — to reach Shey Gompa, the Crystal Monastery beneath sacred Crystal Mountain. We cross the medieval villages of Saldang and Dho Tarap, true Tibetan settlements where yak caravans still move salt and barley across the high desert.
A genuine restricted-area expedition
Upper Dolpo is a controlled region: a US$500 restricted-area permit (first 10 days), a licensed guide and a registered agency are mandatory (the old two-person minimum was scrapped in March 2026, so solo trekkers are now allowed with a guide), and there are no lodges across most of the route. We travel fully self-supported with a complete camping crew — guide, cook, kitchen staff and porters or pack animals carrying all tents, food and fuel.
Who this trek is for
This is an Extreme-grade trek for experienced, fit trekkers comfortable with remote camping, long days and repeated crossings above 5,000 m. In return you get one of the most authentic and least-crowded cultural and mountain experiences left in the Himalaya — snow-leopard country, rain-shadow trekking that even works through the monsoon, and a region that sees only a few hundred foreign visitors a year.