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Upper Dolpo Trek

Duration
23 Days
22 nights
Max Altitude
5490m
Highest point
Difficulty
Strenuous
3 out of 5
Group Size
2–14
people
Best Season
Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov and Dec
Activity / Day
4-6 Hrs Walking

Trip Overview

 

Overview

Dolpo region is the most remote and least developed district in Nepal. Although a few anthropologists and geographers had explored the region, the entire district was closed to trekkers until 1989 when the southern part of Dolpo was opened to organized trekking groups. Peter Matheson's book -  The Snow Leopard and Snell grove - Himalayan pilgrimage have contributed to the mystique and attraction of Dolpo.

Dolpo region situated between the Tibetan plateau and the Dhaulagiri Himalayan range is the highest inhabited land of Dolpo. Geographically a southern extension of Tibet, it lies within the borders of the state of Nepal, since 1984 has been the country's largest national park and conservation, the park sustains an abundance of wild life including Musk Deer, Himalayan Blue Sheep and the legendary elusive Snow Leopard, as well as being home to a fascinating race of Tibetan speaking people. The hardy highlanders of Dolpo are traders, exchanging barley for Tibetan rock salt and they take their yaks onto the Tibetan plateau during the summer for grazing. 

Nepal's first English subtitled movie on Dolpo -The Caravan- or -The Himalaya- was a huge success and was nominated for the Oscar Award in the best foreign-language film category. Boundaries of the park include within 3,500 square kilometres of land, mostly above 4,000 meters. Before 1989, when the southern regions were opened to trekking groups, very few explorers had visited the area. Two notable visits were the first mountaineering expedition by Dr Herbert Tichy in 1953 based in Saigon and the other visit by John Tyson in the early sixties. Dolpo is one of the most beautiful treks in the remote areas of Nepal, very rarely visited by an outsider.

Journey to the Upper Dolpo Region

First on the plains and then in the district of Dolpo, we go to Nepalgúnj.

Most people fly from Kathmandu or Pokhara to Nepalgunj. We ride to Juphal from Nepalgunj. (The most organized tours of the region are flying from Kathmandu. (It is not possible to fly directly from Kathmandu to Juphal, although expensive charter flights are available from Pokhara.) Remember that the Juphal airport is just a small mountain airfield, which often may cause bad weather to disrupt flights. Nepalgunj can be reached by lane, but from Kathmandu or Pokhara it is a long journey. Roads in Western Nepal develop, but Juphal is still on the nearest road for several days.

Highlights of Upper Dolpo Trek

  • The Dolpo region's main attraction is the captivating Shey Phoksundo Lake
  • Experience Nepal's extremly unusual cultural culture
  • Take the opportunity to see Snow Leopard in Shey Phoksundo National Park
  • Read about the 800 years old, Shey Gompa at Crystal Mountain Base
  • Starting with the legendary Yarsagumba hunt. Look at the Hunt for Yarsa.
  • Nepal 's largest lake, Rara Lake
  • It is worth skiing at a peak like the Mt. Putha.
  • The Tibetian Culture ethnic society has preserved in its primeval stage.

Trip Grade: Strenuous

From an altitude of 4000m to 5550m is considered a strenuous trek or grade 3. Most of the trekking of Nepal is in grade 3. You need some previous trekking experiences and have decent physical fitness. Walking in higher altitudes is more physically demanding than walking in lower altitudes, however, the pace of the trek will vary in compensation. If you are in excellent health with average physical fitness and have strong determination, you will complete a moderate trek successfully. Exercising, particularly jogging and climbing stairs regularly for some weeks prior to your arrival is recommended to enhance your strength and fitness. Past hiking experience would be an asset, but no technical skill is required. Climbing and descending are very usual experiences for these types of trekking and you may have to cross small glaciers as well.  This kind of trekking gives you an experience of a lifetime, has very beautiful walking surrounded by spectacular mountains. Above 4000m, there are many settlements in Nepal with a very different landscape. Yaks typically graze at this altitude.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

23 days
1
Day 1

Arrive in Kathmandu at any time. Upon your arrival, representative will be picked up from airport then you will be transferred to a hotel for check in. Overnight stay at Himalayan Suite hotel. (B)

Accommodation: Himalayan Suite Hotel
Meal: Dinner
Activity: Orientation Program

2
Day 2

3
Day 3

4
Day 4

5
Day 5

6
Day 6

7
Day 7

8
Day 8

Acclimatisation
9
Day 9

10
Day 10

11
Day 11

12
Day 12

13
Day 13

14
Day 14

15
Day 15

16
Day 16

17
Day 17

18
Day 18

19
Day 19

20
Day 20

21
Day 21

22
Day 22

23
Day 23

What’s Included

Included
Airport pick up and drop
Accommodation in Kathmandu(Himalayan Suite Hotel) or similar category and Pokhara (Hotel Lake Star or similar category on twin sharing with breakfast
Fooding, lodging and other expenses of trekking crew
Fooding (3 meals a day ) and lodging for the clients in trek days
Necessary paper works for permit and national park fees
Guided sightseeing tour in Kathmandu
All necessary equipments during the trek
Thirty minute massage in Himalayan Suite Spa
Not Included
Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara
Personal equipments and clothing
Airfare Kathmandu - Nepalgunj $158 , Nepaljung -Dunai $120 and Jomsom -Pokhara $120
Cold drinks and beverages
Special Permit fee $500 for first 10 days and $50 for additional day
City sightseeing monuments entry fee (NPR 250+400+1000)
Personal expenses and tips to the crew

Frequently Asked Questions

 

The Upper Dolpa trek is one of Nepal 's longest treks, as it takes 32 days to complete. The highest elevation during this trek is 4,530 metres. Around 5,115 metres. And is one of Nepal's toughest treks.Therefore some degree of physical fitness is required. Good fitness should be enough for completing this trek. 

We ensure plenty of rest periods and good speed to prevent excessive strains. In the event that you suffer from some pre-existing medical condition, we recommend that you consult your doctor before you pick this trek. Likewise, we commend being physically involved in the months preceding this trek. This can be done in the form of activities such as biking, running, hiking, swimming etc.

 

Despite the absence of sufficient facilities and very few buildings. Only a few houses will provide the amenities for food and lodging. So most trekking groups will take full catering services to deliver food to them.

Still, the Dolpo region has to be considered to be limited to food. There are also several houses and tea shops about the accommodation services which will provide you with the accommodation facility. It is highly advised, however, that you don't rely on them and take your own tents and sleeping bags. HSJ will arrange for the tents and sleeping bags for its customers.

 

Just a few places in the Dolpo area have a mobile phone signal. However, some villages do have a satellite emergency telephone. Some lodges in the Dolpo region offer wireless Internet access only at Dunai at an additional fee. If you wish to bring a 4 G sim card with an Internet pack, we recommend Ncell. In Kathmandu, you can buy an internet package which is less than USD 10. Make sure you have one of these before departure.

 

Since this is not a common trek, all the villages aren't equipped with the amenities you may need. You 'd better bring your cameras and phones along with the solar charging.

 

This being entirely camping trek, sufficient amount of water would be needed to carried all the way. Filling up water is quick. Taps in, out or in guesthouses mean that there are plenty of places to fill your bottles and/or your water bladders.This could be where you stay, a lunch stop, or a shared public tap used by locals whereever possible. Use an efficient sterilization method to make sure your water is safe and not contaminated in anyway.

 

The Dolpo Trek is one of the restricted regions in Nepal. So, you must have a licensed guide or porters and permit via Nepal’s local agency. You’ll need three trekking permits. It also part of the upper Dolpo trek cost which always includes in the trip cost. HSJ will arrange these permits for you. Special permit ie UpperDolpo Restricted Area Permit, however is not included in your trip cost. 

Upper Dolpo Trekking Permit Cost  
Shey Phoksundo National Park Permit Cost NPR 3000
Lower Dolpo Restricted Area Permit US$ 20 Per Person/week
Minimum required for two weeks permit US$ 20×2 =40 Per Person
Upper Dolpo Restricted Area Permit US$ 500/Per Person for 10 days
Total Upper Dolpo Trek Permits Cost US$ 570 Per Person

 

Travel insurance & rescue when travelling to a remote destination like Nepal is strongly advised. It should provide adequate protection for the full duration of the tour. Your insurance policy must cover all the activities that you will be undertaking during your stay in Nepal such as helicopter rescue, cancellation, air ambulance, injury, death, lost baggage, theft, liability, medical treatment, and cover repatriation and personal expenses. If a client becomes ill, all hospital expenses, doctors’ fees, and repatriation costs are the client’s responsibility. For the reliable travel insurance, we have the suggestion of some of the best insurance companies: Cover more or Europe assistance or Travel Direct- TID . We have an agreement with Helicopter Company to do the payment of Helicopter evacuation after we collect the payment with you once you have been rescued. And the reimbursement responsibility from your insurance company will go up to you. Be sure your policy specifically covers helicopter evacuation and does not exclude mountaineering or alpinism.

 

Often this depends on the trek and the maximum altitude gain. Each porter carries between 15 and 30 kg on average in the mountain region for trekking. There is up to 40 kg of a camping pack. We usually assign one porter to our two trekkers.  15 kg of luggage is allowed per person on the trek. The health of our porter crew is strictly guaranteed.

 

With an annual rainfall of less than 50 mm, Dolpo is the only trekking destination in Nepal which can be trekked from May until the end of October. Unlike Nepal's other Trekking Regions, which are not recommended for trekking from May to October, Dolpo has this benefit. June, July and August, the monsoon moths in Nepal, being in the rain-shadow of Dhaulagiri and Kanjiroba, the area receives either no or very little rainfall, while the rest of the country experiences significant rainfall.

Treks in Dolpo are closed from November to January because of the heavy snowfall in the region. The snowfall could happen until April and hence treks in Dolpo are recommended during this time of the year as well.

 

Clothing

·         Trekking boots

·         Short-sleeved Trekking shirts

·         Trekking pants and jackets

·         Thermals underwear

·         Long-sleeved Trekking shirts

·         Insulating down jackets

·         Woolen cap

·         Trekking Gloves

·         Raincoats

First Aid

·         Diamox tablets

·         Sanitary pads / Tampons

·         Anti-nausea Medicines

·         Band-aids

·         Mosquito and insect repellents

Toiletries

·         Soap

·         Toilet Paper

·         Shampoo

·         Sunscreen

·         Moisturizer

·         Hand sanitizer

Accessories

·         Sunglasses

·         Sleeping bag

·         Cameras

·         Batteries

·         Water Bottle

·         Solar Chargers

·         Hot water Thermos

Important Documents

·         Passport

·         Travel Permits

 

HSJ provides Duffel bags, Sleeping Bags, and tents for this trek. You will have to get trekking poles yourselves or our guide will assist you to buy them in Kathmandu.

Still have a question? Talk to a trip planner

Traveler Stories

KimEverest Base Camp Trek
Deck and StrebellaNagarkot Sunrise Tour with Sallaghari-Changunarayan Hiking
DavidKathmandu - Pokhara Sightseeing with Everest Scenic Flight & Annapurna Heli tour
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Total$2,2901 × $2,290
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Free cancellation — cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
7% of profit donated — Through the Himalayan Community Project, we fund education, healthcare & conservation in rural Nepal.
Ram SapkotaAmrit SapkotaAswin SapkotaAju SitaulaSushma Rijal
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Traveler Reviews

Overall rating
5.0/5
Across 20 reviews of HSJ trips
Taher
Verified booking · Kathmandu 7 UNESCO Heritage Sites Day Tour Private/ Group option
5.0

Really excellent day! Rajan was my tour guide and he was excellent. Explained every historical site and the background behind it and was very informative the whole day. He made sure I was ok always, gave good reccomendations for delicious food and we got to sp…

Dave
Verified booking · Kathmandu 7 UNESCO Heritage Sites Day Tour Private/ Group option
5.0

We really enjoyed our tour of the 7 UNESCO sites today. Dipendra was very informative and told us all about the history and fascinating facts of the many temples we visited. This is a full day trip and I would recommend it to anyone visiting Kathmandu.

Greg
Verified booking · Kathmandu 7 UNESCO Heritage Sites Day Tour Private/ Group option
5.0

A great way to see all of the important sites in Kathmandu in just one day! The guide, Dipendra was great! Informative and funny!

Gloria
Verified booking · Kathmandu 7 UNESCO Heritage Sites Day Tour Private/ Group option
5.0

Dioendra our guide was terrific!!! Professional, punctual, very knowledgeable We visit 7 UNESCO sites and spend several hours knowing the fascinating and magical Nepalese culture…. Wonderful time !!! Highly recommended this tour with Dioendra!!

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