Dolpo Region Treks

With the focal point of Phoksundo Lake and the Tarap Valley at its heart, the Dolpo region offers one of Nepal’s most challenging and stunningly scenic trekking routes. Isolated and restricted by government mandate and only open to exploration since 1990, relatively few visitors have had the opportunity to traverse the region's upper reaches, witness the breathtaking eagle's-eye view of Phoksundo’s azure waters from on high, or visit mystical monasteries such as the 11th century Shey Gompa. With a diverse offering of flora and fauna, including blue sheep and the legendary snow leopard, and a backdrop of the Kanjiroba, Annapurna, and Dhaulagiri massifs, the Dolpo region truly offers a trekking experience like no other. The genuine warmth and hospitality of the people, locked away for centuries behind the forbidding barriers of mountain and snow and still practicing the pre-Buddhist religion of Bon Po, enhances the sense of time-warped wonder and welcome.

The two classic routes through the area encompass separate explorations of the upper and lower regions of Dolpo. The lower Dolpo trek, which is considerably less restricted, begins and ends at the village of Juphal and involves a scenic and culturally interesting circuit through Shey Phoksundo National Park. Upper Dolpo harks to the Tibetan plateau and offers stark mountain scenery, dramatically colored and weathered landscapes, precipitous trails, high passes such as Sela (5094m) and Jyanta (5221m), matchless views, and a sense of isolation and peaceful solitude that can easily convey a feeling of being completely removed from the outside world and transported to another planet altogether.

The season for both Upper and Lower Dolpo typically runs from June to September, which offers up unique trekking experiences in the middle of the year that would generally be unavailable elsewhere due to the monsoonal weather. Boundless opportunities also exist to add additional trekking options either before or afterwards in the central and eastern regions of Nepal.

The only limits to what can be accomplished lie within your imagination. So get in touch with us and let’s see what Nepal Trekking Experts can arrange for you, either through our set itinerary or one tailored to your specific requirements.