Lower Dolpo Trek - 15 days

The first day of the trek begins with a nice morning breakfast in Kathmandu. During the morning, you will have a brief leisure as you prepare for your trek in the coming days. In the afternoon, you will be taken to Tribhuvan International Airport, where you will board the flight to Nepalgunj.

Nepalgunj is a special city in Nepal at an altitude of 150m from sea level. The flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj takes up to 50 minutes. During this flight, you will first glimpse the Himalayan ranges. You will then check into a nice hotel in Nepalgunj to stay overnight. If you have time, you can do short sightseeing around the streets.

Today we will have breakfast at your hotel and then quickly head towards Nepalgunj airport for our flight to Jhupal. Jhupal is a small town with a short airstrip at an altitude of 2850m. The flight to Jhupal takes approximately 40 minutes. Jhupla is a small village located in the mountains where the temperature tends to be colder than in other areas.

Our actual trek finally starts as we make our way to Dunai. It takes roughly 2 to 3 hours to reach Dunai from Jhupla. The trek is slightly difficult as you must climb steep hills across curvy roads.

On the third day of our trek, we begin our journey towards Tarakot after having breakfast at Dunai. As you proceed, you’ll witness the vibrant colors of the Dolpo region in all their glory. The trek will continue along the banks of the Thuli Bheri river.

As you keep moving forward, you will come across several small settlements. Meet and interact with local people of Sherpa and Tibetan heritage. This region is one of the most remote and secluded. Road services are not available in some locations, either. After some rough, rocky, and curvy trails, you will eventually reach Tarakot within six hours of the trek. Overnight stay at the teahouse in Tarakot.

Today the trek gets more difficult and strenuous as you climb some altitude. After trekking for a few hours, you will reach places with several Buddhist monasteries and temples, which you can briefly explore. As we have climbed some altitudes, we are now trekking above the Thuli Bheri River and have to cross some suspension bridges.

On the common trail, plenty of shops offer tea, lunch, and snacks for trekkers worldwide. After five to six hours of trek, we will reach another small village in Laini, where we will stay overnight in a teahouse or camping tent.

The next morning, early on, we will have breakfast in our teahouse or camp and immediately start trekking; another day of climbing altitude continues as your today’s destination in Nawar Pani. Despite the trail continuously ascending and descending, the trek is not too hard as you pass through straight roads and lush jungles.

You will arrive at today’s destination after four hours of continuous trekking. After arriving at Nawar Pani, you can either start sightseeing around the village or check in your teahouse for a rest.

The trek will get exciting as you move forward from Nawar Pani. You will come across a small settlement area of Dho-Tarap between two huge mountains. The trek itself isn’t too difficult, but you’ll encounter significant altitudes as the village sits at an elevation of 4090m. A huge Buddhist monastery is located in the village with inhabitants from Tibets or people who follow Buddhism.

The women in this village wear different but particular clothing. They wear black dresses and aprons of several colors made from yak wool, along with bracelets made of hard shells. You will find this village’s culture, tradition, and rituals quite interesting. Overnight stay at the teahouse in Dho.

Today is a crucial day on your journey as we pause to adjust to the altitude. Acclimatization is vital for adapting to the air pressure, oxygen levels, and temperature at this high altitude of over 4000m. This helps prevent altitude sickness. Take this opportunity to explore the nearby villages and interact with the locals.

After resting for a day, we continue our trek as we aim to reach Numa La Base Camp today. The trek takes six to seven hours and is more challenging than before. You will come across a unique school at a high altitude, which is named Crystal Mountain School. Many children wave to the trekkers in the area, and the sight is quite pleasing.

As you continue moving for an hour from the school, you will reach today’s destination in Numa La Base Camp. There is another Buddhist monastery in the Numa La Base Camp. Furthermore, no lodges and teahouses are here, so you will stay overnight in a tent. Your guides and porters will set up a bonfire and tent around the campsite and help you cook dinner food.

Today is one of the most challenging trekking days, especially for beginners. First, we will trek from the Numa base Camp area to Numa La Pass, which is at an altitude of 5238m. The trek is steep as you ascend until reaching the top of the ridge, offering exciting views of stunning mountains such as Churen and Dhaulagiri.

Reaching Numa La Pass from the base camp area takes four hours. After soaking in the experience, we will begin to descend, which is easier than ascending the steep climb. You will first reach beautiful Gyambo Khola till you reach Danigar, renowned for its beautiful green meadows. Stay overnight at a tent in Danigar as it has no teahouse.

Another difficult trek awaits us as we begin climbing elevations from Danigar to reach Baga La Pass. This trek will certainly test your physical and mental endurance as you have to trek 600m upwards rapidly. Just like in another pass, you will see beautiful mountain views like Norbung Lang Peak from the top of the Baga La Pass.

Before reaching Yak Kharka, you’ll glimpse the Phoksundo Lake area from the top of the pass. Then, we’ll descend along the frozen stream and through deep ravines until we reach a barren grassland. The final leg of the descent leads us to Yak Kharka. After three days of camping, today you’ll enjoy the comfort of a teahouse.

The eleventh day of our trek will take us to the beautiful Phoksundo Lake. From Yak Kharka you will have two ways to go, one towards Ringmo and another towards Maduwa. Moving towards Ringmo, you will encounter lush forests, green vegetation, and pine trees.

As you approach Ringmo, you will pass through the highest waterfall in Nepal. After a final thirty-minute downhill trek, you’ll be greeted by the breathtaking beauty of Phoksundo Lake. Spend the night camping beside this mesmerizing lake.

Today is another day where we will take a break from trekking. You can go on a short hike around Phoksundo Lake, Ringmo village, and the monastery in the lake shore area called Tshowa. After trekking around, you will spend the day in the tent around Phoksundo Lake.

The trek begins with the downward ascend from the lake to Chepka. Keep moving until you reach a huge overhanging green rock from where your trek continues to descend towards Shyanta. The trek is interesting and filled with medicinal minerals, which locals believe can cure anything. We don’t advise consuming any minerals during your trek. You will reach several villages before you start climbing towards Shyanta.

The trek continues on the second last day as we approach Jhupal. First, we will reach Sulighat, the ridge surrounded by birch trees. At the top, you can see the mountain views, and at the bottom, you can see the beautiful Jhupal village. You will trek for about 4-5 hours until you reach the small Jhupal village, where you will stay overnight.

Today is the last day of your Lower Dolpo trek as you begin by having breakfast in Jhupal. You will board a flight to Nepalgunj, which takes 45 minutes to an hour. After landing in Nepalgunj, we will board the next available flight to Kathmandu. This concludes your 15-day trek. We hope you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you back soon.