Lower Dolpo is a circuit of about 16 to 18 days from Juphal over the Numa La and Baga La to Phoksundo Lake, with a modest permit fee. Upper Dolpo continues north from Phoksundo over the Kang La to Shey Gompa and beyond, takes 22 to 26 days and needs a far more expensive permit. Choose Lower Dolpo for a first visit; choose Upper Dolpo if you want the remotest country and have the time and budget.
Upper Dolpo and Lower Dolpo at a glance
- Days from Kathmandu. Upper Dolpo: 22 to 26. Lower Dolpo: 16 to 18.
- Key places. Upper Dolpo: Shey Gompa, Crystal Mountain, Saldang, Dho Tarap. Lower Dolpo: Dho Tarap, Phoksundo Lake, Ringmo.
- High passes. Upper Dolpo: Kang La about 5,150 m, plus two or three more above 5,000 m. Lower Dolpo: Numa La about 5,190 m and Baga La about 5,070 m.
- Permit. Upper Dolpo: high fee, charged for the first 10 days and then per day. Lower Dolpo: low weekly fee.
- Style. Upper Dolpo: full camping. Lower Dolpo: camping, with some lodges and homestays.
- Grade. Upper Dolpo: very hard. Lower Dolpo: hard.
Where the line falls
Dolpo is divided for permit purposes. The southern part, including the Tarap valley and Phoksundo Lake, is Lower Dolpo. Everything north of the lake, the region sometimes called Inner Dolpo, is Upper Dolpo. Phoksundo is the gateway between them: Lower Dolpo treks end there, and Upper Dolpo treks walk along its western shore on a famous cliff path and carry on.
Lower Dolpo
The usual circuit goes from Juphal to Dunai, up the Tarap gorge to Dho Tarap, a high village of Bon and Buddhist monasteries, then west over the two passes to Ringmo and Phoksundo Lake at 3,611 m, and down the Suligad river back to Juphal. It gives you a deep gorge, a high valley, two serious passes and one of the most beautiful lakes in the Himalaya. See the Lower Dolpo guides.
Upper Dolpo
From the lake the route climbs to the Kang La and descends to Shey Gompa, a monastery beside the Crystal Mountain, which pilgrims circle each summer. Onward routes cross to Namgung and Saldang, large villages near the Tibet border, and return by Dho Tarap or continue east towards Mustang. Days are long, villages rare and the sense of distance from the modern world is complete. See the Upper Dolpo guides.
Difficulty
Both are hard. Lower Dolpo has two pass days and about a week above 3,500 m. Upper Dolpo has three to five passes above 5,000 m, more nights above 4,000 m and longer gaps between any help. It should not be a first high trek.
Cost
Upper Dolpo's permit is among the most expensive in Nepal, and the extra week of camping crew, animals and food adds a great deal. Lower Dolpo is far cheaper, though still above the price of a lodge trek because of flights and camping.
Season
Late May to October for both. Snow blocks the passes for the rest of the year, and many villagers move south for the winter.
Wildlife
Shey Phoksundo National Park covers much of both. Blue sheep are commonly seen, and this is one of the main snow leopard habitats in Nepal, though sightings are rare.
People and religion
Dolpo is one of the last strongholds of Bon, the religion that predates Buddhism in Tibet, alongside Tibetan Buddhism. In Bon monasteries pilgrims walk anticlockwise, the opposite of Buddhist practice. Dho Tarap in Lower Dolpo has both kinds of monastery within an hour's walk. In Upper Dolpo, villages such as Saldang still send yak caravans across the border to trade grain for Tibetan salt.
A typical camping day
Tea is brought to your tent at about six. After breakfast the crew packs while you start walking, and mules or yaks pass you on the trail. Lunch is cooked or carried, and camp is usually reached by mid-afternoon. Nights above 4,000 m fall well below freezing even in summer, so a sleeping bag rated to minus 15 C or lower is needed.
Getting in and out
Both begin with the flight to Juphal, a short sloping airstrip above the Bheri river. Flights are early, weather dependent and often delayed, so itineraries include buffer days at both ends. A rough road now reaches Dunai from the south, which gives a slow alternative when flights stop.
Choose Upper Dolpo if
- You have more than three weeks.
- You have done long camping treks before.
- Shey Gompa and Inner Dolpo are the goal.
- Budget is not the main limit.
Choose Lower Dolpo if
- It is your first trip to Dolpo.
- You have about two and a half weeks.
- You want Phoksundo Lake at a lower cost.
- You want two high passes, not five.
Can you do both?
An Upper Dolpo trek passes through Lower Dolpo on the way in or out, so the longer trek includes the best of both.
Plan it
See the Phoksundo Lake trek for the shortest way to the lake, or ask us for full itineraries.
Common questions
Do I need a restricted permit for Lower Dolpo?
Yes, though its fee is low compared with Upper Dolpo.
Is Phoksundo Lake in Upper or Lower Dolpo?
Lower Dolpo. It marks the boundary.
Are there lodges in Dolpo?
A few simple ones in Lower Dolpo. Upper Dolpo is camping.
How do you get to Dolpo?
By flight to Nepalgunj and on to Juphal, then on foot.
Heights, days, fees and rules are approximate and can change, so confirm the current details with us before you book.
