Upper Dolpo Trek

Dolpo, also Dolpa, is one of the most remote regions of Nepal, known in Tibetan as “Ba-Yul”, the “Hidden Land”. With the Dhaulagiri barrier to the east and the Chur Himal Mountains to the south, it always lived quite isolated from the rest of the country and was closed to foreigners until 1989.

Most of the region is inscribed within the Shey-Phoksundo National Park and is one of the highest inhabited places on earth, with small, half-fortified villages and Buddhist monasteries with Bon roots. Its inhabitants are of Tibetan origin and have maintained their traditional and basic lifestyle in fairly harsh conditions, with subsistence agriculture and care of livestock, where yaks caravans are still the main way of transporting goods that are still traded with Tibet, with which they are much more closely related than with Nepal itself. Their natural environment is of overwhelming beauty, marked by a series of high mountain passes, which can be closed by snow part of the year, in the territory of the Snow Leopard.

The difficulty in getting there, its isolation, its harshness and the high price of the special permit mean that no rows of hikers can be seen here. Dolpo is relatively unvisited, although it is one of the most impressive routes and environments in all of Nepal. There is practically no accommodation in the entire region, so the trek’s overnight stays are done in campsites.

This itinerary stands out for its four mountain passes that have to be crossed, three of which are over 5000 meters high. It also stands out for the number of “gompas” (temples/monasteries) that are scattered throughout its geography, Buddhist gompas of the Bon branch, with a very hard and sober iconography, deeply rooted in ancient shamanic traditions, among which the Shey Gompa stands out even more. The Phoksundo Tal (lake) stands out, the deepest in Nepal and one of the largest, a sacred lake where bathing is prohibited. It stands out for its solitude, walking through a wide and overwhelming landscape, with an almost unaltered nature where the invisible snow leopard finds a lonely territory where to hunt. But, above all, it stands out for being a very different experience from all the other treks in Nepal, it is another dimension.

Get ready for a trek with a personality of its own.

FULL TRIP according program
 

PRICE INCLUDES
·       All transfers and trips by private vehicle

·       Flight Kathmandu – Nepalganj / Nepalganj – Juphal / Juphal – Nepalganj / Nepalganj – Kathmandu

·       Assistant English-speaking guide on arrival

·       3 nights with breakfast in Kathmandu

·       Accommodation in tent and three meals a day during the trek according the itinerary description

·       Local English-speaking Mountain Guide during the trek

·       1 porter each 2 clients

·       Cooker, tents, dinning-tent, toilet, and everything related to camping trek

·       TIMS Trek permit card (Trekkers’ Information Management Systems)

·       Shey-Phoksundo National Park entrance fee

·       Special Permits for Upper Dolpo and Lower Dolpo

·       All government taxes and VAT

·       Wages, food and accommodation, expenses, and insurance for all staff

PRICE EXCLUDES
·       International flight from/to your origin point to/from Nepal

·       Entry Nepal VISA

·       Lunch & Dinner (except indicated)

·       Tips to staff

·       Hot and cold drinks, phone calls, internet connection or any other personal expense

·       During the trek hot showers, battery charges or any other personal expense

·       Medical and/or travel insurance. For most of our treks you must have a mountain accident insurance that works in Nepal until 5500 meters’ altitude and include helicopter rescue.

·       In general, any concept not specified in the program, as well as any type of personal assistance to the traveller for matters outside the program of this trip.

In option for late returning flights on the last day, we can keep one room during the day in order you can have a shower before long flight back home.

JUST TREK with no services out of the trek itinerary in Kathmandu or Pokhara
 

PRICE INCLUDES
·       Transfers by private vehicle from/to your accommodation in Kathmandu to/from Kathmandu airport

·       Flight Kathmandu – Nepalganj / Nepalganj – Juphal / Juphal – Nepalganj / Nepalganj – Kathmandu

·       Accommodation in tent and three meals a day during the trek according the itinerary description

·       Local English-speaking Mountain Guide during the trek

·       1 porter each 2 clients

·       Cooker, tents, dinning-tent, toilet, and everything related to camping trek

·       TIMS Trek permit card (Trekkers’ Information Management Systems)

·       Shey-Phoksundo National Park entrance fee

·       Special Permits for Upper Dolpo and Lower Dolpo

·       All government taxes and VAT

·       Wages, food and accommodation, expenses, and insurance for all staff

PRICE EXCLUDES
·       International flight from/to your origin point to/from Nepal

·       Entry Nepal VISA (check information)

·       Tips to staff

·       Any service out of the trek

·       Hot and cold drinks, phone calls, internet connection or any other personal expense

·       Hot showers, battery charges or any other personal expense

·       Medical and/or travel insurance. For most of our treks you must have a mountain accident insurance that works in Nepal until 5500 meters’ altitude and include helicopter rescue.

·       In general, any concept not specified in the program, as well as any type of personal assistance to the traveller for matters outside the program of this trip.

Inquiry

The Upper Dolpo is a restricted area, so it is subject to special trekking conditions. The minimum group must have two hikers plus the guide and cannot be done alone. It also has a fairly high trekking fee of $500 for 10 days plus $50 per additional day. This and the fact that you have to use four domestic flights makes the cost of this trek unfortunately high.

Please note that overnight stays are not made in a lodge as usual in Nepal. This is a camping trek from the beginning to the end.

To get Juphal, the starting point of the itinerary implies (incomprehensibly) flying to Nepalganj first and having to spend one night there. As always, mountain flights in Nepal are subject to weather conditions, especially those who land in small airfields, such as Juphal, although its runway was paved in 2017 making it more reliable. This may mean that in poor visibility conditions flights may be cancelled and have to wait a day to depart or return, so it is advisable, if possible, to add one or two days to the itinerary as a safer option, as well as having the last day in Kathmandu in case of return flight problems.

The entire Dolpo region is in the “shadow” of the monsoon, which means that it is not heavily affected by the monsoon rains of July and August. This means that this trek can be done during the summer, unlike most other areas of Nepal, although flights, as mentioned above, can be affected by the monsoon.

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULE

Programs may have to be adapted according to the schedules of your flights to Nepal. The itineraries are designed taking into account that the international flight arrives at Kathmandu in the morning or noon. If you arrive to Nepal afternoon or later it would be better to have a margin day before starting your trek, although it is not essential.

DO YOU WANT TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR TRIP?

Related to the trek itinerary and Kathmandu and/or Pokhara staying we plan the “minimum days recommended” to have a comfortable and safe trip and trek. But always is a good idea to add some extra day during the trek (for rest or as safety extra day) or in your days in Kathmandu or Pokhara.

Like all our tours, the itinerary can be customized and adapted to the taste, needs and preferences of the traveller, especially when it comes to staying in Nepal outside the trek route.

You can opt for the full trip or just hiring the trek and travel on your own in Nepal.

EXPERIENCES TO NEPAL OUTSIDE THE PROGRAM

Whether for free days in Kathmandu or Pokhara, as if you want to add more days to your trip, we offer a number of options and extensions. With them you can add and complete activities and experiences on your trip. Some are already included in some program, but in general we prefer that you choose them on your own, if you are interested in any, depending on your tastes and way of traveling. Ask us for more information if you are interested.