20-day Lower Dolpa Trekking Tour in Nepal

After being picked up in the Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport by one of our representatives, they will transfer you to the hotel. Once there, you will get a short briefing of your trip and have the rest of the day off. Overnight at Hotel.

On the second day of the tour, we will visit some of the World Heritage Sites of Kathmandu. These include Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupati Nath, the famous Swayambhu Nath ‘Monkey Temple’ , and the Bouddha Nath Buddhist shrine. You can also make last minute purchases of personal items and prepare for the next day. Overnight at Hotel.

In order to get to Dolpa, we will  fly to Nepalgunj first. Nepalgunj is a steaming hot city in South Western Nepal. It is close to the Indian border and culturally resembles India more than Nepal. Once there, you can take a rickshaw for a ride in the town, and stop by the bazaar where you can see horse carts full of colorful people going to or coming from the Indian border. The Bageshowri temple is one of Nepal’s most important Hindu temples and is worth a visit as well. Overnight at Hotel.

On day 4, we will take a 35 minute flight to Juphal over steep mountain ridges with beautiful views of snowcapped mountains. Stepping out of the plane, we will be transported to a completely different reality. From a hot city in the plains, we will arrive to the crispy cold air of a small mountain village situated in the Himalayas.Overnight at Camping.

After breakfast, we will begin our trek along the south bank of the river heading upstream on a good trail. We will through deep gorges, hanging bridges and isolated villages. We will also see a tremendous gorge with pine trees and an ingenious path built about seven meters above the river. Then, the colorful terraced field of Tarakot, an old fortress town built by the local people, will greet us.Overnight at Camping.

After breakfast, we will follow the Tarap chu river upstream and cross it twice until we reach the famous Sandul Gompa. We then continue down a path leads through farm terraces and rural villages until we get to Laini.Overnight at Camping.

After breakfast we will continue walking up to the gorge of the Tarap River, rising high above on a trail built out from steep slopes. The walk is quite exciting as the valley becomes so narrow that in some places you can jump from one side to the other. After, we will descend to Chyugur Khola. Overnight at Camping.

Our morning walk will  begin after breakfast with a gradual ascent that will lead us to Kamattarka at the confluence of the Tarap Chu and Lang Khola, a stream flowing from the east. After a few hours we will leave the narrow gorge. The path will soon be lined with juniper bush and wild rose, typical of dry inner Himlayan valleys. Another 3 hours will bring us to the village of Dho Tarap surrounded by an irregular stone wall. In this Valley both Bon Po and Chaiba sects reside together. Tarap is also inhabited by a few Tibetans and mostly Magars who have lived here for many generations.Overnight at Camping.

We will spend a day resting in Do Tarap get used to the altitude. This will be a good time to visit monasteries and enjoy the breathtaking views.  You can also make friends with the locals who have hardly seen westerners.

The Dolpo people wear home spun clothing that is sometimes dyed maroon and they favour Tibetan style somba or dhocha (boots with upturned toes) for foot wear. Both men and women often wear religious amulets and strings of coral, amber and turquoise. The people of the region belong to both Bon po and Nyingmapa Buddhist sects.Overnight at Camping.

After a wonderful time at Do Tarap, our journey will continue towards the upper Tarap valley.

The trek will follow a river with patches of green on either side, and is completely different from other parts of inner Dolpo. We will then follow the Tarap chu upstream all the way. Tarap is certainly a dream valley with vast plains in high mountains. A few hours’ of walking will take us to the village of Tokyu that has a monastery belonging to the Chiba sect. After visiting this village, our walk will continue ascending up this valley through a rough track for almost three hours until we reach our overnight camp beneath the Numa-la.

Day 11 of our trip will be one of the most challenging. After breakfast, we will continue on to the crossing of Numa La pass at 5,190 m.  The path will lead us up to a steep climb that leads to the top ridge of Numa La with great views of the surrounding landscapes. We will also have an incredible panoramic view of the barren mountains of Dolpo up to the Dhaulagiri (8167 m). After getting to the top of Numa La we will descend to camp at Pelung Tang.Overnight at Camping.

After breakfast, our morning trek will begin with a steep climb to the ridge top of Baga-la at 5,070 m, which offers fantastic views of the surrounding landscapes and of the distant snow capped peaks of Kanjirowa Himal range. After a glorious moment at the pass, almost three hours of downhill walk will take us to the Dajok Tang where we will spend the night.Overnight at Camping.

We will begin our morning trek with a walk through the pine forest. Then, we will head into a pasture field with alpine shrubs and a few hills until we get to Ringmo. Overnight at Camping.

At Ringmo we will get a chance to rest and explore.  And of course to sit on the shore of the spectacular Phoksumdo Lake. Yak caravans will be heading in and out of Ringmo on their way north towards the border of Tibet, and our most northerly destinations, Saldang and Thinje. We will also get the chance to visit a nearby Tibetan Buddhist monastery .  A walk part way round the lake is also very enjoyable and relaxing.Overnight at Camping.

On day 15, we will back track our path to Ringmo village and continue past Palam to the Suli Gaad valley, following the stream originating from the Phoksumdo Lake. After a descent of almost 900 meters we will arrive in the small village of Renje, which consists of 9 houses on the side of the river. Here we will find a good campsite about 5 minutes from the village). Overnight at Camping.

We will start the trekking day on a path with several ups and downs alongside the river through forests of firs and larches . The trail will then turn into a collection of rocks and sticks forming a dyke along the river bank. We will set up camp beside a huge rock in a walnut grove about 20 minutes away from Chepka. Overnight at Camping.

Juphal is  famous for its lotus-like plant called chuk, which is used to make vinegar and medicines. On our way there, we will pass through the villages of Ankhe, Rahagaon and Parela, meaning ‘eye’, ‘eyebrow’ and ‘eyelash’ respectively. We will keep walking downstream and then ascend to Juphal through wide meadows. In Juphal we will spend the night in one of its hotels where a well deserved hot shower will await us. Overnight at Camping or Lodge.

Early morning flight to Nepalganj.
This is a wonderful 35-minute flight over the Himalayan foothills, with fine views of the main peaks including Annapurna and Dhaulagiri to the north. You will then connect with the flight back to Kathmandu. Overnight at Hotel.

After a fun packed journey you will have a full day at leisure on your own. Otherwise,  if you wish to extend your trip with us for an additional fee, we can organize to explore the Thamel for one last day shopping and evening farewell dinner at a Nepali restaurant.
Overnight at Hotel /B.

GuideSource will transfer you to the International Airport for your departure flight.